Ann Willis Richards, former governor of Texas, political activist, mother of four and grandmother of seven, kicks off the Conference. Some may remember her powerful keynote speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention; ISM is honored to have her open the festivities in San Antonio.

Not only an exemplary role model and champion for women and children everywhere (she sits on the Save the Children Board of Trustees and served our nation on President Carter’s Women’s Commission), Richards’ leadership experiences will be savory Conference fare for anyone seeking success in their profession. Among many other political, philanthropic and business commitments, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Affairs and the Peres Center for Peace International Board of Governors. As a senior advisor at Public Strategies, Inc., she advises companies on their public agendas. Make sure you’ve got a seat for this inspirational keynote address!

Find out how to make Hilton’s balanced scorecard system a competitive advantage for your organization. The balanced scorecard permits accurate measurement of and consistent emphasis on operating effectiveness, revenue management, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and the development and training of Hilton team members. It provides balance and empirically supported value to customers, owners, strategic partners, team members and shareholders. All industries can benefit from this timely and inspiring keynote address. Dieter Huckestein is responsible for all full-service owned and managed hotels including Hilton, Doubletree, and Embassy Suites as well as all limited-service owned and managed hotels within the Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn brands, overseeing hotel operations that drive over $5 billion in revenues. He also oversees operations of the five-star Conrad brand worldwide.

Business Survey/Economic Outlook Presentation

“U.S. Economic Conditions and Productivity: Insights From the Supply Chain”
There’s a cause and effect to every new business practice. Discover how new and improved supply chain operations have impacted the macroeconomy and what that means to you. With a focus on the United States, Thomas F. Siems brings his background and knowledge to help you gain new perspectives on the economy. Siems is senior economist and policy advisor for Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. As a member of the Research Department’s Free Enterprise Group, Siems’ research focuses primarily on how enabling technologies impact productivity and the economy. He is also a senior lecturer in the Engineering Management, Information and Systems Department in the School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University, and an advisory board member of the Cato Institute’s Project on Social Security Choice.

Take advantage of this opportunity to hear insights from Robert Fry, a world-class economist with DuPont. This presentation gives you a forecast for the marketplace in the months ahead. Use this information to help turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Fry’s career includes analysis of tax policies, interest rates and macroeconomic forecasts. He is senior associate economist for DuPont and has held many distinguished positions with the organization.

David P. Steiner is chief executive officer of Waste Management, Inc., the leading provider of waste and environmental services in North America. Today, investors and analysts continue to applaud Waste Management's industry-leading advances in health and safety, ethics and diversity, customer service, fleet logistics and corporate governance. Under Steiner's leadership, the company is continuing to pursue a strategy focused on operational excellence involving process standardization, superior information systems, market-based strategies and best-in-class service at optimal cost. With Steiner at the helm, the company's focus on the environment and workplace safety continues to yield results and the company continues to show strong financial growth. Waste Management is based in Houston and is a Fortune 200 company with revenues of approximately $12 billion. The company employs more than 50,000 people across North America.

An All-Star basketball player, David “The Admiral” Robinson continues to contribute off the court as well. Don’t miss Robinson’s insights into success as a player and a community leader. Find out how his teamwork on the basketball court can translate to your career aspirations. One of the top centers of his era, if not of all time, Robinson was a marvel of a basketball player and a respected figure off the court. A lean, muscular, 7'1" athlete, he was fast, strong and agile. In his first six NBA seasons, he won Rookie of the Year, NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, in addition to a rebounding title, a scoring crown, six All-Star bids, three selections to the All-NBA First Team and three selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.