Supply & Demand Chain Executive Announces 2013 “Pros to Know” Award Winners

Fort Atkinson, Wis.—Feb. 14, 2013—Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine, an international B2B publication that provides mission-critical editorial to address the issues and challenges of the supply chain, today announced the names of its 2013 “Pros to Know” award winners.

Exclusively honored as the Provider “Pro of the Year,” Louise O'Sullivan is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Prime Advantage, one of the largest buying groups in the world that helps mid-sized manufacturers achieve savings and form better relationships with suppliers. Her selected nomination supports the 2013 “Pros to Know” awards coverage’s dominant theme supporting female executives leading the supply chain.

“From the global retail COO’s to the top F&B supply chain directors to the EVP’s and founders of the leading software and technology services providers of today—there’s really no limit as to whom our annual ‘Pros to Know’ awards honor,” said Barry Hochfelder, Editor, Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “This year’s nominations alone came close to nearly 400 entries—providers and practitioners combined—and many of them included some of the leading female executives in the supply chain. And we wanted to ensure that their efforts do not go unnoticed. Louise O'Sullivan is a prime example of what it really takes to consider yourself a ‘pro,’ not just as a female, but as an executive within the global supply chain.”

Following a 22-year management career in industrial manufacturing, O'Sullivan founded Prime Advantage in 1997. Today, the company serves more than 25 different industries, including commercial food service; packaging; truck and trailer; material handling; and more. A tribute to her successful leadership, in the past 10 years Prime Advantage paid more than $130 million in rebates and discounts to its manufacturing industry members.

In addition, this year’s 13th annual awards coverage also honors the top five female “Pros,” which include Mary Kleespies, Director of Supply Chain Consulting, DiCentral; Anne Omrod, President and Chief Executive Officer, John Galt Solutions Inc.; Sharon Nelson, Managing Director, Plan4Demand Solutions Inc.; Dawn Tiura Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sourcing Interests Group (SIG); and Rose Kelly-Falls, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Risk Management, Rapid Ratings.

The men and women honored in the 2013 “Pros to Know” awards make up the leading providers and practitioners of the supply chain who proactively work to improve their business’s functions in a number of categories—including manufacturing and production output; procurement; logistics; risk mitigation strategies; sourcing; financial operations; packaging and distribution; transportation; and much more.

“The number of issues that can present themselves in one’s business truly run the gamut—from a dysfunctional product component found within a manufacturer’s tier three level of the supply chain to clarifying a business’s procurement strategy for reduced costs,” said Hochfelder. “It’s not always initially clear as to how broad the scale of the supply chain and its challenges really is. If there are those present in the industry who are working to overcome such issues and grow the global supply chain at the same time, they should get the recognition they deserve for their achievements.”

Providers include individuals from software firms, service providers, consultancies or academia who helped their supply chain clients or the supply chain community prepare to meet industry challenges. Practitioners include those supply chain executives who demonstrated leadership by managing risk in the supply chain; provided competitive advantage; and delivered value to the bottom line.

SDCE is proud to list the 2013 “Pros to Know” honorees here.

Provider “Pros to Know”