Women in Supply Chain: Heather Mahan of Manhattan Associates

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 Heather Mahan, Vice President of Professional Services at Manhattan Associates, about her start in the industry, the challenges she's faced as a woman, and the best career advice she ever received.

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

Heather Mahan: I grew up in a very small town with fewer than a thousand residents, in a rural farming community in Central Pennsylvania. We often joked there were more cows than people, and there wasn’t a single stoplight in the county at the time. I graduated from Penn State with degrees in Management Science, Information Systems, and Math. A friend from college lured me into joining a fledgling software company in Pittsburgh. In that job and as a 22-year-old I traveled the world implementing their supply chain management system for our customers. The job was the perfect intersection of technology, operations, and customer engagement, and I was hooked.

SC247: What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

HM: Every day for me is different and unpredictable. My team is responsible for ensuring that our Manhattan Associates customers – retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors that you all shop and know – achieve the benefit they intend with the implementation of our solutions. I support our customers from the initial deployment to production support and through the incremental rollout of the innovation that we deliver in our supply chain commerce technology solutions every quarter.

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

HM: There is clearly an overwhelming underrepresentation of women, especially in leadership roles. However, it is difficult for me to differentiate if the challenges I have faced are specific to the supply chain industry or simply circumstances that women face in general. There have been many times I have found myself in a situation where I have faced unwanted advances. Most of the time I would laugh off or chalk up to fatigue, long hours, or too many drinks as harmless and carry on business as usual the next day.

But in some more serious circumstances, I grappled with whether or not I should report the incident. Very early in my career, I worried that I could be judged for the circumstances leading to the interaction. Even now I understand that with the best intentions to remedy the situation, subsequent action could jeopardize a business relationship or my career development. I would encourage women in these circumstances to consult with a trusted advisor or HR partner. I also urge leaders to be proactive by checking in with their team members and asking them if they need any support or direct action.

The good news is that I have observed more intentional discussions about appropriate lines between personal and professional relationships, perhaps due to the ‘Me Too Movement’. Whatever the impetus, things are getting better.

“During periods of relative work quiet, I take full advantage by slipping out for an afternoon to shop with my girls or stealing away for an early happy hour with my husband.”

SC247: How’s your work-life balance?

HM: I have three amazing daughters—two rising seniors in high school and one in middle school. For me, work-life balance is a misnomer and should be rebranded as work-life imbalance. My focus tends to swing from work to family and back, often centering unhealthily on work, especially during difficult go-live or challenging operational situations. However, I rebalance when I can. During periods of relative work quiet, I take full advantage by slipping out for an afternoon to shop with my girls or stealing away for an early happy hour with my husband. When my girls were in elementary school, I blocked half an hour on my calendar so that, on the days I was home and not traveling to client sites, I could walk them home from school and hear their funny stories about their day.

Between the consistent travel, late-night production issue calls, and inevitable customer emergencies during vacations, it is not always easy for me or my family. However, I work for a special company with selfless colleagues and supportive leaders, I have never worried about asking for help with my workload or taking time away from work when needed. I love what I do, I find purpose in it, and my girls see that. I hope they have learned from our our crazy schedule and can manage the imbalance someday too, with their own families and whatever vocations they choose.

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

HM: I’ve been at Manhattan Associates for more than 20 years. I love this company, our people, and our customers and I am invested in it beyond the typical financial elements. I take pride and find purpose in the long-term customer relationships and successes we have fostered. I have many colleagues and some customers I’ve known longer than my husband of 18 years. But during all of those years, even as we have grown ten times, Manhattan has remained entrepreneurial. We have maintained the nimble, inquisitive, customer-focused feel that I craved when left big consulting so many years ago. Creativity and innovation are central tenets here. They are the heartbeat of our success and the fuel for our continued growth.

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

HM: Up until World War II forced our workforce to shift and the trailblazing Rosie the Riveters proved that women can be successful in physically demanding fields—whether on the manufacturing line, in the warehouse, or behind the wheel—men filled nearly all of what we now call supply chain jobs. In more recent history most of the engineering, math, and science graduates have been men. We are gaining ground, though. More and more women are entering technical courses of study in college and are graduating with supply chain-related degrees.

“For students with an aptitude and interest in math and science, my advice is that any technical degree has power and to go for it.”

For students with an aptitude and interest in math and science, my advice is that any technical degree has power and to go for it. As important as your degree selection, though, is where you land your first job. As students make that decision, I encourage them, especially women, to dig into the corporate culture and leadership diversity of prospective employers. Ask questions about job assignment rotation, mentorship, training, and career path. Make sure that the place you choose to start your career will offer support and encouragement to help you succeed.

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

HM: Perspective is so important. A project that you think is going well based on how you measure might be seen as an absolute failure by another party. Understanding how all members of the team define success, and making decisions that align with those objectives while negotiating conflicts, is the best way to achieve overall success. Warehouse operations want to improve productivity; digital wants to deliver that perfect customer order the next day; retail wants to spend more time with customers on the floor; IT wants to stay close to base. It’s not all about you. Ask questions. Know your team, customers, partners, and vendors. Get under their skin to understand their perspectives and concerns, and translate those into decisions that drive success for the team.

SC247: Let's do some rapid-fire questions. What's your productivity tool or app?

HM: Garmin – I need my exercise.

SC247: What's the most useful skill in the supply chain industry?

HM: Adaptability.

SC247: What's the biggest myth about working in supply chain?

HM: Shipping boxes is easy.

SC247: What's the best career advice you’ve ever received?

HM: You have to break some eggs to make an omelet.

SC247: Do you have a hobby that relaxes you after a long day?

HM: Cleaning.

SC247: What's the first job you ever had?

HM: I was a telemarketer selling credit cards over the phone.