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U.S. Steel Announces New Materials Management and Procurement GM
02/17/2009 - United States Steel announces the appointment of Malisa J. Sommers as General Manager—Global Materials Management and Procurement Operations.
United States Steel Corp. announced the appointment of Malisa J. Sommers as General Manager—Global Materials Management and Procurement Operations.
In her new position, Sommers will be responsible for parts and materials inventory management, procurement support activities and the company's contractor safety program at all of U. S. Steel’s facilities in North America and Central Europe. She will continue to be based at U. S. Steel's corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, and will report to Senior Vice President—Procurement, Real Estate, Raw Materials & Integration Christopher J. Navetta.
"Malisa's demonstrated abilities in both procurement and materials management will aid our ongoing efforts to ensure the continued effective and efficient management of our supply chain activities," said John H. Goodish, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Sommers (44) brings over 20 years of industry experience to her new position, including 13 years with Wheeling-Nisshin, Inc., a steel coating facility in Follansbee, W.Va.
She will succeed Thomas A. Coughlin, who has elected to retire effective Feb. 28 after 37 years of service with the company. "Tom's extensive experience in procurement-related activities during his distinguished career with U. S. Steel consistently contributed to supply chain cost reductions and efficiency improvements," said John H. Goodish, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Sommers joined U.S. Steel in 2001, spending her first three years at Straightline, the company's former steel distribution subsidiary, with two years as Manager—Demand Fulfillment and one year as Manager—Customer Care. She moved to U. S. Steel's corporate headquarters in 2004 as Manager—Purchasing Information Technology, advancing one year to Manager-CAPEX Procurement, where she managed procurement activities related to capital expenditure projects. She assumed her most recent position, Manager—Materials Management, in 2007.
Sommers earned her bachelor's degree in industrial management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1988 and her master's degree in business administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio) in 1994.
Coughlin (60) began his U. S. Steel career in 1971 in the accounting department at the company's former South Works in Chicago. From 1976 to 1984, he held increasingly responsible positions in purchasing and traffic at locations in Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Coughlin advanced through a series of managerial positions in purchasing, beginning in 1984 as Manager—Purchasing at the company's Pittsburgh headquarters through his appointment as General Manager—Purchasing at U. S. Steel's joint venture USS/KOBE Steel Co. in Lorain, Ohio, in 1998.
In 1999, Coughlin was named Director of Administration for U. S. Steel's Lorain Tubular Co., now known as Lorain Tubular Operations, which was formed in August 1999 as a result of the transfer of USS/Kobe’s steelmaking and bar production assets to Republic Technologies International. He was promoted to General Manager of the facility in 2000.
Coughlin was assigned to U. S. Steel Kosice in the Slovak Republic in January 2003 to serve as Managing Director of Purchasing. He returned to the United States later that year when he was appointed General Manager—Purchasing. He advanced to his most recent position in 2007.
Coughlin graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in finance.
