Alexander Herbert

I jumped into the deep end. After graduating NC State in 2007, I was commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army, put in charge of 45 soldiers, and a year later I was leading those soldiers on logistic resupply convoys through Iraq. I had to quickly learn how to motivate 45 soldiers far from home who were working long hours with no days off, while balancing both providing logistics support to small bases in northern Baghdad and coordinating all the support that kept my soldiers safe every day. I was pushed right to the edge of my limits and found that I had the skills to be successful and found that I had talent for Supply Chain, Management and Business. I could swim.I started my career being an honor grad in my class from Officer Basic Course, focused on Maintenance and Logistics. After that it was all on-the-job learning, picking up as much as I could. The Army moved me through multiple positions running convoys, 2nd in command of a company of 200, maintenance manager, supply chain manager and operations project manager. Over the course of these positions, I earned 2 bronze stars, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal for the contributions I made. While I was learning a variety of functions, I was able to make an impact at the same time.After I left the Army, I was somewhat disappointed to feel like I was starting over. I had immense responsibilities by the time I left the Army, leading large numbers of soldiers and having operational responsibilities. Transitioning to the business world, given a handful of employees and what felt like a small amount of responsibility made me feel underutilized. I took this opportunity again to learn as much as I could about plant operations while also making a positive impact. I took a position as a Production Supervisor at Lassonde Papas, a private label juice manufacturer, and I gained manufacturing experience while achieving new plant production records. I was able to use that experience to pivot back into supply chain and now, being a Supply Chain Manager again. This journey has given me opportunities to learn various lessons, such as international freight, maintenance, continuous improvement, and manufacturing processes.I was challenged early and since then have repeatedly taken on new challenges that have given me opportunity to grow. I have well rounded experience that makes me able to take on the variety of challenges necessary to be successful in rapidly changing situations. Always looking to take on more where I can be impactful and grow at the same time.