Accelerate AWESOME
Advancing Women Supply Chain Leaders!
May 15, 2014
8:30 am – 9:00 am Coffee and Registration
9:00 am – 9:25 am Opening Remarks: One Short Year
AWESOME Founder Ann Drake talks about the journey for women leaders to get where they are today – how rapidly opportunities are now opening – the accomplishments of AWESOME so far — and the urgency of leveraging women’s leadership for immediate impact.
Introduction of 2014 AWESOME Advisors
9:40 am – 10:40 am SESSION 1: Leadership Unleashed
This panel of Strategic Supply Chain Leaders, representing different aspects of the profession, provides the chance to see our industry in a whole new light. What influences, including the advancement of more women into leadership roles, are impacting company cultures, customer relationships and supply chain performance? What do they see as the greatest challenges they’ve faced in their careers and what do they find most exciting about the future? How can supply chain leaders use their skills in significant new ways for their companies, their customers, their country, and society in general?
Annette Danek-Akey – Senior Vice President, Fulfillment, Penguin Random House, Inc.; former Industrial Engineer, Sears Logistics; Moderator, Women at WERC session, WERC Chicago, 2014
Michelle DeJonge – Vice President, Supply Chain Office of Strategy, Johnson & Johnson; former Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Medical Device and Diagnostics; Advisory Board Member, Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University
Gemma Fillmore – Vice President, Global Transportation & Logistics, Ascena Retail Group, Inc.; former Director, Logistics, Global Transportation and Warehousing/Customs & Regulatory/Freight Pay, Campbell Soup Company
Sherry Harriman – Divisional Vice President, Supply Chain for Florida and Puerto Rico, Walmart; Member, Board of Advisors, Warrington College of Business Administration, Center for Supply Chain Management, University of Florida
Moderator: Karla Martin – Partner & Vice President, Retail and Commerce, Booz & Co.; Board Member, Threadsuite
10:55 am – 11:55 am SESSION 2: Insights Uncensored
A follow-up to one of last year’s most popular sessions — a new panel of Enlightened Male Leaders discuss what they’ve observed, strides being made, changes and challenges they see ahead for women as supply chain leaders. How do they think men and women handle situations differently and what, if any, stereotypes may have an inhibiting factor on women’s leadership? Based on the perspectives voiced by women leaders at previous AWESOME events, do they agree – or disagree – with how women assess the situation? What steps still need to be taken to put some of the issues to rest – for good?
Michael Burton – CEO of the Holding Company and President of C&K Trucking; Board Member, Illinois Trucking Association and Northwestern Transportation Center’s Advisory Board
Sam Kamel – Senior Vice President, Ingram Micro; Member of Ingram Micro’s Worldwide Executive Team; former Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Development at Fox News Group
Reuben Slone – Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Logistics, Walgreens; former Executive Vice President, Supply Chain, OfficeMax; Board Chairman, Aspire of Illinois
Seth E. Wilson – Founder/Managing Partner, Headhaul Capital; former Managing Director, Transportation & Logistics investing practice, Jefferies Capital Partners; Board Member, Epic Gas, New Century Transportation and R&R Trucking Holdings
Moderator: Justin Zubrod – Managing Partner, Zubrod Clair & Company; Chairman, Business Advisory Council, Transportation Center, Northwestern University
12:10 pm – 1:10 pm Lunch and informal “BUZZ” Session
1:10 pm – 1:30 pm Up Close Conversation about a Career in High Gear
A senior Supply Chain Leader tells the story of her career
Susan Pellechio – Vice President, Transportation & Supplier Collaboration, Staples; former Vice President, Merchandising and Promotions, Staples Business Delivery; Member, Supply Chain Leaders in Action (SCLA) Business Forum
Moderator: Antonia Shusta – former COO, Pacific Financial Group; former Group Executive, Household International; Marketing and Membership Coordinator of The Commonwealth Institute
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm SESSION 3: Powering up the Pipeline
Companies who lead the way in developing the next generation of leaders present their innovative programs, and women who’ve emerged from those programs add their insights. What gave their companies impetus to begin women’s leadership programs? How does a company take the right steps to get an initiative started? How do they define success and have they achieved it? What have been their most successful program elements and is there anything they would do differently to have a greater impact on the chances for women to advance? From the emerging leaders’ point of view, how do they think this program affected their careers?
Daniella Levitt – President, Ovation Global Strategies and Daniella Levitt Enterprises; Founder of gen-xyb High TeaTM; Board member and Chair of the Quality Committee for the Board of Access Community Health Network
Tamara Queen-Fierte – Manager, Inclusion Practices, Business Resource Groups (BRG), Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), CDW
Stephanie Santander – Director, Customer Experience: Logistics, Customer Service and Internal Sales Support, CDW
Moderator: Robin S. Ross – Principal, RSR Advisory, LLC; Leadership and Career Coach, R2 Coaching, CareerCoach.com; formerly Managing Director, Interest Rate Products, CME Group
2:45 pm – 3:05 pm AWESOME Connections: A Conversation
Two Senior Supply Chain Leaders share their story about the power of AWESOME networking.
Moderator: Dr. Nancy Nix – former Executive Director of the EMBA Program and Professor of Professional Practice in Supply Chain Management at the Neeley School of Business at TCU
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm SESSION 4: Building Leadership Careers across Barriers
Last year’s AWESOME Symposium proved how much women in different industries can learn from each other — and this year, C-suite Leaders in traditionally male fields share their experiences and their secrets to success. What factors in their fields perpetuated the all-male tradition and when and how did that begin to change? Did women take an active role in opening up opportunities? In their own careers, how did they overcome obstacles and did they find ways to help other women advance? As a woman among mostly men, do they see the acquisition of certain skills as being critical to gaining respect and credibility?
Ruth Ann Gillis – Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Exelon Corporation, and President, Exelon Business Services Company, Exelon Corporation
Celeste Mastin – CEO, Distribution International; Board Member, Metabolix, Inc.; Advisory Board Member, School of Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University; former CEO, MMI Products, Inc.
Mindy Meads – CEO, Calypso St. Barth; Board Director of Blue Nile, Joe Fresh; former co-CEO, Aeropostale; former CEO, Lands’ End
Dorothy Terrell – Managing Partner, FirstCap Advisors; former Senior Vice President, NMS Communications and former Corporate Officer, Sun Microsystems; Board of Directors, General Mills and Herman Miller
Moderator: Ana Dutra – CEO at Mandala Global Advisors; Senior Global Advisor, Humantelligence; former CEO, Korn/ Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm AWESOME Conclusion
Inspiration and ideas about what’s next for this initiative on the move.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Cocktails and Conversation
A time to continue connecting with other AWESOME women and talking about the day’s solutions
6:15 pm – 8:30 pm Dinner, Awards and Conversation with Award Winners
The AWESOME Legendary Leadership (ALL) Award recognizes women who have achieved extraordinary professional excellence and success, addressed challenges impacting opportunities for women in our field, and advanced the changing landscape of women’s supply chain leadership.
Moderator: Alex Marren – Aviation Consultant, retired Senior Vice President, Network Operations and United Express, United Airlines