James Chen
- Vice President, Supply Chain Management
- Cuisine Solutions
School Information
School: Penn State University
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2006 to 2007
Career Information
Working For: Cuisine Solutions
Title: Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Industry: Food and Beverages
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
Leadership & Execution: Leads creation and execution of Supply Chain Management group’s long-term strategic vision, which aligns with organizational priorities, encompassing the global Sourcing and Procurement, Planning, Inventory, Warehousing, Transportation, Import/Export and Customer Fulfillment teams Strategic Transformation: Spearheads transformation of Purchasing department into Sourcing and Procurement function by implementing best-in-class concepts such as Strategic Sourcing, Category Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Spend Analysis, Supplier Risk Management and Global Center-Led Sourcing Growth & Diversification: Established and develops partnerships with new 3PL providers to expand external warehousing capacity to support increase in production and commercialization at four manufacturing facilities across the U.S. Technology Enablement: Leads digital transformation strategy and implementation across Supply Chain Management group leveraging technology to improve transportation efficiency, increase planning productivity, streamline spend analysis and enhance demand forecasting
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?My promotion from manager to director within a year of being with my current employer.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting prepared me for the business world by showing me results that can be achieved through determination, drive, and dedication.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
College Works Painting prepared me for the peaks and troughs that can be found in the business world.
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
My favorite client was my most challenging client in which my DM had to come out and assist me. I learned the most from this client as they challenged everything single thing that I did and made me realize the world is filled people who are all very different.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The greatest lesson I learned from my College Works Painting experience was that relationships are EVERYTHING. Building bonds with people and establishing connections provides immense opportunities for success.
How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?
I’ve kept in contact and randomly encountered many of my College Works Painting friends in numerous cities across the U.S. since the program. I keep in touch with a select few.
If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?
We paint, we learn, and we have fun!
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Embrace the program from the start because it is a life-changing experience. Work and push yourself to the fullest because you owe that to yourself as well as College Works Painting for providing you with the opportunity to succeed.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
College Works Painting can be applied to any field of study or career as drive, determination, hard word, and business is essential for any line of postgraduate work.
Last words of wisdom?
“There are no working hours for leaders” -James Cardinal Gibbons