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Top Women and Supply Chain Posts of 2016

Top Women and Supply Chain Posts of 2016

by | Dec 21, 2016 | Blog, Diversity, Leadership, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent

Women hold just 15% of all executive officer positions within Fortune 500 companies, yet research consistently shows that when women are in positions of leadership, companies perform better. In the supply chain industry, just 5% of top-level supply chain positions within Fortune 500 companies are held by women.

As a woman working within the supply chain industry, I believe that it is important to discuss the lack of gender diversity and point to research highlighting why the industry needs to increase the number of women in all positions, including the C-suite. It is just as important to highlight the incredible women who already are working within the industry.

In 2015 I interviewed Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Arrow Electronics, and Mickey North Rizza, vice president of strategic services at BravoSolution. Morris was twice named one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology,” and North Rizza was named a “Top Female Supply Chain Executive.”  Both Morris and North Rizza shared how they got started in the industry, and the steps they have taken to get to where they are today.

In 2016 I interviewed Kendrea Durr-Smith, director of global trade compliance at Arrow Electronics, Kelli Saunders, President of Morai Logistics, Hailey McKeefry, editor and chief at EBN, and Barbara Jorgensen, co-founder and managing editor, EPS News. I also invited Tania Seary, founder of Procurious, to share what is happening at her company, and Jennifer Cortez, director of marketing and communications at Transplace, to discuss the role of quality content within the industry.

Here are the most-read women in the supply chain posts of 2016.

Morai Logistics’ President Kelli Saunders on Millennials, Women, and Mentoring

It was a “fluke” that Kelli Saunders found the supply chain industry. More than 30 years later, Saunders is president of Morai Logistics Inc., an Authorized Agent of Mode Transportation. Read more.

Diversity and Leadership: An Interview with Arrow Electronics’ Kendrea Durr-Smith

When Arrow Electronics came across Kendrea Durr-Smith, senior leader of export control audits, training, and communications at Honeywell Aerospace, on LinkedIn, the company was impressed with what she had accomplished in her nine years there. Now Arrow’s Director of Global Trade Compliance for the last four years, Durr-Smith has led a group that is both unique and diverse, and has helped to shepherd in significant changes. Read more.

Women in Manufacturing and the Supply Chain: Disparity and Opportunity

Data shows that gender equality has improved in recent decades, such as the 15% increase of women working full time in the workforce since 1979. But there is still much progress to be made. As a recent UN Working Group mission to the US to explore discrimination against women found: “In the US, women fall behind international standards as regards [to] their public and political representation, their economic and social rights, and their health and safety protections.” Read more.

Trailblazing Women in the Supply Chain

Women within the supply chain industry are doing incredible things.  Here are some of their stories. Read more.

EBN’s Hailey McKeefry on Women in the Supply Chain Industry

While there remains a gender gap in the supply chain industry, progress has been made.  McKeefry is a clear example of progress.  Her internship at EBN in 1990 was a “minority internship,” and today, 26 years later, she holds a leadership position within the company. Read more.

Women in the Supply Chain: A Conversation with Electronics Purchasing Strategies’ Barbara Jorgensen

Barbara Jorgensen has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist, working for leading electronics industry publications such as Electronic Business, Electronic Buyers’ News, and EDN. She is the co-founder and managing editor of EPS News. Read more.

Getting to First Base with a Social Network

This is a guest post written by Tania Seary, founder of Procurious, the world’s first online social network for supply chain and procurement professionals. Seary shares how she has built Procurious. Read more.

3 Key Tips for Creating Valuable and Compelling Content

This is a guest post by Jennifer Cortez, Director, Marketing Communications, Transplace.  Cortez discusses how Transplace, a North American non-asset-based provider offering manufacturers, retailers, chemical and consumer packaged goods companies the optimal blend of logistics technology and transportation management services, has used content marketing and she offers up 3 tips for creating valuable and compelling content. Read more.



Women in the Supply Chain




EBN’s Hailey McKeefry on Women in the Supply Chain Industry

EBN’s Hailey McKeefry on Women in the Supply Chain Industry

by | Apr 18, 2016 | Blog, Leadership, Marketing, Supply Chain

Hailey McKeefryHailey McKeefry began her career in the supply chain industry in 1990 as an intern at EBN.  After quickly rising to the position of assistant editor, McKeefry left EBN and the industry to cover enterprise computing.  In 2012, she returned to the supply chain and to EBN as managing editor, and in 2014, she was promoted to her current role, editor in chief.

McKeefry’s decision to return to the supply chain industry was driven by the changing perception of the industry and an interest to get involved.

“I saw that the supply chain as a topic was taking center stage in the business world. Companies like Apple, Cisco and others live and die by their supply chain decisions. Clearly, procurement and supply chain now have a seat at the strategic table and are making real bottom-line contributions that are being recognized and valued.”

Four years later, McKeefry remains enthusiastic about the industry and about her role:

“I love the work because it provides an opportunity to talk about people, processes and technology, and to tackle a variety of topics from sustainability and human rights to technology and good business practices.  I enjoy the opportunity to create room for important conversations around leveraging new technology, managing risk, and implementing good business practices.”

Women in the supply chain industry

While there remains a gender gap in the supply chain industry, progress has been made.  McKeefry is a clear example of progress.  Her internship at EBN in 1990 was a “minority internship,” and today, 26 years later, she holds a leadership position within the company.

McKeefry is not alone.  At industry events McKeefry sees more female faces than she used to, and she has started to see women in high-powered positions.  She points to: Dawn Tiura, CEO of the Sourcing Interest Group (SIG), Deborah Wilson of Gartner, Christina Ruggiero, CPO of Coca-Cola Refreshment, and Jennifer Moceri, senior vice president/chief procurement officer at Tate & Lyle.

In March McKeefry interviewed Fluke Electronics’ Amy Georgi, the first woman to be named the Megawatt winner in the 30 Under 30 Rising Supply Chain Stars recognition program, a jointly sponsored initiative of ThomasNet and Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

McKeefry believes that the changes within the supply chain industry are largely being driven by a “high-level awareness of the importance of closing the gender gap and, more importantly, efforts by many organizations to create opportunities to attract and retain female talent.”  Another driving force McKeefry points to is research which shows that organizations with female leadership, or at least a board that has a good gender balance, do better financially.

“Forward-thinking organizations,” points out McKeefry, “are creating opportunities for women by providing mentors and role models, opportunities for advancement, and a chance to think creatively about how jobs are structured.”

“What’s important to note,” McKeefry continues, “is that all of this is also on the wishlist for millennial workers, as well, making it a solid business strategy.”

Despite these positive changes, McKeefry shares that young women still have a hard time finding a female role model and mentor in the supply chain industry.  She notes that “it becomes a chicken-and-egg situation of women needing role models before they can become role models themselves.”

What advice does McKeefry have for women considering entering the industry?

“Don’t be afraid to pursue leadership positions and to embrace your own gifts, strengths, and experience to the industry. Make sure that the organization knows (in bottom-line dollars and cents) how supply chain professionals are contributing in strategic ways to the bottom line of the organization, and about how your leadership is part of that. It’s been well documented that quietly contributing doesn’t move a supply chain career forward.”

As a broad generalization, women contribute in unique ways to building the critical relationships within the organization, and that can’t be underestimated. In short, I don’t think women in the supply chain industry should emulate men, but instead should leverage the unique qualities that they bring to the good of the organization.

Relevant articles by McKeefry: