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Institute for Supply Management

ISM Names Neal Couture President and CEO, Effective October 1

ISM Names Neal Couture President and CEO, Effective October 1

Tempe – September 11, 2026 -- Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the world's largest professional association for supply chain and procurement, has appointed Neal J. Couture, CAE, FASAE, as its next president and chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2026.

ISM Board completes global search to select next leader

The ISM Board of Directors selected Couture following a comprehensive global search to guide the organization's next phase of growth, member value and global professional impact. Stacey Taylor, MBA, Chair of the ISM Board of Directors, said Couture's track record of leadership, innovation and member engagement aligned closely with ISM's mission.

US Manufacturing PMI Cools to 54.6% as Tariffs, Iran Conflict Bite

US Manufacturing PMI Cools to 54.6% as Tariffs, Iran Conflict Bite

Tempe, Ariz. – – September 07, 2026 -- U.S. manufacturing activity expanded for an eighth straight month in August, but the pace cooled as the ISM Manufacturing PMI fell to 54.6%, down 1 percentage point from July's 55.6%, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The reading marks the sector's recovery from a 10-month contraction and corresponds to an estimated 2.4% annualized increase in real GDP, ISM said. The broader U.S. economy has now expanded for 22 consecutive months.

New orders and backlogs lose momentum as demand sentiment softens

The New Orders Index dropped 3 points to 53.7% from 56.7% in July, while the Backlog of Orders Index fell 3.2 points to 51.8%. The positive-to-negative comment ratio on demand narrowed to 2-to-1 in August from 3.5-to-1 the prior month. New Export Orders bucked the trend, edging up 0.2 point to 53.2%.