- Why do so many OpEx initiatives fail to achieve their goals or lose all momentum soon after hitting their targets?
- How do you make margin improvement and waste elimination everyone’s job throughout an organization?
- Offering tactics and strategies to re-engage a workforce that has grown complacent and lost its culture of Continuous Improvement
- Discussing how new technologies fit into the larger conversation about how Lean Thinking is evolving
- Where do we want to be a decade from now, and what are we doing right now to get there?
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Chief Procurement Officer
Allergan
Walter Charles is the SVP & CPO at Allergan. Walter is a sought after speaker at national and international Supply Chain and Procurement Conferences, a visionary Supply Chain leader, an impactful results deliverer and an inspiring Procurement Futurist.
At Allergan, his global procurement teams support the purchase of billions of dollars a year of products and services supporting Research & Development, Manufacturing, Marketing, Legal, Capital, IT, Plant Operations, Travel, and General and Administrative services for the $11B revenue/year biotechnology innovator.
Prior to joining Allergan, Walter has held Chief Procurement Officer roles at iconic companies such as Biogen, Kraft Foods, Kellogg’s, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Supply Chain and Cordis (one of J&J’s former medical devices companies). As such, he has the unique perspective of serving on Supply Chain Leadership Teams, and leading procurement transformations across Biotechnology, Consumer Packaged Goods, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Businesses.
Walter holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University; a Master of Engineering Degree in Environmental Engineering from The Stevens Institute of Technology; and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
VP Strategic Sourcing
Cardinal Health
Jon leads a global sourcing group supporting multiple business units within the Medical Products segment of Cardinal Health, Inc. His teams are responsible for the global sourcing of finished medical devices both contract manufactured and private label. The 60+ categories include various areas such as feeding & compression pumps, disposal sets, surgical, durable medical equipment, incontinence and wound care.
He has over 30 years of broad business experience including global sourcing, manufacturing, product development, marketing, engineering and Lean Six Sigma. Jon has held senior management positions within the Medical Device & Distribution Industries for Cardinal Health, Baxter, Allegiance Healthcare & American Hospital Supply.
His current expertise focuses on global souring as well as supply chain efficiencies within North America, Asia, Europe & Latin America. Jon has a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from DePaul University.
VP, Head of Supply Chain Management
Continental Corporation
Ned Reckamp is Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Continental’s North America region, a position he has held since 2012. In this role, Reckamp is responsible for overseeing all aspects of supply chain management in North America.
Reckamp started his career in 1991 and has held a variety of finance, manufacturing and controlling positions in the electronic, contract manufacturing and automotive sectors. Since joining Continental, he served as Head of North American Central Electronic Plants & Finance and Vice President of Finance for Continental’s Interior Modules business unit.
Reckamp has earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Eastern Illinois University as well as a Master of Business Administration from University of Miami – School of Business.
VP Procurement
Kellogg’s
Tracy Joshua is the Vice President, Procurement for the Kellogg Company. In this role she leads strategic sourcing for $3-billion of indirect spending. She leads a cross-functional forum, the Procurement Indirect Action Council, that drives strategic sourcing, collaboration, diversity, and stakeholder engagement across her organization. Before joining Kellogg’s, Tracy had roles of increasing authority with Detroit Turn Around Team, BMS, and Ford Motor Company.
