The DISCOVER (Diversity & Inclusion in Supply Chain) Summit was held on October 17-18, 2023, in Philadelphia, PA. Steve Tracey, executive director for the Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR) and advisory council member for DISCOVER, participated in the conference along with representatives from the CSCR sponsor base including Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Walmart, and the Hershey Company.
DISCOVER is a cross-industry organization whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for the advancement of people of color in the supply chain and the summit was an opportunity for supply chain professionals to learn from each other, network, and collaborate on initiatives to build a more diverse and inclusive industry. The summit included a variety of sessions on topics such as the importance of diversity and inclusion in the supply chain, how technological advances can better accommodate diversity, the impact of allyship, neurodiversity acceptance, and more.
“The Center for Supply Chain Research was an early supporter of the DISCOVER vision for advancing DEIB [diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging] in the supply chain profession. It is a pleasure, a privilege, and an imperative that we have that as part of our own strategic vision,” said Tracey. “Given our unique positioning at the intersection between academia and industry – we can positively influence several stakeholder constituencies to advance equity, inclusion, and belonging.”
Tracey moderated a panel session titled “Beyond the Buzzword: Authentic Allyship and Its Impact on Diversity and Inclusion.” The panelists included Ronald Volans from Johnson & Johnson, Karl Casserly from IBM, and Derek Heim from Merck. Tracey and the panelists brought a combined 100+ years of industry experience to the discussion.
Pictured (L-R): Derek Heim , Ronald Volans, Karl Casserly, and Steve Tracey
Volans, senior director of logistics, and deliver in Janssen Pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson, has more than 30 years of supply chain experience and leadership. Casserly, senior technical leader, mainframe at IBM, has more than 35 years in global supply chain engineering and manufacturing. Heim, director of planning and operations at Merck has over 10 years of military and industry experience.
During the session, the panelists discussed what allyship is and what the allyship journey may look like in progress. The session provided attendees with a thoughtful discussion and actionable takeaways regarding allyship.
“As our framework for allyship, we quoted Catalyst – a global nonprofit supported by many of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies focused on advancing marginalized constituencies – that allyship is ‘actively supporting people from marginalized groups and explains that it’s about using as much institutional, social, and/or cultural privilege or power as you have to advocate for people who face oppression.’ The panel touched on subjects as diverse as their own professional experiences, misconceptions, qualities of an effective ally, challenges, and success stories,” noted Tracey.
In addition to the educational sessions and keynote presentations, the summit also provided opportunities for networking and collaboration around the conference theme of “United for Impact.” The 6th annual conference allowed attendees to connect with other supply chain professionals from different backgrounds and participate in breakout sessions on specific topics related to diversity and inclusion.
“It was a fantastic experience for us and the audience to talk openly and frankly about how allyship can be one important tool to advance the goals of DEIB,” said Tracey.