About TPW Associates

Tanya Penny, a senior executive in the Fortune 50 realm, is using her extensive track record to build transformative strategies for high growth businesses.

Penny has held several senior leadership roles for Verizon Communications, a $120 billion-dollar technology giant. One step down from CEO, Penny served as Chief Real Estate Officer/ Senior Vice President, reporting to the President of Verizon Services Operations (VSO). As an executive member of the global, shared-services business group that supported all Verizon companies, including Verizon Business, Verizon Telecom and Verizon Wireless, Penny was responsible for a $2 billion budget and 3,000+ staff and contractors and responsibilities included operations, property management, design/ construction, energy conservation and portfolio administration. Penny developed a holistic operations outsourcing strategy impacting 200,000 employees. The change required a major consolidation of suppliers, new performance measures and standards. This innovative strategy was true disruption for the existing local and regional market structure - with activities outsourced among thousands of suppliers.

Additionally, Penny served as vice president and Chief Procurement Officer, worldwide. Penny led a team of over 500 procurement professionals responsible for $35 billion of sourcing activities, impacting 200,000+ employees. Under her leadership, expenditures across Verizon were consolidated into a single unit, driving more than $2 billion in synergy savings over three years. Penny also drove over $4B in spending with diverse suppliers via a globally recognized Supplier Diversity program.

Currently, Penny is driving strategic initiatives at Ampcus, Inc. a high growth, global provider of technology services. Areas of focus include business development, supply chain and financial infrastructure consulting. Her role includes the development of best practices and strategic solutions in program and project management. 

Penny also shares her supply chain knowledge as a Professor in the Howard University School of Business. and as the Executive Director of the Chief Procurement Officers’ Council for the United States Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce.

Via TPW &Associates, Penny provided design and implement high-impact supply chain and financial transformation projects. Penny is consulting on a leading-edge program to integrate supplier diversity and strategic sourcing processes for hospitals and universities in urban areas. Other key transformation clients include state and local government, global telecommunications, and high growth small businesses. Penny is also provided financial team leadership to Novation Enterprises, expanding infrastructure and financial bandwidth in this rapidly expanding, veteran workforce development firm.

Penny is a sought-after speaker, most recently speaking to business incubator organizations and logistics/procurement executives. Penny enjoys speaking to small business owners and spoke to international entrepreneurs at the request of the United States Department of State.

Penny started her telecommunications career with MCI. As controller, Penny led her organization through the largest financial reinstatement in history, including a $38 billion complex impairment of assets. Over 30 years, she has held various positions in finance and operations with steadily increasing levels of responsibility. She held leadership roles in Corporate Development, Network Engineering, Technical Planning, Property Accounting and Records Management, Corporate Planning and Supply Chain. Penny also analyzed merger and acquisition opportunities and built corporate plans for presentation to Board of Directors.

Throughout her career, Penny has consistently delivered as a change agent, solving critical business problems while leveraging technology and designing strategic direction. Major accomplishments include:

• Implementation of strategic sourcing model in multiple corporate environments, saving billions of dollars.
• Creation of an energy savings organization, consolidating $700M utility spending - enterprise wide. This organization analyzed both policy trends and technologies to drive energy costs down.
• Directed the development and implementation of various system solution and process changes including a contractor management sourcing solution and system, reducing cost by 15%/ $50M, a paperless, efficient back office system and enterprise resource planning systems

Penny holds an MBA (Finance) from the Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania) and a BA from Stanford University. Penny is a member of National Association of Corporate Directors, Women Corporate Directors Foundation and Women in the Boardroom. She serves her community through various social advocacy and mentoring organizations.