UMD Smith School of Business Honors Amazon.com’s Supply Chain Head

20th annual event highlights logistics, supply chain career opportunities for students 

College Park, Md. – October 12, 2012 – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business today named Michael Roth, vice president of North American Operations at Amazon.com, as the 2012 “Person of the Year.” Roth was recognized by students and faculty at Smith’s 20th annual Industry Day career and networking event. The event highlights the school’s top-ranked supply chain management program and builds relationships with top companies.

Each year Smith students in the Supply Chain Management Society present the “Person of the Year” award to an influential industry leader at a ceremony to kick off Industry Day.

“Michael Roth has made Amazon.com a supply chain leader and he’s a great role model for our students,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “Our supply chain management students are some of the best and brightest in the nation. We’ve been holding this event for the past 20 years to showcase their strengths to top companies, where they have gone on to become leaders in the industry.”

In his role as leader of North American Operations, Roth is responsible for Amazon’s fulfillment centers, transportation and supply chain operations. Since joining the global leader in e-commerce in 1999, Roth has worked in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and China. He has worked in numerous operational roles, including participating in the original design and implementation of a mechanized warehouse fulfillment system, which expanded Amazon’s range of fulfillment solutions.

Before joining Amazon.com, Roth worked at a chemical company after spending several years on scientific research projects. He has a bachelor of science degree and a master of science, both in chemical engineering, from the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

Smith’s annual Industry Day is organized by students in the undergraduate Supply Chain Management Society and supply chain and logistics faculty. In addition to the morning program honoring Roth, the day included a luncheon for employers and undergraduate students, and an afternoon career fair. Representatives and recruiters from more than 30 companies participated in this year’s event.

The Smith School has been honoring industry leaders with the “Person of the Year” for 20 years. Recent honorees include Peter Gibbons, Starbucks’ executive vice president of Global Supply Chain Operations; Mark Holifield, Home Depot's senior vice president of global supply chain; John T. “Jock” Menzies, chairman of the Terminal Corporation, a warehouse, trucking and distribution company; Rick Blasgen, president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals; and John D. Porcari, current U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation.

The Smith School’s 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. 8 in the United States in 2012. The Smith School also offers a master’s of business in supply chain management. Smith’s supply chain management curriculum incorporates all aspects of the industry, including expanding global networks and cutting-edge technology. In addition to offering a range of academic 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.