Staying Best

Kathleen Strange takes the helm at the Council of Logistics Management

 BY ANN SACCOMANO

San Francisco- The new president of the Council of Logistics Management has a formidable challenge on her hands; namely, how to make the best even better. 

"The Council of Logistics Management is one of the leading associations in the country in terms of being the best in class. In that regard we will stay the course," asserted Kathleen Strange, director of logistics strategy and implementation at Staples Inc., the stationary and office supply store chain. 

Strange formally took the helm of the venerable association at the group's annual conference last month in Anaheim, Calif. Strange is the second woman to become president of the council. The first was Nancy Haslip, who served in the post from 1995 to 1996. 

Before joining Staples, Strange worked for GE Plastics as Sourcing Leader for Global Distribution and Packaging. Before that she worked for The Stride Rite Corp. for 13 years where she was the vice president of logistics and vice president of community affairs. 

Strange is a graduate of Framingham State College with a bachelor of science degree in clothing and textiles and has been in the logistics profession for 20 years. 

Strange has been active in the Council of Logistics Management for many years and served in a number of posts before assuming leadership of the organization. 

Strange oversees an organization whose ranks have swelled to 12,000 members worldwide since its founding 34 years ago. At that time it was known as the National Council of Physical Distribution. It adopted its present moniker in 1985 to better reflect the group's educational mission. Based in Oak Grove, Ill., the council is a forum for logistics professionals worldwide to exchange ideas, foster research in the field and to develop leaders in the profession. (Its website is www.clm1.org). 

The council's success in fulfilling these objectives is reflected in the attendance at its annual conference. Last year more than 6,000 people registered for the conference in Chicago, setting a new attendance record. No longer the domain of the traffic or distribution manager, the conference now attracts professionals from across the corporate spectrum. 

Strange is aware of concerns within the council's membership that the group may be getting too big for its own good. "I don't worry about the growth," she responds. "I worry that we can deliver the quality. Our feedback tells us that are delivering a high-quality program. As long as we do that, we are succeeding." 

Chief among her priorities as president will be to keep members informed about developments in their profession, particularly in technology. "We've heard this year after year - technology is the driver. For us the challenge is how to respond to our membership's need to get their hands on information sooner than we've been able to provide in the past." 

Research, already a high priority in the organization, will get a boost. "We're refocusing and expanding our involvement in research projects because the rate of change in this business is exponential. We have to know what's on the horizon," Strange noted. 

She has high praise for George Gecowets, the council's executive vice president and the person in charge of pulling together the group's mammoth conference every year. "George is excellent with his crystal ball. He helps us to focus on the direction this business is taking. Our executive committee is looking at how we can best position ourselves in the future." 

Another priority for Strange will be to better serve the organization's international members. "There's been great growth in our international membership and we need to accommodate them," she said. 

Strange intends to reach out to the council's domestic constituency too. "Diversity is a major initiative. The executive committee has focused on that during the last six years but we still have to make inroads there," Strange conceded. An obstacle to attracting more women and minorities to the profession is ignorance, she said. "The word just hasn't gotten out to all segments of the population. It's still a novelty in some companies for women to be working in logistics," she said. 

When Strange began attending CLM roundtable meetings 15 years ago, she was the sole woman. "That's definitely changed. Our rate of women members has remained steady at 10 percent but now women are achieving higher positions within the field," she said. 

CLM is reaching out to minorities as well as women. "We've initiated programs at schools through our local roundtables. They're the conduit to bringing students into the organization," said Strange. 

Strange's resume is filled to the brim with her professional achievements but it's her commitment to community service that stands as the most striking aspect of her contributions. To say that she gives generously of her time and talents is an understatement. Those organizations to which she contributes run from the United Way to the Council of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. 

"It adds balance to my life," Strange says simply. 

It's a balance she intends to cultivate within the council itself during her tenure. The organization already has a record of civic involvement which it fosters through its network of 66 "roundtables" or chapters, the guidance of its executive committee, Strange pointed out. During the last six years in particular the council has made community service a priority. 

Nevertheless, "CLM is focused on professionals who are at a certain point in their careers. And while it may not be the core mission of these types of organizations, it's something that's important," she says. "One of the powers of the council is the ability to harness the involvement of volunteers. When you do that, you just find that there are a lot of people who do things within their communities in addition to professional development." 

Talking to Strange, it's clear that she loves her profession and the people in it. "It's such a fun area in which to work because you're in contact with so many people. I can be in contact with the CEO of a company and the guy on the shop floor in the same day. And they're equally interesting to me. I cherish that."