Top 10 Women In Supply Chain
Vital to global industry, the world’s supply chain affects us all. The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect brought it even further into the limelight, not to mention impacted our daily lives. From sourcing new materials, to increasing supplier bases, business has had to undergo major restructuring and adaptation in order to redefine supply chain resilience.
Navigating these whipsaw changes, staying on top of the latest research, best practices, technologies and more has proven to be a significant challenge for organizations. Fortunately, great strides have been made over the last few years in advancing radical new supply chain innovations, ethical supply chain practices, and more.
In honor of International Women's Month we’re highlighting 10 top women in supply chain - smart women leaders are helping businesses position themselves for greater resiliency and productivity in a future where “business as usual” is a fond memory. They’re making a difference and paving the way for future generations. (The below are appear in no particular order.)
Donna Palumbo-MielePrincipal & CEO, Concordia Supply Chain Group, LLC and Board Member, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
Donna is a champion in advising companies on how to transform their value chain. Her accomplished SCM experience with extensive understanding in various manufacturing processes and information systems and system integrations makes her a valued resource to the logistics and supply chain management community. Through the CSCMP and beyond she is able to provide networking, career development, and educational opportunities for supply chain professionals. Donna is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others and inspiring students as an adjunct professor teaching sustainable purchasing and supply chain management at Virginia Tech and teaching global supply chain management at Webster University
Lisa AndersonPresident, LMA Consulting Group
Recognized as a top consultant worldwide and ranked #16 on SAP’s list of Supply Chain Influencers, Lisa Anderson is a top knowledge resource for the supply chain world. As the President of LMA Consulting Group, Lisa has earned recognition in the supply chain and b2b tech arenas, challenging the status quo, fixing supply chain disruptions and manufacturing inconsistencies, and lack of skilled workers. She releases an annual report on supply chain and manufacturing predictions.
Kathy Miller
President and Co-founder of OPSisters and Co-Author of Steel Toes and Stilettos
Kathy has led global operations of $3B+, has been responsible for P&L's, and served as a global leader for the lean enterprise, quality, strategy deployment, industrial design and supply chain functions. She is a Shingo Prize Recipient for Large Businesses as a Plant Manager and started her career in operations as a 17 year old co-op student at a vehicle assembly plant, and progressed through engineering, marketing, lean and operations leadership roles, working for four large publicly traded corporations in executive roles. She is known to deliver impressive business results through team development, process discipline and continuous improvement.
@KathyMiller
Shannon Karels
Co-founder of OPSisters and Co-Author of Steel Toes and Stilettos
Shannon started her career in supply chain management and progressed through lean and operations leadership roles. Through her career, she has improved cultures in numerous manufacturing facilities by leading employee empowerment and engagement, and building highly successful teams, with a focus on business results. Her book, Steel Toes and Stilettos focuses on how she and co-author Kathy Miller reconstructed a traditionally run batch operation to a Lean enterprise and covers victories and challenges and how they overcame them. Shannon is known for leading accountable organizations built on the foundation of trusting relationships that improve the customer experience and companies’ profitability.@ShannonKarels
Ann Drake
Founder and Chair, AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education) and Founder and President, Lincoln Road Enterprises
With more than three decades in the supply chain field, Ann advances and transforms the future of supply chain leadership, the nation’s transportation system and the future of women’s leadership. She launched AWESOME in 2013 after she became the first woman in 47 years to win the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Through Lincoln Road Enterprises, Ann is initiating new ways to advance the influence and contributions of women in business, supply chain, engineering/technology, infrastructure/design, and space.
Marina Mayer
Editor in Chief, Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive
As the Editor in Chief of both Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive, Marina provides readers in-depth insights and key findings from the supply chain and logistics world to advance the global marketplace. She covers marketplace disruption, among other trends and technologies pertaining to warehousing, transportation, procurement, sustainability, safety, risk management, software & technology and more. Marina pens the annual Supply & Demand Chain Executive “Pros to Know” roster and makes a proactive effort to spotlight the role of women in the industry.
Alejandra Pollak
Director of Operations, New Standard Institute (NSI)
Apparel and footwear are responsible for an exorbitant and under acknowledged part of global greenhouse gas emissions - between 4-8.6% - and the fashion industry is a leading industry in the use of exploited and forced child labor (according to NSI.) Alejandra aims to advance data-driven solutions to transform the $2.5 trillion apparel industry into a force for good for people and the planet. She leads NSI’s efforts to translate solutions into policy and legislation to drive the apparel industry to meet its environmental and social objectives.
Dr. Yemisi Bolumole
Ryder Professor of Supply Chain Management, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee
Dr. Bolumole highlights issues that enhance understanding of supply chain management (SCM) policy and practice interfaces. Her research fills a critical gap of understanding about the equilibrium effects between supply chain investments, activity, and their policy. Dr. Bolumole’s areas of research includes third party logistics and transportation outsourcing; transportation policy; business-to-government interactions and SCM; SCM’s broad implications for multiple stakeholders and for society at large, and talent development at the human resource management interface with SCM. Her research program has generated over 40 publications, including reports and peer reviewed journal articles in publications such as Journal of Business Logistics, the International Journal of Physical Distribution &; Logistics Management, the International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Production Research, and Supply Chain Management Review.
Pamela Dow
Board Member, The Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) and Vice President, Global Supply Chain Planning, Analytics and Technology, Tenneco
With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing operations, supply chain process, and technology enablement, Pamela is a highly regarded resource in the supply chain industry. As a board member of the largest non-profit association for supply chain, she influences the connection of companies around the world to the newest thought leadership and innovation in all aspects of supply chain. She empowers companies to further optimize their supply chains, secure their competitive advantage and positively impact their bottom lines.
Iris van der Velden
Global Director Learning and Innovation, IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative
Iris works with businesses, financiers, governments and civil society to incorporate sustainable trade in global value chains. The action-driven coalitions aim to drive impact on the sustainable development goals to create deep value. She helps develop and apply innovative, business driven approaches to foster new jobs, sustainable industries and new sustainable markets to have large scale positive impact on climate change, living wages, and deforestation. @IrisVanDerVelden
If you haven’t already downloaded Warner’s latest ebook, “Unprecedented Change: The State of Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Logistics” you can do so now by clicking the link here! The report shines a light on the challenges these critical sectors face as the economy rebounds, and highlights new growth areas. See how Warner can help you Supply Chain and Logistics brand.
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