Book IWD Speaker: Alma Arzate, Global Supply Chain & Logistics Executive, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and Award-Winning Speaker

From Humble Beginnings to Becoming One of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Supply Chain Globally ~ Strong Advocate for Women Empowerment and Inclusion in the Canadian Workplace ~

Born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Alma is a first-generation college graduate. She came from an underprivileged background, growing up without the resources many of her peers took for granted, which drove her to become more creative and resilient. Being the trailblazer in her family meant that she had to be a role model for her 2 younger sisters. Despite all odds, Alma persevered and graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration.

After graduation, Alma continued to work in entry-level jobs for several years. Like many First-Gen students, she suffered from imposter syndrome. Fortunately, her leaders believed in Alma, and gave her the coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship she needed to improve her self-confidence, find her voice, and start taking advantage of more career advancement opportunities. To pay it forward, Alma goes out of her way to sponsor and create development opportunities for deserving individuals. Over the last few years, Alma has facilitated developmental assignments or promotions for over 30 of her team members - many of them immigrants and women.

Due to the escalating violence in her hometown, Alma and her young family immigrated to Canada in 2007. With no family or friends to support her integration into the Canadian culture, Alma had to find her own way while helping her family adapt and thrive. This is one of the many reasons she feels strongly about making the time to volunteer and support her fellow newcomers who have made Canada their new home. As part of her move to Canada, Alma had to make a decision to take a step back in her career, but as she started learning the culture and successfully integrated herself into the Canadian work environment, she was promoted to Manager, Project Management, then as a Sr. Manager, Supply Planning, which enabled her to land a role as a Director, Supply Chain Execution in 2012 with Apotex Inc., a generics pharmaceutical manufacturer located in Toronto, Canada. Alma continues to work for Apotex, but now as the Global Head of Supply Chain Logistics. Alma has built a successful career of 25+ years across the Automotive, Electronics, Medical Devices, CPG, and Pharma industries, now leading a diverse team of over 160 supply professionals in Canada, India, and the U.S.

Despite her hectic schedule, Alma has carved out 500+ hours of her time over the last few years as a mentor, keynote speaker, and panelist for many Universities, Colleges, Associations, and Canadian Immigrant Settlement Organizations. By sharing her personal experiences, Alma aims for her audience to relate to her and learn from her journey and the many obstacles she has had to overcome to be recognized as a leader in male-dominated industries and professions. In 2019, Alma was selected by Supply Chain Canada as part of their Top 100 Most Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain. Alma was the winner of the 2020 Woman of Inspiration Awards from the Universal Womens Network, and in 2021, she was named to the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain globally by IBM and Supply Chain Digital magazine.

In 2021, Alma shared her immigration story as part of the book: Journey to Home: Canadian Immigrant and Refugee Stories of Courage and Hope. In 2022, Alma became the first female content creator and instructor for LinkedIn Learning’s Spanish Library in the topics of Supply Chain, Logistics, and Leadership. Her 4 courses have reached over 60,000 learners worldwide.

In 2023, Alma was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Supply Chain by B2G. She was one of the recipients of the 2024 and 2025 Women in Supply Chain Award by the Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine. Most recently, she received the 2025 Excellence in Mentorship Award from Women Leaders in Pharma.

Alma resides in Toronto, Canada, with her husband of over 28 years and their 3 children.

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Please contact Alma as early as possible to book an engagement: amaraconsulti@gmail.com

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