Smith School Honors Leaders for Freight Transportation Contributions at Annual Industry Day

Jeffrey N. Shane, under secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Ron Widdows, chief executive of global transportation company APL Ltd., received the joint 2006 Person of the Year Award from the Smith Schools Logistics, Transportation and Supply Chain Management (LTSCM) Society and the Supply Chain Club (SCC) on Oct. 27 in a ceremony at the university's Stamp Student Union Grand Ballroom.

Jeff and Ron are honored for boosting the visibility of freight transportation in the public-sector transportation community, which has historically focused on commuter and traveler issues, said William DeWitt, Professor of the Practice, Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Management at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Both leaders are committed to creating awareness and understanding of the significance of freight transportation in United States logistics and supply chains a significant departure from the past and a critical initial step to building the capabilities needed in the future to maintain our country's global competitiveness.

Shane and Widdows accepted their awards along with model freight trucks sporting the Terps logo and Maryland T-shirts then each addressed the audience of students, faculty, staff and industry recruiters gathered in the Stamp Student Union Grand Ballroom. Both were honored with this years award because of their great partnership in facing current transportation challenges. Shane and Widdows have brought shippers and other key freight transportation stakeholders into the public transportation arena with U.S. Department of Transportation sessions, National Academies Transportation Research Board presentations, and by garnering attention from trade publications.

The pair first started working together just over two years ago, when Widdows along with a group of clients that included representatives from companies such as Dell, Nike, Federated Department Stores, Pier 1, Johnson & Johnson and others approached Shane to discuss international supply chain issues. Shane said it was rare to have visits from users of the transportation system, offering a good chance for feedback to evaluate how the system was working.

Widdows spoke about working with Shane to address the challenges faced by the industry. Globalization has brought about significant changes to supply chains, he said. As CEO of APL, Widdows is responsible for the commercial, financial and all operational and regional activities of the APL liner organization. He is based in Singapore, home of APLs parent, Neptune Orient Lines, and knows firsthand about the issues all countries are dealing with the need for new infrastructure, how to cope with growth, and intermodal transportation. These are not problems that can be easily solved, he said, acknowledging it will take policy changes and industry support.

Transportation and supply chain management will be more challenging in the next five years, in the U.S., Widdows said. Globalization is here to stay. 

He said the industry is looking for new people with new ideas about how to address problems and enter the industry and called on students to help face the challenges created by globalization and development.

The challenges to build a more efficient transportation system in the U.S. are enormous, Widdows said to students. You will have a crucial role to play. I hope to see you taking up the challenges of our industry. You can have an impact on an entire industry and the health of this nations economy.

Shane spoke after Widdows and echoed his call to action for students to become involved in the industry. Shane encouraged students to consider logistics, transportation and supply chain management careers in the public sector.

Shane was appointed by President George W. Bush as under secretary for policy of the Department of Transportation in March 2003, following confirmation by the U.S. Senate. In this position, he supervises the departments policy staff and serves as principal policy advisor to Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters, with oversight responsibility for the Office of Transportation Policy and the Office of Aviation and International Affairs.

He spoke candidly about the governments role in the nations transportation system. Previously, the governments concentration on transportation centered on initiatives to reduce congestion in the country's transportation system, Shane said. But now there's been a shift.

Now its seen as a fundamental economic issue, Shane said.

This is about nothing less important than the economic conditions of our nation and, at the end of the day, the global economy, he said.

Students attending the event were inspired by Shane and Widdows, and by the more than 100 recruiters from nearly 40 companies as varied as Campbell Soup and Target to Booz Allen Hamilton and the U.S. Postal Service all dealing with logistics, transportation and supply chain management issues daily. Undergraduate students and MBA candidates had the chance interact with recruiters at lunch and a career fair, which followed the awards ceremony and rounded out Industry Day. All events were organized by the student-run undergraduate LTSCM Society and graduate-level SCC, both of which provide networking and career development opportunities for students.

Jonathan Lowe, a senior LTSCM major and society officer, played a part in planning Industry Day, which was put together by students. We want to get students exposed to what the industry has to offer, Lowe said. He said the day presented a valuable opportunity for students to interact with industry insiders and recruiters, not just at the career fair, but by sitting next to them at lunch and engaging them in conversation.

Justin Bonhomme, also a senior LTSCM Society officer, shared Lowes enthusiasm for the days events. The things that you learn in logistics classes, you get to see and hear about from these companies, he said. This is not a regular career fair. There's a chance to make a real connection when you get to sit and talk with recruiters. Students not here are missing an opportunity.

The students organize the annual Industry Day every fall. Previous Person of the Year honorees include the Dell Corp., accepted by Ro Parra '82; Jeffrey Crowe, chairman of Landstar System Inc.; Linda Morgan, former chair of the Surface Transportation Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission; Michael J. Ward, chairman, president, and CEO of CSX Corp.; Don Schneider, president of Schneider National Inc.; Herb Johnson, past president of the Council of Logistics Management; and Edward Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League.

The Smith Schools logistics, transportation and supply chain management program is consistently recognized among the best business school programs in the country. U.S. News & World Report ranked the undergraduate program No. 6 and the MBA program No. 12 in the United States in 2006. In addition to offering a range of supply chain management courses, the school is home to the Supply Chain Management Center, which provides research, consulting services and education highlighting the latest advances in e-supply chain management.

> Highlights from last year's Industry Day, including video of Dell's Ro Parra '82

▓ Carrie Taschner, PR Associate, Office of Marketing Communication