Mr James Francis has more than twenty-five years of experience in leading high performing supply chain organisations. He currently serves as Division Chair, Supply Chain Management at Mayo Clinic. In this capacity, Mr Francis is responsible for enterprise-wide supply chain management.

In 2015, Mayo spent more than US$3.5 billion on supplies, purchased services and capital medical equipment. Mayo’s supply chain also provides sourcing and contracting services to the Upper Midwest Consolidated Services Center, LLC, a regional supply network that consists of 66 integrated delivery networks with more than 180 hospitals in 21 states and US$6.5 billion in purchases.

Prior to his current position, Mr Francis was Vice President, Material Services at BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mr Francis earned his Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He received his Master of Health Administration degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Mayo Clinic’s supply chain organisation has been recognised by Gartner as one of the Top 25 Supply Chains in Healthcare every year since 2009. In 2015, Mayo Clinic was ranked #1, the first time a healthcare provider has taken the top milestone.

Synopsis - Differentiating your Supply Chain in Challenging Times: Our Journey to Shared Services
Mergers and acquisitions, consolidation, bundled payments, and value creation are just some of the “buzzwords” to describe what is happening across healthcare industry in the United States. In response, healthcare providers are undergoing transformational change and new demands are being placed on supply chain organizations. Successful supply chain organizations are learning how to differentiate the types of services, information and solutions offered as a mission critical support function. Learn about Mayo Clinic’s supply chain journey from complete decentralization to a successful shared services organization that resulted in being named the #1 supply chain in healthcare by Gartner in 2015.

Synopsis - The Changing Role of the Supply Chain Executive
The healthcare industry in the United States is in the midst of historic, unprecedented change. Such change is placing new demands on healthcare providers and their key personnel. Supply Chain Executives are not immune. In fact, increasing responsibilities and expectations from senior leadership, along with new challenges resulting in the need for enhanced skills and capabilities are an increasing requirement of the Supply Chain Executive, supply chain leadership teams and staff. This presentation examines the past, present and future competencies and skills that will be necessary to successfully lead supply chains and achieve superior performance and results.