Kevin Stock's journey from Olympic Village tram driver to Executive Vice President of Engineering at GEODIS reveals powerful insights about leadership, technology, and relationship-building that are transforming logistics today.
Our conversation begins with Kevin's fascinating experience at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he transported athletes around Georgia Tech's campus as a college student. This unique opportunity allowed him to meet gold medalists, attend exclusive events, and even cross paths with Arnold Schwarzenegger—a perfect illustration of how diverse experiences shape leadership perspectives.
As we dive into Kevin's two-decade tenure at GEODIS, he reveals how engineering shapes modern logistics operations. His team creates tailored solutions for clients, analyzing their specific needs—whether speed-to-market or cost efficiency—and designing warehouse systems that might incorporate anything from basic racking to advanced robotics. With e-commerce creating dramatic demand swings (sometimes 10x normal volume), automation has become increasingly crucial. Kevin notes that as technology costs decrease while labor costs rise, the economics of automation continue to improve.
Yet amid this technological revolution, Kevin emphasizes that leadership remains the decisive factor in organizational success. "The difference between a performing company and one that does not is leadership," he quotes, sharing that "70% of an employee's effectiveness is based on their relationship with their direct leader." This human element becomes even more critical in today's hybrid work environments, where relationships must be built intentionally rather than through casual office interactions.
For emerging leaders, Kevin offers two key pieces of advice: learn about all aspects of the business beyond your immediate role, and actively build relationships throughout the organization. His own career benefited tremendously from transitioning between operations and engineering roles, giving him perspective from both sides of the business.
Whether you're managing remote teams, implementing automation, or developing leadership skills, this conversation offers valuable insights about balancing technology and human connection in today's rapidly evolving logistics landscape.
Standing Out is a sales, marketing & leadership podcast powered by BETA Consulting Group, created to highlight best practices from industry leaders with incredible experience and insights! The goal is to entertain, educate & inspire individuals & companies to improve their sales, marketing & leadership development outcomes.
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