There is no disputing that talent is a top challenge for companies worldwide. In PwC's 2014 CEO Survey, 93 percent of participants said they recognize the need to change their strategies for talent, but 61 percent acknowledged that they haven't yet taken the first step. The challenge is especially acute in supply chain operations, which is facing a talent shortage - despite an increasing number of undergraduate majors, MBA concentrations and entire programs in supply chain management.

Compliance is at a tipping point. The role of the chief compliance officer has gained more prominence over the last decade and is evolving rapidly. Today's CCOs are in a position similar to that of CFOs 15 years ago, and face a similar opportunity and challenge: how to become a more strategic partner in the organization, a vital member of the C-suite.

Flextronics International Inc., a multinational company offering design, manufacturing, distribution and aftermarket services to original equipment manufacturers, won the 10th Annual Supply Chain Innovation Award at the yearly conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, held this year in San Antonio.

In the debate over why the U.S. has been so slow to emerge from the Great Recession, many have laid the blame on what's become known as the skills gap: Despite an abundance of workers, too many simply aren't qualified to fill the jobs available. Even now that hiring is running at its fastest clip since the late 1990s, business and industry groups such as the Chamber of Commerce continue to emphasize the damage the skills gap is doing to the economy. So do a lot of consulting firms.