This feature is in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter, which showcases our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
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Tell us about yourself?
As President and CEO of GEODIS’ Americas region, I oversee the management and growth of our operations across North and South America. Since we are a global, end-to-end third-party logistics provider, we have a wide variety of business units that fall under our company umbrella. This includes contract logistics (in which we manage over 56 million square feet of warehousing space in the Americas alone), transportation management (encompassing ground transport), freight forwarding (which entails moving air and ocean freight), engineering and technology, IT, ProVenture (a U.S.-based subsidiary of GEODIS focusing on industrial real estate), and Material Handling Resources (one of the country’s leading material handling distributors owned by GEODIS and located in La Vergne). I’ve been a part of GEODIS for nearly 20 years, and today I feel fortunate to lead our more than 20,000 teammates across eight countries in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Many people are surprised to know that I originally grew up in a farming community in rural Indiana—my first job was actually on a dairy farm—but I’ve been enjoying living in Middle Tennessee (specifically Hendersonville) for more than 25 years now.
Tell us about your business/industry?
GEODIS is one of the fastest-growing supply chain companies in the U.S. We are a France-based company with our North American headquarters located in Brentwood. GEODIS has Middle Tennessee roots that date back more than 70 years with Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, which GEODIS acquired in 2015. We have more than 20,000 teammates across the Americas region, and over 2,000 of those are located right here in Middle Tennessee. In the simplest terms of what we do as a company, we are responsible for the movement of goods and services to the end consumer on behalf of our clients. While the past several years have been incredibly challenging in the supply chain industry (largely due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic), it did catapult our line of work into mainstream attention like I have never seen before. This has certainly helped the average consumer understand what we do as a company and the critical role that the supply chain plays in everyday life.
What should we know about you?
When I’m not at work, you can usually find me cheering on Nashville SC at GEODIS Park, at a Nashville Predators hockey game, spending time with my family on the lake in Hendersonville, or visiting craft breweries (including Hendersonville-based Half Batch Brewing that my wife and I are involved in). I also love giving back as much as possible. I serve as board chair of LEAD Public Schools, a network of six public charter schools in Metro Nashville. I’m also a board member of Habitat for Humanity of Middle Tennessee and serve on the Nashville branch board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to represent the logistics and transportation sector in monetary policy options.
How did you get to your current position?
As an industrial engineering technology major at the University of Dayton, I thought one day I might become a plant manager. Then, I heard about an opportunity to interview with Gap (which, truthfully—being from rural Indiana—I hadn’t heard of before). Fast forward: I worked at Gap for 13 years in engineering and operations roles. I joined GEODIS in 2005 and supported various engineering and contract logistics functions before becoming President and CEO in 2020—in the midst of the pandemic—which certainly taught me a lot. I’ve been in the industry for more than 30 years, but given the dynamic nature of the supply chain, it still keeps me on my toes every day.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
Being involved in the Chamber allows us to collaborate with other local businesses so we can make new connections and learn from and help one another. As a Chamber member for more than 10 years, we have been able to be a part of the critical conversations that help navigate the city’s growth, opportunities, and challenges. It’s important that the business community is united on how to approach the changing economic and entrepreneurial landscape of Middle Tennessee, and the Chamber is a conduit through which we can build relationships with one another to do so and strengthen the city together.
What is your leadership style? How does that motivate yourself and your team?
I try to lead by the principles of servant leadership, which is simply about empowering your employees. For example, I think it’s common when you’re younger to feel like you always have to be the one with the answer. As I’ve grown in my career and focused on developing a servant leadership attitude, I’ve realized I don’t have to (and oftentimes shouldn’t) be the first one to say my opinion. In fact, it’s often better if I can hear and learn from my colleagues to see what perspective they bring to the table and help facilitate the conversation to come to a consensus together. This isn’t always the easiest route because the go-to reaction can often be to share my opinion first, but it’s taught me how to build up and prioritize the growth of those around me. That’s an incredibly important lesson to learn as a leader.
How do you stay engaged in the community?
I’ve been involved as co-founder and director of the GEODIS Foundation since 2010, which raises money to support nonprofits focused on youth, education, and social services. This has been an important way for us as a company to stay engaged and give back to the local communities that we serve. Another huge way that we’re able to stay actively engaged in our community is through our work with Nashville SC and GEODIS Park. We knew the relationship with Nashville SC was a perfect fit for us for many reasons. For one, it let us plant the GEODIS flag in our hometown, give an opportunity for our GEODIANS to enjoy an event that has a global presence, and help strengthen our abilities to recruit and retain top-tier talent in the region. However, a major reason we decided to become involved as the naming rights sponsor with Nashville SC was to use GEODIS Park as a platform to strengthen our commitment to building a strong community alongside a like-minded organization who shares that same vision. Giving back is a big part of who we are at GEODIS, and we’re proud of the initiatives we have already developed with Nashville SC to extend the positive effects of this collaboration to the local community. For example, over the past two years, we’ve teamed up with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to provide 1,500 relief boxes and 26,500 meals. Additionally, through our participation in the PENCIL’s DG Pencil Box, we have actively supported local teachers during “packathons” to assemble bags filled with essential school supplies to benefit our local education system and strengthen ties with our neighbors. I’m excited to see the ways we continue to build on our joint community initiatives to continue investing in our hometown together.
What are key trends in your industry?
The supply chain industry is incredibly dynamic and constantly evolving, so there are plenty of trends that I’m keeping a pulse on. One of those is today’s digital transformation and how artificial intelligence can revolutionize logistics. I serve as a global sponsor of GEODIS’ AI leadership team, and we continue to see the ways that integrating AI thoughtfully into our operations can help optimize our efforts, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience. We currently implement AI in a number of ways, such as with inventory management, labor planning, and autonomous robots, but this is certainly an area to watch as the technology continues to evolve rapidly. The biggest consideration is ensuring that AI is implemented in a thoughtful way that both benefits our teammates and clients, which is a complex and multifaced issue and one we’ll continue to watch.
Another major trend we’re seeing is the global shift in the supply chain due to the effects of nearshoring. As the geopolitical landscape remains uncertain, many U.S.-based companies are relocating their business operations to nearby countries like Mexico. Companies are making this move to not only mitigate some of the risks that come with offshore production but to reduce transportation costs and improve flexibility across the supply chain. This shift will have short- and long-term impacts on our operations. For example, Mexico continues to experience strong demand as it becomes and maintains itself as the largest trading partner with the U.S. as a result of nearshoring.
What was the first concert you ever attended? What is the best live show you’ve seen in Nashville?
The first concert I ever attended was a Hank Williams Jr. concert at the Indiana State Fair when I was 16 years old, so it comes full circle that I’m now a proud resident of the country music capital of the world. My favorite live show in Nashville is a summer and winter concert series hosted by the Rock Castle State Historic Site, which supports history, youth and education in Sumner County. My wife and I love to attend and donate to these concerts every year and see it as a fun opportunity to help foster a sense of community in the area while also supporting some of Nashville’s best musicians and songwriters.
