CEO message

Happy Fall and Thank You!

Dear members,

In this season of gratitude, I send our deepest appreciation to all of you for your ongoing support and commitment to IAOP. It’s the time you give us and your talents that make our association the amazing go-to resource it is for professionals working in our industry. And in this constantly changing post-COVID environment, your active involvement and engagement mean more than you can ever imagine. So, first, a big THANK YOU!

Like all industries and professionals, the past year challenged us. And we are proud of how we have pivoted, responded to the ever-evolving needs of our members, and, together, grew stronger as an association with new agile ways of delivering valuable services and programs and connecting you to the resources you need.

The very best of the best of what we are doing as a vibrant association can be seen in IAOP’s Centers of Excellence that are focused on key areas that our community members are investing in that are critical to attaining and sustaining world-class performance and value. The CoEs are your gateway to access and engage with our member experts on topics that are front and center to your work. This is where you can get answers to your pressing questions and learn best practices to create greater value for your organizations.    

With our CoEs, we were delighted to present online forums this fall on two timely issues we all face – the Future of Work and Governance. Please check out our stories in this issue of PULSE for our coverage. Thank you to the leadership teams of the CoEs and our key sponsors, IBM and Avasant, for your support.    

Continuing to harness IAOP’s brain trust and presenting the very latest insights in stimulating and safe formats as the pandemic lingers, we are excited to be bringing you all the exciting programming of OWS22 as a virtual series of eight sessions over January and February. We look forward to kicking off the Summit with the latest findings from our research partner, Everest Group, as they present their 2022 Key Issues in Global Sourcing report.    

Throughout the OWS22 series, you can expect the same insightful keynotes, panel discussions and Q&As, engaging workshops, chat interaction, breakout rooms and some fun too with virtual scavenger hunts. Sessions will be presented live, simulive, and as always, will be easily accessible on-demand for conference attendees to view at your convenience.

We will continue to recognize our industry’s greatest with the annual IAOP awards ceremony at OWS22 where we will honor stand-outs in leadership, impact sourcing, membership and other areas of excellence.

We also are partnering with HCL to once again present the Red Ladder Women in Outsourcing awards. Applications are being accepted until Dec. 10 in the new category of Leadership in Innovation during the Pandemic as well as the returning Women Empower Women.

So, mark your calendars for World-class Wednesdays, 12 to 2 p.m. EST, from Jan. 5 to Feb. 23. You don’t want to miss the 2022 version of the Summit!   

Another area we remain strongly committed to is business models focused on doing well by doing good. We are thrilled to be bringing together our resources, thought leadership and programs on impact sourcing; socially responsible outsourcing; women’s empowerment and leadership; diversity, equity and inclusion; refugee initiative and global mentoring into a new Social Impact Center.

We’ve expanded participation in this Center beyond IAOP to have the greatest impact we can and are inviting everyone to get involved. We’ll also have special members-only branding opportunities for leading providers, buyers and advisors in the future. Be sure to join us for the SRO & Impact Sourcing Forum (IS21) in December and at OWS22 for more on these powerful initiatives that are delivering great value to business and society. 

Of course, we miss seeing you in person. We are dedicated to returning to live networking and meeting face-to-face when it is safe and more business travel restrictions are lifted globally. I am hopeful that 2022 will continue to bring a greater return to normalcy and continued industry growth. For now, enjoy the fall season and have a healthy and joyous Thanksgiving and holiday season!