An article in Modern Materials Handling assesses inroads women are making in the supply chain field and quotes both Nancy Nix, AWESOME Executive Director Emeritus, and Dana Stiffler, VP Research, Gartner. Nancy is also featured in a “60-Seconds” interview in Supply Chain Management Review.
In the MMH article, Nancy says, “There are systemic problems that get in the way of the progress of women, and it’s not just based on things they could be doing differently. It’s biases in the hiring and promotion system—or the fact that ‘I recognize a good leader as someone who looks and acts just like me.’ That’s the kind of bias that gets in the way.”
The article continues: Even with those biases holding them back from advancing in supply chain, Nix is bullish on the opportunities that lie ahead for women who want to get into management and leadership positions.
In the Supply Chain Management Review article, “60 Seconds with Nancy Nix,” Nancy is asked why it matters if more women are able to achieve senior level supply chain positions. She answers, “It matters for several reasons. There’s all kinds of research that says a diverse team is more innovative and gets better results than a group think team. Secondly, if you have women at senior levels, you can better recruit and retain them at all levels. If a young woman comes in and doesn’t see anyone like her, she’s likely to leave. Finally, the third leg of the stool, we need talent in the supply chain and 50% of the population are women.”