Doug Powell

Coming from a background in IT and systems engineering, Doug Powell started with Coca-Cola in 2002 as a project manager, and later, an operations support manager. In 2014, he was brought in to work alongside labor attorney Wendy Person to put guardrails and governance around the fledgling CW space. Today, Powell is the global program manager with a focus on IT and process excellence, overseeing a program that boasts 12,000 contingent workers worldwide.

Powell implemented the Workday… Show more

Coming from a background in IT and systems engineering, Doug Powell started with Coca-Cola in 2002 as a project manager, and later, an operations support manager. In 2014, he was brought in to work alongside labor attorney Wendy Person to put guardrails and governance around the fledgling CW space. Today, Powell is the global program manager with a focus on IT and process excellence, overseeing a program that boasts 12,000 contingent workers worldwide.

Powell implemented the Workday human capital management system into the CW program in 2017. However, of the 1,400 managers globally who utilize contingent workers, 1,300 engage just one or two a year, and many remained unfamiliar with Workday. “[User experience] is everything to us,” Powell says. “We can’t do anything unless it’s worthy to talk about.” Determined to improve the Workday experience, Powell implemented a digital assistant in May 2019 designed to automatically collect and input CW information into Workday so managers don’t have to do it manually.

Powell predicts that the workforce will continue to shift toward contingent workers. “Clients, users, and managers all want to use the program,” he says, noting that companies are finding more and more alternative sources for talent beyond traditional staffing. Being proactive in matching worker skills to needed roles will help companies like his maintain a competitive edge. Show less

When Doug Powell was asked to take on the role of global program manager at The Coca-Cola Co., he brought over 25 years of experience as a process excellence practitioner with him. Under mentor Wendy Person, whom Powell describes as a “true thought leader,” Powell gained the ear of senior leaders in order to start changing the game, gaining alignment on the contingent worker solutions Powell’s team has recently put into place.

One notable solution, which Powell helped design and… Show more

When Doug Powell was asked to take on the role of global program manager at The Coca-Cola Co., he brought over 25 years of experience as a process excellence practitioner with him. Under mentor Wendy Person, whom Powell describes as a “true thought leader,” Powell gained the ear of senior leaders in order to start changing the game, gaining alignment on the contingent worker solutions Powell’s team has recently put into place.

One notable solution, which Powell helped design and implement, is its current contingent worker integrated solution between Workday and Fieldglass. With this, Powell’s team creates visibility into this indirect spend category for the first time in the company’s history. Going forward, Powell hopes to continue improving the user experience, expand its North America MSP/VMS solutions, and expand globally.

As for the future of the CW space, Powell foresees an evolution in how companies engage workers in both the FTE and contingent spaces. “With the pressure from governments who continue to evolve their thinking on tax liabilities, the needs of the current and evolving workforce, and the continued risk of co-employment and liability concerns, I see a possible collision of worker types,” says Powell. “Envision a time where a worker is a ‘worker’ not an employee (FTE), contingent worker, or services provider. Governments and companies will need to reconsider current legislation and engagement practices.” Show less