Sandye R. Taylor
Vice President • Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. • New York, N.Y.
As vice president and head of global sourcing and procurement services supplier diversity at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., Sandye R. Taylor sees to it that diverse-owned businesses are given opportunities to participate in the company’s bidding and procurement processes. She collaborates with the firm’s commodity managers, industry leaders and various diversity councils to identify certified minority, woman-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises that are qualified to provide goods and/or services to Merrill Lynch.
Taylor previously served as a commodity manager for mainframe and distributed software at Merrill Lynch, where she ensured that agreements with firms providing technology products and services met the firm’s technical and legal standards. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Taylor was a manager for Telcordia Technologies, a New Jersey company that helps corporations maintain and expand their computer networks. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland at College Park and a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Taylor attributes much of her success to the strong support of her family, including that of her husband and two children. She takes to heart the advice of her parents—her father’s “Don’t try to be anyone other than yourself,” and her mother’s “Respect the differences of others.” Other Merrill Lynch executives advised her, too, urging her to “learn to take risks, as that is where the opportunities lie.” Taylor would pass on these insights to others, especially to younger professionals, while adding a few of her own, such as “know when to stay in your lane and just be patient,” and “all things are possible if a person believes.” These insights will hold true as you navigate life and career, she believes, helping to lift you as you climb emotionally, spiritually or professionally.
Taylor is involved in community efforts aimed at providing cultural and educational enrichment to youth in underserved communities. She hopes to inspire her own children to “be kind, caring and productive human beings.”
