Behind the Scenes: Meet the People Advancing Sustainability and Opportunity at FedEx

It is through the work of many individuals and teams that FedEx ensures sustainability, diversity, and ethical governance are key aspects of our company’s identity. Maintaining this requires a dedicated effort in both the high-level projects and individual’s day-to-day work. In this blog post, we’ve profiled three FedEx team members whose roles exemplify these characteristics, and how their careers developed into these essential positions.?

Anne Gonzalez, Sustainability Principal, FedEx Office

Anne Gonzalez, based out of Little Rock, Arkansas, leads sustainability efforts for FedEx Office, the retail network of FedEx that provides shipping services as well as copying, printing, expert consultation, and other services. After completing her master’s degree in environmental studies with a focus in corporate sustainability at the University of Pennsylvania, she wanted to find a career that would allow her to put it to good use. Lucky for us, she found it at FedEx Office.

“FedEx Office initiatives are always tied into the broader FedEx sustainability strategy, though we do have certain focus areas that are unique to us” she explained. In her role, Anne works to source sustainable paper, find avenues for hard-to-recycle items (like print cartridges), and energy efficiency initiatives. With Anne’s help, FedEx Office has reduced its energy usage by 40% over the past five years.??

Recently, Anne worked on the first solar installation for a FedEx Office store in San Rafael, California. This project will provide enough energy to cover around 75% of the store’s usage. She worked closely with the solar company King Energy and the FedEx sourcing, real estate, and operations teams to bring the installation online.

“I’m so grateful for the business partners I work with,” Anne said when discussing the best part of her role. “They bring ideas, run tests, do pilots, and are the feet on the ground of sustainability.”

LeTonya Cooper, Sourcing Manager, Supplier Relationship Management

FedEx is a critical part of the supply chains of our shipping customers around the world, and within our network, we have our own extensive and diverse supply chain of vendors. LeTonya Cooper has been with FedEx for about 16 years, mostly within the sourcing department but also working with in the global travel and finance departments, and those who have worked with her recognize the essential role she plays in the growth of FedEx as an organization, particularly as a part of the Sourcing team.

LeTonya and her team ensure FedEx maintains a dynamic and diverse supply chain within established procurement practices. Specifically, she manages supplier diversity, supplier risk, sustainability, and the governance process for the sourcing and procurement teams. This includes tools to monitor risk, as well as all following procedures and processes put in place by the Sourcing team.

“My favorite part of my job is being able to interact with small and diverse suppliers and even if they are not able to do business directly with FedEx, I still see their growth throughout our interactions,” LeTonya said.

LeTonya’s personal impact can be seen in her many accomplishments, including the Five Star Award she won in 2018 for organizing the first women’s session during National Women’s month in March for FedEx. ?She considers one of her biggest accomplishments to be when FedEx was first announced as a “Best-of-the-Best” corporation for Inclusion by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC). The prestigious award recognizes companies across the country that have demonstrated a commitment to America’s diverse employees and business owners, which includes LGBTQ people, people of color, women, and people with disabilities.

“It’s not just the right thing to do,” LeTonya said when discussing why a commitment to diverse suppliers is important. “Everyone knows that it’s the right thing do, but it’s actually good for our business too. Working with a diverse range of suppliers, enables us to tap into a broader pool of expertise, ideas, and resources, leading to unique innovative solutions and competitive advantages. Small and diverse businesses are critical to the success of FedEx as customers, suppliers, and vendors.” ?

Bryan Malone, Process Improvement Advisor, People and Systems Development Team

Bryan’s twenty-six years at FedEx have given him the opportunity to support team members in many ways. By holding a wide variety of roles within the organization, including beginning his long tenure right out of high school as a package handler in 1997 at the Memphis Hub, he understands the value of every person within FedEx.

Bryan worked his way through a variety of roles and into a leadership role as the manager in the Global Network Planning Department. Now as the Process Improvement Advisor for the Systems Development Team, he assists in supporting the career growth of other FedEx team members.

Among Bryan’s responsibilities include managing essential FedEx programs, including the LiFE, or Learning inspired by FedEx, program . The LiFE program is a partnership between FedEx and the University of Memphis that offers tuition-free, fully online degree options for over 30 associate’s and bachelor’s programs of study. Today, almost 4,500 participants are enrolled in the program.

Though the program began as a retention and recruiting strategy, Bryan believes it has evolved to something more. Participants are able to transition to higher level roles, move laterally into roles that better fit their career goals, or even pursue positions outside of what they may have originally thought possible.

“With the LiFE program, we have removed the barriers that prevented people from pursuing their degree,” he said. “Team members don’t have to pay any upfront, out of pocket cost, and by making these courses online and flexible—having enough time is not a factor, so you complete the work at your own pace. And with no college entrance exam required, we made it easier for those who hesitate because it’s been a long time since they applied to college. We’ve literally taken so many of the excuses to not go back and pursue your degree.”

Learning, Bryan says, is a critical component of all the FedEx culture pillars, and programs like this promote job performance, retention, and personal satisfaction, all of which drives business results. And on top of that, programs like LiFE support team members’ experiences and the communities they serve and live within, and Bryan is proud to be a part of it.

“FedEx has been a great blessing to me over the past 26 years,” he says. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s one of the greatest companies to work for, and I don’t think you would find a culture quite like ours in terms of our ability to put people first and maintain that people-first aspect. I’m in a role that challenges me to be innovative and pushes me to ask how I can add more value to what we’re doing to support customers and team members.”

Learn more about the work of these team members and how they contribute to building a brighter, more inclusive world in the 2023 FedEx ESG Report.