Chain Intact Alumni help
overcome pandemic- related challenges
Sean Wanigasekara (’13) Sean Wanigasekara works as a senior manager of omni-channel inventory management for Levi Strauss Co. Based in San Francisco, he is helping Levi’s manage challenges such as disruptions in raw materials and manufacturing, as well as the dramatic slowdown in retail sales in the US from the global shutdown. “I think Levi’s has come out of this better than most of our competitors, especially in the denim market,” Wanigasekara said. “We had relationships with a lot of third-party vendors—some for over 30 years—and we continued to build on them. Because, at the end of the day, supply chains are all about relationships.” No matter what he encounters in his work, he knows he can fall back on his years of supply chain management experience to produce results. “No matter where you work—Levi’s, Boeing, Amazon, or Starbucks—the foundations and the fundamentals are all the same,” said Wanigasekara, who came to Central from Sri Lanka on an International Student Merit scholarship. “You can use these skills in business, economics, analytics; the opportunities are endless. If you can build a broad spectrum of knowledge, it’s surprising how much common ground you will find.” Wanigasekara credits the College of Business with giving him a solid baseline for how the business world works. While he didn’t focus on supply chain management at CWU (he earned dual degrees in economics and public relations), he came away with a well-rounded view of how businesses around the world are interconnected. He believes his personality has been just as important in carving out a niche in his field and climbing the corporate ladder. “No matter how much you know, or how good your GPA is, you have to have a certain kind of personality,” Wanigasekara said. “When you work for a multinational organization, you mingle with a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures, and you have to be able to relate to them. I’ve seen a lot of brilliant people fail at this because they couldn’t figure out how to make those personal connections. In a position like mine, that skill is my greatest asset.” Smith pointed to the media coverage of the events of the past year and a half, which illustrate the vital importance of supply chains. Early in the pandemic, the whole world became acutely aware of shortages of personal protective equipment and other essential goods. “I suspect everyone was concerned when toilet paper became scarce on store shelves,” he said. “When it gets this personal, students and their families get motivated to understand how
Antonio Sanchez (’10) Similarly, Antonio Sanchez pointed to his ability to build connections with people across industries and cultures as the most important element of his success at The Boeing Co. over the past nine years. “Once you get out into the world, it always comes down to relationships,” said Sanchez, who manages a logistics and warehousing group for the multinational airplane manufacturer. “But you have to get out of your comfort zone and show people that you’re willing to get to know them. There’s a lot to be said for learning to connect with people.” Sanchez said he had to work on his interpersonal skills before thriving in an international business setting. The Selah native, who earned degrees in supply chain management and Spanish, said it took him a few years to find his footing in such a socially minded profession. “I’m an introvert by nature, so I had to get to the point where I could work better with others,” said Sanchez, who is based at the Boeing headquarters in Mesa, Arizona. “If you are closed off and don’t have the means to develop relationships with people around the world, it’s going to be harder for you.” Today, Sanchez manages a team of 14 procurement agents in Boeing’s indirect supply chain division. “I didn’t set out to do this; I was planning to be an English teacher,” Sanchez said. “But I remember being really intrigued by how the supply chain works, and my instructors at CWU helped break it down for me. Then, something just clicked and I started getting more into it.”
supply chains must react to such events.” Smith hopes recent media coverage might inspire more students to consider a future in supply chain management. “There are so many complexities when it comes to supply chains,” he said. “You have to figure out the moving parts, and you have to do it in a manner that’s cohesive. Every organization does things differently, but the basic goal is the same: delivering value to the customer.”
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