Deborah "Debbie" Downes Email & Phone Number

Memphis, Tennessee, Us

Shaping the strategic vision of future transportation for a $21B company with $2B in transportation spend, I drive the design and execution of global transportation operations while concurrently serving as Transportation Operations Manager. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: ☑ Selected the system and drive a $100M transformation project to modernize the transportation management system with Blue Yonder across the transportation network (truck rail and oceans)☑ Integrate 4 systems comprised of 3 distinct SAP platforms for mill, distribution, and carrier networks and an ERP system managing sourcing, planning, execution, invoicing, track and trace, settlement, financial accruals, and payments ☑ Introduce high-impact cost savings initiatives by streamlining systems, integrating processes, and updating technology with an expected labor reduction of 32 transportation planners ☑ Orchestrate requirements gathering and design work for the entire transformation project ☑ Synchronize cross-functional teams and systems with the strategic vision, demonstrating value for distinctive organizations by influencing key leaders including directors, VPs, managers, and end users☑ Spearhead change management while delivering cross-functional leadership for 6 teams and regulating processes for the customer service organization to interface with customers ☑Forge relationships with internal and external stakeholders across an expansive supply chain team ☑ Created design and solution analysis guides for vendor selection for the transformation initiative☑ Resolved a major air freight issue to respond to 90% growth in monthly air shipments by streamlining processes, enhancing communications and reporting, and negotiating cost reductions☑ Overhauled an obsolete export process for the 2nd largest US exporter with 240K+ twenty-foot equivalents (TEUs), influencing leaders to transform the design to increase visibility, track costs, and monitor supply chain management processes

Memphis, Tennessee, Us

Balancing robust responsibilities and multiple priorities, I headed improvement initiatives for operations of the manufacturing excellence organization. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: ☑ Led an 8-member team and 46 other professionals with oversight of 2 additional teams of 26 direct reports executing process adherence and improvements ☑ Built a culture of engagement, retaining 95%+ of the team YOY ☑ Achieved the highest employee engagement scores across the entire logistics company ☑ Administered 40% of a $2B annual transportation spend with cost containment in mind ☑ Captured impactful personnel savings, eliminating manual labor, reducing manual processes, and decreasing headcounts with zero layoffs or terminations ☑ Interviewed and hired 75+ college students across 8 college campuses ☑ Established an on-time delivery metric across the supply chain, elevating customer service by enhancing scheduling and pickups, lifting the on-time delivery rate by 32%☑ Transitioned teams during a business divesture and another key acquisition, absorbing new facilities without increasing headcount during the acquisition and retaining the full team during divesture ☑ Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to processes

Memphis, Tennessee, Us

In this role, I led the design and implementation of a transformational SAP integration initiative impacting 5 global business units, 42 manufacturing facilities, 10 distribution center networks, and 150 converting facilities. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: ☑ Held accountability for transportation design to transition to SAP, leading the integration across the entire supply chain function ☑ Excelled in a leadership capacity, guiding, coaching, and inspiring teams of 45+ direct reports including solution architects, developers, supply chain leaders, and other professionals through the integrated design phase from order entry to cash ☑ Amplified the employee experience, celebrating retention rates of 95%+ over an 8-year span ☑ Lessened purchase price variance post-go-live of a critical technology implementation ☑ Oversaw design and implementation of SAP business warehouse reporting tools and led custom development and standardization of an upgraded SAP solution as the designated solution architect ☑ Administered testing of transportation planning and warehousing management tools ☑ Coordinated IT groups and business architects to align IT work requirements with business needs ☑ Developed and instituted cross-functional reporting, on-time delivery, and corporate metrics ☑ Navigated client calls to promote and sell the SAP product as an expert SAP user/product owner ☑ Hand-selected to test an upgraded tool in Germany

Mcdonough, Georgia, Us

During my time at KM, I directed a top-flight team of 10 direct supervisors and 476 employees to ensure full execution of all outbound shipments and steered major warehouse operations including transportation, replenishment, and picking efforts. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: ☑ Led outbound operations for a 3rd party logistics company managing distribution for a key client with a global customer base ☑ Decreased freight costs by 10% by economizing the rate and order per vehicle to maximize truck utilization ☑ Diminished manpower by 15% by restructuring the dock space and boosting employee efficiency ☑ Augmented the facility’s quality throughput by 15%, increasing picker accuracy and reducing the error rate from 20 to <14%

Memphis, Tennessee, Us

In collaboration with leadership and management at 19 facilities including 6 mills, 3 converting plants, and 10 distribution centers, I identified and created business processes to maximize shipping capabilities. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS:☑ Implemented a pickup appointment process to optimize shipping capabilities at 6 mills that improved facility throughput by 20% ☑ Optimized the supply chain function while overseeing transportation cost components of 6 facilities ☑ Executed an appointment process for carriers to eliminate reduction and detention costs by 50% ☑ Partnered with supply chain leaders to develop and roll out solutions for regional distribution centers

Charlotte, North Carolina, Us