thoughtleaders TERRY L. ESPER, PH.D.
specialty conveyors
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toral student, Dr. LaDonna Thornton. I consider it my duty
to contribute to the diversity of the field by both mentoring
and advising those who can also mentor. In the end, one of
the most powerful ways of attracting and maintaining a
diverse logistics community, be it ethnic, gender, etc., is
through mentorship and the support of mentorship.
QWhat attracted you to the logistics industry? Was this what you always wanted to do?
A I, too, stumbled into the field. I always wanted to be an academic. I majored in mathematics in college,
primarily because it seemed to be the most abstract and
academic major. I wasn’t sure what I would do with a
degree in mathematical science. It’s not like a degree in
education, or social work, or business. But I fell into an
opportunity to apply my math skills to transportation
research. That’s where I learned about logistics. I entered
the field and eventually stumbled into logistics research
and academics. I’ve always wanted to be an academic and
researcher. But I had no clue going in that it would be in
logistics.
Logistics was the most fascinating thing I’d heard of.
When I was first introduced to the planned and precise
movement of so many parts in order to support the needs
and demands of the general consumer, I couldn’t believe it.
I was in awe of how there was so much planning and strategy behind the basic “product on shelf” concept. It was as if
I had slipped into another reality and been exposed to a
secret world. I still get excited when I think about it. It’s a
world that the average consumer has no clue about, and
that’s the joy in it for me.
QLooking at those currently matriculating into the field, what do you see as their primary strengths and
weaknesses?
A It’s a Catch- 22. The strength is the sophistication of those new to the field. They are much more equipped
with technological savvy and quantitative analysis techniques. They are much more strategic in mindset and
understand the big picture when it comes to the role logistics plays in society. But this sophistication comes at the
expense of many new entrants not being able to identify
with the operational level of logistics.
I started my career on rural highways surveying truck
drivers and studying the logistics infrastructure. Many of
my contemporaries started on third-shift operations in
warehouses. These experiences gave us an awareness of the
great things going on in the trenches. New entrants are not
too excited about these types of entry-level opportunities.
In an attempt to attract top talent, many companies are no
longer requiring such foundational experience. So, many
new entrants cannot identify with the true operations of
logistics and the effort that goes into making it all work,
which is a major weakness. ;
