Iesha Stephenson
Valley Stream,NY
Summary
Results-driven Third Party Risk Management professional with 8 years of experience overseeing vendor relationships and mitigating associated risks. Skilled in building strong partnerships, managing vendor performance, and driving cost efficiencies. Excellent communicator and collaborator across departments to enhance organizational risk posture.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Manager - Third Party Vendor Management
Inhabit IQ
Atlanta, GA
01.2025 - Current
- Established a central contract repository that improves the accuracy of vendor records and transactions.
- Negotiated contracts, terms and conditions with vendors to secure competitive pricing, quality of services and favorable terms.
- Developed a standardized contracting process, reducing execution time by 70%.
- Spearheaded development of vendor management policies and procedures for enhanced operational efficiency.
- Collaborated with divisional leaders to provide guidance on best practices related to purchasing decisions, ensuring consistency in vendor selection, evaluation, and onboarding.
- Fostered strategic partnerships with key suppliers through proactive communication and engagement.
- Maintained stakeholder transparency and accountability in vendor agreements.
Third Party Risk Management - Officer
Zip Co. (Buy Now, Pay Later)
New York, NY
02.2023 - 10.2023
- Spearheaded the development and management of the Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) program, collaborating with key subject matter experts across departments (Compliance, Legal, Finance, and Security) to develop a robust assessment methodology for all critical and high risk third parties
- Oversaw the end to end Third Party Risk Management lifecycle including planning, due diligence, onboarding, contract management, ongoing monitoring, and termination
- Conducted meticulous privacy and security assessments of all third-party relationships within the Zip environment, categorizing risks based on criticality and exposure to the business
- Collaborated with legal and risk management teams to conduct compliance risk assessments, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements in vendor onboarding and contract negotiations
- Monitored and reported third-party performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) and implemented corrective actions to address underperformance
- Led the development and socialization of the TPRM program's framework and procedures, and offered working sessions and workshops to familiarize internal stakeholders with the program
Third Party Risk Management - Director
Morgan Stanley
New York, NY
08.2020 - 02.2023
- Established and implemented Third-Party Risk Management policies and framework to monitor and assess the effectiveness of third-party risk management practices across all regions, and legal entities
- Supported the development and execution of the Third-Party Risk Management program through managing the process of identifying, assessing and mitigating material risks posed by critical and high risk third parties
- Conducted periodic third-party assessments of critical and high-risk vendors to identify control gaps associated with third-party's control environment, understand possible exposures, probability of impact and provide recommendations to stakeholders of potential risks
- Collaborated with Legal and Compliance to develop, design, and implement contract remediation strategies to address regulatory risks and ensure compliance with current FDIC, FRB, SEC, and GDPR regulations, guidelines, and policies
- Maintained a central repository for all contracts and related documents, ensuring version control and easy accessibility and validated all contracts are traced accurately, with comprehensive records of changes, approvals, and performance metrics
- Prepared and presented weekly reports on contract remediation updates, vendor performance, compliance and recommendations to senior management and relevant stakeholders
Third Party Program Management / Strategic Sourcing Analyst - IT
JetBlue Airways Corporation
Long Island City, NY
11.2016 - 08.2020
- Assembled and categorized cross-functional stakeholders to develop a Third-Party Program Management strategy and timeline, ensuring leadership support and the effective accomplishment of team goals
- Managed a comprehensive third-party vendor repository, ensuring all documentation including contracts, agreements, assessments, insurance, scorecards, due diligence reports, and vendor policies were updated and accurate
- Collaborated with the IT Security on Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery matters to ensure all critical and high-risk third-party vendors are included in the airlines Disaster Recovery Plans
- Orchestrated the planning, design, and execution of sourcing projects within JetBlue's IT and Professional Services domain to strike the optimal balance of pricing, quality, and risk, maximizing the value of current and new contracts
- Achieved over $16M in annual structural cost and contract savings by developing and implementing negotiation strategies that maximized value while decreasing the Total Cost of Ownership
- Developed and provided on-going updates and key performance indicators and metrics to senior leadership and key stakeholders
Education
Masters - Accounting
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Syracuse, NY05.2014
Skills
- Vendor onboarding
- Contract negotiations
- Risk Assessment and Analysis
- Regulatory compliance
- Vendor Due Diligence
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Cross-functional collaboration
- SAP Ariba
- Scout RFP
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Suites
- Microsoft Project
- One Trust
- Process Unity
- ServiceNow
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Manager - Third Party Vendor Management
Inhabit IQ
01.2025 - Current
Third Party Risk Management - Officer
Zip Co. (Buy Now, Pay Later)
02.2023 - 10.2023
Third Party Risk Management - Director
Morgan Stanley
08.2020 - 02.2023
Third Party Program Management / Strategic Sourcing Analyst - IT
JetBlue Airways Corporation
11.2016 - 08.2020
Masters - Accounting
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Similar Profiles
Michele MullinaxMichele Mullinax
Manager of Risk and Underwiting at Inhabit IQManager of Risk and Underwiting at Inhabit IQ
Ken WilsonKen Wilson
Director of Websites and Support at Inhabit / BizcorDirector of Websites and Support at Inhabit / Bizcor
Elizabeth HunterElizabeth Hunter
Accounting and Reconciliation Specialist at Inhabit - Vantage Card ServicesAccounting and Reconciliation Specialist at Inhabit - Vantage Card Services
Aracelis GonzalezAracelis Gonzalez
Director, Client Support at Warner Bros. DiscoveryDirector, Client Support at Warner Bros. Discovery
Gurbir SinghGurbir Singh
Sr Business Analyst /Scrum Master at Bank of AmericaSr Business Analyst /Scrum Master at Bank of America