Dive into the world of Supply Chain Management with our exclusive interview featuring Willis College instructor Kalis Venugopal. He shares insights into the program, the valuable skills students acquire, graduate opportunities, and more!

Hi, Kalis! Thank you for speaking with us today. Can you tell us what “Supply Chain Management” means?

Kalis Venugopal:
So as the definition goes, Supply Chain Management starts from the raw materials until it reaches the customer, and also, the reverse logistics, that starts from the customer back all the way to the manufacturer.

It sounds like students in the SCM program will learn a lot.

Kalis Venugopal
The students will learn about the 50,000-foot level of what supply chain is. They’ll have the option to study procurement, customs, logistics, or housing; every sector of supply chain that they see in our everyday lives.

Can you talk a bit about the job opportunities for Supply Chain Management grads.

Kalis Venugopal:
The job opportunities in supply chain management will depend on the student’s interest. It opens doors to many industries, could be a medical industry, biotechnology, ship building, manufacturing, customer service, technology; it really depends on what the student wants to do.

What kind of support do students receive in the program?

Kalis Venugopal:
Willis College hires teachers with vast experience. So apart from the concepts and the insight into the job market, Willis College also provides Career Services. They will help students prepare their resumes for their job hunt.

On top of that, students also will have an option to do one month practicum in the industry they choose, so that they can go through the concepts that they have learned in the college and apply them in the field and get experience before they go into the real job world.

That’s great! How about your own experience in the field?

Kalis Venugopal:
I have over 10 years of experience in various sectors of supply chain. I started my career as a inventory control coordinator in a food industry. Then I went into the ship building industry, where I have managed contracts, sourcing, warehousing them, delivering them to the assembly lines. Then, I moved on to manufacturing, where we procured commodities that fluctuate based on the market demands, supplies, and global political risks. I’ve also managed teams, buyers, I’ve hired teams overseas, managed teams overseas.

That’s definitely impressive. Why should someone choose the SCM program at Willis College vs. other schools?

Kalis Venugopal:
The human psychology is you cannot pay attention to something more than 30 minutes. The advantages of the Willis College online program is you have the option to go back and you have the option to contact the professor 24/7, even after the program.

In general, why is Supply Chain Management a good option?

Kalis Venugopal:
Everything we do in our daily lives, from the moment we wake up, the coffee we drink, the food we eat, the car we drive, the building we live in, everything is made possible because of supply chain. We all learned that from the pandemic. So managing global supply chain risks, it’s not a competition between companies anymore, it’s the competition of supply chain of the companies determines their profitability. So it has a huge growth potential.

It sounds like it. Lastly, any student success stories you want to mention?

Kalis Venugopal:
I had this one student who had her bachelor’s overseas, and she had five years of experience in a field that’s not related to supply chain. When she started the program, she was very hesitant, and it took her a lot of time to pick up on the concepts. Once she got to know the subject, she scored very well.

And then, she got into practicum in the biomedical field. We talked about how to approach practicum, all the concepts that we’ve applied, how to use it there, ask questions, be involved. And she did that, and was offered a full-time job in that company. So even after that, we kept in contact, and then, we talked about how to negotiate salary, negotiate benefits, and then, she’s working there full-time now and is very happy.

Ready to embark on a journey toward a rewarding career in supply chain? Willis College is here to support your path to success. Click here to get started!