FOR RELEASE: December 8, 2008

Media Contacts:
ISM Public Relations
Jean McHale
800/888-6276, extension 3143
jmchale@ism.ws

Lindsey Yentes
800/888-6276, extension 3087
lyentes@ism.ws

Register for ISM's Women Executive Supply Management Summit, February 5-6, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas.

(Tempe, Ariz.) December 8, 2008 — A unique event for women in supply management is fast approaching. Register now for the inaugural Women Executive Supply Management Summit (WESMS), to be held February 5-6, 2009. Presented by Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM), the Summit is for executives, their direct reports and those interested in building their career in supply management. All sessions will be held at the Marriott San Antonio River Center, San Antonio, Texas.

The ISM Inaugural Women Executive Supply Management Summit features top experts from organizations including A.T. Kearney, BT, Ernst & Young, Exxon Mobil Global Services Company and IBM Global Business Services.

Among the 14 confirmed speakers is Mei-Chan Duan, director, Client Services Procurement — Americas, ISC, for IBM. Duan will share her story of supply management global leadership development in the general session "Business Transformations". Don't miss hearing Duan's unique global perspective gained from spending more than half of her professional career living and working throughout Asia and the United States.

Hear from others who are passionate about supply management. Carrie Ericson of A.T. Kearney will present the general session Strategies to Enhance Influence and Persuasion Skills. Ericson was honored by Supply & Demand Chain Executive as one of the magazine's Pros to Know in 2004. Other general session topics include: Women in International Supply Management Roles; Executive Perspectives; and Creating a Successful Women's Career Support System.

Concurrent Session topics include:

• Making Our Best Women Better
  Learn how to identify leadership competencies in women, how they compare to their male counterparts and how to develop yourself and your career.
  
  
• How to Present With Credibility and Authority
  This session focuses on strategies to create credibility whether you're speaking to two or 200 people.
  
  
• Beyond Benchmarks: Building Supply Capabilities for Business Strengths
  This presentation addresses six megatrends that go beyond the headlights of purchasing and supply management's future benchmarks and past emerging market conditions.
  
  
• Working Together in Supply Chain
  Explore the variety of ways that men and women approach their leadership roles in supply management.

Don't miss this great learning (and networking) experience. Supply management professionals who hold senior positions of responsibility are encouraged to attend and bring their high potential colleagues. Attendees can earn Continuing Education Hours while they listen, network and learn. Cost is $795 (USD) members / $995 (USD) nonmembers. For complete registration information, go to www.ism.ws or call ISM Customer Service at 800/888-6276, option 8. ISM values and seeks diverse membership, volunteer leadership and staff. There are no barriers to full participation in the Institute on the basis of ethnic background, gender, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.

As the largest supply management institute in the world, the mission of Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) is to lead supply management. By executing and extending its mission through education, research, standards of excellence, influence building and information dissemination — including the renowned monthly ISM Report On Business^® — ISM continues to extend the global impact of supply management. ISM is a not-for-profit membership association serving more than 40,000 supply management professionals in 75 countries. ISM offers credentialing to professionals around the world with the Certified Professional in Supply Management^® (CPSM^®) qualification. ISM is a member of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM).