What are you doing now?
I am currently the Global Vice President for PACCAR Parts which is the parts and service aftermarket support division for all Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF truck dealers around the world. I have been with PACCAR for 34 years and started working here once I completed my MBA at the University of Portland.
PACCAR is the parent company that designs and produces Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF trucks. PACCAR is a Fortune 150 company that is 116 years old. We produce the highest quality medium and heavy duty trucks in the world. Global headquarters are in Bellevue, Washington and the company has been profitable for 83 years in a row.
I lead PACCAR Parts and we sell aftermarket truck parts into 115 different countries. 2021 Global revenue was $5 billion dollars and we delivered over $1 billion dollars in profit for the company. We have 19 distribution centers around the world that encompass 3.4 million sq ft of distribution capacity. The company supports 2,270 dealer locations under the DAF, Peterbilt, Kenworth and TRP All Makes brands. We pride ourselves on industry leading supply chain capability and support any dealer or customer with outstanding vehicle support and proactive service capability. PACCAR is an amazing company to work for and the global opportunities are endless!
How did a graduate degree help you?
My undergraduate degree was in mechanical engineering from Washington State and I had considerable product design/CAD experience while I was in my 20’s. I always believed I would move up into leadership roles and felt I needed more background to be successful. The MBA helped me develop overall business skills for leadership, technology management and finance that most technical people don’t have.
My MBA at UP was shaped around the fundamentals of the OTM program which I found very rewarding. All of my leadership roles in my career of 35+ years benefitted from my UP MBA. It helped expand my thinking and horizons by looking at things differently that what my experience had shown me. Professors and my MBA peers were very engaged in the program and helped all of us grow and develop.
Any advice for someone considering an MBA and why did you choose UP for your program?
I believe an MBA helps anyone in business or non-profit leadership roles. In today’s world where things happen and change very quickly it helps greatly to have been though education and training to get the most out of your position today…but even more important how things are guaranteed to change going forward. An MBA helps you drive change instead of just react to it. I recommended 3-5 years of professional experience before entering the program. It is much more relevant as you move into leadership and technology roles to shape how you will grow in the future.
I chose UP for my MBA based on the quality of the OTM program. It was a great fit and gave me a different perspective as a private Holy Cross university. The inclusion of how the community is involved in all aspects of public and private enterprise helped shape my passion for community service. At PACCAR Parts we are more involved in the community than ever and this has helped shape our character and success. Things like Diversity Councils, United Way and Military Veteran Recruiting help showcase our engagement with our people and especially with our customers.
Learn More
To learn more about PACCAR, visit – https://www.paccar.com/
