Hannah Monk

I am a firm believer and give honor to Jesus for His blessing in my life. I have been on the receiving end of significant investment in time, energy, and support from incredible people in managing positions over me. I could easily name every manager, as through many situations I've been encouraged to try, fail, learn, and grow. My mentor, Brandy Ramsey, held a pivotal role in my career as my direct manager for a few years. She genuinely helped me shape my personal brand and identity in my work, encouraging me to shoot high and live up to my own expectations. At the very beginning of my career, Jeremy Mathews was my operations manager, and I still reflect his personal tie to the business in my own walk. He gave me the room to care about what I did while still achieving excellence. Being an 18-year-old female in an operations environment could have been a completely different experience for me, but because of him, it was one of the most pivotal moments in my career.

The best advice I've received is to keep taking things personal. It takes balance, but when people begin to disconnect from their purpose in their role, everyone struggles. For as long as I have been in my field, I have taken to each end of the spectrum and understood the value of a consistent balance. When I care about what I do, I am more creative, express myself more clearly, and more likely to inspire those around me. If I'm buying at MOQs or negotiating for millions, I'm an integral part of my team and that will always feel personal to me.

While it may be cliche, the best experience I have had to equate to advice is to speak up and make your voice known. I have been in rooms I couldn't believe I was in because I was able to build rapport with leadership and gained trust in my perspective. The skill to listen first and ensure every opinion is heard also carves the space for your own. Your perspective is invaluable because it cannot be replicated outside of you. That is powerful and should be exciting!

Procurement, umbrellaed in Supply Chain, is still a fairly niche industry. I like to think of procurement in the macro level it can break into; the phone you are using is built of components that came through a full supply chain. The floor, drapes, water bottles, carpets, jewelry; supply chain is the life breath of consumption, which equates to a living function in society. What we do in procurement can impact whatever field that we value; for me, food & beverage has been the most rewarding. So, for an opportunity, there is an illimitable breadth of reach in industries. You can contribute to absolutely anything. For challenges, growth can take longer depending on the size of your organizations. Companies have only been introducing C-Suite supply chain roles in the past 15 years. But the future is sure exciting!

I am energized by my community so having a strong culture is non-negotiable for me. I love to be in a positive environment, so at every opportunity I work to create one. My company, Bimbo Bakeries USA, has nailed a positive work culture and has been incredible to delve into. It changes the way I feel about waking up every day and contributing to something that is valuable to me. In my personal life, I am an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner and value my teammates in the sport. I train multiple times a week and have seen various positive influences through the discipline and structure it brings. Keeping a focus on my influences, the ones that bring stress and the ones that relieve it, have been growing in their importance to me.