National Supply Chain Day, celebrated annually on April 29, honors the role of global supply chains in our everyday lives. To commemorate the holiday, we wanted to highlight several supply chain professionals who are shaking up the industry.
Here’s what they had to say about supply chain management, Overhaul’s goals, and our predictions for the industry’s future.
Barry Conlon, Chief Executive Officer
Barry Conlon founded Overhaul in 2016 with the goal of creating a comprehensive supply chain risk management and visibility solution.
“I have a keen interest in supply chain going all the way back to my first career in the military,” he said. “The origins of all things supply chain are rooted in military history. This fact is moralized in Napoleon’s famous adage, ‘Armatures discuss tactics, Generals discuss logistics’.”
This military background came into play when choosing Overhaul’s mascot, the eagle, lovingly nicknamed Larry. Inspired by the 101st Airborne shoulder flash, one of the most storied military units in the world, Larry is meant to embody Overhaul’s bird’s-eye view of the industry.
“Eagles also carry significance in Celtic mythology,” Conlon said. “A lone eagle is said to be an early warning sign, which represents our risk management DNA.”
The creativity that went into this decision directly links to what Conlon most enjoys about supply chain.
“Every day is different and brings unique challenges,” he said. “The environment demands creativity and invention. And going forward, as significant automation is driven by AI, we’ll be able to fully harness that creativity and become an even greater driver of change.”
Pat Stoik, Chief Risk Officer
Pat Stoik began consulting for Overhaul in March 2020 before joining full time in July 2020. He’s insured various parts of the industry for 38 years, from manufacturers of goods to logistic providers and vessel owners.
Like Conlon, Stoik believes that the future of supply chain will heavily involve automation.
“This will especially apply to the visibility of loads at the various stages of the chain,” said Stoik. “Whether on a plane, vessel, truck, or at a warehouse, it will become more critical to have real-time visibility of goods.”
Going forward, Stoik is especially interested in the trend where shippers push insurance requirements for high valued goods onto their logistics provider.
“Risk management includes ‘Risk Transfer,'” said Stoik, “which can be via insurance or contractual methods, and this includes both. As a risk management professional and longtime underwriter, I see Overhaul’s visibility solutions dramatically improving our customer’s risk profile, allowing them to accept this contractual risk transfer and then seek a more competitive insurance solution, creating opportunities for Overhaul’s insurance division.”
Frankie Mossman, Chief Customer Officer
Frankie Mossman, who started with Overhaul in May 2019, has been in supply chain for over 25 years.
“I’m drawn to the complexity of it all,” said Mossman, “and the fact that you’re not solving problems internal to your organization. You’re working collaboratively with your customers and supply base.”
As supply chains continue to evolve, Mossman believes three main areas are key: sustainability, increased global coordination, and digitization.
“Corporate responsibility, buyer demand, and economics will continue to propel companies to look at options to reduce carbon footprints,” said Mossman. “They’ll need to look at alternate ways to source raw materials. There has also been a lot of talk of bringing supply chains back to a regional focus, which will require coordination and a focus on resiliency. Finally, tomorrow’s supply chains will need to be able to orchestrate the flow of information across their entire ecosystem, which requires increased automation.”
Amy Campbell, Chief People Officer
Amy Campbell started working for Overhaul in 2016 when the company was just launching. Her favorite thing about the industry is the opportunity to leverage technology to make real, valuable, lasting impacts that can truly help people.
“The industry is so dynamic and multi-layered,” she said. “There honestly is never a dull moment in our work. There is always something to do, learn, and improve.”
She was especially drawn to Overhaul’s mission and the work we’re doing to evolve supply chain. She believes that our mascot Larry fully embodies the industry’s needs.
“Among many other meaningful things, eagles are a symbol of loyalty, freedom, hope, courage, protection, and foresight,” she said. “There is not a better symbolic metaphor to represent who we are and what we are aiming to do in the world of supply chain.”
Karin Stevens, EVP, Chief Marketing & Product
Karin Stevens originally joined Overhaul in the early part of 2016. She especially enjoys diving into the industry and understanding the buyer mindset.
“Customer satisfaction is intrinsically linked to meeting delivery and quality expectations,” she said. “Understanding how products are built and moved throughout the world and identifying opportunities to help logistics, transportation, and security teams deliver on their customer promises (in some cases, delivering life-saving products), continues to be truly meaningful work.”
Stevens believes that people are key to the future of supply chains, and she credits Overhaul’s diverse, skillful team to the company’s success.
“We don’t always know what is around the corner and what may impact supply chains next,” said Stevens. “However, the people that work in this industry are resilient and well-versed at dealing in the unpredictable. So, a favorite thing about working in supply chains is many of the people who make it all happen.”
If you’re interested in getting involved in supply chain, check out some advice from our women leaders at Overhaul. Afterwards, head on over to our career page to see if any of our openings are a good fit.
