Women’s History Month – Supply Chain Style

This month we recognize and celebrate the role of women in America and I am lucky enough to learn about the many women who are making great contributions in supply chain management as part of my job. When we started Inbound Logistics magazine 40 years ago, men primarily managed the transportation discipline.

Today times are different and women play a large role in this sector, holding high-level positions, managing complex networks, and overseeing large workforces. We’re proud to have spotlighted many women during the past four decades who are making history by driving supply chain excellence for their companies and customers. Here’s a glimpse at a few of them:

“I wouldn’t call myself a feminist by any means, but we do have to work harder,” says Jessica Yurgaitis of Industrial Supply Company. “There has been a lot of progress for women in the work world, but not enough.”

When starting out in procurement, Yurgaitis learned how supply and procurement excellence ensures the best customer relationship possible. She’s CEO now and a supply chain career path took her there.

Anne Meyrose lives by this credo: “Ensuring the company’s logistics network moves the right product, to the right place, at the right time, bringing each brand’s vision to life.” Anne is now vice president of logistics and control tower with The Gap, but her career path reads like that of three people: she’s had roles ranging from senior director, transportation to transportation service operations manager to analyst, methods and programs to transport specialist, outbound transport, and store services. Her well-rounded experience clearly makes her a valuable asset for The Gap.

Sherry Liu worked her way up from inventory planner to vice president international supply chain with CarParts.com. “After college my goal had been to become a diplomat and learn more languages—I speak Mandarin, Taiwanese, and English—and then explore the world.” She leveraged those talents and worked with new management to transform CarParts.com.

“As a female executive, balancing work and home can be challenging,” Liu says. “I don’t have a great strategy, but once I’m home, I try to put my phone down and focus. Then once my kids are in bed, my third shift starts, when I call overseas vendors.”

“I was probably one of the first women in trucking 26 years ago,” says Amy Davis. She worked her way up the chain and is now president of Cummins New Power. “Cummins took a chance on me years ago,” she says. “I don’t have a science or supply chain background.”

These are just a few of the women making history this month—and every month—in supply chain.