SMI Completes Second Cohort of Advancing Women Leaders Program and Announces Cohort Three
Kingston, MA (January 10, 2025): SMI®, a non-profit, community of healthcare supply chain organizations, celebrated its second cohort of Mentees for completing their ground-breaking leadership program called Advancing Women Leaders (AWL). This 12-month program brings together a Mentor, Sponsor, and Mentee pairing from SMI member organizations for the advancement of women into senior level executive roles. SMI celebrated the second cohort of sixteen Mentees and launched the program’s third cohort at the SMI Fall Forum in Austin, TX. See the list of Cohort 2 Mentees and learn more about this program here.
SMI’s Advancing Women Leaders (AWL) program strives to elevate leaders into Senior Executive Positions by guiding women to leverage their networks, and work alongside a Sponsor and Mentor in unison, thus creating a more diverse healthcare supply chain. As part of this program, SMI members nominate a mentee and participate in the program as their Sponsor. SMI Members serve as mentors, providing the mentee an opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience from outside their organization. As a result, 80% of the women leaders in the Advancing Women Leaders program have received a promotion during their first 12 months.
SMI has partnered with the McGuckin Group, a talent-innovation firm, to develop this first of its kind program, which includes one-on-one mentoring, networking, peer-to-peer learning, workshops, and self-assessment tools.
Cohort 2 Mentee, Deborah Avalos, Director of Procurement Services from Northwestern Medicine, explained, “Programs like SMI’s AWL program are critical for breaking barriers, building confidence, and creating pathways to leadership that help drive meaningful change across the healthcare industry… I have been able to further my career aspirations and grow my network thanks to this program.”
Cohort 3 Mentee, Courtney Bott, VP of Sales Training from Medline said “I am truly honored to be accepted into SMI’s AWL program which presents an incredible opportunity to enhance my skills, expand my network, and take the next step in advancing my career. I am excited to learn, grow, and contribute alongside such intelligent, talented women.”
SMI launched Cohort 3 for the Advancing Women Leaders program in October. Fifteen mentees were announced at the SMI Fall Forum and will now embark on this 12-month program along with their Mentor and Sponsor. See the list of Cohort 3 Mentees.
To learn more about SMI, its programs, and its community of members, visit: www.smisupplychain.com.
Pictured left to right, Back row: Amanda Morgan, SVP, National Field Sales, Medline; Shaneka Demps, Manager, Value Analysis, BayCare; Deborah Avalos, Director, Procurement Services, Northwestern Medicine; Kathryn Gavula, Vice President, Fresenius Kabi; Whitnie Jolley, Director, Field Logistics, Intermountain Healthcare; Allison Hughes, Director, Key Account Management, Aesculap; Courtney Bott, VP of Marketing, Medline; Mary Patefield, Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, SSM Health; Vicky Smith, MedSurg Portfolio Director, Contract Solutions East, Stryker; Jessica Gehrke, Manager, Clinical Value Analysis, Froedtert; Brittany Goganzer, Senior Director, Supply Chain, AtlantiCare; Larissa Stout, Regional VP, Post-Acute Key Accounts, Solventum; Michelle Kosovec, Manager, Process Improvement and Quality in Supply Chain, UChicago Medicine; Kelly Hammons, Brand Manager, Americas, Cook Medical; Tami Cates, Director, Business Development and Strategic Accounts, Henry Schein; Katie Sauber, System Director, Contracts and Strategic Sourcing; Front row: Brooke Fan, Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, Kaiser Permanente; Jennifer Jackson, National Account Director, Karl Storz; Ellie Venafro, Director, Capital Sourcing, UCHealth; Andria Davis, Director of Operations, VCU Health; Heather Evans, Director, Category Management, Endeavor Health; Renee Cruciani, Strategic Account Executive, Cook Medical; Sarah Charai, Executive Director, Supply Chain Operations, Cleveland Clinic; Sandhya Dhir, Head of Healthcare Strategy and Development, Amazon Business
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ABOUT SMI
SMI provides a nexus for healthcare providers, suppliers, and distributors to network and collaborate on innovations that drive meaningful improvements in supply chain agility, efficiency, and resilience. We provide a unique, non-commercial community where members forge long-term relationships as they work together to improve patient care. For more information about SMI, including a complete list of members, visit: www.smisupplychain.com.