Former Starbucks’ CEO Jim Donald To Speak At Synergy 2009

March 6, 2009 - PRLog -- CLEVELAND— Corporate United, the nation’s largest group purchasing organization (GPO), hosts its eighth annual SYNERGY spend management conference May 12-14, 2009 in Chicago.  SYNERGY 2009 is designed to educate and initiate corporate collaboration and networking among Corporate United’s members, as well as other leading supply chain and spend management professionals.  

SYNERGY Speakers & Events*

SYNERGY 2009 will feature former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company Jim Donald as the keynote speaker. Additional speakers will include Mickey North Rizza, research director of the Procurement and Sourcing Practice at AMR Research, Geraint John, editor-in-chief of CPO Agenda magazine, former Nationwide Insurance CPO and current Ohio State University lecturer Vaughn Hovey, and Sourcing Interest Group President and CEO Dawn Tiura Evans, among others.

The conference will also include a Supplier Exposition, a presentation by the newly formed Corporate United Advisory Board, a CFO Q&A panel discussion, breakout sessions presented by experts on timely procurement topics and a member feedback discussion.

During the SYNERGY conference, Corporate United will recognize its 2009 Supplier of the Year.  The Supplier of the Year honor is an annual award given to the supplier that ranks highest in overall satisfaction among Corporate United members.

“Over the past eight years, SYNERGY has quickly gained steam and is now one of the most highly anticipated indirect spend management conferences for professionals across all industries and geographies in the U.S.,” said Marc Rosen, president of Corporate United. “We are pleased to offer our members and invited guests complimentary admission to SYNERGY in a day and age when budgets are more stringent, but the value in continuing education, corporate collaboration and networking are essential.”

Attendees
Corporate United invites CFOs, CPOs, VPs, presidents and directors/managers of procurement/purchasing, supply chain, spend management, strategic sourcing and operations to its annual SYNERGY conference to educate and initiate corporate collaboration and networking.

Event Sponsors
SYNERGY 2009 event sponsors include:  Advanced Integrated Solutions, Asset Auctions, CentiMark, Choctaw-Kaul Distribution Company, Fastenal, InterCall, Konica Minolta, OfficeMax, Sanford Brands, Spectrum Coffee & Water, Volt Workforce Solutions and Weichert Relocation Resources.

Complimentary Admission
Admission to SYNERGY is complimentary for Corporate United members and supply chain and spend management professionals.  Registration for the event is required. Visit http://www.corporateunited.com/synergy2009 for registration, event details and to learn about the continuing education credit opportunities.

*Additional SYNERGY speakers and topics to be announced soon.

Contact:
Katie Torok
216.325.0420
ktorok@corporateunited.com

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About Corporate United
Corporate United is the nation’s leading group purchasing organization, with more than 100 Global 2000 companies across every industry sector collaborating for the purposes of enhancing their spend management efforts, sharing best practices and interacting with an unrivaled network of professionals.

For more than a decade, Corporate United has provided its membership with unique solutions to more effectively manage indirect spend across their enterprise. By combining leveraged agreements with ongoing supplier development and implementation support, member organizations realize savings and resource flexibility. For more information, contact our headquarters at 440.895.0938 or visit www.corporateunited.com.