George Gecowets Emerging Leader Award

CSCMP’s George A. Gecowets Emerging Leader Award (ELA) recognizes up-and-coming supply chain professionals for their early yet meaningful contributions to the logistics and supply chain management profession. Recipients represent the next generation of leadership in the industry.

Eligibility

Any active CSCMP member who is 32 years of age or younger at the time of the nomination deadline and is demonstrating exceptional impact beyond their normal scope of work is eligible. Self-nominations are accepted.

Submitting a Nomination

Nominators must submit a summary of the nominee’s achievements and contributions in 500 words or less. Nominations are evaluated based on:

Career contributions and activities
Recognition in the supply chain profession
Active involvement in CSCMP
Commitment to the supply chain industry
Certifications and continuing education

The narrative should highlight specific examples of the nominee’s business and professional impact. Each nomination must also include one letter of recommendation.

ELA Rules

The nominator must be a CSCMP member.
The nominator may also write the letter of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation written by current members of CSCMP’s Board of Directors are not allowed.

Nomination Period

The nomination period for the 2026 George Gecowets Emerging Leader Award runs from January 5 – February 8 (No extensions will be granted.)

Submit a Nomination

2025 Emerging Leader Award Recipient

Justin Hill

Senior Manager, Procurement – Driven Brands Inc.

Justin Hill is a strategic procurement leader who blends supplier relationship management and digital enablement to drive enterprise-wide impact. He has led major system transformations — including Coupa, NetSuite ERP, and Oracle Cloud Fusion ERP — overseeing procurement while partnering across accounting, accounts payable, and operations to ensure alignment, adoption, and long-term success.

His experience spans organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to high-growth firms, adapting sourcing strategies to deliver measurable improvements in cost, compliance, and supplier performance. Beyond his corporate role, Justin serves as President of CSCMP’s Baltimore Roundtable and mentors emerging professionals in the field. He also serves as 2nd Vice President of the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland Alumni Board, reflecting his commitment to community leadership and service.

Past Recipients

2024 — Huy Tran, Senior Business System Analyst, The City of Riverside

2024 — Sofia Rivas Herrera, Supply Chain Network Design and Optimization Manager, HP

2023 — Mukul Parkhe, Lead Industrial Engineer, Consumer, DHL Supply Chain

2023 — Jonathan Porter, Founder & CEO, Porter Logic

2022 — Andrii Aleksyeyev, Supply Chain Director, Milk Alliance

2021 — Gleb Mikulich, Supply Chain Specialist, ToolsGroup

2020 — Courtney Cook, eCommerce Operations Manager, Hallmark Cards, Inc.

2020 — Orlando J. Gillespie, Founder & CEO, SC4 Consulting

2019 — Anahi Arza, Logistics Operations Lead, Unilever

2019 — Parker Holcomb, Founder & CEO, CoLane

2018 — Kimberly H. Caron, Supply Chain Manager, Peerless Plastics

2018 — Bo Liao, Manager, Advanced Analytics, Western Digital

2018 — Chris Ricciardi, Chief Operating Officer, Logistical Labs

2017 — Nathan Chaney, Branch Manager, MainFreight

2017 — David Perez, Director, Cushman & Wakefield

2016 — Diego De la Garza, Associate Director, Source One Management

2016 — Brian Jacobson, Manager, C.H. Robinson

2016 — Paul Rohrbaugh, President, Sterling Simulation

2015 — Eyual Getahun, Process Specialist, Hallmark Cards, Inc.

2015 — Ravi Kiran Unnam, Global Lead, Mondelez International

2014 — Susan E. Conley, Program Specialist, Caterpillar, Inc.

2014 — Mengxiao (Michelle) Zhang, Lean Logistics Team Lead, LeanCor, LLC

2013 — Keiko Arai, Associate Contract Specialist, Bell Helicopter

2013 — Florian Schick, Senior Associate, SCM Practice, McKinsey & Company

2013 — Amanda Tolhurst, Senior Manager, Internal Materials Operations, Whirlpool