Shippers IT Column

Shippers IT Column Into the sunset
   John Fontanella, one of the nation's most respected supply chain analysts, died Nov. 31.
   This is basic journalistic formula for beginning an obituary: name, comma, career, comma, died. It is egalitarian and democratic in its utter finality – a life bookended by two commas – and in the end we all receive the same treatment. In the pages of a newspaper, perhaps. However, in the case of John Fontanella, it is entirely inappropriate.
   In a departure from the normal contents of this column, I would like to expand upon the space between the formulaic commas.
   Through his passion, intelligence and dedication, he lived well beyond those simple grammatical marks and in the process touched all those that knew him, both personally and professionally.
   Fontanella, 60, was a 25-year veteran of the logistics industry. A decade with Boston-based AMR, stints with the Aberdeen Group and the Yankee Group, as well as lengthy service in key positions at both Microsoft and Digital Equipment Corp.
   He was AMR's go-to-guy for all things related to the logistics technology, supply chain and distribution industries.
   However, while a resume may be a slightly broader description than the space between those commas, it still tells those not fortunate enough to have met Fontanella very little about who he was.
   'Beneath his apparently mellow exterior was a person who would do whatever was needed to finish a project – work nights, weekends, fly anywhere, anytime – always with the goal of getting it right,' said Paula Rosenblum, who worked at AMR with Fontanella for many years before leaving to co-found Retail Systems Research. 'He had great instincts and was an analyst's analyst.'
   A recurring theme among those who knew him, is that above all, he was a consummate professional. A conversation with him about the inner workings of the industry could at times feel almost ' wrong. As if through his innate ability to make all things sound profound, he could make you feel as though you were privy to forbidden secrets.
   I often told him after a long conversation that I felt like I had just sat through something akin to a Harvard graduate course.
   And these moments of profundity were not fleeting with Fontanella. He could seemingly talk forever on any topic without ever sounding repetitive. He didn't just talk. He said things that mattered. They were thought out, relevant, insightful. Every sentence, every word just flowed.
   His passion for the industry and his profession was visceral. However, his real power, beyond his knowledge and abilities, also clearly came from his heart.
   'His good cheer, optimism and smile will always be remembered by those of us lucky enough to have known him,' said Beth Enslow, senior vice president of supply chain risk management at Marsh Inc. and a former Aberdeen colleague.
   Often, at some point in any conversation with Fontanella – usually a point you would never expect when something tickled him the right way – he would effervesce with a hearty deep laugh that for many people was his true trademark. It was a laugh that could bring levity to any situation, no matter how financially grim, no matter how professionally serious.
   And above it all, he remained very grounded.
   I can remember having dinner with him at a supply chain convention and all during our meal, an endless stream of attendees, from lower level staff to chief executive officers would stop at the table to greet him. Though his back was to the majority of the crowd, I could watch as people spotted him from a distance and broke off what they were doing to come over to just say hello. I remember thinking at that moment, if the analyst industry has the equivalent of a rock star, he could certainly have filled the role of a Jagger or McCartney.
   More interesting was that no matter who it was that stopped, Fontanella would set down his utensils, shake hands and warmly greet the passerby, answering any question posed. I don't think he ever did finish his steak.
   In addition to relying on his analytic mind to help make sense of a sometimes chaotic industry, I also had the true fortune of working with him on several lengthy projects for American Shipper.
   During our last such project, just a few months ago, I served as a panel moderator and part of my task was to introduce Fontanella to the audience. During our initial rehearsal, he broke into his trademark laugh when he heard my perhaps slightly hyperbolic description of himself, quipping that 'You only forgot to mention I walk on water.'
   It occurred to me at that point that, despite the joke and the laugh, he was somewhat embarrassed by my effusing on his career.
   Even in his own element, talking about the history and future of the industry he lived and breathed, he did not perhaps take himself as serious as the rest of us did.
   After a decade in this industry, I am certain of only a few things. One is I will never learn everything. Fontanella certainly helped me, and anyone fortunate enough to meet him, expanded those bounds of knowledge.
   The other thing of which I am certain is that there are very few genuine 'white hats' in the world. So, for me, I will leave him atop the white charger, bedecked in a white hat and riding into the sunset.
   And, as he fades into the orange light and the screen goes dark, I am certain I can just make out the sound of his heartfelt laugh faintly rolling back across the scene.
   Fontanella is survived by his son Steve, East Coast sales manager of American Shipper; daughter Jessie; and partner Martha Hunter.