Job title: Manager North American Distribution Operations
Department: Customer Logistics
At Henkel since: 1997

How did you get to work with Henkel?
I was recruited by Henkel when they visited a new distribution center that my former company had recently built. Shortly after this benchmarking visit, Henkel contacted me with an opportunity in their new distribution center in Avon, OH. I left my former employer where I worked as the Distribution Center Manager and went to work with Henkel.

What does your day-to-day business look like?
My role has changed over the past year. I currently work more on the strategic side of the operation rather than the day-to-day execution role. However, I remain focused on improving customer service, reducing costs, and insuring a safe working environment for our Partners.

Did you have personal responsibility from day one?
Actually, I came from a position of a DC Manager and took a step back in my career for a better growth opportunity and became a DC Coach here at Henkel.  After a year, I was promoted into the DC Manager role.  Since day one I had responsibility for people, assets, service, etc.

What further professional training programs have you take part in while with Henkel?
I’ve attended numerous seminars, e.g. an MRP workshop through APICS, Zenger Miller Leadership Training, Six Sigma Training to become a Green Belt, and various other leadership and/or continuous improvement workshops.

What piece of advice would you give to people starting at Henkel?
Get involved with the business, focus on your communication, be aggressive, and constantly focus on continuous improvement. In a good company like Henkel, there are always opportunities for improvement.

What about the term "learning on the job"?
I had the distinct privilege to move from a logistics function into a manufacturing role and return back to logistics during my career at Henkel. They expected me to move into the manufacturing role, make an impact, and expand my expertise. During the years in the manufacturing role, I was personally challenged and gained a lot of good experience because that wasn’t the background I had from my former job. Because of my time in manufacturing, I approach my function in logistics differently. To sum it up I can say, "Challenge everything!"