Not ‘One of the Guys’: The changing face of supply chain leadership
By Carol Miller, MHI Vice President of Marketing and Communications Services
“How do you know you’re at a supply chain event? Because the women are walking straight into the restroom, but there’s a line for the men’s room.”
– 25-plus year supply chain veteran Michelle Livingstone of Home Depot
Admit it. You laughed because, well, it’s true. But the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry takes that observation very seriously. That’s because publications like the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics predict that—in a scant three years—there will be 1.4 million new jobs created in our field. And to fill those jobs, the industry must find ways to attract demographics that, historically, haven’t comprised a significant part of its workforce.
Among those prospective groups are women. The Roadmap suggests that for the industry to meet its hiring challenges by 2025, “women should account for a significantly increased percentage of the material handling and logistics workforce.”
But how?
To get some ideas, MHI Solutions talked to seven women who’ve established successful supply chain careers. All are enthusiastic about their experiences in the industry and the opportunities each has had. And, they’re eager to share their insights in hopes of encouraging other women to join their ranks.
Here are some of their thoughts about the appeal of a supply chain career, factors that have contributed to their workplace successes and how the industry as a whole might entice more women to consider the field.
