Women in Supply Chain: Amy McNamara of Boohoo

The supply chain industry is a predominantly male one. Females only represent 37% of the workforce and 15% of senior vice president (SVP), executive vice president (EVP), and C-Suite positions, according to MIT's Women in Supply Chain Initiative. In our latest series, Women in Supply Chain, SC247 is speaking with women in different roles to provide insights into the realities of working in this industry.

In this edition, we spoke with Amy McNamara, Head of Operations at BooHoo. 

Supply Chain 24/7: Can you share a little about your background and how you got started in the supply chain industry?

Amy McNamara: My name is Amy, and I’m originally from London but have lived all over the world. My story of how I got into supply chain is quite lengthy, but I’ll keep it short! Initially, I thought I wanted to work in trading, so I studied economics at university, thinking I would go into investment banking. However, as part of my course, I had the opportunity to study in Hong Kong, where I did a placement working for Sainsbury’s. I quickly got into the inbound side of supply chain, which I really didn’t expect as I had worked in retail prior to that and didn’t know much about it. I then applied for a graduate scheme at DHL, the world’s largest 3PL, and things just grew from there. I never really envisioned going into supply chain, it was never on my radar, but here we are today!

SC247: What do you do on a day to day basis at Boohoo?

AM: My role is really varied. As Head of Operations, I am responsible for looking after our 2 million sq/ft distribution center in Burnley with over 2,000 colleagues. I manage everything from health and safety, colleagues, productivity, cost and finance management, through to innovation and development. Customer and stakeholder management is also key. I work closely with our brands as our internal customers, but also understanding our end customers is really important.

SC247: What challenges have you faced as a woman working in the supply chain industry?

AM: It’s a strange one. I try not to see myself as a woman in supply chain; I am more just a person working in supply chain who also happens to be a woman. However, I think it is raised a lot due to the percentage split, which needs to be continually evaluated. Supply chain still lacks female leaders, and the higher up you go, the more obvious this becomes. Challenges I have faced mostly link back to countries and cultures I have previously worked in. I remember working in the Czech Republic on a project and felt that as the only female team member, my voice wasn’t always heard. However, at the moment, I don’t feel any challenges as a woman, and I am lucky to be supported by some amazing mentors, both male and female.

SC247: Do you have children? How would you describe your work-life balance?

AM: I don’t have any children, but I try and manage everything the best I can from a work-life balance perspective. When you are at a certain level, you are never really able to have a 9-5 role, but I try and make sure to block out periods of time for myself. Whether that is weekends, an evening, or a morning where I can just switch off totally. For me, a big piece of being able to do that is the importance of having a great team around you, using their time, delegating well, and remembering that everyone needs a break. Even yourself!

SC247: Can you tell me about the company culture at Boohoo?

AM: Boohoo is very fast-paced, which I think anyone who works here would tell you the same! This can have its negatives—if people are rushing, they can make mistakes and you don’t have 100% control all the time. But on the flip side, we are good at understanding and allowing people to make mistakes and learn from them, which is all part of the learning process.

SC247: What would you tell a college student thinking of a career in the supply chain?

AM: As a teenager thinking about what you want to do in the future, I am not sure how many young girls would initially think of the ideas of warehousing and supply chain. For me, it is all about attracting and obtaining young females to break down these barriers. One key thing I never realized I could do but love within supply chain is the opportunity to travel. I always wanted to have an international career, and I have been lucky to work in five different countries as part of my roles. That is the exciting thing.

SC247: Are there any areas within the supply chain where you see opportunities for improvement?

AM: I keep in touch with what is going on in the wider supply chain, specifically technology and data. This is a big area of focus. For Boohoo, we need to look further into how we use this data and AI. There is so much room for growth and development.

SC247: Can you share any lessons learned that have been particularly valuable to you in your career?

AM: I remember being told a key quote by one of the founding directors at Primark who told me, “If you are good enough, you are old enough.” This really stuck with me as I was growing my career in my twenties. It doesn’t matter about anything but if I am the best for the job! That is what really counts!

SC247: What would you say is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

AM: If not you, who? If not now, when? 

SC247: The first job you ever had?

AM: I worked at Sainsbury’s as a code checker. I was responsible for scanning all of the dates on fresh food items, making sure items were in date, or putting the reduced stickers on them to ensure they sold. I saw myself as a bit of an economist and looked at trends to markdown as late as possible while people were still shopping, so we maximized profit but food didn’t go to waste. I probably made more out of the job than it actually was!

SC247: What would you be doing if not in the supply chain industry?

AM: I would have pursued banking, but looking back, I would have hated being in banking! I hate sitting at a desk all day, and crunching numbers is not my favorite part of my day. I enjoy the people side, which I wouldn’t have gotten within banking. But a wildcard, if I could do something different, I would own a patisserie selling cakes and coffee!