thoughtleaders
focused on safety and service. And we still take a very disciplined approach to capital expenditures.
QYou said at a recent conference that it will take BNSF until 2013 to return to pre-recession peak traffic levels,
and that this marks the longest recessionary period for the
railroad to fully recover. How much of that is due to the weakness in coal demand, or are there larger factors at work here?
A We will likely not return to peak volumes in any of our four major business groups in 2013. It has simply been a
very prolonged and slow recovery for the entire U.S. economy.
liness and accuracy of information. This risk can cause
cargo owners to reduce the number of participants in their
shipments, even if it means reducing efficiency and increasing their costs.
QWhat do you consider to be the greatest obstacles businesses face to supply chain optimization?
A Synchronizing data between all the players in the sup- ply chain remains challenging. In a growing global
economy, the use of multiple transportation modes has
become the norm. When you think about how many touch
points there can be on a single shipment, one miscue can
result in an unsatisfied customer.
This year, BNSF will participate in millions of shipments
that include an origin manufacturer, ground transport to
an origin port, an ocean transit, a truck dray from the destination port to our rail yard, the rail transit, and finally the
truck dray to the receiving customer. There are many
opportunities for error. The logistics industry and our customers still have much room for improvement in the time-
QWhat do you consider to be your greatest personal/professionalaccomplishmenttodate?
A The opportunity to participate in the resurgence of the freight rail industry over the past decade. We are
moving a lot of freight today that customers would not have
considered putting on rail a few years ago. To be part of an
industry that was once seen as “old economy” but is now
widely considered to be at the forefront of logistics efficiency, infrastructure development, and environmental stewardship has been very exciting.
QWhat advice would you give young people who may be interested in entering the profession?
A This is a great time for young people to join an indus- try with a historic past and a very bright future. The
freight rail industry is poised to play an increasingly important role in the supply chain. Our infrastructure, environmental advantages, outstanding service, and innovative
solutions are providing real value to our customers. In a
growing industry, there will be significant opportunities for
personal and professional growth for our young leaders in
the years to come.
John Lund
SINCE 2006, JOHN LUND HAS SERVED
as senior vice president of supply chain
management for Disney’s Parks and Resorts,
an $11 billion-plus worldwide business that
spans three continents and includes vacation destinations. He joined the company in
1992 as transportation development manager for Euro Disney in France. In the years
since, he has been instrumental in a number
of initiatives such as Euro Disney’s first
online service and optimizing the performance of the company’s global supply chain.
A native of Philadelphia, Lund holds a doctorate in policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School, a master’s
degree in international affairs from Columbia University,
and a bachelor’s in international relations and economics
from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
The real challenge is getting started as effectively as possible, understanding each location well enough to develop and adapt solutions appropriate to its unique challenges.
For each of our resort locations around the
world, we must find the right balance of
local versus global approaches, learning
what is necessarily unique to each location
while protecting the essence of the Disney
brand.
QAt Disney, you’ve been involved in optimizing the performance of its supply chains worldwide. What
was the biggest challenge in getting that initiative started?
A The challenge was never about starting the initiatives. The teams at Disney strive to improve continuously.
QWhat is your greatest accomplishment in the profes- sion to date and why?
A I am most proud of the strong team we have been able to assemble and the recognition our team members
have received. Several of our leaders sit on the boards of
various supply chain organizations, and one serves on a
U.S. government customs advisory council. In the last five
years, we have been named twice in the Gartner Top 25
Supply Chain rankings, and two other times received honorable mentions. Our accomplishments are a team effort,
which is why such recognition of the team means so much
to me.
