Mark This! explores responsible sourcing at Aramark, the unit that drives local procurement, supplier diversity, and sustainable sourcing across the enterprise. Responsible sourcing is a shared priority with the enterprise and with our partners as clients and customers want the bigger story behind the products and services we provide. They want to know where their food comes from and how we are supporting local communities and economies. In this episode, we focus on supplier diversity and speak with three guests who seek to expand the footprint of our local, sustainable, and diverse supply chain every day.
Natily Santos, Vice President of Responsible Sourcing
Natily Santos is a management leader with over 15 years of experience and a proven record of creating value in sales, operations, and supply chain functions. As the Vice President of Responsible Sourcing for Aramark; Natily oversees local procurement, supplier diversity and sustainable sourcing initiatives. She leads teams and procurement programs that connect clients, consumers and communities to strategies that drive business growth and local economic impact.
Natily has also been recognized by numerous organizations including Philadelphia Business Journal 40 under 40, Pennsylvania’s 100 Most Influential Latinos, and Aramark Volunteer of the Year for her motivation to pay it forward and make a positive impact as a mentor and scholarship fundraiser.
Natily shares her time and expertise on several boards and program committees including PHLDiversity a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Enterprise Council, Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council and Prospanica – The Association of Hispanic Professionals. As part of these organizations, she expands her support towards mentoring young professionals, community empowerment and economic development.
Natily graduated from Temple University Fox School of Business where she received a Master’s in Business Administration. She also earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in International Business with a focus on Hotel &Tourism Management from Johnson & Wales University. Natily is originally from New York City and now resides in Philadelphia with her husband and son.
Jonathan Mason, Supplier Diversity Manager
Jonathan Mason has worked at Aramark for 8 years in various roles ranging from financial to operational analysis. He currently supports Aramark’s Global Supply Chain & Procurement organization as the Supplier Diversity Manager for U.S. based Aramark Managed Services procurement. In this role, Jonathan oversees company efforts to meet small & diverse spend requirements by planning and executing supplier development programming, supporting sales and new business opportunities, and strengthening procurement relationships with minority vendors across various departments.
As an active member of the Philadelphia Urban League, Aramark Young Professionals, Aramark L.E.A.D. (Leaders & Employees of African Descent) and his local church, Jonathan is passionate about using his platform, knowledge, and resources to help others achieve success. He graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and resides in Philadelphia, PA with his family.
Mercedes Rodriguez, Supplier Diversity Manager, Avendra Group
Mercedes joined Aramark twenty-three years ago. In her journey with Aramark, Mercedes has held numerous positions from Administrative Assistant to Supplier Diversity Manager, attaining valuable cross line of business experience across numerous Aramark sectors: Healthcare, Higher Education, Corporate Finance, Global Supply Chain & Procurement, and Avendra Group.
Mercedes oversees Supplier Diversity for Avendra Group. She is responsible for leading Avendra’s supplier diversity efforts in support of Avendra clients. These efforts include identifying sourcing opportunities and diverse suppliers, supplier outreach, reporting and training, maintaining supplier diversity compliance, partnering with clients on setting and attaining supplier diversity goals and representing the company in external events, conferences, and industry meetings.
Mercedes has made significant impacts as it relates to team building, employee engagement and community service. Mercedes passion of giving back to the community has been said to inspire others to get involved. As a result, Mercedes is a recipient of several Aramark awards:
2020 – 2018 Aramark ToastMARKers Awards; serving as a mentor, table topics, and toastmaster of the year.
2021 Service Star
2020 & 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month Award for her commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that encourages workforce engagement and creates memorable consumer engagement, all a staple of Aramark’s mission and values.
Additional Aramark Resources
Local Sourcing Can Be Complicated – We're Up to the Challenge - Aramark
Building a Diverse Supply Chain Through Mentorship | Aramark Blog
Partner Programs
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark ranked No. 1 In the Diversified Outsourcing Services Category on FORTUNE’s 2022 List of ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ and has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
