They may not be as visible as a Carly Fiorina, a Steve Jobs or a Jack Welch, but they're arguably just as influential. Behind the scenes in corporate America are tens of thousands of business logistics professionals responsible for starting the engines of U.S. commerce each day.
Working quietly in their midst are the high achievers: professionals—whether academic consultants, practitioners, entrepreneurs or vendors—who stand out from the crowd like a lone red umbrella in a field of blue. These are the men and women who have not only made it to the top of their profession, but in doing so, have also moved the entire discipline forward. They are the rainmakers.
Welcome to DC VELOCITY's first annual Rainmakers report. Each June, we'll profile a collection of professionals who have excelled in their work and along the way, advanced the profession. This year, we've also asked each candidate to answer two questions: "What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?" and "What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?" Their answers appear below.
The rainmakers are selected based on nominations from members of the DC VELOCITY Editorial Advisory Board.
Tom Speh
Tom Speh is the associate dean of business at Miami (Ohio) University, where he teaches logistics and supply chain management. Speh has published articles in the Harvard Business Review, The Journal of Marketing and The Journal of Business Logistics. He is the current president of the Council of Logistics Management and a past president of WERC.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: I think it is being the only individual to be president of both the Council of Logistics Management and the Warehousing Education and Research Council.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: The inability to manage relationships in the supply chain, which is caused by archaic management thinking, a short-term focus stimulated by Wall Street expectations, inappropriate performance metrics and a misunderstanding of how to mesh corporate cultures.
Maria McIntyre
Maria McIntyre is the executive vice president and COO of the Council of Logistics Management (CLM). Her efforts in the logistics profession were recognized last year when she was awarded the Salzberg Medallion from Syracuse University's School of Management.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: Repositioning CLM for the future—the new reality—a changing market. Asking our members,through focus groups and surveys, what they think is important to them … what they would like to see our organization do that can support them more and keep them better informed. Then producing research and educational programs to meet those needs.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: Defining supply chain management and how it relates to logistics. People today use the terms interchangeably. I believe there are differences—I have seen titles change from VP of Logistics to VP of SCM, with no change to the title holder's responsibilities! I believe we need to define what SCM really means, establish a base line of understanding and help educate the profession on the differences.
Christopher B. Lofgren
Christopher B. Lofgren, president, chief executive officer and board member of Schneider National Inc., has overall responsibility for the company's business strategy, growth and profitability. Schneider National is a $2.6 billion provider of transportation and logistics solutions and is the largest truckload carrier in North America.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: My most important accomplishment was becoming a member of the great team of associates we have here at Schneider National. The many accomplishments of this fabulous company and my accomplishments stem from the fact that I am part of a place that delivers value and pragmatic excellence to our customers.
A: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: To continue connecting supply chains to their customer and supplier communities. Our customers are beginning to implement and really understand the benefits of collaborative logistics practices.
Bruce R. Abels
Though he started his logistics career at a manufacturing company, Bruce R. Abels, president of Saddle Creek Corp., went on to build two successful warehousing- based third-party logistics ( 3 PL) companies that today report more than $100 million in annual sales each. Abels was also the first president of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), serving in that capacity for three terms.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: I think I have three really special accomplishments: First was building and leading management teams that propelled two companies (Saddle Creek and Unit Distribution) from small companies to sizable 3PL players. Second was building a state-of the-art distribution system at American Can's paper business in the 1970s. Third was being the first president of WERC.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: Developing trusting, open relationships among supply chain participants where all can win, as opposed to one party's taking advantage of others.
Dr. C. John Langley Jr.
Dr. C. John Langley Jr., the Logistics Institute Professor of Supply Chain Management and director of supply chain executive programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been president of the Council of Logistics Management. He has co-authored several books, including The Management of Business Logistics.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: To have been a recipient of the Council of Logistics Management's Distinguished Service Award and the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Penn State University's Business Logistics Program.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: There are several. The lack of focus on the customer. The ineffectiveness of a ttempts to collaborate with others in the same organization as well as throughout the supply chain. Chronic ineptness at measurement and evaluation. Lack of understanding of what it takes to achieve true supply chain optimization. Inadequate understanding and lack of appreciation by corporate—level executives of the cost reductions, revenue enhancements and differentiation from competitors that may result from effective supply chain management.
Ann Elliott
As president and CEO of Solertis, a consulting and project management firm, Ann Elliott helps her clients reach new levels of excellence while driving millions of dollars of cost out of their infrastructure. She has also taken on leadership roles in the Council of Logistics Management and the Warehousing Education and Research Council.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: My greatest accomplishment continues to be the quality of service and results provided to clients. For example, we worked with a $3.5 billion food distribution company to reduce case costs by 52 percent, decrease order fulfillment errors by 53 percent and increase productivity by 30 percent.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: The biggest obstacle is the failure to achieve true collaboration— to go beyond "lip service" and PowerPoint slides. We have to focus on what is possible when powerful alliances are built between some of the country's top manufacturers.
John Hill
John Hill, a principal and board member of consulting and systems integration firm ESYNC, co-founded and served as a chairman of the Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM) trade association. A founding member of the Distribution Research & Education Foundation's Distribution Symbology Study Group as well, Hill has served as president of the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. and the Material Handling Institute Inc. He currently serves on the Material Handling Industry of America's board of governors.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: Ground-floor participation with a solid group of technical and business professionals in initiating, developing and deploying new technology (bar codes and radio-frequency identification) and systems (WMS) for logistics performance improvement—tempered somewhat by the length of the gestation periods, but nonetheless gratifying in that I'm still around to savor their growing contribution to supply chain excellence.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: Superficial opportunity analysis and project management. Twenty years ago, the concern for many was supply chain technology's availability and readiness. Today, however, the myriad alternatives available have become the supply chain's Achilles' heel—all too frequently contributing to market confusion, lengthy project cycles, unnecessary and risky customization, higher costs and sub-optimal results.The constraint is no longer technology, but rather the inability of many organizations to objectively quantify potential, articulate requirements, assess the alternatives, set achievable objectives and effectively integrate the technology that's available.
Larry M. Sur
Larry M. Sur is CEO and co-founder of IOgistics Inc., a worldwide knowledge-based logistics company that offers a range of contract logistics services. Prior to forming IOgistics Inc., Sur spent 23 years at Schneider National, where he served in many top leadership positions. In 1993 he founded and served as president of Schneider Logistics, a position he held for six years. In 2001, he received the Salzberg Medallion for achievements in logistics and transportation.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest personal/professional accomplishment to date in the logistics field?
A: I have had the wonderful opportunity to lead outstanding teams in the development of two best-in-class logistics companies. Schneider Logistics was formed in 1993 and became a leader in the 3PL industry. The current company is one I co-founded in 2000, IOgistics. IOgistics is a full-service non-asset based logistics company. Our non-asset approach allows us to focus solely on providing savings and service for our customers.I am privileged to lead IOgistics' superb team of logistics engineering and operations professionals.
Q: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to greater supply chain optimization in the logistics field?
A: The logistics industry in the United States has done a terrific job over the past 20 years at reducing cost and improving service, resulting in a better standard of living for all of us. In the future, I see a continuation of that leadership, but there are obstacles that must be faced. As the world becomes smaller and more dangerous, and logistics more global, the issue of cargo security is a must-solve problem. Addressing cargo securi ty while reducing cost is possible if we apply technology and shared information systems. In the past, we have found that threats can become opportunities for those who solve them with technology implemented by skilled people.
