SPOTLIGHT

BY JOHN YUVA

UNIFICATION, NOT ISOLATION

Did you have an opportunity to attend ISM2017? Set against the backdrop of Walt
Disney World in Orlando, Florida, this year’s Conference again proved that attending
the largest supply management event can lead to growing your network, learning
new skills and expanding your career horizons.

There were many highlights during ISM2017. ISM’s Wall of Fame CPSM® mural attracted hundreds of attendees snapping photos of their name among those of the thousands of Certified Professional in Supply Management® recipients that made up the mural. And General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) delivered a powerful keynote that touched upon such areas as geopolitics, leadership during uncertainty and immigration issues facing our country.

Tuesday’s keynote with David Cameron, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, punctuated the state of the world we’re living in today. As the first audience Cameron faced since the bombing in Manchester, England, just hours before, his opening remarks spoke of resiliency in the face of horror. That somber moment brought into perspective the fragility of our world.

Cameron then shifted his focus to business challenges and a unified approach to solving them. He said that 9/11, the Iraq War and the

2008 financial crisis caused nations to look
inward — which is the wrong approach. Now,
more than ever, Cameron explained, we need
to lead in a global environment made smaller
through our supply chains. “Protectionism will
turn us backwards for jobs and prosperity,” he
said. “We need to be more like us — who we’ve
been traditionally.”
And he’s right. Many companies operate
internationally with suppliers and even
governments as their partners. The
interconnectedness of our world cannot be
denied, nor can it be ignored. Cameron cited
India as a country with a democracy and
president focused on transformation. He also
praised Vietnam for its extraordinary economy
and collaborative spirit toward the U.S. China,
Cameron said, is a rising great power. “The right
approach is to have a cooperative partnership
because as the country invests in your success,
then its future is your future,” he said.