installation services , electronics , pharma and aerospace .
She began her career in operations management at GE , where she spent more than a decade honing her skill . Then there were spells at a diverse range of companies , including Bertelsmann ( media ), Tyco ( fire protection ) and Newell Rubbermaid ( consumer products ), where she was the chief supply chain officer for two years .
“ I think I ’ ve been in every industry but food ,” she laughs – which , from an overview of her career , appears to be the case .
It was in 2015 that she joined J & J , as VP Supply Chain Strategy & Deployment , with the move marking her third foray into the healthcare industry .
Healthcare is an area where you want to drive something different “ If you think about leaving a lasting impact , healthcare is one area where you really want to drive something different ,” she says of being drawn back to this sector .
In her current role , Stevens very much has the opportunity to drive change and make a difference , because her portfolio includes everything from planning to sourcing direct materials through to the make , deliver and return functions .
She is also responsible for delivery of the household J & J brands that we all know so well , such as BAND-AID plasters and Listerine mouthwash . Her team was also responsible for the ‘ cold chain ’ that delivered J & J ’ s Janssen COVID- 19 vaccine .
The market Stevens serves is colossal . She oversees a consumer health supply chain that , every day , serves more than 1 billion people across 60 countries .
Health supply chains ‘ come down to reliability and resilience ’ Driving such a vast supply chain always , according to Stevens , comes down to “ choices around reliability and resilience ”.
Speaking to Supply Chain Management Review , Stevens said : “ When you ’ re serving more than a billion people a day , the most important thing is to make sure that when you reach for our product on the shelf then it ’ s going to be there for you .” Stevens says that this focus influences how J & J balances what it manufactures in its own facilities versus manufacturing partners – something she describes as “ manufacturing in a way that creates agility ”.
She continues : “ One of the things we are working on extensively is understanding our dual sourcing strategy .”
Dual sourcing strategy is key to J & J She explains that , because J & J ’ s portfolio has been created through acquisitions , “ this can sometimes take us longer ”. She continues : “ Our two axes are where is the consumption happening and where is the best source of supply . With those , we look at the partnerships we ’ ve developed .
“ In a perfect world , I would have everything nearby , with infinite capacity and 100 % agility . But , in an imperfect world , I ’ m constrained by where I am today and the changes that I can make now . So , it ’ s about balancing those things as we go .”
And one cannot discuss a healthcare supply chain professional like Stevens without referencing the challenges of the pandemic .
Of that time , she says : “ The biggest thing we experienced was volatility , especially in the consumer business . We saw lots of variation in where people were buying products and what they were buying . The demand for some traditionally stable products doubled and tripled .”
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