WISE Symposium Honors Supply Chain Legends and Looks to Future

David Speer

Stephanie Thomas, associate professor of supply chain management and executive director of WISE, welcomes attendees from a previous Future Leaders Symposium. This year's conference kicks off Oct. 26.

The fifth annual WISE Future Leaders Symposium will be held Oct. 26-27 and will showcase several locations in Northwest Arkansas. The event, themed "Chain Makers. Change Makers," will celebrate female pioneers who have led the way for women in supply chain management, and many legends of the industry will be on hand.

The WISE event, which stands for Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence, features industry speakers including Shelley Simpson, president of J.B. Hunt Transport Services; Megan Crozier, chief merchant of Sam's Club; and many others. 

Some 135 students and faculty from 28 universities have registered for the symposium. Participants will hear from panels of industry experts discussing a variety of topics related to supply chain challenges such as sustainability and technology, navigating a successful supply chain career, the importance of mentors and sponsors, and much more. Breakout sessions will discuss key event takeaways and how to increase diversity, especially as it relates to gender, in supply chain students.

WISE LEGENDS

Once again, this year's event will feature the WISE Legends ceremony, a women's hall of fame featuring seven women in the supply chain management field. Honorees range from transportation pioneers to women who have used their influence to advance the diversity and success of today's supply chain industry. The honoree list was developed and researched by an inter-university collaboration of female supply chain students. A new class of legends will be introduced annually at future symposium events.

This year's honorees include:

• Anna Bissell, first female CEO in the U.S., Bissell Corporation
• Mary Fields, first African American woman to work for the U.S. Postal Service
• Bessica Raiche, first U.S. female to fly an airplane solo and also built a biplane with her husband using innovative materials
• Capt. Lynn Korwatch, first woman to command a U.S. commercial vessel and one of the first women to graduate from the California Maritime Academy
• Michelle Dilley, first CEO of AWESOME, a nonprofit transforming the future of supply chain leadership
• Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, a pioneer in supply chain media and founder of the popular Let's Talk Supply Chain podcast
• Ellen Voie, founder and former CEO of the Women in Trucking Association

Honorees Michelle Dilley and Ellen Voie will be attending the event and will share their leadership journeys and advice with students.

SPONSORSHIPS

The symposium is sponsored by several companies and individuals:

• Platinum sponsors – Shelley Simpson of J.B. Hunt and Sam's Club
• Gold sponsors – Deloitte, J.B. Hunt, Walmart and Debbie Hodges of Walmart
• Silver sponsors – The Clorox Company, Echo Global Logistics, Tyson Foods, Uber Freight and Ulta Beauty
• Bronze sponsors – BNSF Logistics, BNSF Railway, Briggs Equipment, DB Schenker, General Mills, The Keiser Family, Kenvue, Mary Kay, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Schneider, Sysco and Vari
• Education sponsor – ISCEA (International Supply Chain Education Alliance)

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES

Faculty and students attending the symposium hail from supply chain programs at colleges around the country including:

• University of Arkansas
• Auburn University
• Baylor University
• Brigham Young University
• The Citadel
• Colorado State University
• Georgia Southern University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• The Ohio State University
• University of Oklahoma
• Texas Christian University
• Howard University
• University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign
• Iowa State University
• University of Kansas
• Lehigh University
• Texas Tech University
• Marquette University
• University of Maryland
• Miami University
• University of South Florida
• University of Texas, Dallas
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Michigan State University
• Mississippi State University
• Missouri State University
• Western Michigan University
• University of Wisconsin

For more information regarding the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management at the U of A or the symposium, visit supplychain.uark.edu.