On September 25, Nancy Nix became the second woman to be presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Council of Supply Chain Professionals (CSCMP) in the award’s 53-year history. Her career includes successful roles as a practitioner, educator, thought leader, researcher, speaker, CSCMP officer and Board member, and, since 2014, Executive Director of AWESOME.
“The single biggest factor that influenced my journey flies in the face of advice we have all gotten through our careers – especially as women. We are often told we need to learn to say no,” she told the full house at the General Opening Session of the 2017 CSCMP Edge conference.
“Yet, I believe the opportunities and experiences that challenge you the most, that take you out of your comfort zone… these are the ones that can have the biggest impact, not only in your own career but also in your ability to make a difference if you just say yes.”
Nancy related some of the highlights of her career progression, and in each case admitted her first reaction might have been to say “no.” In describing these highlights, she also recognized and thanked individuals who had made a difference in her career. Read Nancy’s acceptance remarks.
The most recent turning point in her career came when Ann Drake, the founder of AWESOME, asked Nancy to do a business plan for the young organization, followed by asking her to take on the role of Executive Director. Since then the AWESOME network has grown to more than 1000 women in senior supply chain leadership roles and the group is moving forward with multiple initiatives to advance women’s supply chain leadership.
Nancy and Ann, who in 2012 became the first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Award, had known each other for several decades and worked together in a number of professional endeavors.
Of her work with AWESOME, Nancy said, “We’ve partnered with incredible leaders to engage, empower, and inspire women at all stages of their careers. As our industry experiences a growing need for leadership talent, and we continue to see only a small percentage of women in leadership roles, we are working to encourage companies to take advantage of the untapped potential of women in their organizations and to help women take steps to advance their own careers.”