SUPPLYCHAINP.O.V. Brent Hagan Puts His Stamp On Direct Mail Delivery
as told to Karen Kroll
S uccess when joining an established organization like Lob, a technology- enabled logistics network for direct mail, requires balancing fresh perspectives with a deep respect for the people who built the business. I recognize the expertise of the team—they are the experts in our industry, our customers, and the culture that makes Lob unique. At the same time, I believe a few leadership principles must remain constant. The first is maintaining absolute clarity on what must be true for us to achieve our goals and then aligning our actions accordingly. I never want our current circumstances to become a constraint on our ambition. Instead, we should start with the outcome we want to achieve, identify the critical conditions required for success, and then systematically close the gaps between where we are today and where we need to be. It all starts with creating a shared vision and ensuring the entire team is aligned around it. I encourage my teams to continually ask: ‘What went right? What went wrong? What did we learn? What are we going to do differently? And how will we measure whether it’s working?’ ADAPTING GEMBA WALKS TO A VIRTUAL WORLD Over time, that discipline creates a culture of continuous improvement. In manufacturing and distribution environments, I’ve always been a strong believer in Gemba—the practice of
WHAT I DO Lead the end-to-end strategy and execution of Lob’s logistics, manufacturing, and operations functions, bridging traditional supply chain disciplines with innovation to redefine how companies connect with their customers through automated and data- driven direct mail
going to where the work is happening. I spend time alongside my teams observing processes, understanding challenges firsthand, and helping solve problems at their source. At Lob, I’ve had the opportunity to adapt those same principles to a very different environment. Rather than walking a factory floor, I’m leading through a virtual organization and a third-party supply chain network. The fundamentals remain the same— stay close to the work, understand the facts, solve problems at the root cause, and continuously improve. Applying those principles in a technology-enabled, distributed operating model has been challenging and incredibly rewarding. BUILDING A PROBLEM-SOLVING MINDSET Even coming out of high school, I had a general sense of what I wanted to do, thanks in large part to the influence of my older brother and my dad. Both built
“ Developing young leaders is one of the accomplishments
I am most proud of. ”
BRENT HAGAN Chief Supply Chain Officer, Lob.com
20 Inbound Logistics • July 2026
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