Smith School Hosts Annual Logistics, Transportation & Supply Chain Management Day

Smith’s Logistics, Transportation & Supply Chain Management Society (LTSCM) hosted its annual LTSCM Alumni Night and Industry Day on October 23 and 24, 2008, welcoming dozens of students, faculty, recruiters, and alumni. Approximately 80 company executives, 15 faculty members, and 120 students attended two days of events.

The alumni night featured a networking reception and speech from Rick D. Blasgen, president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain professionals and LTSCM Person of the Year. The Person of the Year award presentation, luncheon, and career fair concluded the events.

Planning and executing the annual Industry Day required a great deal of work from student leaders of Smith’s LTSCM Society, the Logistics, Business & Public Policy department and Smith's Office of Career Management.

“In particular, I was very pleased with our Alumni and Networking Night held the evening before Industry Day,” said professor and LTSCM society adviser Martin Dresner. “The event provided a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet some of our alumni and members of the professional community on an informal basis.”

As the LTSCM’s Person of the Year, Blasgen, a former logistics and supply chain executive for ConAgra, Kraft, and Nabisco, shared his experiences with over 75 attendees.

Blasgen discussed the importance of logistics and supply chain in the business world, and the career opportunities available to Smith’s LTSCM students.

“It’s a terrific time to be working in this field. Logistics organizations can and do provide greater value for their customers and also for the companies that they’re positioned in,” he said. “Technological advances, industry knowledge, collaboration, all play important roles in achieving the goal, but it’s the talent we develop within our organizations that will take us to the promised land of exceptional supply chain excellence.”

Blasgen also advised students to take advantage of opportunities that could potentially expand their career opportunities and skill sets, rather than focusing on direct monetary returns:

“View your career as a marathon. Don’t rush through it. This is not a sprint. It’s not he who gets done first wins. It is a marathon, and you have a huge opportunity to slow down and take the time to thoroughly learn about your profession.”

Donna Lin, MBA Candidate 2009, Smith Media Group