If you work in logistics, warehousing, or supply chain management and were listening to "Marketplace," American Public Media's hip business-themed radio show, a few days before Christmas, you might have heard a familiar voice. On Dec. 20, Marketplace aired a chat with Ann Drake, chairman and CEO of the third-party logistics company DSC Logistics, as part of the show's "Conversations From the Corner Office" series of interviews.
In a session titled "Why aren't there more female CEOs?," host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Drake about what's keeping women from reaching the highest levels of business management. Drake is well positioned to answer that question. In addition to her own experiences as a female exec in a male-dominated industry, she's been deeply involved in initiatives to help more women ascend to executive positions. She is a past member of the Committee of 200, a women's business leadership organization, and in 2012 was the first woman to receive the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award. Three years ago, she founded AWESOME (Achieving Women's Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education), a nonprofit that supports the advancement of women's supply chain leadership. In just a few years, AWESOME has grown to more than 900 members.
Drake is also active in a brand-new organization called Paradigm for Parity (P4P), a coalition of CEOs committed to achieving a "new norm" in corporate leadership in which women and men have equal power, status, and opportunity. In the interview, Drake spoke at length about what the group aims to accomplish and why such an initiative remains necessary in the 21st century.
To hear the interview, go to www.marketplace.org and click on "Podcasts," then choose "Corner Office." Or go directly to the interview with Drake.
