Hannah Cannington is the branch manager for the AMX office in Savannah, Georgia. A rising star in the supply chain industry, Hannah is excited about her new role and the direction of the company. She recently shared her thoughts about today’s 3PL climate, what she’s learned along the way — and what she looks for in the next generation of logistics leaders.
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Describe your role at AMX.
AMX needed a project manager to focus on talent development and recruiting for the logistics part of the business. I worked to increase head count and created training and learning documents and processes for new hires, before being asked to lead Operations as well at the branch office in Savannah. I still manage recruitment and development, working with individuals to help them be successful regardless of their position.
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How did you get started in supply chain?
Logistics wasn’t on my radar after college. In fact, I worked in healthcare for a few years when friends in a logistics program reached out to me. Logistics seemed like a fun challenge, so I took the leap. I started in Operations assisting customer freight. I tracked and traced. I spoke to the drivers and dispatched. Soon, I moved into account management and worked on the more strategic side of the business before transitioning into an HR role. AMX liked that I had the Operations and HR background.
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What is the most significant challenge in supply chain today?
Logistics requires an incredible amount of problem solving in an incredibly short period of time. Anything could happen, at any time. Sometimes, information isn’t available until the last minute. Our customers expect us to have the answers anyway.
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How does AMX solve today’s challenges?
We work as hard on maintaining positive customer relationships as we do managing capacity. A single mistake can be devastating for the customer — and for our relationship with them. Our continuous investments in technologies help us stay informed, so we can make fast, smart decisions. But it’s also about making customers feel confident about those decisions. It’s why we consider our service teams part of their business, too. We’ll take those calls at any hour. We’ll learn names. We’ll even take a loss if it means a win for the relationship.
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How have you made an impact at AMX?
Structure is important, especially with so many moving parts and fast-approaching deadlines. We’ve worked to streamline processes, so everyone understands what they’re doing, and where that fits with what other team members are doing, for the good of the company and our customers. We’re focused on obtaining the top talent. So we’ve worked with our leaders on how to spot talent, and more importantly, what steps we need to take to help it develop and thrive. We want smart college kids to know the AMX name and what it means for their futures to work with us.
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What do you look for in young supply chain talent?
Maybe it’s because of the unique path I took, but I care less about experience, and more about perseverance and commitment. I look for candidates that can handle pressure and even welcome it. I look for humility and honesty. And I look for people who not only care about they do, but who they’re helping along the way.
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What should people know about a supply chain career?
Logistics is more complicated, more interesting and more fun than most people assume. For a long time, there was a perception it was all about truck drivers. Or, that it’s dominated by men. I’m here as proof that logistics offers something for everyone. Supply chain management has made the transition to big data analytics and that’s capturing the interest of all types of professionals, including more women looking for a fast-paced industry that’s growing quickly. I hope me being in a leadership role inspires younger professional women to give it a shot.
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What’s your favorite part of the job?
The people. It’s nice to be part of group where everyone has respect for one another. I feel like I’m part of a team that cares about doing a great job.
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