Architects. In addition to his role as a frequent industry
speaker, he has served as an adjunct assistant professor in
the University of Minnesota’s department of landscape
architecture for 24 years and counting.
QWhat do you consider to be your greatest profession- al accomplishment to date?
AI believe my greatest professional accomplishments have been twofold: acting as an advocate for environmentally sustainable business practices, and as a small business owner, becoming a chair of the Council of Supply
Chain Management Professionals.
The most rewarding part of speaking about green practices is showing people that sustainable practices are good
for business. Too often, speakers don’t have financial data
demonstrating that eco-initiatives can indeed provide a
sustainable return on investment in a reasonable period of
time. I share actual numbers from our own efforts to add
credibility to the discussion.
QWhat do you consider to be the greatest obstacles to further supply chain optimization?
AThe two greatest obstacles are the failure of supply chain professionals to view themselves as leaders and
the competing demands to be fast and to be green.
As for the first point, supply chain professionals perform
functions that have become critical to their company’s suc-
cess—like managing the impact of fuel price fluctuations,
sourcing and distribution network design, and packaging—
yet they rarely reach the top executive positions. Why?
Tradition calls for supply chain management to be a sup-
port function.
Donald G. Walker
DON WALKER HAS SPENT OVER 30
years in wholesale distribution. For the past
23, he has worked at McKesson
Pharmaceutical, where he is currently senior
vice president of distribution operations.
Walker is responsible for the pharmaceutical distribution network, which includes
30 distribution facilities nationwide. Along
with field operations teams, he directs staff
functions in engineering, facilities, warehouse systems, transportation, regulatory
affairs, and central fill pharmacies. Prior to his current
role, Walker was senior vice president, business process
redesign, responsible for McKesson’s Six Sigma program
and infrastructure.
Walker has a B.S. degree from the University of
California, Davis and an M.P.A. (master of public administration) degree from Golden Gate University.
Q
You have been at McKesson for 23 years. That’s a long
time to remain at one company. What’s your secret
for carving out a long and successful career
there?
