DSC chat: Ryder CTO on searching for future tech innovations

BIO: Phillips is chief technology officer and vice president new products for Ryder System Inc. She is responsible for overseeing the evaluation, development and deployment of new technologies and digital products for the Supply Chain and Dedicated Transportation Solution businesses. In her prior role, she was group director of Southeast operations for Dedicated Transportation Solutions (DTS) for Ryder System. Phillips earned an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a master’s in engineering management from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. She holds a bachelor of engineering degree in chemical engineering with a specialization in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. 

KEY QUOTES FROM PHILLIPS

“I thought it would be hard. Where are we going to find these startups? How are we going to know if we’re seeing the broad landscape? But it’s actually been easy to get our arms around it, just because of the community aspect.”

“When we look at these companies, the number one thing we look at is do we think we can use them to benefit our customers.”

“I remember talking with companies three or four years ago who felt no need to invest in supply chain technology. They thought visibility was a buzzword. And those conversations have changed. They have gone away. Everybody understands now you have to have a nimble supply chain, and the only way you can do that is if it’s digital.”

“We all need to be comfortable with the idea of sharing our data and being very open about our data, which is traditionally not something we’ve done in the supply chain. The more we’re comfortable with aggregators and sharing and visibility, the better we all will be.”

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