2025-06-04 Empowered Women
Empowered Women
Empower Women:
UNLOCKING OUR SUPERPOWERS
June 4, 2025
3:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook
Every woman in the supply chain has a superpower.
Some women lead with resilience, others with empathy, strategy, or innovation. Some are the quiet strength behind the scenes, while others charge forward and challenge the status quo.
We’re bringing together bold women in the supply chain to talk about harnessing our superpowers, overcoming our kryptonite, and lifting each other up to create a more inclusive, thriving industry.
This event will offer an inspiring panel discussion and real conversations with powerhouse women who are redefining leadership in the supply chain.
Join us as we celebrate our strengths, tackle industry challenges, and empower the next generation of women leaders.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS:
Chief Operating Officer
Spartan Logistics
Amber Romando – Your host for the event
With over 20 years of experience across the dynamic landscape of the supply chain industry, Amber has built a career rooted in resilience, innovation, and leadership.
From her early days as a transportation coordinator at UPS to her current role as Chief Operating Officer at Spartan Logistics, she has consistently driven results, led teams, and transformed operations through a blend of strategic insight and operational excellence.
Throughout her career, she has held leadership positions across transportation sales, 3PL services, and transportation management software, developing a strong reputation for her ability to translate complex logistics solutions into clear, value-driven strategies. She is known for her persuasive communication style, skillful negotiation, and talent for cultivating trusted business relationships.
A passionate advocate for women in the industry, she leads with a people-first mindset and is committed to empowering the next generation of women leaders in the supply chain. Whether she’s mentoring emerging talent, speaking at industry events, or building inclusive workplace cultures, her mission remains the same: to help folks rise and thrive in logistics and beyond.
Shannan Newsome
Senior VP of Sales
Element Logic
Shannan Newsome – Event Moderator
Shannan brings over 24 years of experience in supply chain, warehousing, robotic automation, transportation, and logistics. As the Senior Vice President of Sales at Element Logic, she leads with a strategic mindset and a passion for helping organizations optimize their operations through innovative, tech-forward solutions.
Throughout her career, Shannan has successfully managed large-scale, complex customer engagements and guided clients through some of the most challenging supply chain environments. Her deep expertise spans multiple industries and global markets, with a focus on automation, system integration, and scalable growth strategies.
A proven leader and collaborator, Shannan is known for building high-performing teams, exceeding business goals, and delivering lasting value for her clients. She thrives in fast-paced, high-stakes environments and is deeply committed to advancing operational excellence and industry innovation.
Today, she brings that same energy and insight to the stage as our panel moderator, guiding the conversation around Empowered Women Empower Women: Unlocking Our Superpowers in Leadership with the depth, clarity, and vision that have defined her career.
Karen Galena
President
First Logistics
Management Service
Karen Galena
Karen Galena is President of First Logistics Management Service, joining the company in 2019. With 35+ years of experience across sales, operations, warehousing, and strategy on both the shipper and provider sides, Karen is known for driving growth, improving service, and delivering cost-effective solutions through collaborative, visionary leadership.
A recognized industry connector, Karen founded a monthly networking group in 2015 and remains active in several professional associations. Passionate about community involvement and helping organizations thrive, she brings energy and purpose to everything she does.
Originally from Michigan, Karen holds a BA in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Detroit. She is proud mother of two grown children and continues to love every moment of her career journey.
Kary Jablonski
VP & GM of Broker Growth
DAT
Kary Jablonski
Kary Jablonski is DAT’s VP and GM of Broker Growth and Trucker Tools.
She is passionate about building great teams that underpin any successful business.
Prior to DAT, she led Trucker Tools as CEO for 3.5 years and led the business to its acquisition by DAT in December 2024. Before that, she advanced through operations, logistics and strategic planning roles with Uber in the U.S. and internationally and worked as a consultant with Deloitte.
She currently lives in Chicago and enjoys anything active, especially running, golf and basketball.
Sharon Kariampuzha
Vice President
JLL
Sharon Kariampuzha
From working on JLL’s $1.8B acquisition of HFF, to providing valuations to capital partners for their next purchase, Sharon has taken a deep-dive into everything from national operations to detailed financial modeling and supply chain analysis.
Before moving to Chicago, Sharon started her career at the JLL Dallas office where she gained corporate exposure working on the JLL and HFF Integration. Sharon currently sits on the top-producing industrial brokerage team at JLL and collaborates with her team to develop comprehensive cost-saving real estate solutions for companies throughout the United States.
Sharon works primarily in transaction management, supply chain network optimization, transportation cost modeling, and labor analytics, helping companies make informed decisions in their site selection process.
Sharon received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Real Estate and Risk Management & Insurance from Baylor University her MBA from Southern Methodist University. Sharon is an active member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals where she is VP of Programs for the Chicago Roundtable and a Track Chair at the national CSCMP EDGE conference.
Kristin Karnitz
Customer Supply Chain Manager
Winland Foods
Kristin Karnitz
Kristin Karnitz is a seasoned Supply Chain professional with a passion for delighting customers.
Over her 20+ career, she has honed skills from roles in Customer Service, Sales, Project Management and Supply Chain to effectively navigate this ever-changing landscape.
Kristin is a tireless advocate for communication and collaboration to drive results that are not only prudent for her customers, but also her organization.
She currently serves as Customer Supply Chain Manager for Winland Foods. Prior to joining Winland in 2023, she held positions at TreeHouse Foods, Schreiber Foods, Elevate97, and Schneider National.
Kristin belongs to several industry organizations, including CSCMP, WISE (Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence), and WoW (Women of Winland).
She and her three children reside in De Pere, Wisconsin.
Jennifer McNeil
VP of Logistics & Customer Service
Fortune Brand Innovations
Jennifer McNeil
Jennifer McNeill is a supply chain executive, bringing over a decade of transformative leadership and operational expertise to the field. Her career spans executive roles and strategic initiatives, underscoring her commitment to driving innovation and fostering diversity in logistics and supply chain management.
She has served as a Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at True Value Company and led the strategy and operations of 12 U.S. distribution centers and all transportation functions, including import, export, domestic inbound, and dedicated fleet operations.
Her oversight of trade compliance and her ability to navigate complex logistics systems were instrumental in optimizing True Value supply chain operations.
Prior to that she served as Vice President of Logistics at True Value where she spearheaded initiatives such as implementing fleet routing software and optimizing inbound networks. Her role as an executive sponsor for 3PL relationships demonstrated her deep expertise in fostering collaboration across carriers, warehouses, and technology providers.
Prior to True Value, Jennifer held critical roles at Grainger, Electro-Motive Diesel (A Caterpillar Company), and Sears Holdings. At Grainger, she served as Senior Director of U.S. Transportation and Global Logistics and successfully managed North American and international transportation strategies, trade compliance, and customs operations for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Beyond her corporate achievements, Jennifer served as an Executive Board Member for FLOW (Freight Logistics Optimization Works) from March 2022 to December 2024. FLOW is a public/private partnership convened by the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruption Task Force. McNeill