Purchasing and accounts payables professionals to meet in February

By Susan Avery -- Purchasing, 1/4/2007 8:22:00 AM

Tim McBride, director, global procurement center, for Microsoft Corp., will be the keynote speaker at the National Association of Procurement and Payables (NAPP) professionals’ annual conference on Feb. 11-14, 2007 in Orlando, Fla.

McBride is responsible for global procurement programs, policy, e-sourcing and process management at Microsoft. His team supports sourcing efforts worldwide and is accountable for Microsoft’s procurement governance and process controls.

The 15^th annual NAPP conference, called Innovamation 2007—The Procure to Pay Journey Continues, will be held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World.

Purchasing and accounts payables professionals lead many of the sessions on the Innovamation 2007 agenda. R. Gregg Brandyberry, vice president of procurement at GlaxoSmithKline, and a member of Purchasing’s editorial advisory board, is expected to address conference attendees during a plenary session on the topic of “Going Global…Are You ‘Fit’ to Survive?” Also scheduled to speak are Chris Osen, vice president of supply management at MeadWestvaco; Kevin McKenna, sourcing manager, marketing services, at Merck & Co.; Bob Melanson, senior MRO buyer at Markem Corp. and Kathy Gilligan, procurement specialist at Allstate Insurance Co., among others.

New to this year’s agenda are two pre-conference seminars on Sunday, Feb. 11. They are “Your Own Procure-to-Pay Competency Assessment” presented by Ariba and “Purchase Card Best Practices” by LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO.

Also at the conference, attendees will have opportunity to meet with Doug Smock, Bob Rudzki and Steve Rogers, authors of the new book, “On Demand Supply Management: World Class Strategies, Practices and Technology.”

Forums for both purchasing and accounts payables (AP) professionals at the event provide focused discussion and networking opportunities. A Procure to Pay Solutions and Technology Fair showcases suppliers demonstrating new products and services, including Ariba, ePlus, U.S. Bank, GE Corporate Payment Systems, American Express and Sciquest.

NAPP is an organization dedicated to providing purchasing and AP professionals with new and innovative ideas for improving both the purchase order and AP functions.

Visit www.nappconference.com for more information or contact NAPP chairman Dave Elko at davidelko@comcast.net.