Paul Gallagher Shares Diageo's Supply Chain Evolution

NORWALK, Conn. - Feb. 17, 2016 - PRLog -- Diageo North America Supply & Procurement President Paul Gallagher delivered a keynote address for supply chain leaders, students and faculty at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business Center for Operational Excellence (http://fisher.osu.edu/centers/coe/) (COE) last Friday.  The COE is a 40-company consortium of organizations committed to achieving competitive advantage through excellent processes.

Gallagher, who is based in Norwalk, Conn., at Diageo’s North American headquarters, is a member of the company’s executive team and oversees its end-to-end supply chain and procurement operation in North America.

The subject of his remarks at Ohio State was the importance of agility in the supply chain through a differentiated approach.  In his remarks, Paul said “to have a fully differentiated operating model with the customer experience front of mind we are building inherent agility throughout our supply chain: leveraging the footprint of our operations and assets, the way we plan for now and the future, codifying and optimizing our processes, building an engaging culture.”

Gallagher continued, “Gone are the days of supply chains leaders solely driving out cost, our responsibility is about enhancing margin, taking a bimodal approach on how we deliver both top and bottom line growth. We have evolved to be business leaders first, supply chain experts second.” From this fundamental shift in thinking, Diageo North America’s Supply organization has driven top and bottom line value for the enterprise; created a rhythm of consistency and predictability in its end-to-end supply chain; deepened its focus on enhanced customer/consumer experience and is viewed as a competitive advantage for the organization.

In addition to networking with the COE members, Paul had the opportunity to meet with students seeking Masters degrees in operations.  “The most important part of our supply chain at Diageo are the people who are a part of it, and I always enjoy the opportunity to meet young people starting out their careers. Their fresh outlook will be key to companies like Diageo as our organizations continue to evolve.”

Peg Pennington, executive director of the COE, said Paul’s keynote furthers an important part of the center’s mission: To connect business leaders to ideas and insights they can use to improve processes at their own organizations.

“The COE is a community of learners, and this opportunity to hear from a true supply chain leader such as Diageo North America can be a catalyst for driving change across the broad range of industries in our membership,” Pennington said. “Being committed to process excellence means being willing to share with the supply chain community, and we are thrilled and honored Diageo has opened its doors to us through Paul’s keynote.”

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Follow us on Twitter for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA (https://twitter.com/Diageo_NA).

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About Diageo North America Supply & Procurement

Diageo North America’s Supply & Procurement organization encompasses the end-to-end supply chain and procurement operation in North America. This includes the process of sourcing raw materials, distillation, maturation, packaging, customer order fulfillment, as well as a significant importing operation and third party network. Supply contributes to the growth of the Diageo North America business by leveraging leading edge technology and consumer insights while delivering expertly crafted liquid and best-in-class packaging that entice consumers at the point of purchase. Our swift and agile innovation pipeline positions us as a leader in the marketplace and an effective distribution networks ensures our customers always have the right products at the right time.

About The Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence

Founded in 1992 and housed in The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, the Center for Operational Excellence is a 40-company consortium of organizations committed to achieving competitive advantage through excellent processes. Through its robust slate of programming, COE connects member organizations to industry leaders sharing best practices in the tools, leadership behaviors, and cultural change they need to drive an operational excellence transformation. COE also taps into the top-ranked thought leadership inside the Fisher College of Business, home to a number of leading researchers.