Haslam Names Kevin Harris Global Supply Chain Institute Fellow

July 1, 2016

The Haslam College of Business recognized Kevin Harris of Russell Reynolds Associates as the newest fellow of its Global Supply Chain Institute. Shay Scott, director of Haslam’s executive MBA in supply chain management, and Ted Stank, the Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business at Haslam, conveyed the honor during an EMBA residency period in Shanghai, China.

“Kevin has a refined ability to convey how integrated supply chain management is developing into a strategic enabler for companies,” said Scott. “For four years, he has been pouring this insight into our students and faculty.”

Harris has held leadership roles at IBM, the Japanese automotive firm Calsonic and electronics giant TE Connectivity. He has developed supply chains and operations around the globe, including in leading billion-dollar Chinese networks and in growth markets including Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Brazil and India. Based in Shanghai, Harris currently helps place supply chain executives in c-suite roles.

He helps several universities gain exposure to the operations of major corporations in Asia, but says that Haslam’s EMBA for Global Supply Chain is special.

“The first class I engaged had students from Africa (DHL), China, Europe and the Americas,” Harris said. “I learned a lot. The passion and altruistic nature of the students touched me. They could be game changers. ”

Harris worked with one such Haslam student to improve the food supply logistics in small African cities.

“Fresh produce was spoiling in massive numbers due to the inefficiency of the supply chain,” Harris said. “She wanted to solve that problem with small co-ops that could reach nearby markets in a fraction of the time. Her program also would empower locals to be part of the commercial supply chain to local retail markets.”

The Global Supply Chain Institute Fellowship recognizes the continued contributions of Kevin Harris to the supply chain program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is considered a partner to Haslam’s supply chain faculty and will be recognized as such for a term of two years.

Harris is the fourth person to be recognized with a Global Supply Chain Institute fellowship. Other recipients include Kevin O’Marah of Supply Chain World, Ben Hazen of the Air Force Institute of Technology and Gerry Niedert of Black Horse Carriers.