READERPROFILE
as told to Karen Kroll
Best of the Bunch
RESPONSIBILITIES: Oversee distribution, fulfillment, network design, inventory and demand planning, forecasting, transportation, logistics, safety, and facilities, among other functions. EXPERIENCE: Vice president, logistics and inventory management, Sleep Number Corporation; vice president, fulfillment and final mile, Ashley Furniture Industries; senior director, online operations and fulfillment, Sears Holding; director of distribution and logistics and logistics manager, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and senior operations manager, Amazon. EDUCATION: M.B.A., Sullivan University; B.S. Business Administration, University of South Carolina. SHAUN BUNCH is senior vice president of supply chain with Northern Tool + Equipment, which offers more than 100,000 tools—from air compressors to welding tables—through 130-plus stores, catalog, and website.
W hile interning with Walmart, I visited a distribution center in Monroe, North Carolina, and immediately knew this was where I wanted to be. There was so much going on: high- tech conveyors and de-palletizers, trucks coming in and out, people working on different things. I was hooked. Then, early in my days at Amazon, I learned the importance of being able to quickly change and try new things. As part of an operations team that launched multiple new buildings, I had the opportunity to teach and train new employees, open new facilities, and implement technology to go faster. As I grew in my career, I learned different aspects of the distribution network, including transportation, inventory management, and e-commerce operations. I got into
our customers are the ones who do the tough jobs. They kept the country running during the pandemic. They’re professionals and serious DIYers, who want pro-grade tools.
network design and the engineering that goes into guring out not just where you’re at, but how to skate to where the puck is going and build a network for the future.
The patience to try and fail is not easy, especially in a violently changing supply chain environment. But once you get it nailed down, you can execute fast.
We aren’t just a store trying to sell goods. We’re anchors in our communities and we keep the people who do these jobs working. I’m proud of our ability over the past few years to not just adjust, but also to be agile. We’re not a small ship, but we’re much smaller than the biggest ships. Those ships can weather some storms, but they’re also hard to turn.
When I joined Ashley Furniture, we worked on the customer experience from a customer lens, and not just an operations lens. We focused on enhancing the experience once the drivers and furniture arrived at customers’ homes. When you cross into somebody’s home, the experience is not just important; it’s sacred. At Northern Tool + Equipment,
18 Inbound Logistics • March 2023
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