Donna Palumbo-Miele is the founder and CEO of Concordia Supply Chain Group, LLC and a 1997 graduate from the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

She is proud to be a woman in STEM, finding that “women make tremendous contributions to the supply chain profession.” For Donna, it’s the innovation and determination that women bring to teams that inspires her to further support inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. With companies leading the charge, she recognizes that each person plays a role in ensuring equitable representation is upheld.

“As a woman in supply chain, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with amazing professionals in different industries and sectors— and to be provided the opportunity and privilege to lead and support some really outstanding initiatives,” she said.  “There have been many rewarding moments in my career and seeing those before me, those with me, and those beginning their leadership journey be pioneers in the profession is encouraging for other women leaders.”

Donna knew supply chain was the career for her because the profession requires a relentless work ethic— a family value she credits to her Sicilian immigrant parents who worked hard as entrepreneurs. Their dedication and commitment in pursuing their dreams taught Donna the resilience she needed to pursue a career in STEM.

“My parents owned a distribution business where I spent my weekends and college breaks working at and learning from them both,” Donna explained. “Because of my parents I learned the importance of customer service, resiliency, and what living the American dream means, and these experiences helped form my decision to be a women leader and the career path I have taken has been the right career path for me.”

On the journey to becoming a CEO, Donna tapped into her entrepreneurial roots and maximized the educational opportunities she found at Penn State Smeal. She recalls the days when she was just beginning her professional journey, going into internship office to submit her applications with the hope of securing real-world business experiences. Smeal’s expansive network served her well, immediately bridging a connection to Johnson & Johnson where she served as an intern and went on to intern at the Danaher Corporation as well.

Years later, Donna found herself back at Smeal, giving back to the very institution where she launched her career. Donna is proud to have been the first woman to serve as chairperson for the CSCR® Advisory Board from 2017 to 2019.  During her role on the board, she was able to make an impact on the trajectory of supply chain education at Penn State while also having a front row seat to the advancements Smeal has made in support of connecting students and organizations. A proud Penn Stater, Donna shares that she truly appreciates how Smeal, “…continues to provide a number of resources to their students who are the future leaders in many of the companies we know and companies to be founded in the future.”

Thanks to her wealth of experiences, Donna imparts some valuable advice to others in the field of supply chain.

“Be curious and ask questions— then ask more questions— [because] there is so much to yet learn about our profession,” she said. “At the end of the day, we can all empower one another, so I encourage other women to be mentors, advocates, and champions for other women.  We all started somewhere in our careers and if we each help one person, we are making a positive difference in our profession and the impact can be exponential.”