thoughtleaders
John A. White III
John White claims that he is something of
the black sheep of the family. He comes
from a long line of academics, including his
famous father (also named John White),
who was an early leader in career-focused
material handling education at Georgia
Tech. Instead of a life in academia, John
White III chose a career as a practitioner
within the industry, and those with whom
he has worked are grateful for that choice.
White is currently the president of Fortna, a
consulting, engineering, and distribution solutions firm. He
brings over 20 years of industry consulting experience to this
position after stints as managing officer and vice president of
supply chain management at Capgemini, and leadership and
management posts at Manugistics and Accenture.
table growing up. Likewise, I began working
while I was in high school and during college
as a consultant at my father’s firm, SysteCon.
I knew early on that I wanted to pursue a
career in professional services and apply
problem-solving skills to assist clients in
optimizing their supply chain operations. I
have also been fortunate to have a number of
great mentors throughout my career, my
father included, who have helped shape who
I am today as a supply chain professional.
QYour father served for many years as a professor at Georgia Tech and was later chancellor at the
University of Arkansas. Was it his influence as an industry
educator that led you to enter the supply chain profession?
A I was clearly influenced by my father in the area of professional services and problem solving. We were
always exposed to what he was doing around the dinner
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QFortna was at one time an engineering and consult- ing firm, but many companies do that now, including
a number of equipment manufacturers. How do you differentiate your firm from the rest of the pack?
A Fortna, of course, is more now than just a design house. We are a broader solutions company with a
focus on people, process, systems, and equipment. We provide our clients with solutions for whatever their problems
are. But we have always been evolving as a firm. In the
1980s, we were a forklift house. Then, we began offering
design and consulting services. In the past 10 years, we have
tried to change the game to be a partner to our clients. We
want them to hear the best solutions and not just hear from
someone trying to sell them equipment. We can bring them
the best of breeds. We are accountable to them, and we want
them to know that we climb into the boat with them.
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QWhat advice would you give to someone just entering the profession?
A You need to be the CEO of your own career. You have to manage it—don’t expect your company to manage
it for you.
Also, I am an avid reader. I think people new to the profession need to understand that to be successful, they must
be lifelong readers. And they need to learn about things
beyond their own current position and gain an understanding of finance, business, thinking skills, management,
and leadership skills.
It’s also important to give a lot of thought to the coaches
and mentors you select. Choose them carefully and then tell
them what you admire and that you want to emulate that ability. Ask them to help you develop the skills you need. If you
approach someone like that, they will not turn you down.
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QWhat are the biggest challenges supply chain profes- sionals will face in the next five years?
A I boil it down to three words—talent, talent, and tal- ent. It really comes down to talent acquisition, talent
development, and talent retention. In a world where people
jump from company to company, so much is lost in knowledge and experience. We are a people business, and we are
only as good as our people. ;
