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In the past, awareness and engagement of the supply-chain function was the key expectation for CEOs. But in the wake of a series of global events, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and disruptions in the Middle East and the Panama Canal, is it now time for CEOs to be supply-chain-management experts themselves? A close examination of S&P 500 CEO career trajectories, as well as an analysis of financial performance metrics, suggests that CEOs with prior experience in high-level supply-chain roles might be the key to building more resilient supply chains and weathering unanticipated disruptions.
Many S&P 500 CEOs ascend to the top of the corporate hierarchy after cutting their teeth through leadership roles in functional areas such as finance, strategy, and technology. But in recent years, a small but growing group of CEOs have made the jump to the top after holding high-level roles in supply chain management (SCM).
