the gathering of the Waters

"Strategies for Supply Chain Transformation" is the topic of Penn State University's 16th annual R. Hadly Waters Symposium, a one-day session scheduled for April 27. Named for a long-time professor of transportation who helped develop the school's department of business logistics, the symposium this year will look at business practices and processes for remaining adaptable to market demands, says W.L. Grenoble, director of the school's Center for Supply Chain Research.

The program will emphasize strategic leadership, perspectives on transformational change, and alternative supply chain strategies. Among the scheduled keynote speakers is Roger W. Kallock, former deputy under secretary of defense (logistics and materiel readiness) and current chairman of Chagrin Consulting Associates. The event's planners also expect executives from American Airlines, BMW Manufacturing Co. LLC, Coors Brewing Co., Rite Aid Corp. and VeriSign to participate in the program's concurrent sessions.

The symposium wraps up with a panel discussion led by Dr. John J. Coyle, founding director of the Center for Supply Chain Research and professor emeritus of business administration at Penn State. The panel will compare views and experiences on supply chain transformation. For information, visit www.outreach.psu.edu/conf/hadlywaters.