United States Steel Corporation (United States Steel), a US based steel producer, has appointed Malisa J. Sommers as general manager-global materials management and procurement operations. Sommers replaces Thomas A. Coughlin, who will retire from service, effective February 28, 2009. Sommers will oversee parts and materials inventory management, procurement support activities and the company's contractor safety program at every U.S. Steel facility in North America and Central Europe.

Coughlin retires 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 Goodish.

Sommers 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, Goodish explained.

Prior to joining U.S. Steel in 2001, Sommers, served 13 years for Wheeling-Nisshin, Inc. Sommers spent her first three years with United States Steel at Straightline, the company’s former steel distribution subsidiary, serving two years as manager-demand fulfillment and one year as manager-customer care.

Sommers moved to United States Steel’s corporate headquarters in 2004, after being appointed as manager-purchasing information technology. One year later, she was promoted to manager-CAPEX procurement, where she managed procurement activities related to capital expenditure projects around the company. Sommers 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. She will be based at U.S. Steel’s corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh.

Coughlin started 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. Beginning with his 1984 appointment as manager-purchasing at the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters, Coughlin was promoted through a series of managerial positions in purchasing until he was appointed general manager-purchasing at U.S. Steel’s joint venture USS/KOBE Steel Company in Lorain, Ohio, in 1998.

Coughlin was named director of administration for United States Steel’s Lorain Tubular Company, in 1999. He was promoted to general manager of the facility in 2000.

Coughlin was allocated to U.S. Steel Kosice in the Slovak Republic in January 2003 to work as managing director of purchasing. He returned to the US 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.