Rich Tannenbaum believes in promoting a
healthy lifestyle and giving to others. His day
job is serving as senior vice president, supply
chain and information technology for the
Vitamin Shoppe. He has been with the company since 2007 and is currently responsible
for managing inventory, distribution, and
logistics of all products sold to retail and
e-commerce customers. Last year, he also
assumed responsibility for the company’s
information technology across all business
channels and functions.
Before joining the Vitamin Shoppe, Tannenbaum was
vice president of distribution services for PetSmart. He
also spent seven years with the Roll International group of
companies and was vice president of distribution at online
retailer e Toys.
But work is only part of his life. In an extracurricular
role, Tannenbaum is the national co-captain of the Vitamin
Shoppe’s cycling team. Through volunteerism and charitable giving, Team Vitamin Shoppe has formed 25 cycling
and walking teams around the country and raised over $1
million for worthy causes, the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society, in particular. Tannenbaum also serves on the
Industrial & Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) board
for Penn State’s College of Engineering, his alma mater,
and served as its chair in 2013.
Q You recently assumed responsibility for IT at your company. How does that role fit with your supply
chain responsibilities?
A When the opportunity came up to work alongside the passionate and talented “health enthusiasts” (this is
what we call all associates working at the Vitamin Shoppe)
in our IT department, I jumped at the chance. This is an
exciting period of change for our company, as the customer
experience is evolving so fast in retail and online. Supply
chain has always been a heavy user of IT, and they have a
lot in common. Both functions involve bringing people,
processes, and technology together using a disciplined
approach. And you need to have all the right people at the
table to make sure you leverage technology on the important opportunities, in the right order.
Q What challenges have you faced as you progressed through your career?
A For me, the ongoing challenge is to keep capturing that spirit of innovation and continuous improve-
ment. For example, during my career, I was fortunate to
have the opportunity to work with teams building six dis-
tribution centers in different industries to handle toys, pet
care supplies, and now health and wellness products. While
each DC may have handled similar rectangular boxes, they
were unique. We had to look at the data, processes, order
fundamentals, and the long-term business
strategy to determine what would be the
best solution. It would have been easier to
design each DC the same way, but probably
not the correct choice. I believe you need to
push yourself—even when solving familiar
challenges. Examine each situation uniquely
and be a lifelong learner.
Q You are also very involved in promot- ing fitness and volunteerism. Can you
discuss your activities in this regard?
A My “other” job is being the co-captain of the Vitamin Shoppe’s cycling team. It started with a small group
of riders who raised funds for charity and has grown over
the years. We currently have 25 teams around the country
with more than 300 riders. They are made up of our own
health enthusiasts as well as customers and friends. We ride
to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our
biggest rally is held every May and is a two-day 170-mile
ride down the New Jersey coastline. Everyone rides for a
different reason; perhaps they have a personal connection
with MS or maybe riding is part of their health and wellness
routine. My Aunt Annie has MS. She is in a wheelchair now
and can’t ride, so I ride for her.
Q You’ve spent a lot of time giving back to your alma mater, Penn State. Why is that important to you?
A My involvement with Penn State is with its College of Engineering, where I serve the dean on a board
and work in particular with the Department of Industrial
Engineering. I feel very grateful for the educational and
extracurricular opportunities I had while I was a student
there. I had the opportunity to study abroad and work
closely with different student groups. This helped me
develop a global view, leadership skills, and the tools to
work well on a team. I think these are important traits for
engineers entering the work force today, and my work on
the board allows me to help influence curriculum and programs toward those outcomes.
Q Speaking of new graduates, what advice would you give a young person just entering the supply chain
management profession?
A Be the manager of your own career. Develop a long- term strategic vision of where you want to be in three
to five years. Revisit that every year and aim toward those
goals. Have regular conversations with your supervisor
about your goals and how you might achieve them. Career
moves don’t always have to upward; lateral moves could
also be useful for career development. You can also move
across your organization in a way that will allow you to
build a portfolio of skills and experiences that will last a
lifetime and open up new opportunities for you.
Rich Tannenbaum
