Q&A with Kadie Newman, Director of North America Transportation Services

Kadie Newman is a native of the Pacific Northwest and graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. She started her career at UPS in Seattle in 2003, and moved to Amazon in April 2015 starting as a Carrier Manager in NA Transportation. Kadie was promoted to Director in April 2021, and leads the North America Transportation Services (NATS) team within Amazon’s Global Transportation Services (GTS) organization. NA Transportation Services manages the design, speed, quality, and transportation cost of the outbound network, optimizing from the Fulfillment Center (FC), through middle mile surface transportation to final mile delivery. Her team supports launching new processes, technologies and buildings while executing creative solutions to accommodate future needs of the North American Customer Fulfillment (NACF) and transportation supply chain.

What is your favorite Amazon memory?

My favorite memory at Amazon is from some of my first months in the job. My director came out of his office and boldly announced “How about we launch an airline?” It was my first experience watching and supporting Amazon to take a Think Big idea and turn it into a solid reality at a speed I could never have imagined. While there had been preparation and testing going on behind the scenes with smaller airplanes and markets, this ask was going to be the first launch of cargo jets from US origins and we were launching in a few months’ time. The team was impressive in their development of the documents required, the leases on jets/pilots, and the operating plans for FCs through to ground handling at the local airports. I will never forget sitting in the cockpit of the first jet taking off from Allentown, PA with Amazon packages heading to Ontario, CA and thus the beginnings of Amazon Air. The innovation and success of the AIR team continues to inspire and amaze me to this day.

What brings you passion/excitement to your role and team?

I am, and have always been, the most passionate about developing people. Talent is any company’s most vital resource and there is always time to train and develop. The most successful leaders are those who know how to scale themselves by developing those around them. If you invest in people because you truly care about them, you will retain talent and increase the productivity and discretionary efforts of your teams many times over. The success stories of my team as they grow, learn new skills, launch new programs and products, and climb the career ladder as far as they desire, breaking glass ceilings as they go, are the best success stories in my book. Remember “when a cynic asks, ‘what if invest in developing our people and they leave?’ a winning organization will respond with the real question ‘what if we don’t invest in them, and they stay?”

"If you invest in people because you truly care about them, you will retain talent and increase the productivity and discretionary efforts of your teams many times over."

What is exciting about the Amazon office?

I am a people person, a true extrovert that gets her energy from social interactions and time together with colleagues and friends. I really enjoy seeing teammates in the office and catching up. I believe that there is something special about in-person conversations that cannot be replicated virtually. We are social creatures and it has been proven humans need social and emotional connections for learning and higher-order cognition – this I believe, is really the best part of the job. ?While I did enjoy some of the benefits associated with virtual work, I was anxious to get back to collaborate with teammates, share life stories and build deeper, long-lasting relationships. ?

What is your favorite leadership principle and why?

My team and I try to live the Amazon Leadership Principles daily and they all have tremendous power when used correctly. It feels a bit like having to pick a favorite child, however, I have always said there is one principle I prioritize in life and that I expect from my team (and for that matter, everyone I do life with) - Earns Trust. In this world, we are only as good as our word. Building relationships is extremely important and something often looked in the workplace. If you are sincere in your efforts, true to your word and kind to those surrounding you, you can overcome any misunderstanding, any setback, any failure with dignity and clarity.

Best place you have ever traveled?

I love to travel to experience new cultures, see new places and really just take a much-needed break from the daily grind that is my life with work, community events and 4 children. 2023 was the first time I had traveled to Europe and actually was able to do it 3 different times which was incredible. Last year I was able to see the UK, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Most recently, I took my 10-year daughter on a mom/daughter trip to Barcelona and it was absolutely amazing. Seeing the world through her eyes, watching her try to use the Spanish she has learned (not that I did much better) and helping her to build respect and perspective on different cultures, was truly unforgettable. It was also a special opportunity to bond with her individually and just get to know the incredible young lady she is becoming.

To check out opportunities within the NATS organization click here.