Cathy O’Brien is Vice President of World Gross sales at UPS Healthcare, the put she is responsible for using development across EMEAI, APAC and LATAM. O’Brien joined UPS in July 2016 as a Managing Director for UPS Healthcare’s European business. Beforehand, she held several commercial management roles, including using world systems in frigid chain and specialty pharma logistics.
How did you to find into airfreight/logistics?
It turned into now not an intentional pass for me, having spent most of my career within the know-how space in replacement gross sales and marketing roles. I had the chance to relocate to Australia, and after spending over a year working there and across APAC, I returned home to Ireland after meeting my now husband.
It turned into then I determined to replace direction, and whereas I turned into determining my next steps I took a ‘non eternal’ pass to administer a know-how firm for a world transport business. 20 years later, I’m unruffled within the alternate!
Logistics is a hasty-transferring alternate, and no day is ever the an analogous. The opportunity to work on new projects and with new applied sciences, all in great team environments, turned into too excellent to me to depart. I turned into fortunate to hunt a keenness for Healthcare present chain pattern in some unspecified time in the future of this time, and that’s the put I in actuality dangle spent most of my logistics career up to now.
What quote has most resonated with you?
Successfully executed is better than effectively stated – Benjamin Franklin. So much of folk talk the talk, but growth comes from motion!
What’s the most efficient half of recommendation you’ve ever bought?
On no account sacrifice who you are for somebody or the relaxation. Always be your legitimate self.
While you dangle dinner with any three folk, residing or slow, who would it now not’s and why?
My Grandmother – She died aged practically 103, having lived a protracted life by World Wars, powerful switch in Ireland and in a time the put ladies were 2nd class citizens in this nation. Herself and my grandfather worked extremely onerous. She consistently had quite a bit of tales to share, and I would adore overtime along with her to to find extra of her insights!
Steve Jobs – Apple revolutionised our world with the delivery of the iPhone. I would adore to hear to the myth of the jog of that know-how, how and when he determined that this turned into what the firm have to bet on for his or her exponential development jog …. Taking that threat to cannibalise the iPod turned into a extensive resolution!
Shirley Chisholm– I true watched a movie “Shirley” about her fight to be taken severely in her expose for Congress and her expose for Presidential Election in 1972! I adore her self-belief, her grit, resolution and can-build attitude. She finished great success after changing into the most famous sad girl elected to US Congress.
What’s something we wouldn’t be taught about you out of your CV?
I attain from a farm on the west wing of Ireland and were acknowledged to force a tractor and build some farming with my father at weekends!
What passion dangle you ever largely desired to strive but under no cases bought spherical to?
Painting. I desire to plot (I build it badly) and consistently thought I could perhaps well also grow into it as a keenness over time to disaster myself to change into better and better at….. now that my teenagers are older it is something I mosey to envision in to.
While you dangle now not pursued a career in airfreight, what diversified field would you dangle liked to mosey into?
Funnily, no doubt one of many areas I at the delivery checked out turned into Biotechnology. Now, I work with about a of the most famous Pharma and Biotech firms on this planet, including being enthusiastic heavily within the present chain pattern for the rollout of the Covid-19 Vaccines.
While you dangle any superpower, what would it now not’s?
Successfully-organized Inch – There would possibly be so powerful to construct, and time appears to be going faster as I change into outdated!
What’s your proudest moment and your biggest regret?
My proudest moment to this point, moreover when my teenagers were born, has been working on the Covid-19 Vaccine Offer Chain. The Pandemic turned into a trend of events which would possibly perhaps well be life-altering in so many ways and it turned into a time in history when the world united and when every person wanted exact collaboration from every person to fight the an analogous enemy.
So that you just would possibly per chance make exercise of my abilities and abilities as share of a team to enhance the birth of over one billion vaccines all the absolute top plot by the world is something I will adore ceaselessly and I thank UPS for that probability to be share of something so famous and special.
My biggest regret is that I didn’t look my grandmother earlier than she handed away.
If there turned into a movie made about your life, who would you want see play the lead aim?
Cate Blanchett.
Taking a look assist over your career, what would your message be to someone eager on a career in logistics?
Uncover a firm that would possibly perhaps give you diversified roles and opportunities within the gap of logistics. It’s this form of extensive career, starting from commercial roles to operations to quality and all the pieces in between.
At UPS, folk are supported in growing so many abilities across the business, and that creates great trend of thought and abilities, as effectively as growing a career pattern direction for abilities in so many functional areas. I would advocate working for a firm with that sizable career progression, being recurring to strive new roles and discovering out as powerful as you can also factor in across the business.
Logistics is on a new jog of development and innovation as present chain turns true into a subject for every business, the opportunities are sizable for childhood in this alternate!
How build you inspire your team?
Recognition is very famous even for the shrimp achievements.
In healthcare logistics, quite a bit of work goes into building the true quality solutions and companies for the desires of our possibilities and their patients. My team is all in favour of what they build and so embracing that and recognising that they set up their coronary heart and soul into turning in for patrons’ desires to be well-liked in most cases.
As a leader of a team, I to find time to roll up my sleeves and to find stuck in with the team to to find issues executed. It’s famous they know that we’re all working together and that they can rely on me to resolve problems and fix problems. For me, authenticity is very famous, so by final my legitimate self I’m hoping is uncover a convention of sharing, transparency and self assurance.
What’s the one merchandise you can also’t creep with out?
Airpods – I creep loads, I in actuality dangle quite a bit of conference calls on the mosey and I desire to mosey loads. These are my fixed creep companions.
Who’s your aim model?
My 16-year-damaged-down daughter. I adore her independence, her pleasure and sense of humour, her distinct attitude and how powerful dignity and self price she has developed at this form of younger age. I see at her and dangle to condominium embracing your full distinct issues in life. She makes me a higher individual and her tenacity surprises me repeatedly.
