Howard R. Yost, CPIM is a driven business leader with more than twenty years of integrated supply chain and systems implementation experience in Semiconductor, Aerospace, Electronic Component and Nondurable Goods industries.

Howard has been involved with the APICS Phoenix Chapter for many years serving in various different roles on the Board of Directors. He held the office of President of the APICS Phoenix Chapter during the 1996/1997 board year. Howard is currently serving as President for the second time. As President, he’s managed Boards of Directors consisting of professionals from throughout the manufacturing industry. Howard was voted the Phoenix Chapter’s “Member of the Year” for 2000/2001. He also served on region staff committees including a one-year term as Director of Finance.

Having achieved and maintained APICS Certification in Production Inventory Management (CPIM) with additional training in Project Management and Six Sigma Green Belt, Howard has a more current understanding of optimal material supply practices and Lean Manufacturing strategies. This background supports his role as an APICS Instructor for CPIM, Principles, Lean Enterprise and Global Sourcing.

Howard is a Military Veteran having served 3 years in the US Army. Trained in inventory control and accounting, he was stationed stateside and in Europe where he was a Helicopter Repair Parts Specialist. He rose quickly in the ranks having reached the level of E-4 within 2 years.

Wl Gore & Associates

Francisco Lara has over 20 years of experience in leading Supply Chain Optimization and Operational Excellence initiatives. With global experience, he has designed and implemented solutions that improved and transformed leading Supply Chain strategies. His expertise along the Supply Chain is not limited to Sourcing, Contract and International Logistics, Inventory Control, Deployment Planning, Lean/Six Sigma Production practices, Customer Service, among other disciplines.

His academic background in Business and Supply Chain includes an MBA in Global Management at Thunderbird and advanced executive education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School. His intellectual curiosity challenged him to achieve his ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt, SME Lean Bronze, APICS CPIM and CSCP certifications. He is fluent in Spanish, English, Catalan and proficient in German and Serbo-Croatian.

His main professional goal is to successfully lead a global Supply Chain strategy by implementing world class processes, designing innovative practices, enhancing team performance and developing talent for sustainability.