by Fronetics | Jun 2, 2015 | Blog, Leadership, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
On average, men make more than women. Here’s why we need to change this and close the wage gap.
On average, men make more money than women. This is what we call the wage gap— the financial divide between the sexes. This is a complex issue, not one that has an easy explanation, but one that is deeply rooted in history, tradition, and culture. In a field that has been dominated by men, it is no surprise that women generally paid less than men in the supply chain.
We assume women have equal rights, given the number of anti-discrimination acts that have been passed, and protection from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on sex, national origin, color, race, and religion. However, somehow women are still paid less, and almost 95 years after the Equal Rights Act amendment to the constitution was introduced, and 45 years since the amendment was passed by Congress, it has still not been ratified by the necessary number of states.
Women occupy just 15% of editorial pages, corporate boards, and congressional seats, according to the OpEd Project. The US ranks 20th overall out of 142 countries in the 2014 World Economic Report Global Gender Gap Report which examines and ranks a country’s level of equality based on health, education, earning potential, and political empowerment. Breaking the data down even more, it was found that the US was ranked 65th in wage equality out of 142 countries studied. Given its status as a leading world power, and that women are gaining great strides in education, what do these rankings mean for the United States?
The complexity of the wage gap
The wage gap is complex. It’s not simply a matter of blatant discrimination. Some argue that the pay gap is not a gender gap but a motherhood gap. Women tend to work part-time more than men due to demands at home, and part-time workers get paid less on average. Because women are often tied to domestic responsibility (ranging from cleaning, cooking and childcare) they work fewer hours than men, on average. They take more breaks from continuous employment and therefore may have decreased opportunities to get promotions, and climb the ladder. According to the Wall Street Journal, “today, childless 20-something women do earn more than their male peers. But most are likely to cut back their hours after they have kids, giving men the hours, and income, advantage.”
According to Kevin O’Marah, chief content officer at SCM World, there are two factors deterring women from rising through the supply chain ranks: first is the intermittent work history some women have due to family care, “Every day is a chance to have a disaster. It’s very high pressure. Stepping out for even a couple of months makes it very hard to get back in.” Second, O’Marah points to information that shows that men apply for jobs they’re not fully qualified for, whereas women only apply for jobs for which they feel they are 100% qualified. According to O’Marah, “Men are typically promoted on potential they exhibit, whereas women are promoted on results. Men jump at opportunities, even if they don’t have the qualifications; women have a tendency to say: ‘I’m not ready for that’.” Could the “feminization of higher education” be the confidence builder and, eventually, the equalizer women need in the future?
Women are excelling in education in the US, not only in terms of enrollment numbers, but also in terms of grades. Females spend more time studying and typically get better grades, however it has been found that the return on investment on a college degree for women was lower than, or the same as, for men. According to The Economist, “Although women as a group are now better qualified, they earn about three-quarters as much as men. A big reason is the choice of subject: education, the humanities and social work pay less than engineering or computer science. But academic research shows that women attach less importance than men to the graduate pay premium, suggesting that a high financial return is not the main reason for their further education.”
Addressing the gap
We know there’s a pay gap. Why should we help lessen it, and how do we do it?
Understanding that equal pay for women is a benefit for everyone, not simply for women, is key. According to the Shriver Report, one third of American women live in poverty. This puts a strain on an entire family, and on our social support systems. If women are given the education, support, and opportunities to work we can help alleviate poverty, stimulate economic growth, strengthen the middle class, and secure our place as a leading country.
Colleges and universities can continue to recruit and encourage women to apply, matriculate, and graduate from business programs. Harvard’s Peek Program is encouraging women to get a taste of what an MBA is like as a means of encouraging growth in their program, which is currently 41% female. In 2014, for the first time, females made up more than half of Rutger’s MBA students. There are many degree and diploma programs in Logistics and Supply Chain Management cropping up across the country. Encouraging young women to pursue this interesting and lucrative field is critical. Assuming that women should be funneled into typically “female” occupations is perpetuating the assumptions, prejudice, and micro-aggressions we often find in discrimination.
In an article on closing the gender gap in the supply chain, Will Green writes of a future in which, “’forward-thinking firms’ will team up with schools to encourage girls to study science and engineering, while successful women in these jobs will act as role models.” These firms will allow for an environment that is friendly to work-life balance for women and men, permitting women to rise through the ranks, also allowing men to take more of a role in domestic life. These things combined may help to achieve a sense of equality for women in the workplace.
It will benefit everyone if we can remember that we all have a role and a stake in the health and growth of the supply chain, whether we are leaders, employers, employees, consumers, male, or female. Our ranking, our integrity, our success, and our future as a country depend on it.
by Fronetics | Jun 1, 2015 | Blog, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Don Firth discusses women in the supply chain
The supply chain needs women and women could benefit from the many, interesting, well-paying jobs in the field. However, the number of women working in the field is lower than ever. To dig deeper into the current state of women in logistics, Fronetics turned to industry expert, Don Firth, CEO of job boards including: Jobsinlogistics.com, JobsInManufacturing.com, JobsInTrucks.com and other influential niche job boards. Firth has over forty years’ experience in the field, including positions as SVP Logistics for Pathmark Supermarkets, and Partner of the logistics consulting practice of Deloitte, among others. He was the editor and chief author of the bestselling book, Profitable Logistics Management.
Firth provides history, context, and suggestions for women in the supply chain.
You’ve had a long, successful career in business. Can you talk a bit about this history, and your view of women working in the supply chain, or in business in general?
The profitability of an entire company relies on the supply chain. It’s a huge and often a neglected opportunity for companies.
As far as who chooses a career in the supply chain— it’s not a profession like medicine or law. Not many women think, “I must be in logistics, or in the supply chain.” It’s not a career most women think of, and it’s not a career men think of either.
Traditionally, most people in the supply chain started from the bottom and worked their way up. They may have gotten an entry job as a selector or forklift driver and worked their way up to supervisor, warehouse manager and then executive positions within logistics. But all that is changing. Many colleges are offering degrees in supply chain management or including logistics and supply chain courses in their curriculum, more and more men and women are choosing this as a career choice.
One barrier, for some women, is that many jobs in distribution centers require candidates to have the ability to lift 50 lbs. For example, in the food industry there are very large, bulky cases. Some women are very strong so they might apply. If you’re lifting 50lb cases multiple times an hour, that’s a lot. Some women could do it, but some women can’t. Some men can do it, and some men can’t.
Women make up 38% of the visitors to Firth’s website Jobsinlogistics.com and 32% of the visitors on his website Jobsintrucks.com. These numbers seem high compared to the amount of women in the field, perhaps because some spouses use the websites to find jobs for their husbands.
If I had to guess how many women were in logistics, I would say 20% to 30%. Whereas women working in warehouses may be as low as 10%, other positions such as business development, administrative, freight agents, dispatchers, inventory management, purchasing and supply chain analysts are significantly higher. These help women with lots of talent rise to the top.
So can we correlate that one reason why there might not be a lot of women in the supply chain is because women might not apply for lower level positions, and therefore don’t get an opportunity to rise up through the ranks to middle-management or upper- management?
Perhaps. This may be so for positions such as warehouse associates, maintenance workers, mechanics and drivers. These have traditionally been considered a “man’s world.” For these positions there may even be a bias, a reluctance to hire too many women because most of the people working in the field are men. It will take some time to change. But the times they are a changing for these traditional roles. I just returned from New York on a plane where the pilot was female. We are seeing a growing number of women getting their Class A driver licenses and we have many husband and wife teams registered on JobsInTrucks.com
Are there specific things you feel women can bring to the logistics field?
I have met many women who hold higher level positions in the supply chain. The one key factor they all have is the desire to succeed. They are able to look at the bigger picture of the supply chain and analyze the trade-offs related to different strategies. Those that are on the business development side of the business have great client relationship and social networking skills.
Is there a specific way you currently promote women, or could do so on your websites?
We want to encourage more women to enter the supply chain profession. We send out logistics bulletins to our registered passive and active candidates to provide them with information on how best to find their next career move. We encourage women to participate on our Facebook pages. For JobsInLogistics.com, 40% of the ‘likes’ come from women, yet only 17% on JobsInTrucks.com.
At the recent Mid-American Trucking Show, we were pleased to see significantly more women drivers visiting the JobsInTrucks.com booth. We list 28,000 open driver positions on our website Jobsintrucks.com. Everyone is looking for drivers.
This can be a taxing career role for women, especially on long haul routes, where drivers can be away from home for two to six weeks at a time. Often we see women drivers as part of a husband and wife team. Once people have children this profession can be hard. Family life impacts women and men, both, in this field. Single, young men see trucking as an adventure at age 21, but once they reach age 29 and have children, they want to spend more time with their families, thus contributing to a shortage of drivers.
There was a lawsuit in 1964, Weeks vs. Southern Bell, in which a female employee was suing because she was told she couldn’t apply for a higher paying job within the company. Mrs. Weeks was told the job went to men only because it required heavy lifting and women weren’t allowed to lift more than 30 lbs on the job. Do you see similar things happening in the logistics field, even today?
Wow that was over 50 years ago. Well, the laws have changed but I think the bias is still there. However it still falls back on the physical ability of both men and women to work on jobs that require heavy lifting or strenuous activity.
Do you still see a lot of prejudice against women in logistics?
Many companies are advertising for women in all areas. They’re being careful about hiring processes because of discrimination laws. In reality, I’m sure there is some bias for the heavy-lifting jobs. If people are looking at resumes and they see a female applying and a male applying for a heavy-lifting position, unfortunately I think they’ll interview the man first. On the supervisory level, it doesn’t matter if you can lift things or not. For other positions, I believe it’s a level playing field.
National statistics report that “in 2013, women who worked full time in wage and salary jobs had median usual weekly earnings of $706, which represented 82% of men’s median weekly earnings ($860),” which is in line with what is happening in logistics management. According to the Logistics Management report, “women still lag behind – earning a median salary of $86,370, while men with similar job descriptions pull in more than $100,000.” What do you think it will take to equalize the gender gap?
I don’t know what to think of the accuracy of these statistics, because there can be many factors that skew statistics, such as which companies are being compared, what type of jobs, where are the jobs located, what’s the career history, etc. However, I know that someone should not be looking at a woman with the same skillset as a man and say, “Ok I’m going to pay her less because she’s a woman.” Whereas I’m sure it happens, it’s just wrong.
What do you think about the future of women in the supply chain?
I think there’s going to be slow growth on the manufacturing floor, warehouse operations and in transportation. But I think the high level positions are very open for women. It requires a very analytical mind. Women are especially good at thinking through the many complex pieces of the supply chain. One of the best things about this work is that it’s not repetitive. Things change every day. I think people, men and women alike, will get hooked on logistics! Opportunities are there.
Females should be looking at the business schools that have supply chain courses. Once you have that degree you’re going to be starting at a managerial level. This can lead to salaries anywhere from $85k to $150k for leading supply chain professionals, with some earning more than $225k. Supply Chain salaries are going up tremendously because companies are realizing that supply chain is the key to profitability.
by Fronetics | Jun 1, 2015 | Blog, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Don Firth discusses women in the supply chain
The supply chain needs women and women could benefit from the many, interesting, well-paying jobs in the field. However, the number of women working in the field is lower than ever. To dig deeper into the current state of women in logistics, Fronetics turned to industry expert, Don Firth, CEO of job boards including: Jobsinlogistics.com, JobsInManufacturing.com, JobsInTrucks.com and other influential niche job boards. Firth has over forty years’ experience in the field, including positions as SVP Logistics for Pathmark Supermarkets, and Partner of the logistics consulting practice of Deloitte, among others. He was the editor and chief author of the bestselling book, Profitable Logistics Management.
Firth provides history, context, and suggestions for women in the supply chain.
You’ve had a long, successful career in business. Can you talk a bit about this history, and your view of women working in the supply chain, or in business in general?
The profitability of an entire company relies on the supply chain. It’s a huge and often a neglected opportunity for companies.
As far as who chooses a career in the supply chain— it’s not a profession like medicine or law. Not many women think, “I must be in logistics, or in the supply chain.” It’s not a career most women think of, and it’s not a career men think of either.
Traditionally, most people in the supply chain started from the bottom and worked their way up. They may have gotten an entry job as a selector or forklift driver and worked their way up to supervisor, warehouse manager and then executive positions within logistics. But all that is changing. Many colleges are offering degrees in supply chain management or including logistics and supply chain courses in their curriculum, more and more men and women are choosing this as a career choice.
One barrier, for some women, is that many jobs in distribution centers require candidates to have the ability to lift 50 lbs. For example, in the food industry there are very large, bulky cases. Some women are very strong so they might apply. If you’re lifting 50lb cases multiple times an hour, that’s a lot. Some women could do it, but some women can’t. Some men can do it, and some men can’t.
Women make up 38% of the visitors to Firth’s website Jobsinlogistics.com and 32% of the visitors on his website Jobsintrucks.com. These numbers seem high compared to the amount of women in the field, perhaps because some spouses use the websites to find jobs for their husbands.
If I had to guess how many women were in logistics, I would say 20% to 30%. Whereas women working in warehouses may be as low as 10%, other positions such as business development, administrative, freight agents, dispatchers, inventory management, purchasing and supply chain analysts are significantly higher. These help women with lots of talent rise to the top.
So can we correlate that one reason why there might not be a lot of women in the supply chain is because women might not apply for lower level positions, and therefore don’t get an opportunity to rise up through the ranks to middle-management or upper- management?
Perhaps. This may be so for positions such as warehouse associates, maintenance workers, mechanics and drivers. These have traditionally been considered a “man’s world.” For these positions there may even be a bias, a reluctance to hire too many women because most of the people working in the field are men. It will take some time to change. But the times they are a changing for these traditional roles. I just returned from New York on a plane where the pilot was female. We are seeing a growing number of women getting their Class A driver licenses and we have many husband and wife teams registered on JobsInTrucks.com
Are there specific things you feel women can bring to the logistics field?
I have met many women who hold higher level positions in the supply chain. The one key factor they all have is the desire to succeed. They are able to look at the bigger picture of the supply chain and analyze the trade-offs related to different strategies. Those that are on the business development side of the business have great client relationship and social networking skills.
Is there a specific way you currently promote women, or could do so on your websites?
We want to encourage more women to enter the supply chain profession. We send out logistics bulletins to our registered passive and active candidates to provide them with information on how best to find their next career move. We encourage women to participate on our Facebook pages. For JobsInLogistics.com, 40% of the ‘likes’ come from women, yet only 17% on JobsInTrucks.com.
At the recent Mid-American Trucking Show, we were pleased to see significantly more women drivers visiting the JobsInTrucks.com booth. We list 28,000 open driver positions on our website Jobsintrucks.com. Everyone is looking for drivers.
This can be a taxing career role for women, especially on long haul routes, where drivers can be away from home for two to six weeks at a time. Often we see women drivers as part of a husband and wife team. Once people have children this profession can be hard. Family life impacts women and men, both, in this field. Single, young men see trucking as an adventure at age 21, but once they reach age 29 and have children, they want to spend more time with their families, thus contributing to a shortage of drivers.
There was a lawsuit in 1964, Weeks vs. Southern Bell, in which a female employee was suing because she was told she couldn’t apply for a higher paying job within the company. Mrs. Weeks was told the job went to men only because it required heavy lifting and women weren’t allowed to lift more than 30 lbs on the job. Do you see similar things happening in the logistics field, even today?
Wow that was over 50 years ago. Well, the laws have changed but I think the bias is still there. However it still falls back on the physical ability of both men and women to work on jobs that require heavy lifting or strenuous activity.
Do you still see a lot of prejudice against women in logistics?
Many companies are advertising for women in all areas. They’re being careful about hiring processes because of discrimination laws. In reality, I’m sure there is some bias for the heavy-lifting jobs. If people are looking at resumes and they see a female applying and a male applying for a heavy-lifting position, unfortunately I think they’ll interview the man first. On the supervisory level, it doesn’t matter if you can lift things or not. For other positions, I believe it’s a level playing field.
National statistics report that “in 2013, women who worked full time in wage and salary jobs had median usual weekly earnings of $706, which represented 82% of men’s median weekly earnings ($860),” which is in line with what is happening in logistics management. According to the Logistics Management report, “women still lag behind – earning a median salary of $86,370, while men with similar job descriptions pull in more than $100,000.” What do you think it will take to equalize the gender gap?
I don’t know what to think of the accuracy of these statistics, because there can be many factors that skew statistics, such as which companies are being compared, what type of jobs, where are the jobs located, what’s the career history, etc. However, I know that someone should not be looking at a woman with the same skillset as a man and say, “Ok I’m going to pay her less because she’s a woman.” Whereas I’m sure it happens, it’s just wrong.
What do you think about the future of women in the supply chain?
I think there’s going to be slow growth on the manufacturing floor, warehouse operations and in transportation. But I think the high level positions are very open for women. It requires a very analytical mind. Women are especially good at thinking through the many complex pieces of the supply chain. One of the best things about this work is that it’s not repetitive. Things change every day. I think people, men and women alike, will get hooked on logistics! Opportunities are there.
Females should be looking at the business schools that have supply chain courses. Once you have that degree you’re going to be starting at a managerial level. This can lead to salaries anywhere from $85k to $150k for leading supply chain professionals, with some earning more than $225k. Supply Chain salaries are going up tremendously because companies are realizing that supply chain is the key to profitability.
by Fronetics | May 28, 2015 | Blog, Leadership, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., talks women in the supply chain and offers up career advice
Men hold 95% of top level supply chain positions within Fortune 500 companies. Outside the corner office things aren’t much better; between 70% and 80% of positions within the supply chain industry are held by men. Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., defies these statistics. Morris discusses her career and the gender gap in an interview:
Only a small percentage of top level positions in Fortune 500 companies are held by women. Within the supply chain industry this percentage is even smaller. How did you get to where you are today?
I’d like to say that I chose the supply chain, but the reality is that I stumbled into it. I was working in finance as a corporate controller when the company for whom I was working was purchased by Arrow. My position was eliminated; however, an individual within Arrow came to me and suggested that I stay with the company albeit in a different department. He suggested that I take my practical experience in finance and my expertise in making businesses better and “do something different.” I did do something different – I went from being a corporate controller to running a series of warehouses.
Products can be made, money can be invested, ideas can be brought to fruition, but without the supply chain everything stops. The supply chain provides routes to market; everything hinges on an effective supply chain.
I decided I need to identify what I needed to know so that I could sit at the table. I invested between 12 and 18 months in roles, from logistics to sales, throughout the company. When I started each role I identified what I could learn from the role, what I could contribute, and what milestone I could attain.
As one of the few women in the supply chain and one of the few women in an executive position what challenges have you experienced?
While I have had incredible mentors few have been women. There are, as you said, not a lot of women at the table. I would say that 90% of the time I am the only woman in the room.
What can women who are in the supply chain do to support each other and how can the supply chain attract more women to the field?
It is the responsibility of women to invest in each other and to help each other. This is important in building a better organization. A better organization is not about the numerical statistics related to diversity. A better organization is about better decision-making. Diversity is essential for companies; diversity enables better decision making and diminishes group think.
Change starts from the top down. If you are interviewing for a position and everyone is of the same gender and race, be bold – ask if inclusion is a top priority for the company. Ask what the company is doing to increase diversity.
The supply chain needs to be rebranded. The perception is that when you work within the supply chain you are a second class citizen. The reality is that in the absence of an effective supply chain the entire value proposition of a Company falls apart. This is what we need to get out there.
What career advice can you offer?
Every career decision you make needs to reflect your personal goals; focus on the culture of company and how the position will enable you in your career.
When you leave a job it needs to be for a purpose. You should never leave a job because you don’t like it, rather you should leave a job because you have achieved what you set out to do within that job.
If you don’t like your job, sit back and assess why you don’t like. When you determine this, change what you don’t like about the job.
One of the most common reasons people leave their job is because they don’t like their boss. This is not a reason to leave. Bad bosses provide more learning than good bosses. With bad bosses you learn what not to do – this is invaluable.
You manage your own career. As long as you continue to manage your career you will be happy. Once you stop managing it, you’ll be unhappy.
Cathy Morris is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc.. Morris leads strategic initiatives for Arrow, including global merger and acquisition activity. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in the computer products and electronic components distribution industry, having previously served as president of Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions segment after holding senior positions in support service, finance and corporate development.
Prior to joining Arrow in 1994, Morris held financial leadership roles in the banking and manufacturing industries. She is a board member and chairs the audit committee for Graftech International, and she is a member of the Global Leadership Council at Colorado State University and the YWCA’s Society of Women Achievers.
In March 2015 Cathy Morris, was named to the National Diversity Council’s 2015 “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.” This is the second consecutive year Morris has been honored with this distinction.
by Fronetics | May 28, 2015 | Blog, Leadership, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., talks women in the supply chain and offers up career advice
Men hold 95% of top level supply chain positions within Fortune 500 companies. Outside the corner office things aren’t much better; between 70% and 80% of positions within the supply chain industry are held by men. Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., defies these statistics. Morris discusses her career and the gender gap in an interview:
Only a small percentage of top level positions in Fortune 500 companies are held by women. Within the supply chain industry this percentage is even smaller. How did you get to where you are today?
I’d like to say that I chose the supply chain, but the reality is that I stumbled into it. I was working in finance as a corporate controller when the company for whom I was working was purchased by Arrow. My position was eliminated; however, an individual within Arrow came to me and suggested that I stay with the company albeit in a different department. He suggested that I take my practical experience in finance and my expertise in making businesses better and “do something different.” I did do something different – I went from being a corporate controller to running a series of warehouses.
Products can be made, money can be invested, ideas can be brought to fruition, but without the supply chain everything stops. The supply chain provides routes to market; everything hinges on an effective supply chain.
I decided I need to identify what I needed to know so that I could sit at the table. I invested between 12 and 18 months in roles, from logistics to sales, throughout the company. When I started each role I identified what I could learn from the role, what I could contribute, and what milestone I could attain.
As one of the few women in the supply chain and one of the few women in an executive position what challenges have you experienced?
While I have had incredible mentors few have been women. There are, as you said, not a lot of women at the table. I would say that 90% of the time I am the only woman in the room.
What can women who are in the supply chain do to support each other and how can the supply chain attract more women to the field?
It is the responsibility of women to invest in each other and to help each other. This is important in building a better organization. A better organization is not about the numerical statistics related to diversity. A better organization is about better decision-making. Diversity is essential for companies; diversity enables better decision making and diminishes group think.
Change starts from the top down. If you are interviewing for a position and everyone is of the same gender and race, be bold – ask if inclusion is a top priority for the company. Ask what the company is doing to increase diversity.
The supply chain needs to be rebranded. The perception is that when you work within the supply chain you are a second class citizen. The reality is that in the absence of an effective supply chain the entire value proposition of a Company falls apart. This is what we need to get out there.
What career advice can you offer?
Every career decision you make needs to reflect your personal goals; focus on the culture of company and how the position will enable you in your career.
When you leave a job it needs to be for a purpose. You should never leave a job because you don’t like it, rather you should leave a job because you have achieved what you set out to do within that job.
If you don’t like your job, sit back and assess why you don’t like. When you determine this, change what you don’t like about the job.
One of the most common reasons people leave their job is because they don’t like their boss. This is not a reason to leave. Bad bosses provide more learning than good bosses. With bad bosses you learn what not to do – this is invaluable.
You manage your own career. As long as you continue to manage your career you will be happy. Once you stop managing it, you’ll be unhappy.
Cathy Morris is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc.. Morris leads strategic initiatives for Arrow, including global merger and acquisition activity. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in the computer products and electronic components distribution industry, having previously served as president of Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions segment after holding senior positions in support service, finance and corporate development.
Prior to joining Arrow in 1994, Morris held financial leadership roles in the banking and manufacturing industries. She is a board member and chairs the audit committee for Graftech International, and she is a member of the Global Leadership Council at Colorado State University and the YWCA’s Society of Women Achievers.
In March 2015 Cathy Morris, was named to the National Diversity Council’s 2015 “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.” This is the second consecutive year Morris has been honored with this distinction.
by Fronetics | May 27, 2015 | Blog, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Mickey North Rizza talks women in the supply chain
As part of our series on women in the supply chain, I spoke with Mickey North Rizza, VP, Strategic Services at BravoSolution. Mickey holds the distinction of Top Female Supply Chain Executive. She has 25 years of senior-level procurement, sourcing and supply management experience. Mickey has also been an award-winning Supply Chain analyst with Gartner and AMR Research.
How did you get your start in the supply chain industry? (Similarly, why did you choose the industry?)
This is a fun story for me. At Michigan State, I was a Delta Gamma helping out our Anchor Splash team. My mission was to find a television that a local company would donate to the winning Fraternity. And of course, it had to be the largest and best TV on the market for the day. So, I pulled out the yellow pages, started calling around and found a few companies that were willing to help but would not donate. I learned to negotiate pretty quickly. At that time my major was prelaw – and I was bored. I looked into Material’s Logistic Management – an older term for Supply Chain and chose this as my major with two concentrations – Purchasing and Operations. The rest is as they say, history. Thank goodness Purchasing has evolved, as negotiating is just a minute portion, but for this young adult it made all the difference.
How did you get to where you are today?
I put in long career hours, learning everything I could from so many. My thirst for knowledge is still vast and that keeps me going and enjoying what I do. I also had some great mentors and some not so good leaders and coworkers. All of these individuals have taught me lessons in the business world – good and bad. I firmly believe that everyone has something to teach us – we just need to listen, process and apply it. Sometimes we internalize the lessons we learn and others we let go – but all are learning experiences for ourselves. In the analyst world we called it triangulation – someone can always use the knowledge you have gained and they in turn can impart knowledge to you – though you must listen to learn.
My mentors were the CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, Division Presidents, CPOs, Supply Chain Leaders, Business Unit leads, General Managers, Editors, Analysts, Marketing and Sales professionals and, yes, even many of the suppliers and vendors I have worked closely with over the years. Each has given me a reason to pause and consider at a particular point in time and that has somehow enhanced my career.
Lastly, I have a strong, close immediate family. My grandparents and parents set a great work example early. My parents continue to be a source of inspiration for me. My sister is an amazing woman in Technology and Consulting and a constant source of ideas as I listen to her stories. My husband, while in a very different profession, is awesome – he listens, coaches and gives me strength to achieve even more than I did yesterday. And lastly, Delta Gamma has taught me to be the best I can be, all the time and in every way possible.
Who do you see as leaders (female) within the supply chain industry?
I have broken up the leaders in a few categories because I think it is helpful in terms of their leadership and current positions.
Marketing
- Andrea Brody, BravoSolution
- Christine Crandell, New Business Strategies
- Elaine Benfield, Ariba/SAP
- Allison Crawford, Supply Chain Insights
Analysts
- Lora Cecere, Supply Chain Insights
- Noha Tohamy, Gartner
- Dana Stiffler, Gartner
- Maggie Slowick, Procurement Leaders
Procurement
- Lisa Martin, Teva Pharmaceuticals
- Stephanie Sklar Financial Services
- Cynthia Dautrich, Kimberly Clark
- Cathy Herr, Eli Lilly
Risk
- Jessica Sanchez, CR Bard
- Rose Kelly-Falls, Rapid Ratings
- Edna Conway, Cisco Systems
Supply Chain
- Linda Santus Topping, Colgate
- Stacey Lallier, J&J
- Kate Vitasek, University of Tennessee
What opportunities do you see for women in the supply chain?
The opportunity is vast. As more and more companies outsource, the supply chains become more complex. The complexity means that great technology becomes even more critical to ensure proper visibility, actionable solutions and knowledge management. Rolling this all together requires the soft skills of managing relationships internally as well as externally with our partners, the industry and also to manage the messages to the market. While business has traditionally been a man’s world, more and more women are now in businesses. Most women by nature have been relationship builders. They encourage, collaborate and innovate with others for the best outcome. It is only natural that these tendencies gravitate to the business world and most importantly into Supply Chain.
Challenges?
The challenges for women remain the same – breaking into the man’s world. While many women have done it, to be really successful women need to utilize some of the components of Lean In! In addition, women must be comfortable staking a claim on their position, working from this position as a leader and a coworker so that the company can achieve it greatest results. In many cases I know I have worked just as hard if not more so than my male coworkers, but I have also come to appreciate the lessons these men have taught me – work smarter, not harder; give it your all and expect perfection; take risks – never be afraid to fail because it is in failure you learn your greatest lesson and can apply it in the future; and always believe in yourself.
A final thought here is that we all can’t be perfect, but we can expect the best, believe in the best, give our best and achieve excellence. But you have to DO IT!
Any advice for women considering the supply chain?
Yes, go for it! The Supply Chain world needs you! Look at University programs such as Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers, University of Texas, Arizona State University are just a few of a huge laundry list that ISM has on their website. In addition, groups like CSCMP, Procurement Leaders, ISM, SIG and many others offer continuing education courses to enhance your knowledge of Supply Chain. And for those that like to read, there are many great books out there (I am happy to supply a few of my favorites).
Any advice for the industry itself?
Yes, embrace women in Supply Chain. Their abilities are superb and when you select the right one, she can bring your company greater value than ever imagined. But you must watch, listen, learn, coach and offer opportunities to excel. And lastly, be a mentor to those that have a spark, work hard and apply themselves to make a difference. Man or woman, the Supply Chain of the future depends upon the perfect mix of talent. And as we know, Supply Chain talent is experiencing a shortage.
Mickey North Rizza is VP, Strategic Services at BravoSolution, assisting clients to bring & deliver more impactful value in Procurement, Sourcing and Supplier Relationship Management. She developed the first Procurement alignment tool, called BravoAlign that has aided many clients on their supply management excellence journey.
Prior to joining BravoSolution, Mickey was a Research Director for the Procurement and Sourcing practice of the Supply Chain Team at Gartner and AMR Research. She was an award winning supply chain analyst during her 7 year tenure and is still a highly popular thought leader and speaker in Supply Management.
Prior to becoming an analyst Mickey was a practitioner for 22 years. Her practitioner career includes Moduslink Corporation, where she held the positions of Vice President of Global Supply Base Management and Director of Procurement and Sourcing. At Moduslink, she was responsible for implementing strategic sourcing programs, driving strategic positioning of procurement and materials in Europe and the Americas, and introducing new procurement technology.
Mickey also worked as a Materials Manager at M/A-Com, Inc. a division of Tyco International. While at M/A-Com, Mickey developed and implemented strategic procurement plans and integrated roadmaps to accompany a supply chain model. In addition, she introduced a pilot manufacturing resource management system.
During her career, Mickey also worked as a Purchasing Manager at Advanced Techcom, Inc., Innova Corporation and Motorola; and was also a buyer & sourcing agent at AM General, a division of LTV Missiles and Electronics and Grumman Olson.
Mickey is a member of the Institute for Supply ManagementTM. She is a founding member of the ISM Supply Chain Risk Management Group, which she chairs for 2015. She was voted Top Female Supply Chain Executive 2013. Mickey is an active nonprofit volunteer with her work at ISM, as a Delta Gamma Foundation Trustee and Secretary (2006-2009) and her past board work with Lowell’s Boat Shop in her home town of Amesbury, MA.
Mickey earned a B.A. in Materials Logistic Management from Michigan State University.
