WestRock's Keya Grant Receives STEP Ahead Award from Manufacturing Institute

Keya Grant, WestRock’s director of supplier diversity, has been recognized with a Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award from The Manufacturing Institute. The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the C suite.

“This award symbolizes how WestRock empowers women in manufacturing across its enterprise,” said Grant. “I work for a company that produces some of the most innovative products in the world and encourages and promotes a diverse workplace.”

Since joining the company in 2016, Grant has made significant contributions. For example, she has increased diverse supplier spend year over year and has worked to expand the company’s classifications of diverse suppliers to include LGBTQ suppliers. She currently leads the first state-sponsored business development program of its kind, the Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection Program. Since Grant became director of supplier diversity, WestRock has earned nine awards for various aspects of supplier diversity. The Atlanta Tribune named Grant one of its “Women to Watch” in 2017.

The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent. In five years, STEP Ahead Award winners have impacted more than 300,000 individuals—from peers in the industry to school-aged children.

The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is an affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation’s manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification and development of world-class manufacturing talent.