Kathy Wengel receives DSA Award at CSCMP EDGE

September 15, 20192 minute read

Kathy Wengel, EVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Johnson & Johnson, and an AWESOME Advisor, became the third woman in more than 50 years to receive the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). The award was presented at the Opening General Session of CSCMP EDGE on September 16 in Anaheim, California.

In her DSA acceptance remarks, Kathy told the story of her family and the strong women in it. Her paternal grandmother was born in Nebraska in the height of the Depression, attended the University of Nebraska, found a love of science, and became a biomedical technician. Her maternal grandmother was a nurse in World War 1, then continued after the war as a visiting nurse in New York City…AND gave birth to Kathy’s mother at age 40 – in 1937! Kathy’s conclusion: “Women can do anything anytime, anywhere!”

She explained that she talked about this history because “every one of us has a history and path that launches us, but it is up to us to find what we love to do and build our careers around that. I have loved to make things – to bring them to life – since I was a little girl and chose Legos and blocks as my preferred toys.”

“My parents encouraged me, and my younger sister and brother, to find what we loved to do and build our careers around that, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Read full text of Kathy’s remarks.

According to an article in Supply Chain Quarterly, “In addition to leading a global team of 50,000 supply chain professionals and partnering with thousands of customers, suppliers, and health care providers, Wengel also takes time to give back to the field.”

Kathy has been actively involved in AWESOME since the first Symposium in 2013 when she was a member of the panel of leading women in supply chain. In 2014, AWESOME presented Kathy with the AWESOME Legendary Leadership (ALL) Award.

Read more about Kathy’s connection to AWESOME as well as some of her quotes about leadership.

The other women who have been honored with the Distinguished Service Award are Ann Drake, founder of AWESOME, and Dr. Nancy Nix, Executive Director of AWESOME from 2014 through 2017.