Kelly Boyle: Leadership, Innovation, and Life Lessons

This week, my Senior Honors Supply Chain Leadership Colloquium, instructed by Donnie Williams, had the honor to welcome Kelly Boyle into class on Tuesday. Kelly is the Vice President of Supply Chain Centers of Excellence and Reliable Operations at Walmart. Kelly and her husband Ray have been married for 33 years and together they have 3 children: Sean, Caitlyn, and Jack.

Professional Background:

Kelly has been at Walmart for almost nine years and has held many positions. She started as the senior director of Fresh Supply Chain in 2016, moving perishable foods from field to shelf. Then, four years later, she became the VP of Perishable Strategy and Upstream Operations because of her exceptional work in increasing customer satisfaction without sacrificing cost-effectiveness. She was in this role briefly before becoming the VP of Grocery Supply Chain Strategy and Operations in August 2020. In February 2024, she was named VP of Supply Chain and became the VP of Supply Chain Centers of Excellence and Reliable Operations within three months.?

Kelly graduated from the Ohio State University with a bachelor of science in Production and Operations management although she started as an engineer. She started her career in Supply Chain Management at General Mills in 1990. She spent the first several years with the company working in manufacturing environments, and she would continue to hold leadership roles across several cross-functional teams, including Logistics, Customer Logistics, Global Sourcing, and Operations. Her exposure to these many functions has continued to enhance her leadership skills by providing a well-rounded perspective of the whole Supply Chain. After 25 successful years with General Mills, she decided to start a new chapter in her leadership journey at Walmart.

One of the most fascinating things I got from my time with Kelly was talking about the future of the Supply Chain and how automation and robots can increase efficiency and create new jobs in addition to improving the current conditions of others. Walmart is investing several billion dollars into this over the next several years. I am curious to see if other major corporations will follow in their footsteps as they continue to innovate. At the heart of everything, Supply Chain is about the people, not what happens in the field. When it comes to innovation, Kelly said just because the process has always been that way doesn't mean you need to do it that way. I love how she is driving change in the space now, and has been for the entirety of her career.

5 Principles:

Kelly shared five principles she raised her kids on, which apply to both personal and business life:

1. Troubleshoot and solve problems: Kelly emphasized that 98% of the population can find a problem, but only 2% can identify the problem and solve it. This skill is crucial in both personal and professional settings.

2. Add value: She stressed the importance of being indispensable. If people don't know what you do or why it is important, they won't care. It's essential to make sure your followers understand the significance of their work and why it matters.

3. Think independently and ask questions: Kelly encouraged us to do this with respect. Asking thoughtful questions and thinking critically are valuable skills in any field.

4. Work hard: She advised not to let anyone outwork you, especially early on in a role. Grinding it out and showing you can handle more demonstrates your commitment and potential.

5. Love people: Above all, Kelly emphasized the importance of loving people, especially those who are different from you in appearance, thoughts, actions, or beliefs.

Key Takeaways:

These are all valuable lessons to apply to my life as a leader. Instead of merely noticing problems, I should strive to be the person who provides a solution on a "silver platter" as Kelly put it. Adding value is crucial, especially early in one's career when jobs might be more task-focused and less autonomous. Rather than just doing my job, I should aim to do it with excellence and show others the value I bring to the team and company.

Staying curious and asking questions will always be beneficial. If I find myself surrounded by like-minded individuals, I should seek out the opinion of someone who differs from me. Conversely, if I'm the one who stands out, I shouldn't let others discourage me from sharing my ideas. Maintaining humility, curiosity, and a desire to grow is essential. This might involve reading books, attending optional trainings and classes, or getting out in the field – whatever it takes to continuously improve.

I appreciate that Kelly mentioned the importance of hard work. It's easy to forget that executives didn't simply end up in their positions by chance, but through years of dedication and effort. Lastly, loving others and putting others first whether they're employees or customers, and being selfless by prioritizing others' interests over my own, is a crucial aspect of effective leadership.

As I continue my job search and wrap up four incredible years at the University of Arkansas, I am thankful for professors like Donnie Williams and for local executives like Kelly who take the time to come into our class and share their stories and advice with us. These experiences have been invaluable in shaping my understanding of the supply chain industry and leadership principles.

Thanks for reading, Woo Pig!