SUSTAINABILITY
Sheri shares exclusive insights on her career , what drives her , and how sustainability is good for business .
Q . Tell us about your career journey before arriving at IBM , which spans almost 15 years in supply chain ? I have a non-traditional career path that started prior to finding supply chain , which is actually a third ( or fourth ) career in my journey . I was an artist and a musician , then an entrepreneur and found my way into IT and supply chain when I was in the wholesale distribution of wine and spirits .
I actually wanted to be a lawyer and at one point thought I ’ d run for President of the United States !? I ’ ve done many different things that now come together in a perfect Venn diagram , but there was no string theory in my career . I was curious and when I wanted to learn more about a topic or simplify a complex problem , I just jumped in .
I transitioned to supply chain consulting and worked with IBM independently before accepting a senior executive role leading the global sustainable supply chain and circularity offerings .
You joined IBM full time in December 2020 with the title Global Partner and Offering Leader , Sustainable Supply Chain + Green Omni-Channel Supply Chain . Was that a reflection of the growing attention on sustainability ? Yes , the focus on building responsible , equitable and sustainable supply chains has grown exponentially . There has been such a demand from our clients that I ’ ve moved into another role across IBM ’ s Supply Chain and Finance Transformation organisation leading the global sustainable supply chain practice across the centres of competency and ecosystem partnerships like SAP , Oracle , and Kinaxis .
“ It ’ s an amazing feeling to wake up each morning and do exactly what you ’ re meant to do on this earth ”
SHERI R . HINISH IBM GLOBAL PARTNER AND OFFERING LEADER , SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN
Pressures from consumers , trading partners , and investors are mounting where disclosures on carbon , climate , packaging , ethical trade , and so much more are no longer a nice to have but a regulated business requirement .
IBM has been a champion for diversity and inclusion and as an environmental steward in technology and services for over 50 years . So when I decided to transition back to industry from independent advisory , there was an alignment of values and purpose , supported by IBM ’ s deep research and technology that created a natural fit for what I wanted to do most – make an impact building sustainable supply chains in the world we share .