Doris M. De Los Santos is a nationally recognized leader in supplier growth, innovation, and inclusive supply chain strategy. As Director of Supplier Engagement & Innovation at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, she leads enterprise-wide strategies that strengthen supply chain performance, expand supplier participation, foster innovation, and deliver measurable business and community impact. Under her leadership, BCBSRI's supplier engagement strategy has achieved more than 50% year-over-year growth in spend with diverse and small businesses for three consecutive years, demonstrating how intentional supplier development, strategic sourcing collaboration, and data-driven decision-making can create value for both suppliers and organizations.
At BCBSRI, Doris has championed innovative approaches to supplier engagement, including enhancements to Tier 2 supplier engagement and reporting processes, supplier matchmaking and development initiatives, executive-level performance dashboards, and cross-functional strategies that embed supplier engagement into sourcing and procurement planning. Her work increasingly focuses on leveraging analytics, technology, and strategic partnerships to create growth opportunities for suppliers while helping procurement organizations adapt to evolving market dynamics.
In addition to her role at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Doris serves as Chair of the Blue Network NASPURC Supplier Inclusion Professional Work Group, which convenes sourcing, procurement, and supplier management leaders from across the Blue Cross Blue Shield system. Through this national forum, she facilitates collaboration, the exchange of leading practices, and the identification of opportunities to strengthen procurement performance and supplier engagement across member organizations. By bringing together leaders from one of the nation's largest healthcare networks, she helps advance innovative strategies that support supplier growth, strengthen supply chain resilience, and maximize the collective impact of participating organizations.
With leadership experience spanning the corporate, government, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial sectors, Doris brings a unique perspective on what it takes to build supplier ecosystems that are sustainable, measurable, and growth oriented. Her work focuses on helping organizations strengthen supply chain resilience while connecting emerging businesses to the relationships, resources, and opportunities needed to compete, grow, and scale in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.
Previously, Doris served as Director of the Center for Women & Enterprise Rhode Island Women's Business Center, where she expanded access to resources for historically underserved entrepreneurs and increased BIPOC-owned business participation by 20 percent. She has also held senior leadership roles in economic development, education, municipal government, and public affairs, leading initiatives that strengthened small-business ecosystems and created pathways to economic opportunity. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to building partnerships that drive both business success and community impact.
Doris is also Board Chair of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) and serves in national leadership roles with the National Minority Supplier Development Council Healthcare Industry Group, and Disability:IN. Through these roles, she helps advance supplier growth, business development, and economic opportunity while championing the importance of strategic partnerships in building strong, innovative, and resilient supply chains.
She holds a Master's degree in Community Development from Roger Williams University and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Universidad Pedro Henríquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic and an AA from the Community College of RI.
Short Bio (Conference Program Version)
Doris M. De Los Santos is a nationally recognized leader in supplier growth, innovation, and inclusive supply chain strategy. As Director of Supplier Engagement & Innovation at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, she leads enterprise-wide strategies that strengthen supply chain performance, expand supplier participation, foster innovation, and deliver measurable business and community impact. Under her leadership, BCBSRI's supplier engagement strategy has achieved more than 50% year-over-year growth in spend with diverse and small businesses for three consecutive years, demonstrating the value of intentional supplier development and strategic procurement partnerships.
Doris also serves as Chair of the Blue Network NASPURC Supplier Inclusion Professional Work Group, a national forum that brings together sourcing, procurement, and supplier management leaders from across the Blue Cross Blue Shield system to collaborate, share leading practices, and identify opportunities to strengthen the collective impact of their organizations. In this role, she helps advance innovative strategies that support supplier growth, strengthen supply chain resilience, and drive procurement excellence across the enterprise.
With leadership experience spanning the corporate, government, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial sectors, Doris brings a unique perspective on building supplier programs that are sustainable, measurable, and growth oriented. Her work focuses on connecting emerging businesses to the relationships, resources, and opportunities needed to compete, grow, and scale in today's evolving marketplace. Previously, she led the Center for Women & Enterprise Rhode Island Women's Business Center, where she expanded access to resources for historically underserved entrepreneurs and increased BIPOC-owned business participation by 20 percent.
Doris is Board Chair of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) and serves in national leadership roles with the National Minority Supplier Development Council Healthcare Industry Group, and Disability:IN, helping advance supplier growth, business development, and economic opportunity nationwide.
