At the global conference of CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals), held September 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas, six sessions on diversity and inclusion, coordinated and powered by AWESOME, raised the interest in women’s supply chain leadership to a new level.
AWESOME also hosted a networking reception on the evening before the sessions began, where senior women supply chain leaders had the opportunity to connect with each other and meet the five AWESOME scholarship winners attending the conference.
AWESOME collaborated with CSCMP on these Diversity and Inclusion sessions:
Session 1 – Monday, September 22 – 10-11:30 a.m.
“International Assignments: Why a Global Resume Is Becoming Key to the C-Suite”
- Learn effective techniques for working with and leading a global team.
- Walk away with best practices for getting the most out of global work assignments.
Global experience is becoming a prerequisite for senior positions. Tomorrow’s top leaders will have international qualifications. Living abroad can enhance your leadership toolbox by increasing cultural awareness, market familiarity and flexibility. This session will explore the benefits and pitfalls of international assignments. Learn the value of embracing international assignments and gaining opportunities to manage teams rich in global diversity. An expert panel will share advice on evaluating and enlisting for global opportunities, how to lead and work with a global team, career path impacts, tips for getting acclimated and lessons learned for effective communication.
Sandy Evett (Moderator), Vice President, Customer Service and Logistics, Kraft Foods
Shari Boston, Vice President Supply Chain, ConvaTec
Miguel Gonzalez, Procurement Director, Transportation and Logistics, Kraft Foods Group
Jane Kaiser, Director B2B Supply Chain, Kimberly-Clark
Session 2 – Monday, September 22 – 2:15-3:15 p.m.
“The New Workplace: How Companies Are Responding to the Needs of the Modern Professional and Contemporary Family”
- Learn about contemporary approaches leading businesses are taking to provide a flexible workplace that attracts and retains the best talent.
- Gain insights into management practices you can adopt to respond to the needs of today’s modern professional.
How do you put your company at the top of the list for the people you want to recruit? Attend this interactive session to share and explore the ways that companies are modifying policies, workplaces and work schedules to accommodate the modern professional. A leading expert will provide a compelling comparison across industries of what is and isn’t working as companies and managers try to adapt to contemporary lifestyles. Learn how companies are attracting top talent by creatively addressing the needs of both the individual and the organization. Interactive dialogue will allow men and women to share new practices and explore lessons learned. Walk away with tangible ideas that you can implement today to attract and retain top talent. This session is a must-see for anyone who manages people.
Janel Firestein, Life Sciences Industry Leader, Clarkston Consulting
Session 3 – Monday, September 22 – 3:45-4:45 p.m.
“Leveraging Networks to Achieve Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain”
- Learn how women leaders are increasingly participating in and shaping the supply chain sector.
- Gain insights into your own leadership approach and generate ideas on what we can do, individually and collectively, to support the advancement of women in supply chain.
Supply chain leaders from CSCMP and AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education) will explore the future of women’s leadership and how women are changing companies, customer relationships, and supply chain performance for the better. The panel will share tips for gaining the most out of career experiences and leveraging association networks to advance your career. The panel will also share insights on the changing nature of supply chain leadership and the specific challenges that women in our industry face. Both men and women are encouraged to attend this informative session to explore and discuss this ground-breaking supply chain leadership movement.
Dr. Nancy Nix (Moderator), Principle, Nix Associates
Bola Delano, Deputy Director, Illinois Department of Transportation
Ann Drake, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DSC Logistics
Gemma Fillmore, Vice President Global Transportation and Logistics, Ascena Retail Group, Inc.
Ellen Voie, President and CEO, Women in Trucking Association
Session 4 – Tuesday, September 23 – 10-11:30 a.m.
“Lessons from the Top”
- Gain insights from senior women supply chain leaders that will inspire, inform, and educate members of the profession, male and female alike.
- Learn about the career experiences of women who have thrived in the supply chain sector and the key decisions and methodologies that they attribute to their success.
Join this conversation with senior women supply chain leaders who will share their personal wisdom and secrets to success. Topics will include obstacles overcome, navigating barriers, communication style, and critical lessons learned. This session is valuable to women at all stages of their careers, as well as to male leaders who want to gain insights on how to relate to and advance women in their organizations.
Susan Purdum (Moderator), Instructor in Supply Chain Management, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State University
Debbie Lentz, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Toys R Us
Elizabeth Nohe, Vice President Supply Chain, Morton Salt
Linda Wood, Vice President Operations Services, RJ Reynolds
Francesca DeBiase, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Supply Chain Management, McDonald’s Corporation
Session 5 – Tuesday, September 23 – 2:15-3:15 p.m.
“Diversity Programs that Gain the Competitive Advantage”
- Learn how to bolster your organization’s diversity program from companies that are leaders in diversity management.
- Gain insight into how and why formal diversity management programs help companies achieve competitive differentiation.
Leading companies are using diversity management to attract top talent and win business. Diversity strategy impacts the entire supply chain, with the power to recruit and retain key suppliers, team members, and customers. In this session, a panel of leaders from companies with recognized top diversity programs will share insights and practical ways of leveraging metrics, marketing, incentives, initiatives, and special events to develop diversity programs that are best in class. Whether your company is ahead or behind on diversity programming, attend this session to get fresh, viable ideas you can apply today to improve your competitive advantage.
Donna Palumbo (Moderator), Manager, The Walt Disney Company
Cathy Kutch, Director of Supplier Relations and Diversity, Kellogg
Imelda Laborde, Director, Human Resources, Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions
Meghan Murray, Principle, PwC
Session 6 – Tuesday, September 23 – 3:45-4:45 p.m.
“Building and Fostering Balanced Teams that Win”
- Learn how to build a team comprised of people with a wide spectrum of thinking and behavioral attributes to enhance agility and problem-solving ability.
- Walk away with practical methods you can use to nurture the diverse and complimentary characteristics that exist within the teams you manage and participate on today.
Are you leading your team to win? A team’s ability to collaborate, solve problems and respond under pressure is greatly enhanced when members are selected with careful attention to team balance and fit. In this session, leading experts will share advice on how to build and foster balanced teams, assessment tools for hiring, how to create a culture that values the depth that differences can bring, and how to leverage the balanced team to achieve richer solutions. Attendees will walk away with real tools and techniques that can match the right person to the right job, and learn tips for nurturing team balance to achieve maximum success.
Valerie Bonebrake (Moderator), Senior Vice President, Tompkins International
Neil Collins, Senior Client Partner, Global Sector Leader, Logistics and Transportation Services, Korn Ferry
Rosaleena Marcellus, Senior Partner, Leadership and Talent Consulting, Korn Ferry
Mike Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer, Predictive Group
Two more CSCMP sessions of special interest to women
Sunday, September 21 – 2:30-4:00 pm
“Women at Work: The Power of Communication in Driving Business Results”
As women gain ground in executive ranks where messaging acumen may become more powerful than technical know-how, women need to present their point of view more effectively. Penn State will share their proven techniques in a workshop-style event focusing on how you can present your point of view and build your personal leadership brand.
Facilitated by Duane “Andy” Gustafson, Assistant Professor of Managerial Communications Pennsylvania State University
Monday, September 22 -10:00 – 11:30 am
“Women in Logistics: Finding and Keeping Supply Chain Talent”
Selected results of the 18th annual survey of female members of CSCMP are briefly reported, including questions about how to find and retain supply chain talent. A panel will address how they approach these issues. Panel members and audience will then participate in an interactive discussion to include how you can find the right position for your abilities and goals.
Moderated by Martha Cooper, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University