So yeah. Today I was a speaker. I spoke, and everything. Ahoy.

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is basically one of the leading consortiums of...well...SCM Professionals...in the industry.

Today and tomorrow they're having their Southern Africa 2008 conference, and today I had the honor of presenting, along with my client lead, on Humanitarian Supply Chain Management in Africa. From the program:

The provision of humanitarian aid is fraught with significant challenges including hunger, infectious diseases, lack of sanitation and clean water, political conflict and crises as well as natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, and devastating fires. One common thread throughout all of these challenges is the need for efficient supply chains...etc..

Suffice to say that my client, World Vision's Global Supply Chain Management Director, as well as the speaker that followed me, the CEO for Pharmaceutical Healthcare Distributors (one of the main orgs delivering the meds sponsored by PEPFAR - the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), were much more experienced presenters than myself. So, in essence, I was the young, inexperienced, American creamy filling to their older, highly knowledgable, African Oreo cookie. Except they are both white gentlemen as well. But man could they command a crowd. They both said I did well but I hate standing in front of that many people. I need a few more years under my belt to get as conversational as they were in that environment.

But, it was an awesome opportunity and I do think a few tidbits of industry-specific knowledge may have actually spewed from my lips in the course of my blatherings. Anyway, great opportunity. My name in print and all that. Straight to the CV with that action.

After that I ran over to JNB and now I'm typing from Zambia, where I am for the week for work. My cell here is 0966-481298. There might be a country code needed there. Not that it matters. No one ever calls you in Africa.

Besides work this week, I hope to a) read, and b) blog. Here's what's on the docket:

- Retro-blogging my first trip to Zambia (irony, much?)
- Storytime - the best worst day of my life (yeah, the one I didn't get to last week)
- A recap on the story I recently wrote on Zimbabwe, which gained me more mild internet fame
- Maybe something else but frankly I doubt it

Happy March everybuddy.