The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business has named Chad Autry the first FedEx Corporation Endowed Professor. Autry currently serves as the William J. Taylor Professor of Supply Chain Management and head of the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management.
Autry believes the endowment will assist in the department’s goal to become the top-ranked supply chain program in the country. U.S. News & World Report and Gartner currently rank the undergraduate supply chain management program at Haslam third in the country. Haslam’s graduate supply chain programs hold the number two rank nationally according to Gartner.
“The FedEx name lends a great deal of clout to our program, and via this professorship, the company will help us continue to build upon our reputation,” he said. “I’m honored to be associated with FedEx, a company that is so deeply ingrained as an industry leader, and that has succeeded largely due to its world-class supply chain thinking.”
FedEx established the professorship to recognize the excellence of supply chain management education at Haslam and perpetuate faculty distinction. The company has been a long-term partner of the program as a member of the Supply Chain Forum and the Global Supply Chain Institute advisory board.
“FedEx Corporation has supported the Haslam College of Business in multiple ways, and we are proud to continue that relationship with this latest endowed professorship,” said Steve Mangum, Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair and dean of the college. “This professorship is significant in assisting in the support of our highly ranked supply chain management faculty and program.”
FedEx Corporation is the largest publically traded company headquartered in Tennessee, with annual revenues of $58 billion. It provides a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through operating companies under the FedEx brand. With more than 400,000 team members, it is consistently ranked among the world’s most trusted employers because of its focus on safety and the needs of its customers as well as high ethical and professional standards.
Autry will transition from serving as the Taylor Professor to the FedEx Endowed Professor over the summer. Another member of the supply chain faculty will take his place as the Taylor Professor at a later date.
Contact
