Talent wars: supply chain the new pathway to becoming CEO

© Paulus Rusyanto

A cheery story for those in logistics with ambition. Shariq Mansoor, who founded supply chain analytics app FusionOps, looks into the growing practice of companies tapping their logistics talent to take the top jobs. The most prominent example being Apple’s Tim Cook.

Mr Cook went from restructuring the tech behemoth’s manufacturing – farming out work to overseas manufacturers – to replacing the messianic Steve Jobs. Similarly, Lego recently appointed chief operation officer Bali Padda as its new chief executive, who noted that the world is being disrupted at ever greater levels. Mr Mansoor notes that this disruption has been the key to Mr Cook, Mr Padda and a whole host of other promotions from the supply chain ranks. No one, says Mr Mansoor, is in a better position to tackle disruption that someone who has the extensive business overview that supply chain operators have been afforded.