FTG 0069 - Unraveling the Supply Chain with Executive Kristyn Harkins '02

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Following the Gong is a podcast for Schreyer Scholars that brings mentoring on demand from Scholars Alumni across a wide array of industries and experiences, with new episodes released bi-weekly here on YouTube, and audio version available on major podcast platforms. Here’s a breakdown of this episode:
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Overview:

Scholar Alumna and seasoned supply chain management executive Kristyn Harkins ’02 Bus joins FTG to discuss her career. Kristyn shares how her time at Penn State, from classes to clubs to her Honors Thesis, influenced her career and helped her rise through the ranks as a woman in supply chain at Johnson & Johnson. Kristyn now leads teams of thousands with responsibility for J&J’s entire supply chain in their North American med tech operations. This episode is great for any Scholar to enjoy, and especially those in business or STEM disciplines. Kristyn’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Kristyn Harkins ’02 Bus is currently the Vice President, MedTech Deliver Americas at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), leading an organization that is responsible for operations that include Distribution, Transportation, Last Mile Logistics, Customer Services & Capabilities, and several Business Excellence functions. Her team drives the Customer Experience, ensuring that Commercial go-to-market strategies & MedTech franchise requirements can be flawlessly executed. Across her more than 20 year at J&J, Kristyn has worked across the Supply Chain pillars of Plan, Source, Make & Deliver and in multiple business sectors, including Consumer Products and MedTech. She has held leadership roles in Customer Logistics, Transportation, Analytics, Planning, Sourcing, External Manufacturing, Strategy Deployment & Supply Chain Customer Solutions.

Kristyn holds a BS with Honors in Business Logistics (now Supply Chain Management) from the Penn State College of Business and a University and an MBA from Rutgers University. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and was recognized in 2019 with a TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) Award. Throughout her career, Kristyn has fostered a passion for developing future talent and increasing representation of women in the Supply Chain field. She served as the liaison for J&J with the Penn State Center for Supply Chain Research for three years, and she is currently on the Advisory Board for the University of Tennessee Global Supply Chain Institute. Kristyn also serves as the Youth Pillar Sponsor for the J&J WiSTEM2D initiative.

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:05 Introduction and why Kristyn chose Penn State
01:36 Selecting supply chain as a major
03:06 Current state of supply chain jobs for grads
04:13 Using teaching experience in the workplace
06:11 The value of being involved on campus
08:13 Planning events is like small business ownership
10:52 THON
12:51 The Honors Thesis!
15:29 Co-ops and first jobs after college
17:27 Advice for current Scholars and new grads
20:24 Entry-level supply chain roles
23:18 Continuing curiosity and education while working full time
26:22 Moving up while staying at one firm
29:44 Transitioning from leading one team to the next
32:10 Building relationships with outside partners, vendors, etc.
35:25 Rising to overseeing continental level division
37:45 Kristyn explains her job title and responsibilities
39:42 Addressing "last mile" challenges
42:19 Thinking like an executive
44:53 Navigating the pandemic
48:15 Dealing with sales and divestitures
50:47 Balancing work and family
57:50 Getting involved in your industry
00:17 One company careers
01:03:34 The future of supply chain and skills Scholars can focus on
01:07:01 Unasked questions
01:08:32 Biggest successes and failures
01:10:45 Thoughts on mentorship
01:11:37 Shoutouts
01:12:56 Kristyn's final piece of advice
01:14:02 Connecting with Kristyn
01:14:28 Which Creamery flavor Kristyn would be

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Schreyer Honors College Links:
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Credits & Notes:
This show is hosted, produced, and edited by Sean Goheen '11 Lib (Schreyer), '23g Bus.
The artwork was created by Tom Harrington, the College’s Web Developer.
The sound effect is “Chinese Gong,” accessed via SoundBible used under Creative Commons License.