thoughtleaders
Mark Hilborn
Responding to the needs of pet owners in all
50 states plus the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico may seem a long way from handling logistics and operations in Operation
Desert Storm. But Mark Hilborn, senior vice
president of supply chain at Petco Animal
Supplies Inc., has been able to apply the
experience and knowledge gained in his 20-
year career in the U.S. Army (he retired as a
lieutenant colonel) to his roles in industry.
One of the most important of those skills
is the ability to build strong teams that focus on continuous
improvement. Hilborn accomplished that in his previous
position as vice president of logistics operations at Sears
Holdings, where he was responsible for the company’s 29
distribution centers. He has also put those skills to work at
Petco, where he and his team have redesigned and expanded the Petco distribution network to keep up with the company’s growth. Hilborn oversaw the design and implementation of a new 500,000-square-foot distribution center in
Georgia as well as an 800,000-square-foot building in New
Jersey and a second corporate headquarters in Texas to join
Petco’s existing headquarters in San Diego.
In addition to managing the company’s 10 distribution
facilities, Hilborn has worked to create a robust supply
chain that can support Petco’s e-commerce operations and
multichannel growth strategy.
He serves the industry as a whole by being a member of
the steering committee for the Retail Industry Leaders
Association (RILA) and a member of the group’s Supply
Chain Leaders Council.
organization’s vision, drives continuous
improvement, and enhances the development of your teams. In both environments,
I’ve enjoyed the accountability to my teams
and to the customer.
QHow did your early career in the mili- tary prepare you for a logistics management role in the private sector?
A Success in the military or in retail comesdowntostrongleadership.Early
on in my military career, I was part of several successful
teams and worked for several stellar leaders. The exposure
to those leaders, who took care of their soldiers and led by
example, helped mold my leadership style. I’ve also worked
for a few individuals who taught me what not to do as a
leader, which equally contributed to my development.
Leaders who know how to motivate their soldiers or
employees by providing purpose, direction, and inspiration
are successful in either type of operation. When your team
knows that you’re fair and consistent and that you support
their success, there is no limit to what they can do.
QWhat initially attracted you to logistics? What keeps you in this area?
A I started in logistics when I was commissioned as an ordnance officer with the U.S. Army, and after a 20-
year career, made the transition to retail logistics. Whether
in the foxhole or at the register, you have to plan and execute tactically and strategically in a way that supports the
QWhat skills or characteristics do you look for when you go to add someone to your team?
A I look for integrity and a passion for learning, and I think talent is more important than experience.
Making sure the person is the right cultural fit for the company and is excited about the chance to learn and grow is
very important. In addition to having a leadership philosophy consistent with the Petco culture, I look for diversity of
skills in positions of increased responsibility; experience in
leading people, projects, and organizations; ability to facilitate and sustain organizational change; an aptitude to
develop and manage organizational talent; and the capacity
to apply analytics in seeking operational solutions. Once
talent is added to the team, we have a collective responsibility to develop, leverage, and promote them within Petco,
not just in logistics.
Timothy E. Carroll
As vice president of global execution at
IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain, Timothy E.
Carroll has played a vital role in his company’s push to achieve continuous improvement in its abilities to meet the demands of
an increasingly interconnected and global
environment. He is a member of IBM’s
Innovation and Leadership Team.
time, has held positions in such areas as
worldwide manufacturing, distribution, and
fulfillment for IBM’s personal computer
business. In 2005, he was named the senior
executive in charge of executing the divestiture of IBM’s personal computer business to
Lenovo. That same year, he became vice president of global operations for IBM’s integrated supply chain. In 2011, he was named to his
