Women shaping the future of supply chain

The ASU Supply Chain Executive Consortium welcomed ASU faculty, industry experts, and students to the sixth annual Women in Supply Chain Symposium to explore career development strategies for young professionals.

The Supply Chain Executive Consortium recently hosted the sixth annual Women in Supply Chain (WISC) Symposium on ASU's Tempe campus, bringing together ASU students, faculty, and industry leaders from Gallo, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Banner Health, Microsoft, W. L. Gore & Associates, Applied Materials, and Caliber.global to discuss career development for young professionals in the supply chain space.

The symposium began with a welcome address from Emily Wong (BA Global Politics/BS Supply Chain Management '25), vice president of outreach for ASU's Supply Chain Management Association, and Adegoke Oke, professor of supply chain management and department chair. Students explored opportunities to develop their careers by listening to the experiences and advice of keynote presenters, a panel discussion, and networking roundtables with corporate partners to discuss executives' career experiences and tips for career development.

"We founded WISC to demystify supply chain as a gender-specific profession to show that supply chain is gender-neutral," said Oke during his welcome address. Claire Tanoue (BA Business Sustainability/BS Supply Chain Management '22), supply planner at Gallo, presented the symposium's alumni address, discussing working in procurement and supply planning while participating in Gallo's rotational program. Tanoue encouraged student attendees to seek professional mentors, pursue continuous learning, and courageously seek new challenges in the workplace.

"One of my most transformative experiences at ASU was the mentorship I received from faculty and peers," said Tanoue. "As you embark on your professional journeys, remember that learning doesn't stop when you leave the classroom. The path to success is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and growing."

Cultivating strong professional relationships, actively listening and seeking feedback, and intentional goal setting were three critical aspects of career development advice keynote speaker Ann Rusher, vice president of supply chain management at General Dynamics Mission Systems, discussed during the symposium. Rusher shared anecdotes on her career pivot from financial analyst to supply chain and emphasized how students can learn to embrace being uncomfortable to grow professionally.

"Do those things that make you uncomfortable because it's when you're uncomfortable that you're going to learn and grow the most," said Rusher. "When you think about growing yourself, think about taking risks, being bold, and not being afraid."

During her presentation, deputy CPO (chief procurement officer) and ASU Assistant Vice President of Supply Chain Christin Burek (MBA '98) discussed her career journey in various supply chain divisions, including manufacturing, legal services, wealth management, retail eCommerce, and higher education. Burek shared her career triumphs and mistakes with the audience and advised students that finding an employer that complements their personality and desired workplace culture can take time.

The symposium's panel discussion included Katy Keane, assistant teaching professor of supply chain management; Jasminka Karroum (BS Supply Chain Management '02, MBA '07), senior director of cloud decommissioning at Microsoft; Michele Mendez (BS Operations & Product Management '91), managing director of materials management at Applied Materials; Suzi Collins, director of supply chain analytics at Banner Health; and Michelle Oakes, global end-to-end supply chain leader at W. L. Gore & Associates. Michelle Moorman, director of sourcing at Gallo, moderated the panel.

The panel discussed the value of leveraging social media to network, cultivating new skills, seeking out new opportunities in the workplace, and resiliency in the face of challenges.

"Take the initiative," advised Mendez. "Go to that new job. Raise your hand in regards to volunteering for extra projects or whatever helps to build trust and be the next person to get tapped on the shoulder."

"During tough times I think about what matters in the big picture," said Oakes. "There are going to be hard days. Be kind to yourself… then find that thing that you can be curious about and can learn and grow with."

As the symposium drew to a close, it was clear that the event had successfully inspired and equipped students with valuable insights for their careers in supply chain. Whether through stories of career pivots, advice on navigating challenges, or the power of mentorship, the Women in Supply Chain Symposium underscored that success in this field knows no gender.

"When I came into the supply chain industry in 1997, there wasn't a lot of equality. Both the equality subject as well as the general practice of supply chain have gained visibility, traction and have improved greatly since then," said Ravi Dosanjh, chief operating officer at Caliber.global and newest member of SCEC, during his closing remarks. "I'm proud to see both subjects breaking ceilings and pushing through."