Pat Hopper, Managing Director of Sourcing, FedEx Services

by Ravi Anupindi, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

 

FedEx Corporation is a $60 billion company providing high value-added logistics, transportation, and related business services through focused operating companies. FedEx Services is one of these operating companies; it integrates the technology and services that its customers need. It includes business solutions for FedEx global supply operations, e-commerce, or any of today’s business challenges. FedEx Services is headquartered in Memphis, TN, and supports 400,000 global team members across all operating companies. The sourcing and procurement department at FedEx Services is a 170-person organization focused on delivering holistic business solutions for the global enterprise and is led by a vice president. Three managing directors report to the vice president. Pat is one of two sourcing managing directors responsible for meeting the needs of both operations and service functions within the company; the third managing director is responsible for procurement of systems and the policies and people that manage the company’s operational support activities.

On a day-to-day basis, Pat leads a team of professionals responsible for category management and supplier relationship management across all FedEx entities. These categories include Information Technology, Professional Services, Operational Supplies, Supplier Diversity, Supply Chain Sustainability, and Supply Chain Risk Management. Pat led development of the supplier relationship group with a focus on enabling holistic category management and developing strategic supplier relationships.  The supply chain risk management program has created a risk-aware culture across its global supply operations by providing essential guidance, tools, and resources to the organization and enterprise. Its team is critical for the development of robust responses to mitigate supply chain disruption risk. Pat thrives in fast-paced, demanding environments that rely on teamwork, leadership, a strategic vision, and an understanding of internal and external customer needs. 

Pat considers his biggest challenge as prioritizing resources to ensure that his team is appropriately supporting the business and delivering outstanding results. However, what keeps him excited every day is his team’s data-driven focus on developing collaborative strategies for the business that has earned his team trusted advisor relationships with internal stakeholders. Building internal customer relationships and continuously learning about his company’s complex, global, and ever-changing business requirements are some of the favorite parts of his job. Pat assumed FedEx’s seat on the SCRLC (Supply Chain Risk Leadership Council) in 2014, and the diversity of the member organizations coupled with the wealth of technical expertise drive his proactive continued engagement.

Pat earned a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, and a master of science degree in logistics and acquisition management from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, OH.  His engineering education laid the foundation for the critical thinking required to quickly adapt to dynamic, highly technical, information-rich environments, and the leadership training and experience he received from the Air Force has been instrumental in developing his ability to build relationships and deliver solutions that meet customer needs.  Pat began his Air Force career as an operational contracting officer at a B-1 bomber base in Rapid City, SD, and spent four years in Los Angeles, CA, as a captain responsible for the acquisition of GPS satellites and classified space systems at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Headquarters.  He joined the FedEx sourcing team in 2001, and spent ten years as a sourcing manager building and leading teams across various global spend categories.  In 2013, Pat was promoted to the position of managing director and helped build the company’s shared services sourcing and procurement team.  Pat loves to exercise, attend sporting events with his family, and read.