Her Story
About Shannon
Shannon McDow is a Corporate Transportation Manager at Standard Motor Products, bringing more than three decades of experience in the automotive and transportation industry. She began her career with the company in 1989 as a part-time employee in the Glowplugs department while still in high school and subsequently transitioned into full-time employment. Over the course of her career, she gained experience across multiple departments before discovering her professional calling in shipping and transportation. Her background includes shipping and receiving, traffic control, distribution management, and corporate transportation operations.
In her current leadership role, McDow focuses on transportation and logistics operations supporting the company’s North American plants. Her responsibilities include coordinating inbound and outbound transportation and working with various carriers to support customer needs while maintaining efficiency and managing costs. Her professional approach emphasizes motivation, integrity, attention to detail, innovation, effective management, planning, teamwork, reliability, and proactive problem-solving. She also holds HAZMAT certification for shipping and hazardous waste cleanup certification, complementing her extensive operational experience.
Alongside her career, McDow is continuing her education at Friends University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on Strategic Leadership and Management. She has also pursued education in hazardous waste management and hazardous materials management through ISI Environmental. Her academic accomplishments include being nominated for membership in the National Society of Leadership and Success. For young women entering the transportation and logistics industry, McDow emphasizes the importance of observing, asking questions, continuing to learn, and persevering when faced with setbacks.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shannon
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my willingness to keep learning, growing, and reinventing myself throughout my career. I have never been afraid to take on new challenges or learn something different. Working through nearly every department at Standard Motor gave me the opportunity to understand the business from different perspectives and ultimately discover my passion for shipping and transportation. I have continued to build on those experiences, ask questions, learn from others, and create opportunities for myself along the way.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Approach every professional encounter as a strategic relationship with the potential to unlock future opportunities; prioritize active listening and continuous learning.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to listen, watch, observe, and ask questions. Be willing to learn from the people and experiences around you. When someone tells you no, use it as motivation to study harder and continue developing yourself. When one door closes, remember that another may open. If an opportunity is not meant for you at that moment, continue moving forward and trust that something better may be waiting for you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest opportunities in transportation is the ability to work with people from all over the world. I particularly enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds, hearing their stories and perspectives, and seeing how we can work together under the same organizational umbrella. In transportation, balancing cost, speed, and reliability while coordinating with carriers across different locations requires adaptability, communication, and teamwork.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value people, relationships, continuous growth, and the willingness to learn from others. I appreciate the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and understand their perspectives. In both my professional and personal life, I value the people around me and the relationships I have built. I also value family deeply, and spending time with my 10-year-old granddaughter is especially meaningful to me.
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