LEADERSHIP Conversations with the Captains of Industry How Erin Mitchell Grows a People-First Powerhouse
Erin Mitchell is chief operating of cer with YMX Logistics, which provides integrated yard logistics for enterprise shippers. She joined the company in early 2024, after more than 20 years with Kraft Heinz, where she had risen to vice president, logistics, and head of network transformation. “I was ready for something different, and this was about as different as I could get,” Mitchell says, noting that she was the second employee at YMX. “You go from a large enterprise at the top of the food chain to a company that you’re building from scratch.” In her current role, Mitchell oversees yard and trucking operations, human resources, IT, customer success, engineering, and eet safety and maintenance. Here’s how she approaches her leadership role in a company that’s growing quickly amidst an uncertain business environment. IL: When you were named a 2025 Top Women to Watch in Transportation by the Women in Trucking Association, you said transportation and logistics are at an in ection point. Can you expand on this? Much of this is driven by decision fatigue. Manufacturers, shippers, and warehousing and transportation providers have numerous macroeconomic challenges with tariffs and supply chain unpredictability. To meet these challenges, they’re looking to technology. And that means making often signi cant investment decisions in an environment where the number of technology and automation options available can get overwhelming. Many people just need something simple that works and that they can execute quickly. We provide turnkey solutions to our customers, so they can focus on the bigger challenges in their supply chains. IL: How is the uncertainty in the current business environment impacting how you approach your leadership role with YMX? We need to be nimble and exible. We need to listen and engage with our customers, at all levels, so we understand their needs and challenges. We train our frontline workforce and drivers so they’re engaged in and observant of all that’s going on at their sites. We provide feedback mechanisms so workers and drivers can let us know what they see happening at the sites.
Erin Mitchell, COO, YMX Logistics
Erin Mitchell is building a company from scratch in a time of supply chain uncertainty, leveraging technology and a unique leadership style to drive growth and keep her team motivated.
by Karen Kroll
10 Inbound Logistics • September 2025
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