ISM Honors Arnold Sowa with 2016 Charles J. McDonald Jr. Award.
Press Release Summary:
For leadership in creating business opportunities for diverse suppliers, ISM® named Arnold Sowa, SVP and chief procurement officer for MetLife, Inc., as 2016 Charles J. McDonald Jr. Supplier Diversity Advocate Award recipient. ISM CEO Tom Derry, noting how "Creating opportunity for diversity among suppliers is an essential component of ISM's Principles of Sustainability and Social Responsibility," recognized Arnold "for his efforts to initiate and expand practices that encourage diversity."
Original Press Release:
ISM Reveals Arnold Sowa as 2016 Charles J. McDonald Jr. Supplier Diversity Advocate Award Recipient
MetLife, Inc. procurement professional recognized for supplier diversity leadership
PHOENIX – Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) today named Arnold Sowa, senior vice president and chief procurement officer for MetLife, Inc., as the 2016 Charles J. McDonald Jr. Supplier Diversity Advocate Award recipient for his leadership in creating business opportunities for diverse suppliers.
This award, created in 1994, is awarded annually to an ISM member who has worked in innovative ways to increase and maintain diversity among suppliers in his or her current organization. Sowa was recognized with the award at ISM2016, ISM’s annual international supply management conference, taking place May 15-18 in Indianapolis.
“Creating opportunity for diversity among suppliers is an essential component of ISM’s Principles of Sustainability and Social Responsibility,” said Tom Derry, CEO of ISM. “As our 2016 McDonald award winner, ISM is proud to recognize Arnold for his efforts to initiate and expand practices that encourage diversity.”
At MetLife, Sowa is responsible for overseeing the organization’s global procurable spend, including the selection and contracting of suppliers; supplier oversight and governance; global travel; and supply chain social responsibility programs. He previously held positions in procurement at Bridgewater, LP and Capital One, as well as management and operational positions focused on economic development at World Bank, the United Nations World Food Programme and the Peace Corps.
Sowa has a master’s degree in applied economics and an MBA from Stanford University as well as a bachelor’s from Northwestern University.
About the Charles J. McDonald Jr. Supply Diversity Advocate Award
The Charles J. McDonald Jr. Award was created in 1994 and is presented to individuals whose work has been innovative in finding ways to increase opportunities for diverse suppliers. It is also important that the recipient’s current organization demonstrates a commitment to the advancement of supplier diversity.
About Institute for Supply Management
Founded in 1915 as the first supply management institute in the world, Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. This year, ISM celebrates 100 years of leading, innovating and guiding the profession through the renowned ISM Report On Business® , highly regarded certification programs, and the newly launched ISM Mastery Model™. This personalized learning program encourages professionals to become experts in their field by addressing knowledge gaps in areas of supply management through competency-based training. ISM is a not-for-profit organization with global influence, serving supply management professionals in more than 90 countries. For more information, please visit: www.instituteforsupplymanagement.org.
