AMES, Iowa – Water is a precious resource and its limited supply is a growing concern for businesses in the food production industry. The implications of water shortages for supply chains and food production will be part of the 2013 Voorhees Supply Chain Conference sponsored by Iowa State University’s College of Business. The conference is from 9 a.m-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, at Reiman Gardens.
Ford
Beth Ford, executive vice president and chief supply chain and operations officer at Land O’Lakes, is one of three featured speakers for the conference. Ford will discuss how major corporations are responding to water challenges and the global impact of food shortages in her presentation on “Megatrends in Supply Chains – The Food Production and Water Scarcity Challenge.”
A native of Sioux City, Ford joined Land O’Lakes in January 2012. In her 25-year career she has held various positions in supply chain management with Mobil Corp., PepsiCo and Scholastic Inc.
Kenney
Matt Kenney, senior director of global sterilization and microbiology for Medtronic Inc., will talk about the importance of collaboration to achieve business and personal goals. Kenney is responsible for developing strategies to help the medical device company improve its performance and establish future direction. In his talk, “Leveraging Collaboration to Achieve Desired Results,” he will share specific efforts that have helped Medtronic achieve its business goals.
Kenney has 23 years of experience working in supply chain management. Prior to joining Medtronic, he worked for 11 years at Quaker Oats.
Pastega
Kim Pastega is the vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing. Her session, titled “Developing Collaborative Supply Chains,” will focus on how partnerships and innovation throughout the supply chain has helped Boeing develop and produce commercial planes.
Prior to her current role, Pastega was responsible for all business aspects related to the operational, engineering and financial performance of the 767 program.
All three speakers are Iowa State graduates. Registration for the conference is $150 and includes all program materials, speaker sessions and lunch. Registration for Iowa State faculty, staff and students is free. There is a $25 fee for faculty, staff and students from other universities. The registration deadline is April 1.
This link includes additional information and online registration. The conference was established to honor Iowa State Professor Emeritus R. Dale Voorhees, who taught in the College of Business for more than 20 years.
