In this episode, I interviewed Frank McKay, Jabil’s Chief Supply Chain and Procurement Officer. We discussed Frank’s 30-year career journey in supply chain and procurement leadership, including key inflection points like gaining international experience and taking on new challenges. Frank also shared insights from his role at Jabil on topics like cost reduction strategies, developing strong supplier relationships, transforming the supply chain into a profit center, and the importance of hiring diverse talent and staying innovative to remain relevant.
Listen to the full discussion here:
Connect with the Guest:
Frank McKay leads an organization of approximately 3,000 employees in the Americas, Europe, and Asia and is responsible for Jabil’s supply chain, procurement strategies, and execution. Frank’s global team leads the development and implementation of Intelligent Supply Chain strategies focused on delivering an optimized end-to-end supply chain that delivers value to customers and enables growth.
Frank has more than 25 years of procurement experience in the manufacturing industry. Before his current role, he was the Chief Procurement Officer, leading a global team focused on delivering year-over-year material cost objectives, robust commodity strategies, and process efficiency. Over the course of his career, Frank has lived and held leadership roles in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
Questions I Asked:
- Could you share the key inflection points where you felt certain decisions or experiences significantly impacted your trajectory?
- What are one or two major challenges currently facing supply chain executives? How is Jabil addressing these challenges?
- Could you share some principles or case studies that highlight how Jabil approaches and improves supplier relationships?
- Could you elaborate on how Jabil has successfully transformed its supply chain from a cost center into a profit center by offering it as a service?
- How has Jabil been attracting and building new organizational capabilities to adapt to these transformations?
- What advice would you give younger professionals who aspire to become chief supply chain or procurement officers?
Show notes:
- [0:53] You’ve had a remarkable 30-year career in durability. What key inflection points have significantly shaped your journey?
- [06:50] What are the key challenges in cost-effective inventory, procurement, and process optimization? How is Jabil addressing these issues to enhance customer satisfaction?
- [12:33] How do you effectively improve supplier relationships? Could you share some principles or case studies from Jabil’s perspective?
- [19:42] Can you share your principles and perspective as the Chief Supply Chain and Procurement Officer on improving supplier relationships? How do you see it making a significant difference?
- [24:19] As the leader of this function, how do you attract and build the necessary capabilities within your team to become providers to your clients? Can you share some principles for building this skill set within your organization?
- [32:58] What advice would you share with the younger generation who aspire to become Chief Supply Chain Officers or Chief Procurement Officers in large corporations one day?
Quotes from the Episode:
Soundbite from the Episode:
About the Host:
What a great discussion I had with Frank McKay. I am your host, Radu Palamariu, Group CEO of Alcott Global, working on C-level and top management executive search assignments with Top Fortune 500 companies and local conglomerates in value chains for manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chain management, and e-commerce and also the co-author of “From Source to Sold – Stories of Leadership in Supply Chain”.
Alcott Global provides Executive Search Solutions for key positions at all pillars of the end-to-end value chain: planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, e-commerce, and overall supply chain operations.
In our Makers & Movers face-to-face events, we bring together value chain executives to connect, collaborate, and innovate – a forum focused on business value creation.
Yearly, we celebrate and award the Top 30 Leaders in Supply Chain for their achievements in digitizing operations, decarbonization, and sustainability, as well as in creating a diverse and equitable environment for supply chain teams to thrive and excel.
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