Many major companies are tapping into their supply chain talent to fill major leadership positions.
Shariq Mansoor, founder of FusionOps, highlighted the trend in a guest post for Supply Chain Dive.
Here are four things to know.
1. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, was the obvious choice to replace his predecessor Steve Jobs due to the knowledge and experience he acquired in his former role as COO. Mr. Cook had a full view of Apple's supply chain and used that information to restructure manufacturing operations and boost profits, ultimately propelling him to his role as CEO, according to the report.
2. Other companies have following this trend. Last year, Lego's former COO Bali Padda took over as CEO, and Target Corp. recently hired a new senior vice president of network planning and operational design who formerly held a leadership role in Wal-Mart's supply chain department.
3. Mr. Mansoor believes no one is more equipped to run a company — and predict upcoming challenges — than supply chain leaders. These experts are already capable of handling disruption and adversity, he said, and hold a complete understanding of the company.
4. The greatest opportunities to improve business also lie in the supply chain, according to Mr. Mansoor. Digital transformation, like cloud technology or big data, allows for more automation, better insight and immediate responsiveness in the supply chain. This adds a lot of value to an organization and puts supply chain leaders in a good position to receive "one heck of a promotion," said Mr. Mansoor.
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