LEADERSHIP Conversations with the Captains of Industry How Moid Alwy Keeps the Wheels Turning
After nearly 20 years in supply chain roles at Target, Moid Alwy welcomed a new set of challenges in 2022, when he became executive vice president and chief supply chain of cer at American Tire Distributors (ATD). “The areas that added complexity at Target have to do with the breadth of the assortment,” Alwy says. “We were moving lipstick, bicycles, rugs, apparel. Here at ATD, our products are tires. And they’re round.” A simpler range of products eases some aspects of logistics. But wholesale distribution poses other kinds of puzzles. “Our complexity here is around our customers’ different delivery needs and preferences,” he says. Alwy recently gave us a look at what it takes to keep those 80,000 customers—auto repair and tire replacement shops throughout the United States—happily supplied with the products they need to run their businesses. IL : When you rst came to ATD, what items were at the top of your agenda? The company wasn’t keeping as much data then, or doing all the analytics we do today, to measure performance and understand where we want to go. I launched a comprehensive review of the business, using some metrics I’d used in my previous life. Also, I got out in the eld—both in our buildings to talk with our teams and in our customers’ retail shops—to see how they interacted with ATD. IL: Describe an event from your early career that helped to shape you as a leader. I went to school for mathematics and computer science, and in my rst job at Target I did modeling to help determine where to put new distribution centers. I enjoyed the supply chain and wanted to learn more, so my mentor suggested I become a front line leader in a DC. That new assignment put me in charge of the inbound day shift at a DC in rural Wisconsin, with 100 people reporting to me. In my rst three months, I probably made all the mistakes a leader can make. I’m lucky that I had strong leadership to coach me and tell me it was okay to make those mistakes. Stepping out of my comfort zone was the best thing I could have done, because that role was where I learned and grew the most.
Moid Alwy Chief Supply Chain Of cer American Tire Distributors
At his first job, Moid Alwy made all the mistakes a leader can make. Today, as chief supply chain officer for American Tire Distributors, he makes all the right moves, including building a strong team and guiding a compelling vision of the company’s future.
by Merrill Douglas
30 Inbound Logistics • January 2024
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