2018 Symposium Speakers, Panelists and ALL Award Honorees

2018 ALL AWARD HONOREE
Chief Operating Officer, Bloom Energy
Susan Brennan has 25 years of experience in global manufacturing and operations for the automotive and energy industries. In strategic leadership roles for Nissan Motor and Ford Motor – both Fortune 100 companies — she spearheaded large-scale initiatives and drove the companies’ transformations with systemic process and corporate culture change. At Nissan, she was the highest ranking woman in operations – and one of the few women who have held an executive position at a leading Japanese corporation. She ran the largest automotive manufacturing plant in the world and led the introduction of five new car models for Nissan, including the first Infiniti built outside of Japan and the all-electric Nissan Leaf.

At Ford, Susan ran the global business office for the assembly, power train and stamping plants on six continents. She was a key member of the global team that reorganized Ford under its “Way Forward” program. In addition to developing and implementing a strategic plan for the restructuring of labor and manufacturing capacity for Ford, she led the charge to address diversity imbalance among Ford’s management, from production supervisors to directors. She also co-chaired the Women in Manufacturing Employee Resource Group.

As COO of Bloom Energy, Susan is responsible for global supply chain and purchasing, as well as all new product launch strategy and sales execution, operations, capacity management, labor management, EHS strategy and compliance and government affairs.

Throughout her career, Susan has created and supported organizations that encourage young women to pursue careers in math and science. Among these endeavors are serving as a national advisory board member for the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) at Stanford University and President and founder of the Southern Automotive Women’s Forum. She is past Vice President of the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation in Detroit, Michigan, and served as an advisory board member for the University Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at Middle Tennessee State University. Twice, she has been named to “Top 100 Women in Automotive” by Automotive News. She is a Distinguished Alumni of University of Nebraska at Omaha, and in 2016, she was honored as a Woman of Influence, Silicon Valley. Susan serves on the board of Senior PLC, a FTSE listed company.

Ilya R. Espino de Marotta

2018 ALL AWARD HONOREE
Executive Vice President, Engineering & Programs Management, Panama Canal Authority
Ilya R. Espino de Marotta is known in Panama as “the woman who led the Panama Canal Expansion Program.” As Executive Vice President for Engineering and Program Management for the Panama Canal Authority, she is responsible for preparing the designs and specifications for all Panama Canal Projects. She is the first woman to hold the Executive Vice President of Engineering position in the Panama Canal’s 100-year history.

Ilya has worked for the Panama Canal Commission/Panama Canal Authority for more than 30 years, and was involved in many capacities leading up to the opening of the expanded Panama Canal in 2016. With a degree in Marine Engineering she began as a design engineer in the Industrial Division, the shipyard where all Canal floating equipment is repaired. She also worked for the dredging division; the Mechanical Engineering Branch; as a valuation engineer for the accounting division; and as Capital Program Coordinator for Maritime Operations. She participated in the development of the Panama Canal Master Plan and the Expansion Proposal presented for national referendum in 2006.

After the referendum passed, Ilya was appointed Executive Manager of the engineering department’s Resource Planning and Project Control Division, responsible for supervising environmental services, security, budget, risk assessment, cost control and execution time, communication and historical documentation and legal services. In 2012 she was appointed as Executive Vice President of Engineering.

Ilya is a familiar sight, whether on the ground in her pink hardhat and vest – or boarding a helicopter to survey the ongoing projects from above. Her Vice-Presidency also supervises the canal’s maintenance, operation and construction contracts, and the purchase of goods and services.

Among the awards she has received are being named 2014 “Outstanding Woman of the Year” by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives and the “Distinguished Woman Award” from the Association of Professional and Business Women of Panama. She has been recognized by The Circle of Intellectual Women of Panama for its Technology and Engineering achievement award. She was also one of the recipients of the “2016 Women Who Make a Difference” award by the International Women’s Forum, and was named on the list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Central America by Forbes México.

Heather Sheehan

INTERVIEWER: 2018 ALL AWARD HONOREES
AWESOME Executive Director; 2014 AWESOME Legendary Leadership Award Recipient
Prior to becoming Executive Director on January 1, 2018, Heather Sheehan was AWESOME’s Director, Member Engagement and Sponsorships. Under her leadership the AWESOME network has grown to more than 1,200 women, and sponsorships by major companies increased to a total of 31 for the 2017 Symposium. She also worked with founder Ann Drake and former Executive Director Nancy Nix on strategic planning and implementation of all AWESOME initiatives.

Heather is also the owner of Crispy Concepts LLC where she consults on leadership and supply chain. She is the former Vice President Indirect Sourcing and Logistics for Danaher Corporation. In that role, she was co-chief procurement officer with worldwide responsibility for non-production and logistics sourcing, strategy, and implementation across the corporation’s 40-plus operating companies. She was involved with operations in 125 countries and led successful changes in supply chain processes, policies, talent, quality, efficiency, and acquisitions as Danaher grew from $3 billion to over $20 billion in revenues in her 13 years with the company.

Heather’s career experience spans over 30 years in the manufacturing and transportation industries and includes experience living and working in Asia. Prior to joining Danaher in 2002, Heather held various leadership positions in procurement, logistics and marketing with Honeywell, Union Pacific Corporation and NCR Corporation.

Heather served on the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ board of directors, for 11 years, and is past Chairman of the Board. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Best Practice Sharing Session for Symposium Host Partner, Founding Partner and Champions

Kelsey Carvell

FACILITATOR
Senior Project Leader, Supply Chain Strategy – Digital Supply Networks, Deloitte Consulting
Kelsey Carvell is a senior project leader at Deloitte Consulting with a focus on growth, innovation, and operational excellence strategies in the digital age. She works with clients to evaluate risks and opportunities specifically for Industry 4.0 Bold Plays, new business models, and breakthrough technology. Kelsey’s operational and supply chain experience includes leading procurement transformations, strategic network analyses, product lifecycle management, and connected factory work. Kelsey has 10 years of work experience at the intersection of digital innovation and strategy.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Kelsey held a leadership role at a leading Medical Device Company. There, she was responsible for external innovation, commercialization and pricing strategies, creating new business models, and several components of the organic and inorganic portfolio. Kelsey holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Bachelor’s in Physics from Minnesota State University.

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Up-Close Conversation

Girish Rishi

SPEAKER: UP-CLOSE CONVERSATION
Chief Executive Officer, JDA Software
Since becoming CEO of JDA Software in February 2017, Girish Rishi has emphasized a values-driven culture and a growth mindset at the company, establishing a Customer First approach and driving a product pivot toward edge technologies. As the largest supply chain software company, JDA acknowledges and embraces its responsibilities to innovate and deliver solutions that transform its customers’ supply chains.

Girish leverages his background in product development and go-to-market strategies across a number of leading companies including Symbol Technologies where he led the company’s EMEA operations, at Motorola where he led the Enterprise division, and at Tyco International where he was responsible for the company’s retail solutions business and the North America services business.

Girish spent the first 15 years of his career in early-to-mid stage entrepreneurial companies learning the value of co-innovating with customers and delivering differentiated solutions. Girish travels extensively for work, reads voraciously and in his downtime, hangs out with his wife and two boys. He serves on the Board of Directors of Insight Enterprises and is a member of the Board of Regents at the University of Hartford.

Nancy Nix

INTERVIEWER: UP-CLOSE WITH GIRISH RISHI
AWESOME Executive Director Emeritus
Nancy Nix served as Executive Director of AWESOME from 2014 through 2017. Previously, she was Executive Director of the EMBA Program and Professor of Supply Chain Practice at the Neeley School of Business at TCU in Fort Worth, TX. Nancy also served as Director of the Supply and Value Chain Center at TCU, where she led the development of supply chain programs. During her tenure as Director of the SVCC, Nancy established close working relationships with multiple companies, generated funding for the development of TCU’s supply chain programs, led the development of MBA and undergraduate curriculum in supply chain management, and hosted multiple Executive Forums and conferences featuring supply chain experts discussing leading-edge practices. Today, TCU’s Supply and Value Chain programs are recognized among the leading programs in the U.S.

In 2017, Nancy received the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) for her contributions to the field as a practitioner, educator, research leader, speaker, and organizational leader.

As Executive Director of AWESOME, Nancy was responsible for all areas of the organization and for implementing key initiatives, including the annual Symposium for leading women in the profession, the AWESOME / Gartner Women in Supply Chain research, and the AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholarship program. She is frequently a moderator, speaker or panelist for industry events powered by AWESOME and at the invitation of other organizations.

At TCU, Nancy taught Global Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Information Technology, and Supply Chain Strategy courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She also led numerous MBA and EMBA study abroad experiences, which included visits with companies and economic development organizations in China, India, and South America. She received an MBA Faculty Award in 2005, an award for innovation in curriculum development in 2006, and the Neeley School of Business Dean’s Teaching Award in 2013.

Prior to entering the academic field, Nancy held a number of managerial roles in manufacturing, logistics, procurement and customer service for the DuPont Company. She also spent one and a half years as VP of Logistics for Reliance Industries Ltd., in Mumbai, India.

Nancy is an active member of the CSCMP. She served as Chair of CSCMP’s Research Strategies Committee for four years, as a member of the Board of Directors for eight years, on the Executive Committee for five years, and as Chair of the Board for one year. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for DSC Logistics. She completed her doctorate in Logistics and Marketing at the University of Tennessee. She completed her MBA in the Fox School at Temple University, and her Bachelor of Science degree at Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD.

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Out in Front

Lisa Borders

SPEAKER: OUT IN FRONT
President, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Lisa Borders has more than 25 years of experience in operations, marketing, government relations and public service. As President of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Borders is responsible for setting the vision for the WNBA and overseeing the league’s day-to-day business and basketball operations.

In 2016, Borders’ first year at the helm, the WNBA scored its highest attendance in five years and set record marks for digital, social media and retail. In addition, the league experienced double-digit growth in television viewership on ESPN Networks and welcomed several new league partners, including Verizon as the WNBA’s marquee partner.

Borders has worked and delivered results in all three sectors: public, private and non-profit. Prior to joining the WNBA, she served as Vice President, Global Community Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company and Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation.

Borders was instrumental in bringing the WNBA to Atlanta in 2008, when she served as Vice Mayor of Atlanta and President of the City Council. In that role, Borders was responsible for managing the legislative branch of government and maintaining the relationship with the Mayor’s office during Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration. She was also President of the Grady Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Grady Health System, Georgia’s largest public hospital and metro-Atlanta’s premier level I trauma center.

Borders’ work in the community has focused primarily on family issues in the areas of education, healthcare and housing. She serves as a trustee of Duke University and The Westminster Schools. As a co-founder of No Labels, Borders remains deeply engaged with public policy. She has received numerous honors and consistent recognition for her corporate and civic work.

Borders holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s of science in health administration from the University of Colorado.

Michelle Livingstone

INTRODUCTIONS: OUT IN FRONT
Vice President, Transportation, The Home Depot; AWESOME Advisor
Michelle Livingstone is Vice President, Transportation, for The Home Depot, responsible for the movement of shipments into and within The Home Depot‘s multi-channel supply chain.

Prior to joining The Home Depot, Michelle served as Senior Vice President of Transportation for C & S Wholesale Grocers and as Vice President of Transportation at JCPenney. Prior to JCPenney, she spent 17 years at Kraft Foods in transportation and supply chain roles including Senior Director of Transportation and Supply Chain for Kraft Foods North America.

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Panel: Leading with Impact – Senior Women in Supply Chain

Dapo Ajayi

PANELIST: LEADING WITH IMPACT
Chief Procurement Officer, AstraZeneca
Dapo Ajayi is the Chief Procurement Officer for the global pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, and she is accountable for the external spend and supplier base across the end to end value chain. Dapo has spent her entire career in the pharma sector and has a broad business and supply chain background. She is a Pharmacist who spent her early career in Supply Chain roles in Technical Operations, Quality Assurance and Plant Management.

As her career developed, Dapo has held a variety of senior leadership roles including Leadership of Manufacturing Sites in the UK and Puerto Rico, Leadership of the External Sourcing group, responsible for all third-party suppliers in the supply chain, as well as time in the commercial business where she led a strategic marketing function.

Lauri Boulger

PANELIST: LEADING WITH IMPACT
Vice President, Global Supply Chain Planning, Hewlett Packard Enterprises
Lauri Boulger is Vice President of Supply Chain Planning for Hewlett Packard Enterprises ($29B in revenue), where she is leading a transformation of the global planning function. Lauri just transitioned into High Tech after over 25 years of supply chain experience in the CPG industry with Kraft Foods and later Kraft Heinz. Lauri has lead many successful transformations across multiple disciplines including Distribution, Planning/S&OP, Transportation, Customer Service, Field Sales/Customer Development, and Master Data/Analytics. Her most recent experience was leading a $1B Procurement and Operations organization in Transportation. Following the merger of Kraft & Heinz, Lauri stood up a new team that delivered multiple years of cost reductions worth $100MM each improving On Time Delivery.

Lauri is known for her people & team leadership skills, strategic vision, business sense and drive for results. Lauri has a degree in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.

Amy Carovillano

PANELIST: LEADING WITH IMPACT
Vice President, Logistics & Distribution, The Container Store
In her 30+ years with The Container Store, Amy Carovillano has been instrumental in the formation of its culture and business philosophy as well as the company’s strategic growth, direction and operational excellence. The Container Store, a nationwide retailer specializing in storage and organizational products for the home, has been honored as one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” 19 years in a row. Today, as Vice President of Logistics and Distribution, Amy directs all areas of supply chain, distribution, logistics, vendor performance, imports and transportation.

Regarded as a leader in the logistics and distribution field, she has served on the Warehouse Education Research Council (WERC) executive board, was featured in a cover story by Modern Material Handling, and has been highlighted as one of DC Velocity magazine’s “Thought Leaders”. This March, Amy was named a recipient of the inaugural Great Place to Work For All Leadership Awards presented by The Great Places to Work Institute. She was chosen as a leader who has consistently played a critical role in helping The Container Store organization deliver on strategic growth and business goals by creating a high-trust culture that is a great place to work for every employee.

Amy has a BS from the University of Minnesota in Microbiology and Biochemistry. She and her husband have four grown children and split their time between Dallas/Fort Worth and their vacation home in her favorite place, Walt Disney World.

Paula Northern

PANELIST: LEADING WITH IMPACT
Vice President, Global Sourcing, Oilfield Equipment, Baker Hughes (BHGE), a GE Company
Paula Duell Northern is Vice President of Global Sourcing, Oilfield Equipment at Baker Hughes (BHGE), a GE Company. In this role, she is responsible for driving best material and operational cost position and improving supplier quality for the products and services for the product lines. Northern brings 20 years of technical and business experience to this role. She is the Global Co–leader of GE Women’s Network’s Women in Operations initiative.

Paula earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA, and an MBA from Mercer University in Atlanta. She and her husband have two children and reside in Houston, TX.

Micaela Bulich

MODERATOR: LEADING WITH IMPACT
former Vice President, Onshore Wind Global Supply Chain, GE Renewables
Micaela Bulich has 30+ years leading Supply Chain organizations for highly engineered products in global industrial markets. Micaela retired from GE in 2017 where she was the Global Supply Chain Leader for GE Renewable Energy’s $8B Onshore Wind business. Her responsibilities included supply chain strategy, sourcing and global procurement, planning, manufacturing, logistics and environmental health and safety. Micaela has a proven track record for creating and leading global supply chain organizations with specialty in building high impact globally diverse teams, improving product cost competitiveness, localizing supply chains in emerging markets, and delivering customer satisfaction with emphasis on continuous operational improvement using lean six sigma.

Micaela’s career includes 20 years at GE in roles as Vice President, Sourcing for GE Energy, Senior Executive, Quality and Regulatory Compliance for GE Energy and Senior Executive, Global Supply Chain GE Plastics. She became a GE officer in 2011. Prior to joining GE Micaela spent 10 years at DuPont in supply chain and engineering roles. Her first role out of college was a flight controls engineer at United Technologies Sikorsky Aircraft.

Micaela was active in enabling women’s achievement as executive co-creator of GE’s Women in Supply Chain effort. She’s served on private boards for joint ventures in the US and is a Board member of University of Hartford’s College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture. She also served a 5-year term on her local school district’s Board of Education. Micaela holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Hartford and an MS in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Micaela and her husband Jimmy have been married 30 years and have two sons.

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Panel: Leadership in a World of Technological Change

Karen Beebe

PANELIST: LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Chief Information Officer, vineyard vines
Karen Beebe is Chief Information Officer (CIO) for vineyard vines. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing all facets of technology for the organization and driving the unified commerce/omni-channel vision to deliver an “Every Day Should Feel This Good” customer experience.

Prior to joining vineyard vines, Karen held the position of Senior Vice President, Application Development and Delivery for Chico’s FAS, Inc. She joined the company in June 2009 providing Enterprise-wide technology solution direction and transformation programs bringing Chico’s FAS to their current platforms of SAP, JDA, SAS, and PTC. She also directed the strategy and delivery of Shared Inventory across all channels (stores, catalog, and web) allowing for Omni-channel operations.

Prior to joining Chico’s FAS, Inc., she was at Limited Brands, Inc. (now L Brands), where she held various positions including Chief Technology Officer for Bath and Body Works and Vice President, Business Solutions Group for the multi-brand, international enterprise. Throughout her career she held many management and operational positions in Technology as well as Merchandise Planning, Allocation, and Internal Audit. Over the years she has been engaged in start-ups including Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Pink and many mergers and acquisitions including spinning off Abercrombie & Fitch, Limited TOO (Tween Brands now Ascena), Express, and The Limited.

Karen has been part of Executive Leadership teams that have won two CIO 100 Awards and she has served on many Technology Vendor User Boards in global leadership positions. She has also served her community on non-profit boards. She was most recently featured in the January 2018 editions of both RIS News and Chain Store Age “Top Women in Retail Tech”.

Debbie Keehn

PANELIST: LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, Celanese Corporation
Debbie Keehn is currently the Vice President of Supply Chain Operations for Celanese Corporation. Prior to this role Debbie held a number of executive roles in Celanese and ExxonMobil.

Debbie Keehn is a thought leader and change agent with over 20 years experience in the oil, gas and chemical industries. Her strategic thinking and organizational development talents have carried companies through rapid transformation leading to breakthrough results. Debbie’s formula for success is simple: “people first” delivers extraordinary results.

Guided by this formula, she has produced significant results in companies across multiple functions including supply chain, product innovation, financial shared services, information technology, M&A and human resources.

Debbie earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Sam Houston State University and is a member of the Celanese Advisory Council for Women.

Dorien Weigts

PANELIST: LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Senior Vice President and CIO, JDA Software
Dorien Weijts is Senior Vice President and CIO at JDA. In this role she oversees all of JDA’s global information technology systems and operational processes. Dorien has been with JDA since September 2005, with roles as Manager, Director, Senior Director and eventually VP of IT Applications. She played an integral role in the successful rollout of JDA’s large IT roadmap projects including Tenrox, Workday and Apttus CPQ.

Before joining JDA, Dorien worked for ASML Semiconductor, and spent three years in the accounting and finance organizations at Hertz and InterContinental in the UK. Dorien holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hotelschool The Hague, The Netherlands, and a MBA in International Business from Western International University in Arizona.

Jie Xue

PANELIST: LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, Cisco Systems
Jie Xue leads Cisco’s Technology and Quality organization, a global team responsible for anticipating, developing, and providing technology innovations to deliver a quality customer experience in support of Cisco’s supply chain. The team drives a competitive advantage for Cisco by ensuring innovation and excellence in manufacturing technology, test and component engineering, advanced technology development, closed-loop quality management, and product compliance.

With more than 500 employees around the world, Jie oversees development of industry-leading technologies for Si-Photonics, Advanced Si, ASICs, PCBs, Optics, memory, and complex interconnect technologies. Her organization carries key functions such as advanced product test, product compliance, and quality management operating system. Key initiatives include Test Transformation, Digital Design & Manufacturing, Supply Chain Digitization to Orchestration, Software and Cloud Quality, and Constellation (Virtual Manufacturing Engineering Security). As a senior executive, Jie is a change agent who specializes in defining strategic vision for Cisco and leading execution teams in driving transformational change.

Before leading the Technology and Quality team, Jie was the Senior Director of Component Quality and Technology, responsible for the technology sensing, roadmap, technology development, and quality and reliability for components in all Cisco products. Prior to joining Cisco, Jie held several management and engineering positions at Motorola, Inc., working on R&D and product development. Jie was selected by Connected World magazine for its 2017 “Women of Machine to Machine (M2M)” technology list, received the 2017 Women of Color STEM Conference Special Recognition Award. She received David Feldman Outstanding Contribution Award from International Electrical and Electronics Society (IEEE)-CPMT in 2016, and the YWCA 31st Annual Tribute to Women (TWIN) Awards in 2015. As an advocate for Women leadership development in STEM field globally, she was the Board Committee Member for IEEE-Woman in Engineering in 2016, and Organization Committee for Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference in 2016. At Cisco, she has been mentor and sponsor for women engineers and managers and an advocate for their career advancements through Executive Sponsor of Inspiring Women through Information Sharing Experiences (iWise), Executive Shadow Program for women engineers, Cisco Asian Affinity Network (CAAN), and Cisco Development and Innovation Conference (CDIC).

She is an IMAPS Fellow, IEEE Fellow, President of IEEE – Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) 2014-2015, and IEEE-CPMT Distinguished Lecturer. She also has published more than 90 technical papers, holds 15 patents, and has given keynote talks at many international conferences. Jie holds a Bachelor of Science from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China and a Master of Science and PhD from Cornell University.

Trish Young

MODERATOR: LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Vice President, Strategic Enterprise Capabilities, Value Streams, NIKE, Inc.; AWESOME Advisor
A 30+ year veteran of Nike, Trish has held a variety of leadership roles across the always evolving operations landscape of this dynamic brand. She has acquired broad operations and leadership experience in positions within North American Supply Chain, Asia Pacific Supply Chain, North American Distribution & Logistics, North American Demand Planning and Inventory – just to name a few. She began her career as a Customer Service Rep in Memphis, TN, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech University.

Trish is currently the Vice President of Integrated Value Streams on a global program, ensuring Nike has the strategic enterprise capabilities in place to service the consumers of the future. This includes defining solutions and processes that are tightly integrated across functions that move with speed.

Trish has been engaged with AWESOME since its inception and has served as an AWESOME Advisor since 2015. As the Vice President of North America Supply Chain, Trish had the privilege to co-host the 2016 AWESOME symposium on Nike’s campus in Beaverton, OR. She would call that out as a career highlight!

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Up-Close Conversation with Ann Drake

Ann Drake

SPEAKER: UP-CLOSE CONVERSATION
Founder of AWESOME; CEO, DSC Logistics
Ann Drake is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DSC Logistics. She has been involved in the field of logistics and supply chain management since the mid-1980s, after earning her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University.

Creating a business model based on integrated, comprehensive supply chain solutions built on collaborative partnerships, innovative thinking and high performance operations, Ann has guided DSC to become one of the leading supply chain management firms in the U.S. DSC’s customers and business partners include leading Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries, including food and consumer goods, health care and medical devices, electronics, paper products, and others. The DSC nationwide network includes more than 50 Logistics Centers and a Transportation Management Center located at the corporate campus in Des Plaines, Illinois.

In 2013 Ann founded AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education) to advance women’s leadership in supply chain. The AWESOME network has grown to include more than 900 senior-level executives in a range of supply chain roles. Ann is also a charter member of Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of CEOs, senior executives, founders, board members and business academics working for gender parity by the year 2030.

Ann received the 2015 Schultz Award for advancing women in transportation and logistics from the McCormick School of Northwestern University. In 2014 she was honored with the global Women Who Make a Difference Award from IWF (International Women’s Forum). In 2012, she was selected to receive the CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor presented annually to an individual for outstanding accomplishments in the profession. Also in 2012, she was presented with the Alumni Merit Award from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University and, in 2009 was named “Industry Leader of the Year” by the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Ann is a member of the Kellogg School Global Advisory Board at Northwestern University, serves on the Board of Governors for Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council and is a member of the Board of Trustees for Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the A.M. Castle Company and the Board of Governors for the Committee of 200, and as Vice Chair of the Business Advisory Council for the Northwestern University Transportation Center.

Ann received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa prior to earning an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University.

Cheryl Harbour

INTERVIEWER: UP-CLOSE CONVERSATION WITH ANN DRAKE
Chief Communications Advisor, AWESOME
Cheryl Acton Harbour is a corporate communications consultant with experience in advertising, public relations, executive speech writing, web site content, social media, and special events. In her role as consultant to DSC Logistics and Chief Communications Advisor for AWESOME, she collaborates with the communications and planning team to develop strategy and materials that support organizational goals.

Prior to her work with DSC, Cheryl led communications activities for organizations in health care, education and global communications. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, she joined Foote, Cone & Belding as an advertising copywriter. Over the next three decades she continued with special projects for FCB in the areas of advertising and public relations and, in the early 2000s, was Director of Public Relations for True North, FCB’s parent company. From 1984 through 1986, she was Director of Corporate Planning and Communications for Lake Forest Hospital and had responsibility for developing the long-range plan for the hospital’s 167-acre campus. Cheryl also led the creation and launch of many health and wellness programs as joint ventures between the hospital and physicians. From 1992 through 2007, she served as an advisor and as Director of School Communications for Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, including authoring the historical book “A School Built on Veritas: Fenwick’s First 75 Years.”

In addition to her work in corporate communications, Cheryl is the author of Good to Be Grand: Making the Most of Your Grandchild’s First Year which was published by BenBella Books in 2016 and the editor of babyboomers.com, a website featuring news and information of interest to the nation’s largest adult generation.

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AWESOME / Gartner 2018 Women in Supply Chain Research Results

Dana Stiffler

PRESENTER
Vice President, Research, Gartner Inc.
Dana Stiffler is a Vice President in Gartner Research. She researches and advises on supply chain talent strategies and the emergence of bimodal supply chain organizations, as well as the chief supply chain officer role and individual influence and effectiveness in supply chain leadership. She launched and led the Supply Chain Strategy & Enablers team within Gartner Supply Chain Leaders for three years. Ms. Stiffler’s work at AMR Research and now Gartner has led to direct, long-term involvement with the supply chain and sourcing leadership of global manufacturers and life sciences and CPG companies, as well as large retailers. In 2018, she was recognized with Gartner’s Supply Chain Research & Advisory Group Influencer Award.

Ms. Stiffler has played a lead role in the AWESOME / Gartner Women in Supply Chain Research conducted annually since 2016. She has been quoted in leading business publications, including the New York Times, the Financial Times and Businessweek, and numerous other business and technology publications. Previously, Ms. Stiffler spent three years with Meridien Research (now IDC’s Financial Insights), where she launched the Emerging Trading Technologies practice. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Claremont McKenna College and an M.A. in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

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PANEL: Why Women – The Leadership Imperative to Advancing Women and Engaging Men

Jeffery Tobias Halter

PRESENTER & MODERATOR: WHY WOMEN
President, YWomen
Jeffery Tobias Halter is the country’s leading male expert on advancing women and engaging men. He is the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on engaging men in women’s leadership issues. YWomen helps organizations create Integrated Women’s Leadership Strategies, drive actionable business plans and strategies to attract, retain and advance women and address gender bias in the workplace. Jeffery is the former Director of Diversity Strategy for The Coca-Cola Company.

He is the author of two books, WHY WOMEN, The Leadership Imperative to Advancing Women and Engaging Men and Selling to Men, Selling to Women. A sought after speaker at industry forums and for corporate programs, Jeffery is a two-time TEDx speaker and has spoken at national and global women’s leadership conferences, diversity symposiums, and at Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day programs.

Jeffery’s clients and best practice research includes companies such as McDonald’s, Deloitte, GE, Mercedes-Benz, American Express, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Altria and dozens of other companies. Combining 30+ years in corporate America – from the sales front line to the corporate headquarters and his passion for integrated leadership strategies, Jeffery connects with leaders at all-levels of the organization to create sustainable change and impact the bottom line.

His dynamic and engaging presentations garner positive reviews from stakeholders and attendees. Jeffery is available for keynotes, workshops, conference breakout sessions, panel moderation and consulting engagements.

Jennifer Allison

PANELIST: WHY WOMEN
Vice President, Global Supply Chain Sustainability, Dell Inc.
Jennifer is responsible for driving sustainability across Dell’s supply chain, to ensure a diverse, resilient and responsible value chain. This includes all internal and external initiatives related to social and environmental responsibility; supply chain resilience, compliance and sustainability.

Dell’s work on supplier diversity, led by Jennifer, is recognized as industry-leading: it is named #1 in the Supplier Diversity list for DiversityInc; it is also included in Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) list of Top Corporations and a member of Billion Dollar Roundtable (BDR) since 2009. Jennifer was also named in the 2017 Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity.

Steve Carter

PANELIST: WHY WOMEN
Vice President, Supply Chain, Pet Retail Brands
Steve Carter joined Pet Retail Brands in May 2017 as Vice President, Supply Chain. The Pet Retail Brands organization includes two banners, Pet Valu and Pet Supermarket, which operate over 1,100 stores in Canada and the eastern US, generating almost $1.2 billion in annual revenue. Steve leads the supply chain that includes 8 Distribution Centers, 2 cross-docks, a private store delivery fleet, and management of third-party logistics providers. Steve’s most recent role prior to Pet Retail Brands was at Honeywell, where he was VP, Logistics & Transportation for the Safety and Productivity Solutions business unit.

Prior to joining Honeywell, Steve served in HQ and field-based leadership roles in transportation, food supply chain, and distribution operations at Target, Reebok, Case Corporation, McLane Company, and the US Army. Steve earned his MBA from the Wharton School, U of Pennsylvania; a Master of Systems Engineering at the U of Pennsylvania; and, a BS Engineering, from the US Military Academy at West Point.

Kevin Glynn

PANELIST: WHY WOMEN
Chief Information Officer, DSC Logistics
Kevin Glynn is Chief Information Officer for DSC Logistics. He is responsible for all information technology (IT) including IT operations, new system developments and telecommunications. He leads the IT team in leveraging information technology to enable optimization across the enterprise and deliver innovative solutions to DSC’s customers. Kevin works collaboratively with customers to discover and deliver on their technology objectives. An industry thought leader, Kevin is a contributor to many articles and discussions across a variety of supply chain and technology-related topics.

Prior to joining DSC, Kevin was CIO for A.M. Castle & Co, responsible for all IT functions worldwide. From mid-2012 until early 2013, he was acting Vice President of Operations for Castle. Previously, Kevin was CIO of IRON solutions Inc., CIO of Case New Holland and Vice President with Oracle Corporation. Kevin’s early career includes positions at Qualcomm, as an Industrial Engineer, and Carlisle Memory Products where he led supply chain and industrial engineering functions.

Kevin is Chairman, Northwestern University’s Master of Science of Information Technology Advisory Board, and co-Chair of the City of Evanston’s Environment Board. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Carolyn Woznicki

PANELIST: WHY WOMEN
Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing & Environmental Health & Safety, Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Carolyn Woznicki is the Vice President of Global Strategic Sourcing and appointed officer of Illinois Tool Works Inc.(ITW). ITW (NYSE: ITW) is a Fortune 200 global diversified industrial manufacturer of value-added consumables and specialty equipment with related service businesses. The company focuses on profitable growth and strong returns across worldwide platforms and businesses. These businesses serve local customers and markets around the globe, with a significant presence in developed as well as emerging markets. ITW’s revenues totaled $14.3 billion in 2017, with more than half of these revenues generated outside of the United States. In her role at ITW, Carolyn is responsible for the strategic sourcing initiative of ITW’s enterprise strategy and transforming sourcing into a strategic capability for ITW. Additionally Carolyn oversees ITW’s Environmental, Health & Safety activities.

Prior to the ITW role, Carolyn served in a variety of roles at Johnson Controls, Inc. where she worked for over 14 years. Most recently Carolyn was Vice President of Global Procurement and Supply Chain for the Building Efficiency Group of Johnson Controls in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She managed the global purchasing and supply chain activities of this group and also was responsible for JCI’s corporate enterprise wide indirect spend. Her total purchase responsibility exceeded $9 billion. In this role she was also responsible for successfully integrating the acquisition of the York Corporation with Johnson Controls’ supply chain organization. She served in this role from 2005 until joining ITW. During her tenure at Johnson Controls, Carolyn also served as Vice President and General Manager of North America Purchasing for the Automotive Group and as the Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Ford Business Unit. In this role Carolyn was responsible for P&L and related activities managing a $1 B portfolio. Before that, she was a vehicle line executive in the company’s DaimlerChrysler Business Unit and Director of Purchasing. She joined the company in 1998.

Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Carolyn spent 18 years at General Motors in a variety of supplier quality, purchasing, production and material control, and manufacturing positions.

Carolyn has a BS in Industrial Administration from General Motors Institute (now known as Kettering University), and a Masters in Business Administration from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.

Carolyn serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Wisconsin Supply Chain MBA program.

Carolyn previously served on the Board of Directors for Brazeway, a privately held industrial manufacturing company.

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Conversation: Beyond Supply Chain – Leveraging Supply Chain Leadership to Make a Difference

Kathy Fulton

PANELIST: BEYOND SUPPLY CHAIN
Executive Director, American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN)
Kathy Fulton is Executive Director for American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on cross sector logistics coordination for improved disaster response. In this role, Ms. Fulton is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s activities, including facilitating donations of logistics services and equipment to enable delivery of millions of dollars of humanitarian aid. Kathy served as the organization’s director of operations until her promotion in 2014.

Ms. Fulton is a frequent speaker at conferences and events in the supply chain and emergency management sectors, highlighting the critical role logistics and supply chain professionals play in disaster relief. She serves on national workgroups focused on efficient coordination of logistics activities during disasters, including those hosted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Research Board, and the National Emergency Management Association. Preceding her work with ALAN, Fulton was Senior Manager of Information Technology Services at Saddle Creek Logistics Services where she led IT infrastructure implementation and support, corporate systems, and business continuity planning.

In addition to her professional activities, Ms. Fulton is an avid volunteer, serving as the President of the Central Florida Roundtable for CSCMP, and chairing her church’s safety council. Kathy holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Management Information Systems from the University of South Florida.

Sheila Musolino

PANELIST: BEYOND SUPPLY CHAIN
President & CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities
Sheila Musolino is the President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), a global organization whose mission is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. The Charity helps nearly 5.5 million children and their families access quality health care in 64 countries and regions through its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®.

Musolino joined RMHC as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2013. Under her leadership as COO, RMHC expanded its reach by 35 percent through the development of its core programs; strengthened the organizational support provided for the network of nearly 290 local Chapters and created new educational resources for the RMHC Global system.

In December 2015, Musolino was elected as President and CEO. In her current role, Musolino leads the strategic planning for the Charity’s long-term growth, as well as the operations, fundraising, marketing and communications functions. Through careful and deliberate planning, Musolino is committed to ensuring that the rapid growth of the Charity does not come at the expense of those the Charity currently serves. To that end, her priorities include leading with compassion and maintaining the highest levels of care; investing in the infrastructure and leadership development of local Chapters; and deepening the impact of RMHC as a critical part of the pediatric health care continuum.

Prior to being elected to both the RMHC COO and RMHC CEO positions, Musolino served as Vice President, McDonald’s U.S. Supply Chain, leading the supply chain strategies for all food and beverage products in the U.S. business. Throughout her career, she created and executed numerous business plans, developed strong relationships, and led succession planning and organizational development. Her career with McDonald’s began in 1984, as a programmer with the Information Systems Department. Later she worked in Operations Development, Equipment Purchasing, and held a number of positions within the supply chain organization. She led McDonald’s purchasing for the 1996 Olympics, the company’s first year as Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games.

Sheila holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from DePaul University, and is the recipient of several McDonald’s Team Awards, as well as the Leadership Award from the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) of McDonald’s.

Mary Rollman

INTERVIEWER: BEYOND SUPPLY CHAIN
Senior Managing Director, Accenture
Mary Rollman is a Senior Managing Director in the Accenture Strategy organization and leads the North America Supply Chain Strategy practice with a focus on end to end Supply Chain Strategy and Operating Models, M&A and Digital Transformation. She has held leadership roles in consulting and in industry. From 2012 to 2015 she was a Director in the Amgen Global Supply Chain organization responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions, Due Diligence, International Expansion and Operational Excellence. From 2000-2012 Mary was in the Supply Chain Consulting practice at Accenture, where she had roles of increasing responsibility both within the consulting organization as well as with her clients. She has deep global experience working in growth markets such as India, Russia and Turkey as well as traditional markets in the US and Europe.

Mary has 22 years of experience in a variety of Supply Chain roles across industries including Consumer Goods, Biotech, Pharmaceuticals, High Tech and Retail.

Mary has led programs to develop leaders in the organizations she has served. At Amgen she developed and ran a leadership program for individuals identified as future leaders, building business and leadership skills along with a platform to demonstrate their capabilities. At Accenture Mary has taken on the challenge of Inclusion and Diversity, running a program that applies data and analytics to the topic.

She has a BA in Marketing and Communications from Briar Cliff University and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Mary resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children.