ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Awards
The ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Awards celebrate the organizational programs that set new standards, drive new possibilities, and exceed expectations. These are the organizations that set the bar. These are the organizations that help to advance the supply management profession.
Submissions Open Soon
This year's nomination period will open September 2nd, 2025.
Categories
Honoring Organizations Making Trailblazing Impacts
Select from any or all of the 14 supply management categories. Your entries should be timely and relevant, having occurred and/or begun within the last 12 months . Entries are evaluated on initiative, process, outcomes, commitment, impact and achievements.
Below are the details for each of the award categories:
Transformation
Tell your organization’s supply management/procurement transformation journey and the impact it has made. Include appropriate results and successes.
Innovation
Share the problem or opportunity your organization has recently resolved through innovative practices. Explain how it created accelerated revenue, reduced costs, added value, created a competitive advantage, or solved a pervasive issue in your company.
Risk and Crisis Management
Share a problem scenario your organization has recently resolved including risks involved, crisis or challenge that did or could have occurred, that was mitigated or managed by the organization.
Thought Leadership Game Changers
Describe how your company has advanced the profession with demonstrated thought leadership and provide specific examples that outlines the impact it’s already making.
Sustainability Commitment
Share your company's story and results around how you've committed to demonstrating some or all of the eleven principles of sustainability.
Diversity Chamption
Share a recent project or program your organization has developed to advance diversity within the profession either within your talent and/or within your supply base.
Advanced Technology Digital Impact
Share the problem or opportunity your company has recently solved for leveraging advanced digital technology (ML, AI, RPA, IoT, blockchain, etc.) across the function or broader business enterprise.
Category Management Excellence
Share the problem or opportunity your organization has recently solved for leveraging category management strategies and demonstrating excellence.
Data & Analytics Initiative
Share the problem or opportunity your organization has recently solved for leveraging data and analytics across the function or broader business enterprise.
Logistics Excellence
Share the logistics problem or opportunity your organization has recently solved for the business or enterprise.
Procurement Solution Provider Impact
Share the problems or opportunities your solution solves for clients. Specific case studies will be required for review.
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Initiative
Share your organizations specific supplier relationship projects or an overarching SRM strategy development project that demonstrates the processes and mechanisms that the procurement team and supplier(s) have put in place to work together on a successful project.
Supply Chain Consultancy Project
Share the problem or opportunity your organization has recently solved for on behalf of or in partnership with a client.
Talent Management Excellence
Share the problem or opportunity your organization has recently solved for within the talent of their respective team(s).
2023-2024 Trailblazer Award Judges
Camille Batiste
ADM
John Blascovich
Kearney
Kim Brown
GSK
Ralph Carlton, CPSM
Velcro
Kimberly DeWitt, CPSM
CF Industries
John Foody
United States Steel Corporation
Howard Levy
Zimmer Biomet
Maria Lindenberg
(Retired CPO, Chevron)
Tom Linton
Linton Advisors
Lisa Martin, CPSM, C.P.M.
GSK
Lara Nichols, CPSM
Flatiron Health
Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., CFPM
Five Star Home Health
Ann Oka
Sodexo, Inc.
Anthony Santiago
AES Consulting & Business Services LLC
Ronald D. Schnur, CPSM
UTZ Brands, Inc.
Shelley Stewart Jr., CPSM
Bottom Line Advisory LLC.
ISM® 2024 Trailblazer Award Winners
| Category | Company |
|---|---|
| Advanced Technology Digital Impact | Cipla Limited |
| Advanced Technology Digital Impact | Wesco International, Inc. |
| Category Management Excellence | BAE Systems |
| Category Management Excellence | GSK |
| Category Management Excellence | Hilton Supply Management |
| Category Management Excellence | Meta |
| Data & Analytics Initiative | Wesco International, Inc. |
| Innovation | IHG® Hotels & Resorts |
| Innovation | Wesco International, Inc. |
| Logistics Excellence | Alvys |
| Logistics Excellence | BAE Systems - All is Well with 4PL |
| Procurement Solution Provider Impact | IHG® Hotels & Resorts |
| Procurement Solution Provider Impact | Inventory Ally |
| Procurement Solution Provider Impact | Kojo |
| Supply Chain Consultancy Project | GEP (and Smurfit WestRock) |
| Supply Chain Consultancy Project | RED BEAR Negotiation |
| Thought Leadership Game Changers | GSK |
| Transformation | GEP (and E&I) |
| Transformation | VELCRO COMPANIES |
View Past Recipients
2023 ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Award Winners
Award Category
Advanced Technology Digital Impact
Wesco International
Las Vegas Valley Water District
Category Management Excellence
DuPont
Data & Analytics Initiative
Velcro Companies
Mercury Marine (division of Brunswick)
Award Category
Diversity Champion
DuPont
Nova Southeastern University
Apache Corp
Innovation
Zimmer Biomet
Procurement Solution Provider Impact
Kloopify
Award Category
Risk Management and Resilience
Cipla Ltd.
Alkermes
Supply Chain Consultancy Project
BDO USA
Sustainability Commitment
GSK
Zimmer Biomet
DuPont
Talent Management Excellence
Zimmer Biomet
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Transformation
Cipla Ltd.
DuPont
IHG Hotels & Resorts
2022 ISM Supply Chain Trailblazer Award Winners
Diversity Champion:
Charter Communications
MGM Resorts International
San Jose Water
Innovation:
Flextronics Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Hilton Supply Management
Vantiva
WESCO International
Risk and Crisis Management:
Mercury Marine
Zimmer Biomet
Sustainability Commitment:
Johnson & Johnson
Loadsmith
Thought Leadership Game Changers:
GSK
Transformation:
ADM
DC Water
GSK
Schneider Electric
Get Organizational Awards Updates
FAQ
Q: What is the entry deadline?
A: November 24, 2024
Q: Can organizations enter for multiple categories?
A: Organizations are limited to one submission/entry per category. A complete online entry and fee are required to be considered.
Q: When is the awards celebration?
A: June 2, 2025 explore more Trailblazer Awards Gala details here.
Q: Are awards finalists announces, and if so, when?
A: Category winners will be formally announced at the 2024 ISM Awards Gala.
Q: What is the judging criteria?
A: Entries are evaluated on initiative, process, outcomes, commitment, impact and achievements. Click “About” section within entry site to review criteria for each category.
Q: Who are the judges and what is the review process?
A: A panel of subject matter experts with numerous years of supply management experience and expertise. Reviews take place between October and November 2023.
Q: What questions are required on the online entry form?
A: You’ll be asked submitter contact information, information about your company such as size, location and industry and a short description of your entry. And most importantly, a series of questions about your company’s accomplishments for your chosen category:
- What is the problem your organization faced?
- What was the plan and process the team took to address this problem?
- How did it address the problem and what impact did it make to the organization?
- What stakeholders and/or departments/teams were involved and impacted?
- What were the specific results/KPI’s (financial cost savings, value-added, relationship supplier, stakeholder, team, etc.)?