Past Speakers (2018)

Colleen leads research activities for Sodexo’s Global Corporate Services segment. In this role, she provides insight and strategy for thought leadership, market trend analyses, and client solutions across multiple business and industry sectors.

Colleen joined Sodexo in 2014. Her previous experience includes management and research roles with health research companies, the US government (Departments of Defense and Energy, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Parks Service), and IBM.

Colleen has a Master’s degree in epidemiology and a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of South Florida.

 Frank is a graduate of the State University of New York education system and began his career 26 years ago as TMG’s first Business Development Associate. Since that time, he has honed his skills and understanding of the industry affording him promotions to his current role. Frank has, and continues to establish channel partner markets to expand firm revenues; and propagates supplier partnerships to fully support client requirements. He has extensive experience in the mail services and document distribution facilities management industry. His office services industry experience spans the entire lifecycle of a facilities management engagement, program development, justification and demonstrated return on investment to daily services execution compliance and quality monitoring through exiting strategies and competitive displacement. His focused expertise lies in outsourcing program development including staffing, automated processing systems, quality control and program compliance.

Ingrid brings more than a decade of major multinational corporate real estate

and facilities management expertise to her strategic and operational

leadership of SIREAS.

She works directly with the real estate and executive leadership of SIREAS’ corporate clients in

designing strategic plans to cost-effectively meet their business goals. She oversees and

provides ongoing project guidance to SIREAS client engagement teams, and develops the

third-party supplier and outsourcing relationships vital to helping manage clients’ portfolios

and facilities.

As a global real estate strategist and portfolio platform builder, Ingrid brings clients deep

expertise in emerging markets, from new region entry to navigating complex matrices of

international law and real estate practices.

She also provides clients expert guidance on facilities management and workplace

transformation, the real estate implications of M&A transactions, contract negotiations and

lease administration, construction, and vendor management.

Before cofounding SIREAS, Ingrid served as Global Head of Real Estate for health products

leader Covidien, There, she partnered with the executive leadership team on value-building

real estate strategy, designed and led the real estate organization, developed the portfolio

(transactions, lease administration and project management services) and facilities

management platform, and oversaw 16 million square feet of leased and owned research,

commercial, office and manufacturing facilities globally.

She generated more than $75 million in real estate savings for Covidien through strategic

consolidations, market intelligence, workplace transformation, and strategic sourcing. In

addition, she played a lead role in Covidien’s entry into more than 20 new markets, and

managed the real estate component of all M&A activity, including 30-plus acquisitions and

the divestiture of Covidien’s pharmaceutical business. She developed real estate partnership

networks to execute transactions in more than 140 markets worldwide.

Previously, she integrated international real estate strategy with business unit planning

internationally for Fortune 100 multinational United Technologies Corporation, whose portfolio

encompassed 100 million square feet across more than 5,000 locations.

Dusty is the Senior Vice President and co-leader of JLL’s new Digital Advisory practice within JLL Technology Solutions. His industry experience and expertise not only enable him to lead this growing practice, but to cultivate and enhance value and operational efficiencies for clients. Dusty brings a broad array of Corporate Real Estate experience and many years of cross functional practice in the areas of portfolio strategy and facilities technology.

Dusty is known for his industry thought leadership around Corporate Real Estate and Workplace technologies and is a current host for CoreNet Global’s ‘What’s Next’ podcast series. Dusty is also a regular media contributor and speaker for various organizations such as IAOP, IFMA, WORKTECH, SHRM, CoreNet Global (LEADER Magazine), and Bloomberg Businessweek. His token 'Connected Places: Technology’s Impact on Where and How We Work'​ has been presented via numerous international webinars and witnessed by live audiences in Salt Lake City, Chicago, London (UK) and most recently as a guest lecturer at the Frederik Meijer Honors College at GVSU.

Experience

Prior to joining JLL, Dusty was a Senior Managing Director at Newmark Knight Frank, and leader of the global Connected Places practice group, where he facilitated numerous Employee Experience workshops and technology program managed (and roadmaped) various Smart Workplace programs aimed to achieve over $200 million in annual productivity gains. Prior to Newmark, Dusty led the North American Commercial Real Estate Technologies group for UK based Qube Global Software, which has provided IWMS and point solutions for companies such as HSBC, American Airlines, Intel, Hanes Brands, HP, Nokia, Coca-Cola, Barclays, Fidelity Investments, TESCO, Bank of Montreal, and HMS Host amongst others. Dusty’s CRE career began in Detroit as a Property/Portfolio Manager for NAI Global and later a Workplace & Transaction Advisor for UGL Equis (now Cushman Wakefield), where he was engaged in over 20 million square feet of Commercial Real Estate transactions related to Chrysler Corporation’s Midwest disposition strategy in 2007-2009.

Education and Affiliations

Dusty attended Grand Valley State University (Communications & Psychology) and the Graduate College of Geography and Urban Planning at Wayne State University in Detroit. Dusty has served as a Director for the Commercial Board of Realtors (CBOR/State of Michigan) and is the current VP at Large for the CoreNet Michigan Chapter Board of Directors. Dusty was a Crain’s Detroit Business ’20 in their 20’s, Class of 2008, and ’40 under 40,’ class of 2013 for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). 

Matt Mazzola is the Director of Sales at EMC. He is an experienced sales executive with more than 20 years of experience in the lighting, electrical and electronic manufacturing industry. Prior to joining EMC, Matt held leadership roles at Magnum Energy Solutions, a manufacturer of wireless controls and Venture Lighting International, a manufacturer of lighting components, fixtures and controls. Matt holds a global business management degree from the University of Phoenix.

Value Delivered

By helping EMCOR Facilities Services (EFS) maintain its financial strength and flexibility, James provides the company with strategic pricing direction to deliver clients the most cost effective and sophisticated services.

In addition to overseeing the pricing and finance functions of the firm, James forecasts new business profitability, executes existing business renewals, and analyzes and interprets financial results to help senior management effectively apply company resources in ways that can provide maximum value for clients. Furthermore, by providing clients with customized financial reports, he gives them the tools they need to control costs and better ensure an ongoing return on their facilities' investment.

Expertise

With a decade of financial planning and analysis experience in the facilities services industry, James boasts a strong background in strategic pricing, financial modeling, project management, and client relationships. He joined the EFS team in 2008 as a billing analyst and was promoted to various positions with increased responsibility throughout the years. As financial analyst for one of the company’s most prominent accounts, he successfully managed $10 million of facility spending for over 800 account locations nationwide.

Prior to his current role as Director of Pricing and Finance, James was the company’s Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis. In this role, he prepared monthly income statements and was responsible for all self-perform pricing bids. Because James has spent his professional career solely with EFS, he knows the company through and through and is suited to make crucial decisions that can foster long-term growth and success.

James earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lehigh University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from La Salle University. 

Gabe Smith is Vice President of Client Development for the Americas at Schneider Electric, Energy and Sustainability Services. Gabe has spent the past 18-years helping industrial and commercial Clients achieve their energy and sustainability goals.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-smith-ess/

Chris Register is a top Sales Leader with over 15 years of experience in Investment Recovery.  “Chris Register's strategic mindset and leadership were crucial in developing and leading a best-in-class Asset Utilization program for our Fortune 100 business, resulting in significant improvements in internal asset redeployment and generated revenue back to our business through asset disposition. His ability to partner with the customer to ensure full satisfaction and business goals are met is second to none.” David Melancon Honeywell ACS Global Capital Sourcing Team Leader.   Chris has consistently implemented Global Investment Recovery programs for Fortune 500 companies such Honeywell, Eaton, Schneider Electric, Roche, Abbott and Kimberly Clark.

Chris first developed a passion for surplus asset management with DoveBid in the early 2000’s where he established a keen client needs assessment aptitude.  This invaluable experience gave him the opportunity to focus on and expanded his cross functional leadership skills needed to consistently meet and exceed his goals.  In only his second year, Chris received a letter from the USPS congratulating him for his company being nominated for the Quality Supplier Award (QSA), a noteworthy achievement. 

Chris now manages the Industrial sales team for North America at Liquidity Services where he remains committed to working with his team to grow the business across all regions and transforming the reverse supply chain industry.

Since joining Mediagrif in 2000, Jean-Michel has held executive-level positions within different business units operated by Mediagrif and currently oversees sales and operations for six LOBs: MERX, ASC Networks inc.,The Broker Forum, Polygon, Carrus, & Power Source On-Line. Over the years, he has played a critical role in the commercial development of various units within Mediagrif, and his expertise in the B2B e-business sector stem from the leadership roles he has assumed over the years in the field of international operations, sales and marketing. Jean-Michel holds a bachelor degree in Commerce from École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC), where he also held key management positions in the field of international relations prior to joining Mediagrif.

Jake Bealke is the Head of Global Real Estate & Corporate Services at Edgewell Personal Care, which includes management of all offices, plants and warehouses and any facility related work for the portfolio. Edgewell is a global consumer packaged goods company manufacturing and selling products of such brands as Schick Razors, Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic sun care products, Playtex feminine care, and many others.  

MDC Partners is one of the most influential marketing and communications networks in the world. As “The Place Where Great Talent Lives,” MDC Partners is celebrated for its innovative advertising, public relations, branding, digital, social and event marketing agency partners, which are responsible for some of the most memorable and effective campaigns for the world’s most respected brands. By leveraging technology, data analytics, insights and strategic consulting solutions, MDC Partners drives creative excellence, business growth and measurable return on marketing investment for over 1,700 clients worldwide.  Jason’s focus at MDC is to empower MDC’s 50+ global agency partners to deliver best in class business results through overall operational excellence. Prior to joining MDC Partners, Jason spent five years within Publicis Groupe including Publicis’ Global Real Estate and Facility Operations Team.

Henry is currently the Global Integrated Facilities Management Category Manager at The Boeing Company.  Responsibilities include providing overall category strategy for Boeing Facilities Management, including cross functional teams, best practice methodology and compliance, lead sourcing strategies, provide contract and supplier relationship management activities.

Over his 20 year career at Boeing, Henry has held a diverse set of assignments and responsibilities including Enterprise Facilities Strategic Planning, Planning Manager, Project Implementation Manager, Safety Champion and Asset Planning integrator.

Henry holds an Industrial Engineering Degree, Facility Management Professional, FMP, and Institute of Industrial Engineering Association designations.  He is an active member of IFMA (International Facilities Management Association). 

Luis Gile is a subject matter expert and procurement leader in design, construction, and facilities services currently with IBM Procurement Services.

As a Registered Architect, with more than 60 major projects across 4 continents and over $1Billion in spend to his credit, Luis has over 24 years’ experience in the construction industry.

Through his wealth of category expertise and technical knowledge, Luis has made process transformation the hallmark of his career, developing and enhancing capital procurement standards for over a dozen Fortune 500 Clients.

With functional expertise in Design and Construction Procurement, Business Procurement Process, Strategic Business Case Development, Strategic Sourcing, Category Management, Procurement best practices, Construction Delivery Models, and Construction Pricing Models, Luis’ efforts have resulted in improved quality, schedule, and cost for dozens of Clients.

Luis has experience in several business sectors including; Pharmaceutical, Retail, Manufacturing, Corporate Office, Food and Beverage, Consumer Goods, and Restaurants.

Luis holds a Bachelor of Architecture and is a Registered Architect licensed in multiple states. He is certified by the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB).

Mark Delph is Director, Head of Global Real Estate at Groupon, where he designed, led and implemented the zero based real estate rationalization strategy. First-year results included: right-sizing from 177 facilities in 36 countries to 98 facilities in 19 countries, G/L facility cost reduction of nearly 25%, from $80M to $63M and redundant facility staff reduction from 67 to 25.

Previously, Delph was Director of Real Estate at Duff and Phelps, a mid-market investment bank, where he was responsible for delivering strategic client consulting for Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Development Companies and Government entities.  

Prior to Duff and Phelps, Delph served as Director of both IT and Real Estate for 13 years at Fortune Brands, a $13 Billion consumer products company with brands including: Titleist, Jim Beam, Master Lock, Moen faucets and many others. As the real estate department head, he was responsible for a 6.4 million SF global real estate portfolio, comprised of 9 corporate headquarters and 64 production facilities and; either directed or personally lead: strategy, site selection, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, contract negotiations, project design, planning and construction through turnkey completion for all major assets.  

Delph personally negotiated the largest manufacturing incentive deal in western Virginia since WWII (creating 750 jobs) and culminating in $7 million in grants; completed directly with Gov. Mark Warner at the State House in Richmond.

Delph is a team builder and player/coach adept at forging professional working relationships with senior management to deliver multiple, high-profile, major projects on-time and on-budget.  He has a keen ability to recognize potential business opportunities, gain an understanding of the market, complete gap and financial analysis, develop a go/no go consensus and then execute. 

Delph holds a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.  He is a US Navy Special Operations veteran having served as Helicopter Rescue Swimmer with the 7th Fleet.  He is a graduate of the Second City Improv and performed on the main stage 3 times.  In the summer you might find him sailing on lake Michigan, or road racing a z-06 corvette throughout the Midwest. 

Paul is a Global Sourcing & Procurement leader with over 20 years of experience in the Real Estate, Facilities Management, Marketing and Legal Services commodity sectors. He was most recently the Global Sourcing Manager for Real Estate and Facilities with Marsh & McLennan companies, and delivered an annual YOY savings of $7- $10M, in his categories of spend under management. He is a Trusted Adviser to, and an advocate for, all of his stakeholder clients, a two time MMC Sourcing Colleague award winner, a past President of Boston University/Metropolitan College Honors Society - Alpha Sigma Lambda, and is laser focused on  delivering impactful business results, including optimal TCO, negotiating the most desirable outcome in contracts and awards, and mitigating corporate risk. 

Fabio Infante is Citi’s Enterprise Supply Chain Global Sourcing Head for Enterprise Services

Fabio joined Citi in 2013 to lead Supply Chain transformation in Brazil, as the country Procurement Head. His role expanded by Dec 2013 to lead Citi Sourcing for Latin America, where he leveraged Citi´s global scale and integrated local teams into Citi’s global Sourcing strategy. Fabio relocated to Mexico City in Aug 2016, in order to integrate LATAM and Mexico Sourcing. After extensive experience throughout Latin America, Fabio was designated as Citi’s Global Sourcing Director for Enterprise Services in 2017, which includes category coverage for Real Estate & Facilities, Security Services, Travel Services, Executive Services, Logistics & Distribution, Office Equipment & Supplies and Human Resources.

Fabio has 20+ years of supply chain management and executive experience. Fabio commenced in international trade through 2000, at which point he joined IBM as a Sourcing Buyer for technology services. After 7 years within IBM´s Procurement organization, Fabio was invited to lead Business Process Outsourcing transformational projects by designing and implementing Supply Chain Outsourcing projects for external clients in the Consumer, Utilities, Automotive and Banking industries.

Fabio holds Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Marketing.

Mike has over 18 years of experience building and leading supply chain and procurement teams in start-ups and well established organizations.  He spent over 12 years focused on the build out of direct material supply chains in semiconductor capital equipment and solar manufacturing industries.  Since joining Gilead, Mike has shifted his concentration to biopharma and building Gilead’s R&D and Facilities indirect procurement categories.  Mike has sourced over $2 Billion of capital construction and facilities services spend for Gilead sites in the U.S., U.K., and Europe.         

Mike holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University. 

Since 2013, Michael Koch has served as the Senior Director of Development for Samsung Electronics America based in Richardson, Texas.

Previously, Michael spent 25 years working for Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Guess, Nextel, and The Ritz-Carlton while living in Washington, D.C.; London, England; and Lugano, Switzerland. Michael studied at the University of Maryland, where he received a bachelor’s degree in architectural and design engineering.

Having designed and constructed hundreds of the most well-known retail locations throughout four continents, Michael’s primary responsibility is to grow the Samsung brand in North America through intentional, iconic design. His team is tasked with the design, development, and maintenance of more than 50,000 locations in the U.S. alone, and is responsible for creating the 55,000-square-foot Samsung 837 flagship store in New York City. Receiving worldwide recognition and awards for this location from Forbes and Design:Retail as a top experiential location, Samsung plans to utilize subsequent findings in future designs worldwide. Some of his most noteworthy achievements include Apple’s signature locations in Berlin, Barcelona, and Turin, as well as Guess flagship retail locations in Milan. In addition, he was responsible for emblematic resorts for The Ritz-Carlton in Florida, San Francisco, and the Cayman Islands.

Michael’s career began in the U.S. Marine Corps by serving with distinction as a platoon sergeant in a line infantry reconnaissance unit from 1983 to 1993. Honorably discharged in 1993, Michael’s last tour after the Gulf War was at the University of Memphis, where he taught the ROTC corps of cadets. Throughout his military career, Michael earned awards for leadership and service over nearly 10 years of active duty.

Michael, an industry professional known widely for his tireless pursuit of perfection, has a deep passion and high level of experience in real estate, design and construction implemented in more than 40 countries. He has received awards for not only creating a brand’s prominent worldwide image, but also expanding his team’s abilities through professional instruction and training.

Michael created The Road Ahead Foundation in 2008, with sponsorship from former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush and others, as a means of helping orphaned children suffering from this worldwide pandemic. His focus now is to harness his talents and extensive business relationships to better the children of America by making a difference in young peoples’ lives and career paths worldwide.  Speaking at public events and providing business solutions presentations worldwide, Michael is well known for inspirational and engaging speeches for all age groups and backgrounds.

Born and raised in France, after starting my career in the Pharmaceutical industry I have moved to Canada where I joined L’Oreal. After a few years in charge of the Supply chain sourcing category, I am now since 2016 in the USA in charge of the Industrial Services categories under the indirect sourcing group at L’Oreal.

My team is in charge of sourcing and managing the best partners to support L’Oreal overall objectives within the categories of Facility Management, Logistics supplies, MRO, Utilities and Capex.

In line with L’Oreal sustainability program known as Sharing Beauty With All, I was specifically in charge to source and develop solutions to reduce L’Oreal USA carbon footprint by 60% compared to 2005.

I’m the proud father of an 11 months daughter; passionate by travels, nature and experiencing (almost) anything, I am also a scubadiver.

Richard Navarro works on Google's Real Estate & Workplace Services Sustainability team where he focuses on the sustainable operation of Google's European and Asia Pacific facilities. For the past 8 years, Richard has been responsible for the identification and implementation of sustainable opportunities unique to each office and region such as developing a unified waste strategy and sustainable purchasing strategy for Google’s offices. Richard received his M.S in Sustainable Energy in 2012 and B.S in Electrical Engineering in 2010 from Santa Clara University and is a LEED AP O+M, AEE Certified Energy Manager, and TRUE Waste Advisor.

Meena has over 15years of experience in the public and private sector, with expertise at the intersection of sustainability & the built environment, and a passion for aviation. She is the first Indian American woman to get accredited by the American Association of Airport Executives.  Nieto started her career designing Intelligent Buildings, integrating both active and passive forms of energy efficiency.  She has worked with global teams on projects ranging from Embassy buildings, Airports to Policy Making for saving endangered Turtles in South Carolina.  She represented American Airlines in the largest Public Private Partnership, the $5B LaGuardia Central Terminal Building project in New York,  and has contributed to Publications at the National Academy of Sciences for Sustainability, Renewable Energy and Carbon Trading. She has spoken at national and international conferences to create partnerships for job growths in the community and a sustainable planet.

Felipe Niles, Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager at Google, is responsible for the global sourcing strategy related to construction and leading the North America team responsible for executing the procurement activities for this category. Working in strategic sourcing and procurement since 2000, Felipe has successfully navigated across direct and indirect categories in very diverse industries as banking, chemical, aerospace, telecom and now Google. Felipe is a construction engineer by formation and is driven in bringing to construction procurement, the innovation and the insights learned on multiple categories.

Carlos recently rejoined Coty as the Director of Operations & Facilities across all Coty divisions and locations in North America.

Prior to re-joining Coty, Carlos held the role of COE Lead for Facilities & Related Services at PepsiCo, where he was responsible for all aspects of the North America Facilities Sourcing plan for 800+ facilities, and led the global facility integration management program. Carlos is also a Managing Partner of CAP Consulting Solutions, a private Procurement consulting firm specializing in outsourcing Indirect spend category management for companies across multiple industries.

Prior to that, he led multiple Procurement categories and served as PMO across several Global companies including Coty, Unisys, and Mars, amongst others. He also has significant experience in direct contract negotiation, policy writing, project process simplification, and service-level development & benchmarking.

Carlos started his career as a Geotechnical Engineer and Project Manager at Professional Service Industries. It is there where he became involved in Project service and materials sourcing, which led him to pursue an MBA. Carlos earned his MBA in Supply Chain & Strategic Management from The Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

In his free time, Carlos enjoys traveling, competing in marathons and triathlons, and trying to keep up with his very active 3-year-old son.

Eileen Quigley is the Sustainability Manager at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the world’s leading environmental advocacy groups with six offices in the U.S. and one in China. Her role is to ensure that NRDC maintains the lowest environmental footprint possible, to prioritize human health and happiness of building occupants while constantly pushing the boundaries of environmentally restorative practices in the built environment. Specifically, she project manages all of NRDC’s capital improvement projects, sets and implements strategy related to operational sustainability, contributes to tasks related to real estate and educates – internally and externally – on the organization’s environmental building practices.

Prior to joining NRDC in 2015, Eileen was a consultant with Closed Loop Advisors where she led NRDC, as her client, to build the first ever tenant improvement project to achieve recognition from the Living Building Challenge (LBC). Both the Chicago and Beijing office renovations achieved first-of-their-kind certifications from LBC while also achieving LEED. Through the combination of cutting edge sustainable construction practices and strategies for operating the organization, NRDC aims to have a positive, or restorative ecological effect.

Eileen got her B.S in Engineering from Cornell and an M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia. She ultimately aims to create and inspire spaces that have a net positive impact on her peers, the world community and the planet.

Jay Sklar is the Chief Procurement Officer for HUB International Limited, where he is responsible for implementing a long-term procurement program, inclusive of travel and real estate, to leverage HUB’s buying power across a historically decentralized organization that has grown rapidly via acquisitions.

Jay brings more than 20 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier diversity, and real estate. His prior roles included Vice President of Procurement and Real Estate for Orbitz, and various procurement-related roles at Aon, BankOne (now JPMorgan Chase), Waste Management, and A.T.Kearney.

Jay earned a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, from Northwestern University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Kellogg / Northwestern University.

John Sklet is Citi’s Enterprise Supply Chain Global Facilities, Construction and Security Sourcing Head

    Within Citi's Enterprise Supply Chain organization, John is a Senior Vice President of Sourcing. In this capacity,     Mr.     Sklet leads the strategy development and execution of Citi’s North America Facilities and Security     sourcing programs.

    John’s scope of responsibility includes internal client interactions and alignment for both Office and Retail     buildings,     MWBE targets, vendor programs and cost efficiencies goals.  He also provides construction and     interior commodities     sourcing strategy leadership to Citi’s sourcing teams in global regions.

Prior to joining Citi’s Enterprise Supply Chain group in October 2013, Mr. Sklet was Senior Vice President in Citi’s Real Estate, Global Operations Team.  Mr. Sklet led the Global Sourcing Machining Team at Honeywell Aerospace (1998 - 1999) and Managed the Sourcing programs for Raw Materials and Forgings at Honeywell Aerospace (1995 - 1998).

Mr. Sklet holds a BS degree in Business Administration from The University of Oklahoma and a MBA from Baker University.  He is also a LEED AP and a CPM.

Michele Thompson is Global Director, Sourcing & Procurement and Global Head of Supplier Diversity for Thomson Reuters, an information services company and leading source of intelligent information for the worlds businesses and professionals. Thomson Reuters delivers insights to the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters has over 45,000 employees, is located in over 100 countries and has annual revenues of $12 billion.

Michele began her career at Thomson Reuters in 1995 and has held a variety of roles in Sourcing, Procurement Operations, Supplier Management and Finance. She has sourced a variety of commodities in complex settings including global and virtual environments, acquisitions, divestitures, major reorganizations, off shoring and outsourcing.

Michele has led a variety of sourcing initiatives during her Sourcing & Procurement career. Some of her most notable achievements include the following:

• Creating a centralized purchasing function at the divisional level for her company. She assembled the purchasing team and constructed all policies and procedures including the design, implementation and deployment of the Purchase Order system. She also led the teams that delivered all companywide communications, change management and training to employees.
• Lead many large global capital projects in excess of $50 million per year.
• Successfully created and implemented her company’s first Supplier Diversity Program stressing the importance of diversity and inclusion within the sourcing organization as well as the company as a whole.

Michele is a member of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council and Great Lakes Women’s Business Council. Council of Supplier Diversity Professionals and is a Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity. Michele serves on the board for the Institute for Supply Management Southeast Michigan affiliate and is active in the community where she resides in Michigan.

German Torres is the Global Director of Indirect Categories at recently merged TechnipFMC heading global strategy category management and operational procurement in 6 regions and USD$1.8B spend around the world.

With over 20 years’ experience in Supply Chain Management he has enjoyed assignments in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and the US performing multiple leadership roles in Supply Chain Management in automotive and energy sectors including Regional Head of Supply Chain, Global ERP Supply Chain Implementation Lead, Global Sourcing Manager and Global Process and Systems Manager. He’s currently a member of the Houston ISM-CPO Advisory Board.

German is a Certified Professional in Supply Management by ISM and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management, a  dual Master Degree in Information Technology and Business from ITAM in Mexico City and a Certificate in Supply Chain Management from MIT.