Weven in the not-so-glamorous industries. And supply chain industry is one example of that.
omenhavealwaysprovedtheirmettlebyshining
With women steadily advancing in the supply chain and logistics space, the industry has witnessed a change in the numberofwomenbeingpartofthisindustry
Let’stakealookathowthechangehasoccurred.
Industry4.0haschangedthelandscapeofvariousindustries, includingthesupplychain.Digitalizationhasreplacedmany traditional processes of the industry. It is true that with opportunitiesalsocomechallenges.But,womenwerealways preparedwiththeirhomeworkforallsuchnewchallengesin the supply chain industry and turned them into new possibilities.
Thefutureofsupplychainoperationsisbuiltonacultureof visibility and collaboration across teams. It involves managingpeople,dealingwithaplethoraofchallenges,quick decision-making,andmore.Andwomenlookedreadytotake on such challenges and thrive.Today, they are committed to continuousevaluationandworktobreakdownorganizational siloswithamethodicalchangemanagementprocess.
Additionally, the flow of the industry is heavily affected by things like trends, costs, and, most importantly, customer expectations.Womenjustknowhowtopivotastheeconomy demands.Theycontinuouslyrethinktheexistingsupplychain practicesandtechnologicalabilitiestoprioritizetransparency andresilience.
Whenever women were put to the test, they came up thriving. And their presence in the supply chain industryaptlyexemplifiesthat.
In this edition, The 10 Most Influential Women in Supply Chain, we have enlisted women that are changing the landscape of the supply chain industry andencouragingotherwomentobepartofit.
Onthecover,wehaveAngelaQu.AngelaistheSenior Vice President, Chief Procurement Officer & SupervisoryBoardMemberofLufthansaCargo.Since she began her journey at Lufthansa Group, she maintainedhersuccessful trackrecordtodevelopher teamwithherpassionforsustainabilityandD&Iatthe workplace. She is driven by a deep-held vision to infuse supply chain management with innovation, efficiency,andsustainability.
Youwillgettoreadaboutmoresuchstoriesofwomen inthesupplychain.
Also,donotforgettoreadabouttheCxOstandpoints bytheindustryexpertandthecreativearticleswritten by the in-house editorial team, which will give you enoughinsightonindustry-relatedevents.
AdeleSale, GlobalProcurement Director
AlmaArzate, Director, GlobalSupply ChainLogistics
AngelaQu, SeniorVicePresident ChiefProcurement Officer&Supervisory BoardMember
ClaireBretzke, VicePresidentof GlobalMarketing
JessicaBurgess, Directorof BusinessDevelopment
IrasemaCalvo, Sr.Supply ChainManager
MariaP.Villablanca, Co-FounderandCEO
MariamSaad, Directorof Procurement
SarahB.Humphrey, PodcastHost &Founder
AstraZeneca astrazeneca.com
Apotex apotex.com
LufthansaGroup lufthansa.com
RubyHasFulfillment rubyhas.com
RubyHasFulfillment rubyhas.com
LuciraHealth lucirahealth.com
FutureInsightsNetwork futureinsights.org
TELUS telus.com
Let'sTalkSupplyChain letstalksupplychain.com
WendyHerrick, VicePresidentDigital Unilever unilever.com
AstraZenecaisaglobal,science-led biopharmaceuticalcompany.
ApotexInc.isaglobalpharmaceuticalcompany
LufthansaGroupisaleadingaviationgroup.
RubyHasFulfillmentisoneofthefastestgrowingecommerce fulfillmentandlogisticsprovidersfordirect-to-consumer brandsandretailers.
RubyHasFulfillmentisoneofthefastestgrowingecommerce fulfillmentandlogisticsprovidersfordirect-to-consumer brandsandretailers.
AsaleaderinCOVID-19testingandat-homediagnostics, Lucira'smissionistochangethewayyoumanageyourhealth.
FutureInsightsNetworkisthenext-generationcommunityof businessleaders.
TELUS,isbuildingabetterfutureforallCanadiansbyusing technologyforgoodandgivingbacktoourcommunity.
Let'sTalkSupplyChainisapodcastthatfeaturesthetopofthe industry,diversevoicesfromwithinthecommunity,new innovationandthedisruptersmakingwaves.
Unileverportfoliorangesfromnutritionallybalancedfoodsto indulgenticecreams,affordablesoaps,luxuriousshampoosand everydayhouseholdcareproducts.
SeniorVicePresident,ChiefProcurementOfficer& SupervisoryBoardMember,LufthansaCargo LufthansaGroup
Complicationsinsupplychainshavebecomeafrontand-centrepreoccupationfororganizationsofall sizessincethebeginningofthepandemic.National lockdownsledtoanaccumulationofissuesforprocurement professionals.Supplychainexpertsprovedtheirworth duringthistimethroughresilience,procurementknow-how andperseverancetodeliverinahighlyunstable environment.AngelaQuexemplifiesthisapproach;sheis drivenbyadeep-heldvisiontoinfusesupplychain managementwithinnovation,efficiencyandsustainability.
AngelaistheSeniorVicePresident,ChiefProcurement Officer&SupervisoryBoardMemberofLufthansa Cargo.SinceshebeganherjourneyatLufthansaGroup, Angelamaintainedhersuccessfultrackrecordtodevelop herteamwithherpassionforsustainabilityandD&Iatthe workplace.
LufthansaGroupisaleadingaviationcompanythathas spreaditswingstotransformprocurementfunctionsinto strategicbusinesspartners.Theyarealsoenhancingtheir supplychainoperationstodevelopandcuratefunctional competencemanagement.
InsightsSuccesscaughtupwithAngelainourexpeditionto find“The10MostInfluentialWomeninSupplyChain”and talkedwithhertounderstandhowshehasbeenconsistently adaptingtotheindustryforovertwodecades.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Howdidyoustartyourcareerinthesupplychain? Youwouldnotbelieveit!In1994,Ijoinedoneofthe SiemensjointventuresinChina.Myrolewastosupportthe generalmanagerinbuildingupamanufacturingsitefrom scratch.Iwaspartofthecoreteamtohireandtrainthe workforce,acquirethefirstcustomers,andstart-up production.Thenthecompanyofferedmetobuildupone oftwodepartments,ProcurementorSales.Idecidedtogo forprocurementforaverysimplereason:IrealizedthatI couldnotdrinkmuchalcoholwhencelebratingthefirst contractsignedwithourcustomers.
Thatisaninterestingdecision!Howdidyoufurther developyourselftowardsyourcurrentpositionatthe LufthansaGroup?
IamfortunatethatIhadrolesinlargeorganizationsthatare industryleaderswithglobalfootprints,suchasSiemens, Buehler/LeyboldOptics,andABB.Itraveledtheworld
andenjoyedworkingwithpeoplefrommanynationalities inmanydifferentlocations.IlivedinChina,Germany,and Switzerland.
Inearly2019,IbecametheChiefProcurementOfficerfor theLufthansaGroup,basedinFrankfurt.Wemanagethe strategicsourcingactivitiesfortheGroup’sexternalspend, whichwas20BillioneurosbeforetheCOVIDcrisis.We haveglobally300categoriesandover30000suppliersand partners.
PleasetellussomethingmoreaboutLufthansaGroup anditsmissionandvision.
TheLufthansaGroupisanaviationgroupwithoperations worldwide,withmorethan100,000employees.We generatedrevenueofEUR36Billionin2019and13.4 Billionin2020.TheGroupiscomposedofLufthansa GermanAirlines,SwissInternationalAirlines,Austrian Airlines,BrusselsAirlines,Eurowings,andAviation Services,includinglogistics,MRO,andcatering.
Ourmissionistoconnectpeople,cultures,andeconomies inasustainableway.
Canyoupleasedescribeindetailthevaluesandthe impactyouhavemadeonyourorganization?
Procurementandsuppliermanagementis,aboveall,a peoplebusiness.Byseekingtobeaninspirationaland empatheticleader,Iaimtobuildajointvisionwithmy teamsandenablethemtostriveforexcellence.Imakesure Igivemyprocurementteamsaclearmandate,providethem withtraining,tools,methodologies,aswellasdataand transparency,enablingthemtomakeinformeddecisions towardsbothsuppliersandinternalpartners.
Whenworkingwithourexternalsuppliers,myapproachis alwaystostayprofessional;thatmeansbeingchallenging butalsofair.Wemaintainregulardialogueswithour suppliersandpartners,andwearealwaysreadytoimprove ourselvestoreducecomplexity.
Overall,Iaimtocreatehigh-performingteamsbyputting peopleattheheartofwhatwedo.
HowdidCOVIDimpactyourorganizationandyour leadershipbehaviour?
TheCOVIDcrisisheldamirroruptomanybusiness leadersintermsofhowwerespondedwithethical
standardsatthosecriticaltimes.InMarch2020,when manycountriesaroundtheworldclosedtheirborders,and theterm‘lockdown’enteredourvocabulary,theLufthansa Groupwasforcedtogroundalmostitsentirefleetofover 750aircraft.BytheendofQ1,passengervolumeswere down98%,andonly5%offlightswereoperating.
TheGroupwasburningcashatarateof€1millionperhour andfacingasignificantinsolvencyriskbymid2020.
TheProcurementteamsatLufthansaGroupidentifiedalist ofoperations-criticalsupplierstoprotectourongoing,albeit reduced,flightoperations.Atthesametime,wehadto maximizeliquiditylevelsaslongaspossibleuntilthe governmentaidpackagearrived.
Evenunderextremepressure,wedidnotcutcornersfor short-termbenefits.Wecommunicatedopenlywithour suppliersandfoundmutuallyagreeablesolutions.In particular,wesupportedthosesupplierswhowereina weakerpositionthanus,enablingthemtoaccesstheir paymentsontime.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Dataisthenewfuelintoday’sworld.Weleverage technologytoprovideourteamwithreal-timedata,cost-out forecasts,businessforesight,cashflowoptimization,and materialflows.Weleveragetheanalyticalinsighttoprovide ourinternalpartnerswithdifferentsolutions.Externally,we haveintegratedoursuppliersintoouroperationalplanning andaseamlessaccountspayableprocess.Inshort,wewant toutilizetechnologiestoenableprocurementasasourceof businessvalue,rangingfromautomationofoperationsto seekingoutrichseamsofinnovationwithourexternal partners.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein thesupplychainindustry?Howisyourcompany preparingtobeapartofthatchange?
Therewillbemanychangesinsupplychainmanagementin thenearfuture.Oneofthemisdigitalizationinthesupply chain.Weshouldbeabletogatherandanalyzelargesetsof structuredandunstructureddata.Wewillneedskillsfrom
Drivinginnovation, efficiency,and sustainabilityalong thevaluechain; Integrityand sustainability.
computerscientists,statisticians,andmathematiciansto processandmodeldata,theninterprettheresultsinto businessplansanddriveactions.
Anotherbigdevelopmentistheincreasingawarenessof sustainabilityinthesupplychain.Procurementleadershave theresponsibilitytomakesourcingdecisionsthathavea hugeimpactonCO2footprints.Therefore,weneedtowork jointlyonsustainablesolutions,cross-functionally,crosscompany,andcross-industry.Goingforward,investorswill beassessingourperformanceinhowwemanageoursupply chainsfromasustainabilityperspective.AtLufthansa,we areworkingtoensurethesupplychainisakeycontributor tooursustainabilitygoals.
After18monthsofcrisismanagementandmanaging disruptionsinoursupplychains,weareonajourneyto transformourselvesintoamorestrategicfunctionat Lufthansagroup.Ourlongtermsgoalistoprovide innovativeandsustainablesolutionswithacustomer centricapproach.Procurementwillbecomeoneofthemain valuecreatorsinthefuturesuccessofourGroup companies.
AnothergoalofmineistoimproveProcurementintoan equal,diverse,andinclusivefunction.Ihavebeen passionateaboutthiscausethroughoutmycareer,including atABBwhereIstartedthefirstD&Iprogramgroup-wide onthistopic,whichhasnowbecomeamajorinitiative throughoutthecompany.Iambringingthesamepassionto LufthansaGroup,especiallyasIamintheprocessofhiring diversetalentsfromotherfunctionsandotherindustries intoprocurementandsupplychainmanagement.Weneed toimproveourcapabilitiestothenextlevelbyinvestingin ourtalentsandcreatinglong-termdevelopment opportunities.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingwomenleaders whoaspiretoventureintothesupplychainindustry?
Ihaveneverregrettedchoosing“ProcurementandSupply Chain”28yearsago.Thisisaprofessionthatrequiresalot ofresilience,decision-makinginuncertainenvironments, stakeholdermanagement,andproblem-solvingskills.Ifyou liketoworkwithpeople,arecapableofhandlingfastchangingenvironments,andarewillingtofindjoint solutionswithbusinesspartners,thenyouwillhavealotof fun.Thesuccessisverytangibleandrewarding.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, professionallyandprivately?
AsabusinessleaderfeelingathomeinbothAsianand westerncultures,Iamhappytogivebackmanyofmy leadershipexperiencesandlearningstootherorganizations. Ifeelstronglyaboutsharingacrossavarietydifferent initiatives,suchasleadingchange,peopledevelopmentand diversityandinclusion,whereIcanbeacatalystfor growth.
Givingbacktothesupplychaincommunityisanother focusarea,whereIworkasadvisorwiththeAim10X ExecutiveCouncil,tocreatenewstandardoffuturedigital transformation.
Iwouldbehappytoexpandmyserviceportfoliointoother relatedareasandindustries.
Wechange theworld, andtheworld changesus.
Lifeisuncertain,andtheonlyconstantsaregrowth andchallenges.Ifoneperceivestheproblemsas opportunitiestoimprove,growthisinevitable. Similarly,whenitcomestothesupplychainindustry, challengesprovethemselvestobeagreatwaytogrow professionally.Overcomingthesechallengeseverydaywith thesupportofadiverseteamof140supplychain professionalsisAlmaArzate
AlmaistheDirectorofGlobalSupplyChainLogisticsat Apotex.Drivenbyhergoaltodelivertransformational results,herglobalexperiencehasbeenbuiltovertwo
decadesacrossthesupplychainandoperations.Her backgroundandexpertisearemulti-faceted.However,her passionliesinbringingorderfromchaos,whetheritbe throughpeopledevelopment,systemsimplementations,or processesimprovements,leveragingallofherfirst-hand experiencesgainedfromtheAutomotive,Electronics, MedicalDevices,CPG,andPharmaindustries.
InaninterviewconductedwithInsightsSuccess,Alma shedslightonherprofessionaljourneytobecomean inspirationalleaderhowsheconstantlyaimstomakea positiveimpactinthelivesofothers.
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionatApotex.What challengeshaveyouhadtoovercometoreachwhereyou aretoday?
IamoriginallyfromCiudadJuárez,Chihuahua,Mexico. JuárezisthesistercityofElPaso,Texas,UnitedStates. Togetherwiththesurroundingareas,thesetwocitiesform thesecondlargestbinationalmetropolitanareaonthe Mexico-U.S.border,withacombinedpopulationofover 2.2millionpeople.Thereisathrivingmaquiladoraindustry, withover300multinationalcompaniesoperatinginmy hometown,sothisiswhereIstartedmycareer.Supply Chainwasneverhighlightedasapossiblecareerpathway whileIwasattendingtheInstitutoTecnológicodeCiudad Juarez,whereIcompletedmyB.B.A.,ortheUniversidad AutónomadeCiudadJuárez,whereIcompletedmyM.B.A. WhenIlearnedthattherewasavacancyasaBuyer, IndirectProcurementinthesamecompanyIwasworking for,Idecidedtoapply Thiswasacoupleofyearsafter graduation.IonlyhadFinanceexperience,butthehiring managerdecidedtotakeachanceonme.Ireallyenjoyed thefastpace,howIhadtoberesourcefultohelpresolve manychallenges,andbeingabletomaketangible contributionstosupportthebusiness.OnceIcameoverto thesupplychainside,Ineverleft.
TherehavebeenmanychallengesthatIhavehadto overcome;justtonameafew:thesupplychainhasbeen andstillisamale-dominatedfield.Ihavebeentheonly womanintheroommoretimesthanIcancount.Ihavealso beenputinnewpositionswheretherewasnooneelse beforeme,andIhadtofindmyownway,sometimeseven havingtowritemyownjobdescription!Then,asIchoseto restartmycareerinCanada14yearsago,thisrequiredalot ofperseverancetoachieveasuccessfulintegrationintoa newcountry,culture,andworkplaceexpectations.Thelack offemalerolemodelshasalsobeenachallengethroughout mycareer,butluckily,Ihavehadalotofkindand supportivemalerolemodelsandsponsorsthathavehelped megettowhereIamtoday.
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe SupplyChainIndustry.
Formanyyears,IhavebeenfocusingonwhatevertimeI cansparetoliftothers.Despitemysometimeshectic professionalandpersonallife,Iampassionateabout activelysupportingmultipleinitiativesrelatedtosupply chain,education,women,andimmigrantadvancement.My hopeisthatwhoeverattendstheseeventswilllearnfrom
myjourneyandthemanyobstaclesIhavehadtoovercome tofindmyvoiceandberecognizedasaleader,andthrough ongoingdialogue,theywillalsobeinspiredtofindwaysto continuetopersevere,achievetheirowndreams,and becomethebestversionofthemselves.
Iamanenthusiasticsupporteroftheco-opprogramat ApotexInc.,wheresofar,morethan15studentsfrommany Universitieshavegreatlybenefitedbyacquiringrelevant supplychainexperience.Iaimtocrushbarriersforwomen whereverIgoandtrytoinspirefemalesupplychain professionalstoreachforwardandaccomplishtheirdreams. Onimmigrant-relatedinitiatives,Ihavebeenakeynote speakerformanyorganizations,supportingCanadian newcomerstoeasetheirintegrationintotheCanadianwork environmentandevenhiringmanyofthem.
Iwouldlikeformymarkinthesupplychainindustrytobe helping others to succeed Thisisanextremelyrewarding wayformetogivebacktotheprofession,asIamhelping pavethewayforfutureleadersthatwilleventuallyriseto prominentpositionswithinourcompanies.
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization. Apotex’scultureisguidedbyourcorevaluesof Collaboration,Courage,Perseverance,andPassion.They informhowweworkandhowweconnectinternallyand externallywithourcustomers,partners,andother stakeholders.Wehaveanincredibleteamofbright, passionate,andcommittedindividualswhoareproudly dedicatedtoourmissionofbringingagrowingarrayof high-quality,affordablemedicinestohealthcaresystemsin 115countriesaroundtheglobe.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
– Peter Drucker
The 10 Most Influen al Women in Supply Chain, 2022
Weinvestincontinuouslearninganddevelopmentto supportemployeesinexpandingtheircapabilitiesand reachingtheircareeraspirations.Ourleadershipteamis fullycommittedtofosteringandencouragingan environmentforlearninganddevelopment.Thisis complementedbyrobusttrainingtoensureouremployees havethelatestindustryknowledgeandexpertiseto continuetoexcelintheirroles.Connectingwithour internaltalentiskeytoensuringourorganization’s sustainablegrowth.WeprioritizeandconsiderApotex employeesforallavailablecareeropportunitiesacrossthe organizationtosupporttheircareerdevelopmentanddrive businesssuccess.
WorkingatApotexalsomeansworkingforacompanythat recognizestheobligationsthatcomewithsuccess.Thatis whyweareproudtoprovidesignificantsupporttoavariety ofcharitableorganizationsandcommunitygroupsin Canadaandaroundtheworldandtoinvestinthe universitieswheremanyofouremployeesearnedtheir degrees.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforApotex? Icanseemyselfcontinuingtoexpandmyresponsibilities, leadingmultipleteams,givingeachandeveryoneofmy
teammemberstheopportunities,resources,andtime requiredtoleadinitiativesthatwilltakethemaboveand beyondthecomfortzoneandwillhelpdriveadvancement andinnovationinhowwedothings.Iseeeverysingle personinmyteamashavingthepotentialtobealeader, regardlessoftitle,timeintheorganization,oriftheyhave directreportsornot.
Asleaders,beingcredible,trustworthy,respectful,and empatheticnaturallyleadsustomakebetterconnections withourteams.Everythingstartsbyhavingmeaningful conversations.Weknowthatwhenemployeesfeelvalued, empowered,andconnectedtotheirworkandthe organization,thereisanoverallboostintheirengagement.I trytobeasinvolvedandavailableaspossible,asthis allowsmetoprovidethesupportthatmyteamneeds.My jobistoleadtheway,role-modelamindsetofgrowthand continuousimprovement,andcontinuetoencouragemy teamtoachieveambitiousgoalsanddeliversignificant resultsforApotex.
Whenitcomestomarketinginanybusiness,itis consideredthemostcentralcommunication element.Ifcarriedoutwithproperstrategic perspectiveandoperationalrole,marketingcanboost businesstothepeak.Implementingsucheffective methodologiesisClaireBretzke.
AstheVicePresidentofGlobalMarketingatRubyHas Fulfillment,Clairehasnurturedacollaborativecultureto utilizevariousmarketingaspectstoinformandintegrate withsuppliersoneverylevel.
InsightsSuccesscaughtupwithClaireinitssearchtofind “The10MostInfluentialWomeninSupplyChain.”We talkedwithhertogainin-depthknowledgeaboutextensive expertisespreadacrossmultipleaspectsofmarketing.
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionatRubyHas Fulfillment.Whatchallengeshaveyouhadtoovercome toreachwhereyouaretoday?
Iworkedforseveraldifferentecommercestartupsin marketinganddesignrolesbeforejoiningtheRubyHas
Using our expertise to host webinars, develop helpful content, get news coverage, and build partnerships with other leading companies in the industry, has helped us grow at an astonishing rate over the last few years.
The 10 Most Influen al Women in Supply Chain,teamandthesestartupsweren’talwayssuccessful.Ittakesa lotofinsight,courage,persistence,andacertainamountof lucktogrowabusiness,especiallythroughmultiple recessionsandapandemic.Iamherebecauseofmy experienceinecommerce,butalsobecauseofthepeopleI metalongthewaywhobelievedinmeandhelpedme becomethepersonIamtoday
Tellussomethingmoreaboutyourcompanyandits missionandvision.
RubyHasFulfillmentisthevisionofitsfounder,Rafael Zakinov.Hestartedthebusinesswithonewarehousein NewYork,andwe’renowexpandinginternationally.Butas wegrow,we’reworkinghardnottolosewhatmakesus unique,whichisourcollaborativeapproachtoworking withourecommercebrandsandgivingthemwhatthey needtogrow
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe Logistics&SupplyChainnichethroughyourexpertise inthemarket?
IwouldsayI’vemadeadifferencebyusingthemarketing channelsIhavetoreachnewclientsinunconventional ways.Logisticsandsupplychaincompanieshavebeen aroundforcenturies,buttheyhaven’talwaysputalotof thoughtintotheirbrand.We’veestablishedRubyHasasa thoughtleaderintheindustrybycreatingcontentthat potentialclientswanttowatch,read,andclickon.Using ourexpertisetohostwebinars,develophelpfulcontent,get newscoverageandbuildpartnershipswithotherleading companiesintheindustryhashelpedusgrowatan astonishingrateoverthelastfewyears.
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
ImentionedthecollaborativeapproachthatRubyHas Fulfillmenthastakeninworkingwithourclients,andI thinkthatshowsthetypeoforganizationweare.It’snotour wayorthehighway;it’sidentifyingsolutionsinwaysthat makethemostsenseforyourbusiness.Weareallinthisto helpourclientsgrow.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
RubyHasiscommittedtoinvestingintechnology,robotics, andautomationaslongasitmakessenseforourclients.If itisn’tgoingtohelpourclientsgrow,wedon’tdoit.It’sas simpleasthat.ItmakesmyjobasmarketingVPeasierto
beabletosaythatRubyHasisatechnologicalleaderand thatwearecommittedtoinvestingintechnology
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring intheInventoryStorage&Managementindustry?
IwouldliketoseeInventoryStorage&Management companiesputmoreofanemphasisonlisteningtotheir clients,engagingwiththem,andencouragingthemto engagewiththeirendcustomerstolearnfromthem.Inan efforttostreamlinepickandpackservices,therehasbeena one-size-fits-allapproachinthepast,butrisingecommerce brandsdidn’tgetwheretheyarebyactinglikeeveryone else.Wecanlearnasmuchfromthemastheylearnfromus.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theSupplyChainindustry?Howisyourcompany preparingtobeapartofthatchange? ThewayIseeit,RubyHas,andotherfulfillmentcompanies likeoursaremakingiteasyforbrandstoopennewsales channels,sothey’renolongerdependentononechannel, whetherthat’sbrickandmortarstores,wholesale,Amazon, otherretailmarketplacesordirect-to-consumer.Idon’t knowwhatthenextbigthingwillbe,butI’msureRuby Haswillbeoneofthefirsttobringittoourclients.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforRubyHas Fulfillment?
Ilovehelpingbrandsgrow.MygoalforRubyHasisto continuetogrowitspresenceasaglobalbrandthatis knownforcaringforourclientsandmakingecommerce fulfillmenteasier ThatgoesforU.S.companiesselling overseas,aswellasoverseasbrandshopingtobreakinto theU.S.market.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheSupplyChainsector? Iwouldsaythereisplentyofroomfornewideasandnew peopleinthisindustry.Itisrapidlygrowing,andtherewill alwaysbeaneedformovingthingsaround.Themethods maychangebutthat’swhatmakesitexciting.
The2021InternationalWomen’sDaythemeis “ChoosetoChallenge.”Challengingforbringing changeintheworldbybeingawareofthe opportunitiestocreateagender-balancedsocietyinallthe sectors.Thesupplychainindustryhasbeentraditionally male-dominated,anditischallengingforwomen, especiallyinleadershippositions.Buttrailblazingwomen leadersarerevolutionaryintheirapproachandchooseto takeupthechallengeofbeinginthesupplychainindustry andimpactingtheindustrywiththeircourage,passion, guts,andleadershipskills.
Womenarefearlessandbelieveintheirpotential,setting exemplarystandardsforotherwomenleadersandsetting thestandardsforfuturegenerations.Ittakesalotof knowledge,awareness,bravery,andabilitytodealwith complexchallengesinthesupplychainindustrytobea trailblazingwomenleader.Therefore,becominga trailblazingwomenleaderinthesupplychainindustryisa laudablefeat.Suchwomenleadersbecomeaninspirational exampleforotherwomenleadersandfuturegenerations.
Womenleadersaremakingtheirpresencecountandare readytotakeonthechallengeandprovingthemselvesthat theycanworkproductivelytomakeadifferencewiththeir skillsandabilities.Duetothevaluewomenbringtothe table,manycompaniesalsoincludewomeninleadership positionstomakebetterandinclusivedecisions.
Trailblazingwomenleadersplayavitalroleinensuring diversity,equality,andinclusioninthesupplychain industryandaremorejudiciousinensuringgood overalloperationsandproductivityfromallthe employees.
Womenleadersdoinggoodinthesupplychainindustry naturallysignificantlyimpactotherwomenleaders,anditis moreinspiringforthemtofollowsuchleaders.Thewomen leadersinthesupplychainindustryshouldbeopento changesintheindustry Theyshouldbereadytochange themselveswiththetransformativeshiftsbyinnovating varioustacticsmakingsoundjudgmentswithpre-existing solidknowledge.
Trailblazingwomenleadersinthesupplychainindustry preparethemselveswellenoughtohandlethechallengesin thesupplychainindustryandmakethebestsituational decisions.Theyshouldresolvethedifficultieswithfortitude andworkhardwithalltheirteammembers.Theyshould learnfromtheirseniorsandpassonwhattheyhavelearned toothers.Notwodaysarethesameinthesupplychain industry.
Thosewomenwhowanttoenterthesupplychainindustry shouldbeadaptableandflexiblewiththecontinuously changingdynamicsinthesupplychainindustry They shouldhavethegreatapproachoflearningandgrasping thingsquickly,alltheconstantchangeshappeninginthe industry,andaccordinglydevelopingtheabilitytohandle allthesituationswithdiligenceandmakingtheirbest contributionbybecomingatrailblazingleaderinthe industry Theyshouldbestrategicandhavealotof firefightingabilityeverydaytomakethegreatestimpactin theindustryandprovethemselvesasillustriousleadersin thex.
oordinatingoveralllogisticswithanintentto
Cminimizecostandmaximizetheefficiencyofthe supplychain,JessicaBurgessredefinesthewayof thinkingaboutsales,businessdevelopment,andrevenue growth.AstheDirectorofBusinessDevelopmentatRuby HasFulfilment,sheempowersherteamtobecomethebest theycanbeanddrivestocreateapositiveculturegrounded inacompanywidevisionofsuccess.
InsightsSuccesscaughtupwithJessicainitssearchtofind “The10MostInfluentialWomeninSupplyChain.”Wegot intoaconversationwithhertounderstandhowsheutilizes consultativeandsolution-basedsellingwhiledeliveringand sustainingrevenueandprofitgainswithinmultiplemarkets.
Below are the highlights of the interview.
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionatRubyHas Fulfillment.Whatchallengeshaveyouhadtoovercome toreachwhereyouaretoday?
Ibeganinthisindustrynearlyadecadeagoandworkedmy wayupfromarepresentativetotheDirectorofBusiness Development.Oneofthebiggesthurdlesthroughoutthis journeyoccurredseveralyearsago.Ihadtostepoutofmy comfortzoneandmovemyselfandmy2-year-oldson8 hoursawayfromourfriendsandfamily.Balancing motherhood,acareer,andpersonallifeisneveraneasy task,butdoingitwithoutanysupportissomethingelse entirely.Duringthistryingyear,ItrulylearnedwhatIwas capableof(andgainedanincredibleappreciationformy mother).
Tellussomethingmoreaboutyourcompanyandits missionandvision.
AtRubyHas,ourmissionistobetruepartnerstoour clients.Todeliveranunparalleledservicetobrandsasthey scaleandtomaintainrealrelationshipswithourclients.No brandisanumbertous,everyonehasaname,andweexcel becauseofthoserelationships.Ourvisionistomaintain thesebestpracticeswhilewecontinuetogrowandexpand bothdomesticallyandinternationally
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe Logistics&SupplyChainnichethroughyourexpertise inthemarket?
Logisticsandsupplychainisverysimilartoanyother businessfieldinthatitismale-dominated.Simplybeinga womanleaderinthisspaceisimpactful,butIwouldsaymy biggestimpacthasbeenonthosewhohave,orcurrentlydo,
We are constantly adding new technology and new partners to stay ahead of the needs of our clients.The
reporttome.TheexperienceandknowledgethatIgained onmywayuptheproverbialladderhaveproventobe criticaltomyabilitytoleadandmoldasuccessfulteam. Myultimateprofessionalgoalisnottiedtonumbersor quotasbutrathertocultivateahappy,motivatedteamof expertswhoareequippedtogooutandkilliteveryday
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
RubyHasisacompanythatvaluesitsemployees.Istriveto placeasimilaremphasisonahealthycultureamongstmy team.Werewardhardworkandajobwelldone,andwe alsocorrectandmentorwithempathyandcompassion. PeoplefirstisthemottoofRubyHasanditappliestoboth ourclientsandourstaff.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Cutting-edgetechnologyisarequirementforany fulfillmentcompanythatexpectstobereliableatscale.Our combinationofautomation,robotics,andactualbootson thegroundiskeytooursuccess.Thetechnologybehindour strategicroboticssystemsallowsustogetorderspicked andpackedataratethatnoteamofworkerscould accomplish;however,thoseworkersallowustooffermore flexibilitythanmostcompaniesoursize.Wehave orchestratedtheperfectbalanceandhaveentireteams responsibleforstayingcurrentonthenextadvancementin thespace.
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring intheInventoryStorage&Managementindustry?
Iwouldliketoseeincreasededucationforentrepreneurs whoarejustgettingstarted.Sofrequently,weseebrands thathavegrownquicklybutwhosepackagingandlabeling haven’tgrownalongwiththeirbusiness.Nearlyall fulfillmentcompaniesthataretechnologicallyadvanced requirebarcodes,butbrandsareoftencaughtoffguard whentheyhearthis.Evenmediumtoenterprise-size
companiesdelaymakingthistransitionuntilitistoolate. Barcodeeverythingandplanyourpackagingaccordingly fromthebeginning.ThatisthemessageIwouldliketoget toanyoneevenconsideringgoingintotheecommercespace becauseitwillgreatlyimpacttheirinventorymanagement capabilities.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theSupplyChainindustry?Howisyourcompany preparingtobeapartofthatchange?
Ithinkonlineshoppinganddirect-to-consumersalesare bothheretostay,sothenextbigchangeswillbe improvementsintransportation,bothgloballyand domestically,thateasesomeoftheproblemswe’veseen andincreaseshippingcapacity Therewillalwaysbe somethingchanging;it’sthenatureofthebusiness.Ruby Hasisheretohelpfacilitatechangeandgrowthforour clients.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforRubyHas Fulfillment?
IampositivethatRubyHasFulfillmentwillcontinueto evolvealongwiththeecommerceindustry.Weare constantlyaddingnewtechnologyandnewpartnerstostay aheadoftheneedsofourclients.Ienvisionmyselfbeing righthere,assistinginthatgrowthbybringingnewclients throughthedoorandgrowingateamofprofessionalswho aremotivatedtodothesame.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheSupplyChainsector? Doit!Evenifyouhavetostartatthebottomandworkyour wayup,youshoulddiveinheadfirst.Thisisanindustry thatisgrowingatanunbelievablerate,anditisn’tgoing anywhere.Imagineifyoucouldhavegottenintotheauto industryearlyonorthecellphoneindustrybackwhenthey werethesizeofhandbags!Everyyear,moreandmore peoplebuymoreandmoreoftheiritemsonline,andthere hasneverbeenabetterchancetogetinontheexcitement.
The 10 Most Influen al Women in Supply Chain, 2022
heintricaciesinthesupplychainareincreasing
Twitheachpassingday;eventhoughtechnological advancementanddatabringadditionalvaluetothe process,theskillgapkeepsexpanding.Organizationsneed diversetalenttomanagethesupplychaintopush performanceandprofitabilityfurther.Havinginsightsand informationaboutthesupplychaincanprovide organizationsarefreshingperspectivewhichiswhatMaria VillablancadeliverswithherventureFutureInsights Network.
AstheCo founderandCEO,aswellasthehostofa successfulpodcast,Mariacreatesaworkplaceculturethat inspiresandmotivates.Sheisaneffective,energetic,and visionaryleaderwhobelievesthat“goodenough”isnever goodenough.Withherleadershipattheforefront,Future InsightsNetworkisdrivingmanufacturingandsupplychain innovationthrough;thoughtleadership,virtualworkshops, live,collaborativeevents.
Insights Success caughtupwithMariainourendeavorto find “The 10 Most influential Women in Supply Chain, 2022” Wetalkedwithhertohaveadeepunderstandingof howsheisdrivingatransformationalchangebyconnecting supplychainleaders.
Below are the highlights of the interview
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionatFutureInsights Network.Whatchallengesyouhadtoovercometoreach whereyouaretoday?
Ihavehadalongtrajectoryspanningmultiplecontinents, languages,industries,androlesovermynearly30-year career.Thispathhasallowedmetoembracechange, diversity,transformationandhasprovidedmewithan opportunitytodevelopagilityandadaptability.Mygreatest teachersthroughoutmycareerhavebeenmyfailures,andI amverygratefulforthem.
Our purpose is to inspire and enable transformational change in the world’s leading companies.
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| www.insightssuccess.com
Tellussomethingmoreaboutyourcompanyandits missionandvision.
TheFutureInsightsNetworkexiststoprovideournetwork ofover80,000seniorsupplychainleaderswithcontent, connections,andacommunitytohelpthemsolvetheir burningquestions.Today,morethanever,thisisimportant inhelpingtobuildagile,resilient,andsustainablesupply chains.
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe Logistics&SupplyChainnichethroughyourexpertise inthemarket?
Wetrytobringstoriesandcasestudieswithclearand actionableadvicetotheindustry Thereistoomuchhype, noise,andbuzzoutthere,andwehopethatwecandeliver someclarityamidstthecomplexityanddisruptionoftoday. WedothisviatheTransformTalkswithMariaVillablanca podcastandourevents.
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
Westrivetocreateacultureofagility,flexibility,learning, anddiversity Asawoman-led,woman-ownedbusiness,we aimtogivevoicestounderrepresentedgroupsinour industryandfurtherthevaluesofdiversity,equity,and inclusion.Equally,Ithinkit’simportanttoensurewecreate aculturewhereallourteamfeelscomfortableinbringing newideastothetable.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Thepandemicmeantshiftingourbusinessfromonewhere wedeliveredphysicaleventstoapurelydigitaloffering. Thismeantlearningnewskillsandimplementingnew technology,includingAI,intoourbusiness.Withoutit,we wouldnothavebeenabletoweatherthelast18months successfully.Notonlyhasthistechnologyallowedusto growduringthepandemic,withalmosttriple-digitrevenue andcommunitygrowth,butwehavebeenabletowidenour netstogrowintonewmarketsthatwerepreviously unavailableintheirphysicalform.
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring intheInventoryStorage&Managementindustry? Ideally,Iwouldwanttoseetwochanges,
1)todrivemorediversity,equity,andinclusioninitiatives andbringmorepeoplewithdifferentbackgroundstothe industrybutalso
2)drivesustainablechange.Thepandemichasfast-tracked digitaltransformation.Itwouldbegreattoseeusdevelop newandmoresustainablebusinessmodelstoo.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theSupplyChainindustry?Howisyourcompany preparingtobeapartofthatchange?
Thenextbigchangewillbearounddigitaltransformation technologiesandsustainability.Bothwillhaveanimpacton howwedefinethesupplychainandhowbusinesses operate.EverysingleroleinSupplyChainwillchange.I hopeforthebetter.Ourroleinthisnewworldistocontinue tobringstoriesofpositivechangetotheindustry.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforFutureInsights Network?
Inthelongrun,Ihopetocontinuegrowingthebusiness,the community,andthenetworktoincludeawidergroupof SupplyChainexecutivesfromthemomenttheystarttheir careersinthisindustryuntilthemomenttheyretire.Ihope tocontinuebringingthemcontent,connections,andaplace wheretheycandialogueanddebatethelatesttrendsand issues.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheSupplyChainsector?
Doit!Therehasneverbeenamoreexcitingtimetojointhe industry.IbelieveSupplyChainprofessionalscanchange theworld!
Ellenfoundedthenon-profitorganization,WomenInTruckingAssociationInc.toencourage andsupportwomeninthetruckingindustry.Themissionistomakewomenawareofcareer opportunitiesandtomentorandassistthemastheybecomemoresuccessfulintheirroles.
Ellen'smostrecentpositionwasManagerofRecruitingandRetentionProgramsatSchneider National,Inc.Herroleincludedidentifyingissuesthatcauseddriverturnoverandthen promotingcorporateinitiativestoretainandengagedrivers.
Fiveyearsago,youwouldn’thaveseenacolleague holdingachildorpettingacatduringameeting. Duringthepandemic,weallreliedonvideo conferencingcallsinourbusinessesandsuddenlyourwork lifemeldedintoourhomelife.Peopleworkingremotely increasedfromfivepercenttooversixtypercentin responsetothevirusprotocols.
Withchildrenhomefromschool,parentswhowere fortunateenoughtohaveajobthatallowedtelecommuting addedchildcaretotheirdailyworkduties. Unfortunately, morewomenhadjobsthatcouldn’tbedoneremotely,such ashealthcareorintheserviceindustries.
AccordingtotheBureauofLaborStatisticsmorewomen losttheirjobslastyearthanmenwhichalsomeantthat womentookonagreatershareofthehousekeepingand childcareathome. Thisiswhythechildpeeringintothe Zoomcallisbecomingmorecommon.
Asemployers,wearelearningthatremoteworkersarenot spendingthedaynappingorwatchingNetflix. Infact,a surveyofFortune500executivesfoundthatproductivity increasedwhenemployeesworkedfromhome. The commutingtimedisappeared,andin-personmeetingswere nolongercommon.
ThatsamestudybyChandniKaziandClaireHastwellat “GreatPlacestoWork,”stressedtheneedforstrong leadershipandapositivecompanycultureasthemost importantfactorinemployeeproductivity.Goodleaders werecompassionateabouttheirteamasindividuals,andnot justregardingwhattheycancontributetothecompany
Beingasupportiveleadermeanssmilingatthetoddleron hismother’slapduringateammeeting. Acompassionate leadermightevenuseafunnycatfiltertomakethechild laugh. Asamanager,wemustrecognizethatanemployee workingfromhomeisstill,well,athome!
Ittookyearsforthecorporateenvironmenttobelessrigid indefiningofficehoursandallowforamoreflexible workday Thisextendstoourvirtualstaffmemberswho
mustaccommodateachild’sdoctorvisitsoraparent’s nursinghomeneeds.
Acompassionateleaderseesanemployeeasapersonfirst, aworkersecond. Italsomeansthatweencourageourteam tomakeitaprioritytotakecareofthemselvesandtheir families. Mentalhealthhasbeenadverselyaffectedbythe pandemicandincludesdomesticviolenceandchildabuse. Theuncertaintyistakingitstolloneveryoneofusandhas addedtoourdailystresslevels.
AttheWomenInTruckingAssociation,wehavealways hadavirtualworkenvironment. Ourteamisscattered acrosssevenstatesandisconnectedbytechnology. We havearesults-orientedworkenvironment,whichmeanswe don’ttrackhoursordaysandwehaveunlimitedvacation andpaidtimeoff.
Oneofouremployeeswaspregnantandhadababyearlier thisyearandwewereabletoaccommodateherwork scheduletocoincidewithchildcaredutiesforthenewborn andherthreeotherchildren. Anotherteammember adoptedafostersonandourflexibleworkenvironment allowedhertotransitionhimintoherhomeasanewfamily member
Aslongasateammember’sworkismeasuredbywhatis completed,thereisreallynoreasontomonitorherhoursor anyofherworktime. Ifyouhiretherightpersonwhois self-motivated,youwon’tneedaclocktotrack productivity. Couldsomeonetakeadvantageofthistypeof workenvironment? Absolutely,butiftheywillstealtime fromyouthenthey’restealingotherresourcesaswell.
Duringthepasttwoyearstheworldhaslearnedtoadaptto anewwayofinteractingandtheworkenvironmenthas trulychangedtoaccommodatethesechanges. Addalabor crisistoapandemicandyouwilllearntobeamore compassionateleader. Learntounderstandhowyoucan provideyourteamwiththebestexperienceandtheywillbe moreloyalandproductiveaswell.
DirectorofIT,TechnologyServices, ProfessionalServicesProcurement TELUS
Thetransitioninthesupplychainindustryisnear.To realizethischange,it’sessentialtounderstandthe end-to-endsupplybasemappingandfocuson sustainableefforts.Implementingseveralaspectsinthe workplacewillalignwiththemassiveshiftcausedbythe pandemicconcerningglobalconsumermindsetstowards environmentalissues.PreparingforthischangeisMariam Saad,amulti-lingualleaderwith20yearsofhighlyskilled experienceinprocurement,operations,andsales,across multipleglobalandnationalorganizationsin telecommunications,mining,andinformation technology.AstheDirectorofIT,TechnologyServices, andProfessionalServicesProcurementforTELUS, Mariamleadstowardsanextensivetransformational initiativeasthecompanyseekstogrowandmatureits capabilities.Sheisrecognizedforeffectivelyleadingand managingconcurrentinitiativeswhileconsistently achievingstrongresults.
TELUSisbuildingabetterfutureforallCanadiansby usingitstechnologyforgoodandgivingbacktoits communities.Itssocialpurposeisattheheartofeverything itdoesasaworld-leadingtechnologycompany,andTELUS continuestosetitselfaparttomakethefuturefriendly together.
MariamgraduatedwithanInternationalBusiness CommerceDegreefromConcordiaUniversityinMontreal, withaMinorDegreeinMarketing.FollowingtheDegree fromConcordia,shethenpursueda1.5-yearLeadership CertificateattheExecutiveMcGillMBAProgram.
Havingworkedacrossmultipleindustries,including InformationTechnologies,NaturalResources,and Telecommunication,shedevelopedextensiveexperiencein ITsalesandprocurementoperations.Throughouther career,shefocusedonrevenuegeneration,costsavings, delivery,andvaluecreation.Shetooktheopportunityto utilizethexperienceandexpertisewitheachsuccessiverole tosharpenherfocusonvaluegeneration.
ThroughoutMariam'scareer,shefacednumerousdiversity andinclusivenesschallenges.Inherearlysalescareer,she wastheonlywomanamongstateamof10men.Asaresult, sheconstantlyfeltthatshehadtoworktwiceashardto proveherself.
Moreover,shefacedadditionaladversitycomingfroman immigrantethnicbackground,whichshehadtoovercome throughoutherjourney.Shesays, "Whether working in IT or the mining industry, there were very few women, and almost none existed as you moved up the ladder."Mariam expressesthatsupportforwomenwasincrediblylacking duringthefirstfewyearsofhercareer.Therewereno forumswherewomencouldconnect,receivesupportor shareexperiences.Shehadmanyfemalecolleaguesthat constantlyreachedouttohertosharetheirchallenges. Insteadofseeingthisasanobstacle,shethoughtabout takingchargeandmakingadifference.Tothatend,Mariam co-foundedthefirstwomennetworkatherprevious companyandopenedthefirstchapterinMontreal.Mariam receivedanoverwhelmingresponse,andpeopleworldwide becameinvolvedaskingtojointheMontrealchapter Asa result,shenegotiatedabudgettolaunch10otherlocal chaptersworldwide.Today,Mariamenjoysmentoring youngwomenandnewimmigrantstohelpthemintegrate intoorsucceedintheirworkplace.
When you're with TELUS, you're part of a network of giving.
The 10 Most Influen al Women in Supply Chain, 2022
Mariamexpressedthatsharingandcollaborationare integralpartsoflearningandgrowth.AtTELUS,shestrives forcontinuousimprovementandvaluecreation,ensuring thatsheisconstantlylearningandeducatingherself,her team,andthebusinessonthelatesttechnologies.Sheis alsosoughtaftertospeakateventssuchasSupplyChain DigitalorroundtableswithProcurementLeaders,Supplier Diversityevents,orwithinITSummitstodiscussthelatest issuesandtrendsintheITandDigitalspace.
Shesurroundsherselfwithagreatnetworkofcolleagues, andteammembers,enablinglearningandprofessional growth;shebelievesthatgivingbacktoherteam,TELUS, network,andsuppliersisaprivilegeandaresponsibilityto givebackwhatothershavedoneforher.
Mostrecently,Mariamhadtheopportunitytospeakat manyeventssharingherthought-leadershipaboutthe effectsofthepandemicanditsroleinacceleratingdigital transformationandaboutCloudtransformation,evolving strategybetweenprivate,public,single,andmulti-cloud vendors.Mariamisproudtobeathoughtfulcontributorto thesecriticaldiscussions.
MariamstatesthatTELUShaskeypillarsfromacultural evolutionfocusedoninnovation,growth,change, teamwork,andrisk.TELUSdrivesacollaborativework environmentthatfostersgrowthanddevelopmentin individualandteamcultureandinnovativeperspectives. Thisenvironmentencouragesteammemberstolookfor newopportunitieswhileapproachingrisk-takingwithan opportunisticandexperimentalmindset.Everyday innovationisfocusedonnurturingthemindset,behaviours, andenvironmentrequiredtoinspirethecouragetodrive innovationtoaculturalstandardacrossalllevelsandvalue chainsatTELUS.
Withrespecttoleveragingtechnologytodrivebusiness objectives,MariamhighltedthatTELUSiscommittedto makingthefuturefriendlybyconnectingCanadians throughtechnologicalsolutionsthatcreatevaluewithin communitiesandconnectingwithtechnologypartnersto advancethedigitaltransformationjourney
Agriculture:TELUSisonamissiontotacklesomeofthe mostsignificantsocialchallengesofthegenerationusing technologyforgoodandempoweringgrowthinagriculture andfeedingtheworldbyconnectingtheunderservedrural
worldwithcommunicationcapabilities.TELUSfostersthe exchangeofdigitizedinformationtohelpallpartiesoperate moreefficiently.Connectedsolutionsforfarmmanagement, optimizedprofitability,increasedefficiency,andinsights.
Healthcare:TELUSisstreamlininghealthrecordsand data,buildingpowerfuldigitalhealthcaretoolsfor hospitals,doctors,pharmacists,andmore,tohelpsupport healthcareproviders.TELUSheavilyinvestsinvirtualcare toaccessallCanadianstoreceivequalitycareanytimeand anywhere.TELUShasinvestedover$2.5Billionin healthcareinthelastdecades;ithas$12MillionCanadians coveredbyTELUSHealthBenefitmanagementsolutions.
Partnerships:TELUS'secosystemofpartnersiscrucialto Mariam.Thecompanyhasbuiltstrategicpartnerships, allowingittobuildsomeoftheworld'sfastest,highest qualitynetworkstoleadintheHealthcareTechnologyand CustomerFirstapproach.
Mariamlovesherworkandenvisionsherselfconstantly learningandgrowinginherspace,helpingshapeand changethesupplychainindustrytoadvanceitandsolve realproblems.Sheisproudtoassist"feedingtheworld"by improvingTELUS'foodqualityandsafetybyleveraging technologicalinnovationandhumancompassion.Sheis excitedtobeapartofthehealthcareinitiativethatwill impacttheworldpositively.Sheseesherselfmentoring supplychainprofessionals,fosteringadiversityand inclusivenessculture,andsoonleadingaprocurementor supplychainorganization.
Mariamadvisesup-and-comingentrepreneurstoprepare themselvesforawonderfulride.Shesays, "You are going to witness some of the greatest evolution in this space. We are entering the fourth industrial revolution that will challenge current ways of working and the need for some of the most pressing issues in the world. It is where entrepreneurs can use their experience and expertise to witness or drive some of the greatest changes in the supply chain space seen in several decades.”
Thereisawideworldouttherefullofopportunities thattestusineverypartofthejourney.Butalong withsuccess,whatfollowsopportunitiesis challenges.So,whatmakesthisjourneytolerablefor companiesandespeciallyforbusinessleaders?Itisthe transformationbroughtbytechnologythathaschangedthe lifeofeveryoneandmadethingseasierforus.The industrieswelcomethistransformation,andeventhe leadersareembracingit.Theimplementationofinnovation andtechnologyintheworkplacehascreatedmany opportunities,duetowhichcompaniesandleaderswere abletobringmuch-neededchangesintheirrespective sectors.Thisshowsthateverythingispossible-onlywith therightintent,knowledge,andtheapproachofalways learning.
Astheysay,ifyoustayinoneplaceforalongtime,you becomethatplace.Thatiswhyyouneedtokeepupdating, innovating,andre-innovatingyourselfcontinuously Today, thedrivetoturninnovativeintheirapproachhasbecomea necessityforleaders.Thisjourneygoesthroughalotof challenges,failures,andultimatelysuccesses.Butitisthe experiencethatmattersthemost.Evolvingaccordingtothe situationsandrisinginallthechallengeswilldefineyou.
Andtoday,thereisadireneedforbusinessesandleadersto leveragetechnologicaladvancementstothriveintheir domains.
Recently,thepandemicemphasizedtheneedtoembrace digitalizationasmanybusinesseshadtogodigital.The bottomlineisbusinessleaderswillalwayshavetobe preparedforsuchunprecedentedtimes,andtechnologyis oneofthefactorsthatwillkeepyouaheadofthecurve.
Aleaderwithdiversetalentisthefirstchoiceformany companies,anditisaboutamatteroftimethatitbecomesa criterionfortoday’sbusinessleader
Today,manyleadersarefocusedonbuildingtheir successfulbusinesscareersinthetechnologicalfield.The greatnewsisthatwearebuildingagenerationofbusiness leaderswhoarebringingachangetomakethisworlda betterplacetolive.SundarPichai,ElonMusk,JeffBezos, SteveJobs,etc.aresomeprominentnameswhohave broughtadrastictransformationinthebusinessworld.
Therearemanypossibilitiesbroughtbytechnological advancementsthatareyettobeexplored.Finally,wecan concludebysayingthatbycombiningtechnology, innovation,andbusinessacumen,businessleaderswill crosstheirpathswithtransformationstheywanttobringin thisworld.
Sincethestartofthepandemic,thesupplychain industryhasbeenfacingissuessuchasanonslaught ofshortages,disruptions,anddelays.Butcompetent leadersinthisindustryarecontinuingtonavigate challengesinthesupplychainindustrybyusingtheir knowledgeandexperience.Femaleleadersinthesupply chainindustrycontinuetoemergeandmakeanimpactin theindustrywithgoodmomentumandadoptingbest practices.Bybuildingrobustsupplychainsandreforming thesupplychainsector,womenleadersinthissectorare fuelinginnovationinthisindustry Theyarecreatinga brighterpathforthesuccessofthesupplychain community.Itisimportantforthesupplychaincommunity tocommunicatetheirmessagetoalargeraudienceabout theirservices.ThroughLet’sTalkSupplyChain,Sarah Barnes-Humphreyisbuildingaplatformthatgivesavoice tothesupplychaincommunity,seesthevisualimpactof diversityandinclusion,andfinallycreatessafespacesfor everyonetofeelheard.
Sarahhasspentthepast20yearsinthelogisticsandsupply chainindustrylearningeverythingshecan.Perseverance ledSarahtobecomeoneofthetopwomenleadersinthe SupplyChainIndustry.Shedoesn’tbelieveingivingup. Sheruns“Let’sTalkSupplyChain(LTSC),”anditisthe hottestsupplychainpodcastonthemarket.Sheisobsessed withthesupplychainandbelievesthat“Collaborationis thefutureofbusiness”,andwecanallwintogether
InitsLet’sTalkSupplyChainWomeninSupplyChain series,LTSCintroducesthefemaleleaderswhoare dominatingthesupplychainnowandunleashingbetter, smarteroutcomes.LTSCsharestheobstaclesthesewoman leadershaveconquered,giantleapsoffaith,andthe beginningsthatultimatelybroughtthemwheretheyare today,leadingbusinessesacrosstheglobalsupplychain.
FocusingontheWorkthatNeedstoBeDone
Sarahworkedforthefamilybusinessfor20years,took coursesonlinewhileshegothands-onexperiencein logisticsworkinginoperations,salesandthenultimately endedhercareerthereasDirectorofSalesandMarketing.
Beingtheoldest,sheovercamejealousyfromemployees becauseshewasthe“Boss’daughter”,shehadtrustissues aseveryoneshemethadanagendaorwantedsomething fromherasthe“Boss’daughter”.Theultimatechallenge camefromthedayherfatherclosedthedoorsofthe business.Shefeltforallcompany’semployeesand
customers.Shefeltsomuchloss,includingthefactthatshe wantedtorunthecompanyoneday,eversinceshewas16, andthatdaywastheworstdayofherlife.
Sarahhadalreadystartedthepodcastandhadclients countingonher,soeverydaythereafter,shejustkept everythinggoing.Shelearnedsocialmedia,graphics design,websitedesign,andeditingandwokeupeveryday byfocusingontheworkthatneededtobedone.
LTSCfeaturesbrandswithinthatsectorofthesupplychain onthepodcast,andnowitislendingitsplatformforbrands tohavetheirownshowswithabuilt-inaudience.Sarah believesthatitisveryimportantforbrandsinthesupply chainsectortotelltheirstoryandreallycommunicatetheir valuepropositionforthosetheycanhelp.Supplychain professionalsknowwhatisoutthere,andLTSCbringsthat tothemarket.
BeingacertifiedWomen-OwnedSupplyChaincommunity facilitator,LTSCvaluesdiverseperspectives.Beingopenminded,leaningintounderstand,alwayslearning,and trustingeachothertowantwhatneedstobedonefor everyone’ssuccessishowitdrivestheorganizationforward andstaysinnovative.
We use tech whenever and wherever it makes sense, always looking for new ways that we can support the brands in our industry to tell the best story and give the best information to our audience and our listeners.The 10 Most Influen al Women in Supply Chain, 2022
LTSC’sNon-Profit–TheBlendedPledgeisworkinghard toseethevisualimpactonstagesinaudiencesatindustry conferencesandindigitalcontent,soitisveryfocusedon DiversityandInclusion.Throughitssecondpodcast,called theBlendedPodcast,itbrings5peoplefromdifferentwalks oflifetogethertotalkopenlyandauthenticallyabout variousDEItopics.LTSCisalsofocusedonCollaboration beingthefutureofbusiness,bringingtheplayersinthe industrytogethertobringmoretransparency,visibility,and cohesivechain.
Sarahstatesthatorganizationswillbelookingatwherethey wanttohaverisksintheirsupplychaininthefuture.They willbasetheirfuturestrategiesoncompetingonsupply chainsagainsttheircompetitors,notjustproductmarketing. LTSCispreparingtobepartofthatchangebybuildingthe platformforvoicestobeheardsotheyallcanlearnfrom eachother'smistakes,challenges,andsuccesses.Sarah envisionsbuildingmore,creatingmore,andbeingchange agentsintheindustry
Sarahadvisesbuddingentrepreneurswhoaspiretoventure intotheSupplyChainIndustrytobuckleupbecauseshe saysthatitisquitetheride.Shesuggeststhemtochoose somethingthattheyreallyenjoybecauseshebelievesthat successinthisindustrydoesn’thappenovernight,andthey needtoovercomedoubts,unwantedadvice,naysayersetc. Sheadvisesthemtobelieveandlovewhattheyaredoing thatwillkeepthemmotivated.
Sarahherselfhasstartedandstoppedmanyventuresfrom gettingwheresheistoday.Shesuggestsbudding entrepreneurs, “Stay motivated, don’t quit, take small steps toward your goal every single day and stay flexible/open minded.”
VP, Customer Excellence for North America Unilever
hetraitofsubstantialbusinessleadersisthatthey
Tareenthusiasticaboutlearning,growing,and enhancingtheirskillsandabilitiesinallsituations. Theyalwayshavealearningmindset,andtheytransform challengesintoopportunitieswiththeirpositiveattitude. Suchattitudehelpsthemmakeasignificantdifferencein thebusinesstheyareleading.WendyHerrickisonesuch businessleaderwhoisalwayseagertolearn,growandis substantiallycontributingtothesupplychainindustry
WendywasrecentlyappointedastheVPofCustomer ExcellenceforNorthAmericaatUnileverafterhaving3 successfulyearsasHeadofDigitalSupplyChain.Wendy hashadmanylife-changingopportunitiesatUnilever,allof whichhaveplayedaroleinshapingtheleadersheistoday. Theseopportunitieshaveinfluencedhowshelooksat challengesandobstacles.Sheseeschallengesasbeautiful opportunitiesindisguise.Shesays, "The best way to master your head (thoughts) and your heart (emotions) is through challenging situations that enable you to learn, grow and strengthen your leadership acumen.”
Let'shavealookatherexhilaratingjourneyasaleader.
Wendyhadseveraljobsinhighschoolandcollege, whichwereallconsumer-facing,sothelearning startedveryearlyon.Shewastaughtthatthe customerisalwaysrightandlearnedthatbeinga manager/leaderofpeoplewasahardjobbutalso mostrewarding.Wendy'sjourneyasabusinessleader startedrightoutofcollegeatUnileverInternationalin Bristol,England.Sincethen,shehashadthe opportunitytoworkinbothfinanceandsupplychain rolesandliveinmanydifferentcountriesacrossthe
globe.Shebelievesinevolvingfromhavinga'know itall'mindsetto'learnitall'mindset.
Asoneoftheworld'slargestconsumergoodscompanies, Unileverisdrivenbyitspurposetomakesustainable livingcommonplace,withanambitiontobetheglobal leaderinsustainablebusiness,showingthatourpurposeled,future-fitbusinessmodeldeliverssuperior performance..ThisisengrainedinUnilever'scultureand expressedthroughits400brandsthattouchthelivesof over2.5billionconsumerseveryday
Unileveraimstobeaforceforgood–forpeopleandthe planet–andinvitesotherstojoinitinmakingtheworld abetterplaceforfuturegenerationstocome.Inits ClimateTransitionActionPlanithasoutlinedhowitwill achieveitscommitmenttozeroemissionsfromits operationsby2030.Additionally,viaitsClimate Promise,ithasinvitedsupplierstodemonstratetheir sharedvaluesandcommitmenttoreducingtheir greenhousegas(GHG)footprintasUnileverworksto achieveitsstretchinggoalofnet-zeroemissionsacross itsvaluechainby2039.
Wendyhaslivedandworkedinmanycountriesacrossthe globeandtakenonmanystretchingleadershiproles.This hastaughthertheimportanceofbeingself-awareand motivating,inspiring,andleadingthecompany'smost valuableasset–itspeople.Shebelievesthiscontinuous learninganddevelopmentofself,coupledwithaservant leadershipstyle,hasenabledhertomakeanimpactacross thebusiness.
The
Most influential women in supply chain,
WendyproudlymentionsthatUnilever'svaluesof integrity,respect,responsibility,andpioneeringarethe simpleststatementofwhotheyallareatUnilever These sharedvaluesliveineverythingUnileverdoes.
AsWendymentionedearlier,Unileverisapurposedrivencompany.PurposestartsatthetopwithAlanJope andpermeatesthroughouttheorganization.Every employeehasapersonalpurposestatementthatguides themontheirwork/lifejourney Wendy'spurpose"to inspirepeopletolive,love,laughandleavealegacy"has guidedherthroughouthercareer
Unilever'ssupplychainisattheheartofthebusinessof makingsustainablelivingcommonplace,whichfitswell withWendy'spersonalpurpose.Imaginebeingapartof thisheadline "Unilever changes the negative trajectory of our climate crisis - The world is safe for generations to come." That'salegacyWendywantstobepartof!
RespondingtoConsumerDemandsSustainablyand Cost-Effectively
Wendyhasexperiencedfirsthandhowintoday'sworld consumershavebecomeaccustomedtoreceivingany desiredgoodwithinafewdays,orevenhours.Supply chainsarehavingtoreinventthemselves.Unileveris workingtowards"makingtodaywhatitsoldyesterday", inordertobeabletorespondtocustomerandconsumer demandsinthemostsustainableandcost-effectiveway. Thedisruptiontheglobalpandemicbroughtconfirmed Unilever'sbeliefthatagilityiscritical.MarkEngel, Unilever'sChiefSupplyChainofficer,hasdriven strategieswhere "Agility trumps forecasting''.
Unileverhasalsohadtomakesomekeyinvestmentsto enableendtoendsynchronizationthroughdigital transformationprograms.ThroughitsDigitalTwins,it drivescognitiveautomation,leadingtosmarter,faster decisions.Andofcourse,thecompanymustinvestinits mostimportantasset,itspeople,byupskillingitstalentand buildingdigitalfluencyacrosstheorganization.
UnileverisconsistentlyimprovingitsSupplyChain agilitytobuildcapacityintelligentlyinitseco-system andfocusonchangingconsumerneedsandchannel shifts.Finally,Unilevermustensureitnurturesanecosystemofpartnerssothatitinnovatesandbuildsresilient solutionstowininthemarketplaceandachieveitsvision ofmakingsustainablelivingcommonplace.
MostSuccinctAdvicetoAspirantEntrepreneursin SupplyChain Inconclusion,Wendyimpartssomeexcellentpiecesof advicetoemergingentrepreneurs:
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“Unilever aims to be a force for good – for people and the planet – and invite others to join it in making the world a better place for future generations to come.”
