Charting the Future of Manufacturing

Thomas K. Linton, a veteran executive in the semiconductor and electronics industry, has been appointed a member of the board of directors at the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the premier business organization representing manufacturing and services companies in the US and a leading proponent of best practices in supply chain management worldwide.

Linton, a former chief procurement officer for LG Electronics Inc. (London: LGLD; Korea: 6657.KS) , has held several senior level supply chain management positions in the electronics industry and joins a distinguished group of professionals charged with the task of directing and plotting policy initiatives championed by the ISM at a time manufacturing is itself undergoing structural changes worldwide.

I thought Linton's appointment was significant and worthy of mention here because the electronics manufacturing supply chain community will have to take some significant decisions about the role of Western nations in the industry over the next few years. Aside from the thorny subject of outsourcing or offshoring to low-cost regions, the industry will need to resolve the distribution across multiple centers of other electronics manufacturing functions, such as design, procurement, after-sales and warranty repair services, end-of-life, and the resolution of product obsolescence challenges in key industry segments such as aviation, medical, and the military markets.

The ISM has extended its services and representation beyond the US due to the shift in manufacturing to other regions of the globe. It has also transformed itself from being focused primarily on purchasing activities to the full spectrum of supply chain management operations, thereby increasing its service base and expanding to meet its members' changing needs. As member businesses have transferred production and other supply chain offshore the organization has also found it necessary to conduct many of its services overseas.

Although the ISM is best known for its monthly purchasing managers' index that tracks the health of the manufacturing and services sector, it is also very active in offering training and certification to supply chain professionals. By assisting similar organizations in foreign countries to standardize licensing and training, the ISM is ensuring that Western companies that shift production offshore are also able to recruit local professionals that can help them operate at the high levels required to maintain their competitiveness.

Here's a listing of all the 15 members of the board of directors recently appointed by the ISM:

1. Sidney Johnson (Chair), vice president, global supply management, at Delphi Corp. and executive champion for the Global Supply Management Task Team. Johnson leads a 1,300-person global team of procurement professionals that is focused on direct, indirect, and logistics as well as processes and systems and quality. His vision is to guide and enable his team to unlock the value of Delphi’s supply chain. Johnson has more than 20 years of experience in purchasing, operations, quality, and lean manufacturing principles.
2. Jean Baderschneider, vice president, global procurement, for Exxon Mobil Corp. She is responsible for procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, warehousing, and accounts payable worldwide.
3. Joseph C. Black Jr., chief procurement officer for Aetna Inc. In this position, he leads the company’s procure-to-pay activities enterprise-wide, impacting more than $4 billion in company expense. His responsibilities include supply management, accounts payable, meeting management, travel, supplier diversity, and expense policy.
4. Julia M. Brown, senior vice president, global procurement, and chief procurement officer for Kraft Foods Inc. She is responsible for the procurement of all goods and services for Kraft Foods worldwide. This extends across the spend areas and includes risk management, strategic sourcing, and supporting tools and processes that drive collaboration with supplier partners.
5. Janice L. Davis, vice president and chief procurement officer at Bombardier Aerospace. Davis is accountable for a global team responsible for the strategic procurement of all aerospace products and services.
6. Timothy R. Fiore, senior vice president, supply management, for Terex Corp. He is responsible for managing a companywide supply management and strategic sourcing process. Using a central category management and leadership team, Fiore’s group leverages the spend across 30 global manufacturing sites to more effectively manage Terex’s direct and indirect spend.
7. Craig J. Johnson, CEO of Musician’s Friend Inc., a leading direct marketer and e-commerce retailer of musical equipment and related merchandise -- the largest such company in the US and a wholly owned subsidiary of Guitar Center.
8. Thomas K. Linton, former executive vice president and chief procurement officer for LG Electronics Inc. (London: LGLD; Korea: 6657.KS) , based in Seoul, South Korea. Linton has decades of experience in both global procurement and the semiconductor industry, having built his career at companies around the world.
9. Lisa Martin, senior vice president, worldwide procurement and global operations, Pfizer Inc. As Pfizer’s chief procurement officer and global operations leader, Martin and her organization support all externally purchased goods and services categories across each business line, including biopharmaceuticals, consumer, nutritional, and animal health.
10. Nora P. Neibergall, senior vice president at the Institute for Supply Management and corporate secretary for the ISM Board of Directors. Neibergall oversees ISM’s educational program development, professional credentials, diversity, public relations, marketing, and sales efforts.
11. Paul Novak, ISM chief executive officer. Novak led the Institute in a major change in its governance, the implementation of a board of directors comprising senior officers at major companies. Following this change, Novak led the organization in broadening its focus from purchasing into supply management and extending its worldwide reach.
12. Craig Reed, senior vice president, supply chain management, at Eaton Corp. , a global diversified power management company. In this position, he leads global policy and functional alignment for supply chain management worldwide for Eaton.
13. Anthony E. Santiago, vice president and chief procurement officer for WellPoint Inc. Santiago has sourcing responsibility for a broad range of spend categories, including marketing services and materials, IT hardware and software, capabilities sourcing, consulting, and professional services, facilities, energy, and utilities.
14. Ronald D. Schnur, vice president, dairy supply and operations, for WhiteWave Foods Co. In this position, he is responsible for providing strategic, financial, and operational leadership for the dairy supply chain and operations team of 115. He also provides direct support for the Horizon Organic business unit.
15. Deborah Webber, senior vice president at the Institute for Supply Management and corporate treasurer for the ISM Board of Directors. Webber is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Institute, which include communications, customer service, accounting, information systems/technology and the Website, purchasing/contracting, human resources, affiliate support, meeting planning, and corporate program development.