SCMAO rebrands as National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders

The Supply Chain Management Association Ontario (SCMAO), one of Canada’s largest communities of supply chain professionals along with its western counterpart SCMABC, has rebranded itself to the National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL).

In a release, NISCL says the change is triggered by the need to reflect the organization’s Canada-wide operations and also to amplify the critical role played by the supply chain profession in building a thriving economy, a sustainable future and an inclusive society.

With this new rebrand, NISCL not only aims to empower supply chain professionals with functional excellence but also leadership excellence in order to influence critical enterprise decisions.

“Supply chain professionals have led the Canadian economy with courage and commitment in the past five years – what is clearly marked as one of the most challenging times in the history of Canada’s economy,” says Al-Azhar Khalfan, president and CEO of NISCL. “Supply chain professionals have been the frontrunners of Canadian economy during most challenging and disruptive times. They have demonstrated true leadership through their ability to think ahead, solve problems and pivot towards innovative solutions. This rebrand is to ensure that supply chain professionals continue to be recognized for the leadership attributes they demonstrate in driving strategic enterprise success and to ensure that the next generation of supply chain leaders are prepared to meet the expectation of employers.”

The change is also reflected in the rebrand of the Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP) Designation, Canada’s designation for supply chain professionals, which is bestowed by SCMAO. With the rebrand, this designation will transition to the NISCL, Certified Supply Chain Leader (CSCL) Designation to reflect its new curriculum, which is benchmarked against global standards and is emblematic of NISCL’s brand attributes.

New brand attributes include strategic thinking, a sense of responsibility, self-confidence and self-knowledge, integrity and professional pride, ability to influence by providing purpose, direction and motivation.

“Supply chain professionals are critical team members working in a wide range of industries, helping to solve complex problems during emergencies and sustaining daily operations,” says Patrick Shannon, president of NISCL B.C., (formerly SCMABC). “SCMABC joining forces with SCMAO in the creation of our new national NISCL and a new NISCL, Certified Supply Chain Leader Designation, is significant and will propel our profession to new levels. At NISCL, we are committed to bringing heightened awareness of the role supply chain professionals play in the global economy; on procurement and distribution of consumer goods; in helping to provide solutions during the climate emergency; in helping to improve our country’s health care system and so much more.

“In terms of membership benefits at NISCL, we are delivering unique education offerings and networking events for our community. At the same time, we are building public awareness to further elevate recognition that supply chain leaders, with the NISCL, Certified Supply Chain Leader Designation (CSCL) are being recognized as an integral part of any company, organization, or institution’s success.”

Recognizing that the scope of the global supply chain community has expanded exponentially, and that change is imperative, NISCL’s focus on benchmarking against global standards is also reflected in its recent partnership with CIPS – one of world’s largest supply chain and procurement associations. NISCL is now the exclusive Canadian partner of CIPS. By virtue of this partnership, NISCL designation holders will be offered a pathway toward the MCIPS designation offered by CIPS. This is the first step towards a broader partnership between the two organizations.