Pennie Ayers is Vice President of Transportation for Macy's Logistics & Operations based in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She is responsible for providing leadership to 20 distribution centers that support more than 850 Macy's stores and the Direct to Consumer operations.
Pennie has more than 18 years of logistics and transportation experience. Prior to joining Macy's, she held leadership positions for FedEx, Avon Products & Pier 1 Imports.
As the Empty Miles Project Leader for Macy's, Pennie is responsible for leading the organization in reducing its carbon footprint on the environment and reducing the overall transportation spend at the same time.
Pennie is a graduate of the University of Memphis. She holds a BBA and a MBA degree.
Bob Boucher is Vice President, Global Customer Service & Logistics for Colgate-Palmolive, based in New York. His responsibilities include global customer collaboration, standards development, inventory management, demand and S&OP deployment and logistics network strategy development.
Bob joined Colgate-Palmolive 35 years ago. Most of this time has been spent in Colgate's Australian operations. He has held management positions in Procurement, Manufacturing, Finance, Sales, Information Technology, Treasury and Customer Service & Logistics. Bob was responsible for the implementation of SAP in the Company's Australian and New Zealand businesses.
Bob is currently a member of the GS1 GSMP Process Committee, an organisation that sets and implements global data standards. Bob also serves on the Executive Board of the Global Commerce Initiative, a body of leading global retailers and suppliers, focussed on serving consumers better, faster and at less cost.
Ronald W. Buzzeo, R.Ph., is Chief Regulatory Officer for Cegedim Dendrite Compliance Solutions, Powered by BuzzeoPDMA, advisors to manufacturers, distributors, chain and supermarket pharmacies, clinic pharmacies, provider pharmacies to long-term care facilities and practitioners, hospitals and HMOs, specializing in Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and PDMA regulations and state requirements.
Upon graduating from St. John's University, College of Pharmacy, Ron practiced as a pharmacist prior to beginning a Narcotic Investigator with the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Control. After several years, he entered federal service with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the predecessor agency to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
During his 22-year tenure with DEA he held various management positions prior to his appointment as Deputy Director of DEA's Office of Diversion Control in 1982, where he served until his retirement from federal service in 1990. In 1991, Mr. Buzzeo established BuzzeoPDMA and then in January 2005 was acquired by Dendrite International who was then acquired by Cegedim in May of 2007.
Ron has had numerous TV, radio and press interviews and extensive public speaking opportunities. He has had articles published in a number of professional publications and co-authored the "Pharmacist's Controlled Substances Regulatory Guide and Compliance Manual" and the "CSA Compliance and Counseling Kit" for pharmacists.
Ron is a registered pharmacist in the states of Virginia and New York.
Barry Conlon has served as the President of FreightWatch International (USA), Inc., considered the premier North American logistics security company since 2006. Barry has been a security professional for over two decades. He began his career in the Irish Defense Forces (IDF) where he spent eleven years as a specialist team leader in the IDF special operations forces, the Army Ranger Wing.
Following a distinguished career with the IDF, Barry joined Risk Management International, an Irish based risk consultancy firm. In 1998, Barry was appointed to the senior management of FreightWatch Group responsible for the development of their suite of logistic security services. In this role, Barry worked with several Fortune 100 companies evaluating and auditing their global supply chain security practices. In June of 2000, Barry was asked to establish the United States operations of FreightWatch International. Since then Barry has resided in the US and has overseen the growth of FreightWatch International (USA), Inc. into the leading logistic security company in the US.
Chuck Forsaith joined Purdue Pharma in 2001, after 21 years of service as a New Hampshire State Police Officer and also having formally directed security operations for a United States military intelligence gathering installation. With the State Police he served in supervisory capacities in the Major Crime, Narcotics and Intelligence Units and also acted as the Director of the New Hampshire Attorney General's Drug Enforcement Task Force.
For the government, Chuck managed a physical security program which protected one of the military's world-wide satellite tracking installations. He has also lectured both domesticly and internationally in the disciplines of Criminal Justice and Security for such organizations as Notre Dame College, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the World Trade Group and the International Association of Biometrics.
Wilson A. Lester, Jr. is Senior Vice President, Supply Chain at the Rite Aid Corporation. Wilson has over 30 years of Supply Chain Management and Supply Chain reengineering experience in both conventional brick and mortar and e-commerce environments. The most recent 20 years of Wilson's career has been spent as a key member of Retail turnaround management teams.
Wilson's areas of expertise include: strategic planning, network and facility design and network performance optimization, supplier management, inventory procurement/management and collaborative initiatives, organizational development and program and change management. In his current assignment, Wilson is responsible for the strategic and tactical deployment of Inventory, line responsibility for the 14 DC logistics network, leadership of an associate team of 7,000, international logistics, vendor management, and the Thrifty Ice Cream Division.
Wilson holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Hampton University, and completed graduate level courses in Business Administration at Roosevelt University. Wilson was the first chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Supply Chain and Logistics Committee and served in that capacity in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Wilson is the proud father of three children: Shannon (Eric), Francys (Tom), and Wilson III. Wilson's favorite past times are fishing and upland hunting.
Ron Link is Senior Vice President of Logistics for CVS/pharmacy. Ron started his career with CVS/pharmacy in 1994 as the Director of Operations for our Lumberton, New Jersey Distribution Center.
Ron is responsible for the development of Logistics and DC Operations strategies and driving industry leading service performance & profitability. The CVS Logistics organization consists of 19 distribution centers with over 7,500 associates.
In 1997, Ron was promoted to Vice President of Logistics. In this role, he led the Logistics Integration Teams which was responsible for the integration of 11 acquired distribution centers into the existing CVS network.
Prior to joining CVS/pharmacy, Ron was employed by Wakefern Food Corporation in Elizabeth, New Jersey for 11 years in various operations and management positions.
Ron is a graduate of Edinboro State University and has a degree in Business and Economics. He is a long time member and contributor to the Council of Logistics Management and the Warehouse Education Research Society.
Pete Mento is the principal consultant of a group specializing in U.S. and international import compliance services for expeditors, Tradewin, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Expeditors International of Washington.
Pete maintains close communication with trade policy officials to ensure products developed by Tradewin take maximum advantage of trade programs. Tradewin provides expertise in trade compliance and other government regulations to companies involved in foreign trade.
Pete has served major stints as a Merchant Marine Officer and with AEI and Panalpina (in both the Freight Forwarding and Trade Services). Additionally, Pete served 3 years with KPMG LLP as founder and National Practice Leader for their Global Trade Consulting Practice within the Trade and Customs Group.
Pete received his ALM in Government (Trade Theory Focus) from Harvard University and did his undergraduate work at Maine Maritime Academy where he is serving his fifth consecutive term as a member of the board.
Pete is a highly sought after speaker on matters of international trade who has lectured to tens of thousands of people all over the world. His style of mixing economics, history and humor is always a welcome change for his clients and students.
Milton Merl has 35 years in international marketing and consulting experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. His areas of expertise include: Point of Purchase Design and Manufacturing, In-store Marketing, Category and Brand Management, Demand Chain Optimization and Supply Chain Optimization. Milton serves as President and CEO of his POP company Milton Merl Associates (MMa) and, since selling his demand and supply chain consulting and technology assets to Accenture in 2004, is Consulting Partner to Accenture's Marketing Sciences (AMS) service line. His Accenture AMS responsibilities include leading their Retail and CPG Demand and Supply Chain offerings.
Milton founded MMa in 1991. Prior thereto, he served as Vice Chairman of the Howard Marlboro Group, which was acquired by Saatchi & Saatchi in 1984. Milton directed HMG Europe for Saatchi & Saatchi.
Milton received his B.S. in Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1969, and immediately went to work in the Aerospace industry on the Moon Lander program. Milton holds numerous patents specific to POP store fixture engineering and design, has published extensively on the subjects of supply and demand optimization and authored the ECR best practices on Store ECR.
Brian T. Pallasch, CAE, is currently Managing Director of Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Washington, DC. He has been responsible for managing the ASCE's government relations department including federal and state legislative affairs, regulatory affairs, grassroots, and policy development, since joining the staff in 1999.
Prior to joining the staff of ASCE, Pallasch served as the Director of Government Relations for the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Alexandria, VA for three years where he was responsible for all Federal and state relations.
Pallasch served as President of the American League of Lobbyists in 2007-2008, after serving on Prior to joining ASA, Pallasch served as the Director of Government Relations for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for 5 years. Previously, Pallasch was the Project Coordinator of the Citizenship Education and Peace Project at the Council for the Advancement of Citizenship (CAC) in Washington, DC.
Pallasch holds a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from the American University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and International Affairs from the University of Southern California.
Pallasch resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife and two children.
Charles A. Samuels is a member in ML Strategies, LLC Washington office.
He is engaged in a federal regulatory and legislative practice, and has
been extensively involved in alternative and renewable energy, energy conservation, resource recovery, environmental, trade, and safety issues
for the fuel producers, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and other trade associations, firms, local governments and state agencies.
Chuck's practice encompasses work before the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, OSHA, and other federal and state agencies. Chuck also engages in trade association and antitrust counseling.
Prior to joining Mintz Levin, Chuck practiced environmental and labor law in Chicago with Schiff Hardin & Waite, and then worked in the Executive Office of the President before entering private practice in Washington.
James J. Seber is President & CEO of Seber Logistics Consulting, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in supply chain and operations. For over a decade, SLC has been a recognized early proponent, leader and expert in benchmarking.
Jim has been involved with supply chain, manufacturing and operations management for over 20 years. Because of his blend of hands-on industry, functional and consulting expertise, Jim has developed a reputation for his pragmatic approach to resolving issues.
While in industry, Jim held supply chain management positions with companies including Revlon, Polaroid and American Hospital Supply. Over the last decade, he has assisted hundreds of companies in a broad base of industries improve the effectiveness of their operations.
Jim has been a frequent speaker at the annual CSCMP Conference, NAWGA/IFDA, NACDS, AWMA, NFBA, WERC as well as local roundtables and other industry groups and seminars.
Jim frequently has articles and books published regarding trends and leading edge developments.
Ken Silbert has over 25 years of industry/consulting experience and is a Managing Partner in Accenture's North American Supply Chain Management Practice which includes supply chain strategy, supply chain planning, order management, warehousing, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, product development, product lifecycle management, service management, supply chain ERP and outsourced supply chain business processes, covering numerous industries, including retail, distributors and consumer products.
Ken has led numerous supply chain programs resulting in cost reduction, enhanced revenues, improved service and increased asset utilization as well as capability and systems/infrastructure development. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Lehigh University, is a licensed Professional Engineer and was a recipient of the Government's Fed 100 program in 2003.
Neil Z. Stern specializes in strategic planning and the development of new retail concepts. Neil joined McMillanDoolittle in 1986 and became a Partner in 1990.
During his career at McMillanDoolittle, Neil has developed strategies and new concepts for a diverse variety of clients across the retail industry. Key clients have included an impressive mix of both large and small retailers, including Sears, Target, Wawa, Harris Teeter, Radio Shack, McDonald's Corporation, Lenox, Land's End, Publix, ChevronTexaco, Procter & Gamble and Safeway.
Neil is recognized as a key thought leader in the retail arena and is a sought-after speaker concerning food and retail trends both in the U.S. and Internationally.
Neil has been named to Crain's Chicago Business 40 under 40 list of prominent Chicago business leaders and was also named in 2002 as one of the 40 Rising Stars in Retailing by Chain Store Age. He published his first book, Winning At Retail, in 2004 and his second book, Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retail, was recently published.
Neil is an honors graduate of Columbia University and has attended Northwestern's Kellogg MBA program.
Claudia Tattanelli is the CEO of the American and Asia/Pacific operations of Universum Group, which today includes the subsidiary groups of Universum Communications, Jungle Media Group, Career TV, and WetFeet. With over 12 years experience in employer branding, Claudia has extensive experience from the global recruitment scene working with many of the world's largest companies and organizations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 firms, on their employer branding and recruitment strategies.
As a thought leader in employer branding, Claudia has been quoted in top publications around the world including Businessweek, The New York Times, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Washington Post and The Economist speaking on topics ranging from diversity and women recruitment issues to the war for recruiting and retaining top talent. She has also been featured as a guest on Fox TV, Bloomberg and CNBC's Morning Call.
Before entering the recruitment world Claudia, who is also known as Chloe, was working at Sotheby's N.Y. She grew up in Florence, Italy where she also attended both the faculties of Law and Philosophy at the "Universita' degli studi di Firenze". Currently, Claudia resides in Philadelphia, PA where she enjoys spending time with her 2 young sons and singing opera.
Paul H.Trueax III is the Vice President of North America Customer Service & Logistics for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, located in New York, NY. In this role, Paul is responsible for all customer service and logistics operations across the region, including transportation, distribution, demand & supply planning, customer service, and customer development teams.
Prior to Colgate-Palmolive, Paul was the Vice President of Customer Service & Logistics for Pepperidge Farm. Paul's responsibilities included managing a budget of over $400 million dollars across the functional areas of procurement, distribution, transportation, co-manufacturing, and inventory planning. Paul also held a variety of executive positions with Sara Lee Corporation in supply chain management and marketing, working for the Bali Company and Sara Lee Knit Products apparel divisions. Additionally, Paul spent over eight years in the shipping industry, and is currently a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Master Mariner. In addition to his undergraduate degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Paul holds a Masters Degree from the Harvard Business School.
Jack Uldrich is the president of The NanoVeritas Group an international leadership and technology consultancy dedicated to helping business, government, and non-profit organizations prepare for and profit from the emerging field of nanotechnology. Clients include Fortune 100 companies, venture capital firms and state and regional governments.
Jack, a former naval intelligence officer and Defense Department official, also served as the Director of the Minnesota Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning under Governor Jesse Ventura.
He is a frequent speaker on the nanotechnology, emerging technology, and leadership lecture circuits and is a contributor on nanotechnology and other emerging technologies for The Motley Fool, The Wall Street Reporter, Leader to Leader, The Futurist, The Scientis, CityBusiness, The Futures Research Quarterly, TechStation Central and scores of other newspapers around the country.
Jack is also the author of four books, including the award-winning, bestseller, The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business; Into the Unknown: Leadership Lessons from Lewis & Clark's Daring Westward Adventure; Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall and, most recently, Investing in Nanotechnology: Think Small. Win Big.