Beth Ladd

Beth Ladd is the Program Director of the Applied Innovation Council of The Conference Board. She is a former member of the executive committee of the Applied Innovation Council, where she gained significant regard for the empowering community of The Conference Boards’ Councils. Beth is currently the Vice President for Innovation for the American Supply Association, where she defines and leads the innovation/technology function as well as the newly established D.Next Innovation Lab, the first of its kind for a national trade association.

Previously, Beth directed and led Caterpillar’s global Innovation Labs as the Information Analytics R&D Manager. Her responsibilities included defining and iterating a multiyear strategy inclusive of leading-edge analytic capabilities for exploration as well as executing a portfolio of research projects across multiple business domains within digital and innovation. Before this, Beth was the Director of Analysis, Insight and Management Information for Illinois State University and the Assistant Director of Business Information at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. While serving in these roles, she was responsible for establishing, architecting, maintaining, and supporting centralized Institutional Data Warehouses, business intelligence toolset(s) and Centers of Excellence.

Beth holds an MBA from the University of Saint Mary and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Eastern Illinois University.