The MLOG Impact: Alumni Profiles
Chris Holt, MLOG 1999

A few years ago, UPS was known only as a package delivery company. Today, it is hailed as a global leader in supply chain services; and an MLOG alumnus has been on the company’s frontlines throughout this time of major transition and growth.

Chris Holt (MLOG 1999) has been the Vice President of UPS Consulting for the past three years. During that time, UPS has dramatically expanded its portfolio of services into logistics and supply chain offerings including international trade management, consulting and supply chain design, e-commerce solutions and logistics and distribution capabilities. “We have built UPS Consulting up from nothing to a boutique-sized supply chain strategy consultancy with a blue-chip client base,” explains Chris, who is also a member of the UPS executive team in charge of the company’s overall direction.

When he joined the first-ever MLOG class in the fall of 1998, Chris didn’t know it would lead him to the exciting opportunities at UPS, but he did have high expectations. “I wanted a Masters degree that would rapidly propel my career forward,” says the 36-year-old alum. “I wasn’t interested in an MBA. I was concerned that two years in school would derail my consulting career, and I wanted a supply chain focus.” Therefore MIT’s newly launched 9-month Master of Engineering in Logistics program seemed to be a perfect fit.

During his year at MIT, Chris took classes in logistics systems, supply chain design and change management and wrote a thesis on the development of software to simulate supply chain management. “At MIT, I learned from leaders in academia and industry. They helped me hone my analytical and research skills, as well as my presentation and writing abilities,” Chris says. “Those are skills and experiences I still use every day.”

After graduation, Chris put those skills to use at the web services consultancy Zefer, where he launched the company’s supply chain practice. “Dot com fever was at its pitch and I wanted to join a company that was embracing the internet more aggressively,” says Chris. As a director, Chris built a successful supply chain team that included some other MLOG grads, but a year and a half later, the dot com bubble burst and revenue quickly disappeared.

Right around that time, UPS was launching its supply chain consultancy and contacted Chris with an offer. “At first, I actually wasn’t too excited,” admits Chris. “I assumed it would be tactical logistics work in support of existing UPS services. But when I learned my primary mission would be strategic supply chain consulting independent of the parent company offerings, I immediately signed up.”

That decision has positioned Chris at the forefront of the global supply chain industry. “We actively research and observe good supply chain practices and directly influence the evolution of supply chains for the companies we work for,” says Chris. Some of those companies include GM, Cisco, Wal-mart, Toshiba, IBM and many more. But the company Chris most enjoys working for is UPS. “It’s one of the most respected companies in the world. The employee loyalty and culture of operational excellence is fun to be a part of.”

Currently, Chris is working on UPS Consulting’s International expansion plans, which may lead to a move overseas. As for long-term plans, Chris plans on sticking around for what he predicts will be an exciting and innovative future for UPS. “I think the global logistics industry is consolidating, as large transportation and logistics providers broaden their service offerings,” explains Chris. He foresees a dramatic shift, in which UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, TNT and several smaller players will compete for business. “And I look forward to fighting the battles that help UPS come out on top.”

Chris and his wife Sandy live in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’d like to contact Chris Holt, you can email him at cholt@ups-consulting.com.

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