Hats off to Karen Owen on her Retirement!
On Wednesday December 4th, 2024, OECM celebrated the retirement of Karen Owen, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships, at OECM’s corporate office. Guests adorned hats, honouring Karen’s love for wearing hats and also as a nod to the various roles and contributions she held over the years with OECM, and beyond.
The event was attended by OECM staff, and Karen’s friends and family. The celebration was a demonstration to the respect that Karen has garnered over her time at OECM.
Karen spent a lifetime developing and implementing strategic supply chain solutions and bringing innovation to strategic sourcing for the broader public sector, while remaining focused on Leadership in Supply Chain, Innovation, and Collaboration. She was an active participant with industry associations, including the Canadian Public Procurement Council, Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA), and Supply Chain Canada, National Insititute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL), Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators (OAPPA), National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP), speaking at conferences and events, as well as moderating panel discussions, In 2019, Karen was named to the Supply Chain Management Association’s first-ever list of the 100 Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain.
“After more than 15 years with OECM—and over 40 years of dedicated service to Ontario’s public sector—it’s safe to say that Karen’s contributions have been nothing short of transformative,” says OECM’s President and CEO, Jim Hadjiyianni. “Since joining OECM in 2008, Karen has been a driving force behind many of our most significant milestones. Her expertise in supply chain management, strategic sourcing, and organizational transformation laid the groundwork for the strong, innovative, and collaborative organization we are today.”
Karen has written various article and been featured in an Insights Success article, that focuses on the journey of her illustrious career. See: https://insightssuccess.com/karen-owen-unlocking-the-potential-of-collaborative-strategic-sourcing/.
Throughout her career, Karen has been able to lead and contribute to pioneering change initiatives, which laid the groundwork for OECM’s innovative and leading-edge strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, and customer relationship management solutions. For this, Karen, OECM wishes you a happy, healthy, and joyous retirement!
