{"673264":{"#nid":"673264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Welcomes Back Chris Gaffney: A Story of Leadership and Commitment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs we tap into the new year, alumnus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/users\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E (BSIE \u201985, MSIE \u201986) steps into his role as the Managing Director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL) and the Academic Program Director for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Professional Education\u003C\/a\u003E (GTPE). With expertise in the field, his return to Georgia Tech welcomes fresh methods and inspiration to enhance the program\u0027s supply chain operations. Having earned both his degrees from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering \u003C\/a\u003E(ISyE), Gaffney\u0027s journey intertwines deeply with the institution\u2019s growth and impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGaffney\u2019s Return\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For the most part, I\u0027ve only lived in two places in my life\u2026growing up in DC and then living in Atlanta, I was very fortunate to choose Georgia Tech for both my bachelor\u0027s and master\u2019s in industrial engineering.\u0022 Throughout the years, Gaffney was involved in the community serving on the ISyE Advisory Board, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Advisory Board, and the Mentees Program at Georgia Tech. Influenced by the ISyE community, Gaffney aims to reciprocate the school\u2019s impact by leveraging his experiences from the Coca-Cola Company to enhance the program. In his new role, Chris wants to continue driving cross-collaboration with SCL partnerships. \u201cGeorgia Tech is on the leading edge of the advancements in supply chain and logistics, so I\u0027m hopeful that part of what we could do more of in SCL is help companies access more of that, faster.\u201d Additionally, Gaffney believes there\u2019s an increasing urgency to advancing and \u201cbringing people the type of learning in a way that they can grow their own professional capabilities [and become more multidisciplinary].\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeadership in Logistics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGaffney\u0027s professional journey began at Frito-Lay, where he navigated operational intricacies as a logistics analyst, later advancing to operations manager. Subsequently, he honed his expertise in international logistics and strategic supply chain management at AJC International and the Coca-Cola Company. Gaffney\u0027s tenure at Coca-Cola, spanning over two decades as the Director of National Distribution, and then VP of Transportation for US Coke, epitomizes his commitment to collaboration and innovation. \u0022Coca-Cola taught me the importance of understanding how collaboration works within large enterprises and across companies.\u0022 Internally, he also served in positions as President of Coca-Cola Supply, and as the President of the National Product Supplied Group, for the US Bottlers. For Gaffney, the journey wasn\u0027t just about personal success but about paving pathways for others, bridging the gap in the field between inspiration and accessibility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccessibility Through Collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201c-- A big part for me is this idea of, how do you bring the promise of the digital age of supply chain and make it accessible to more and more companies and people?\u201d With the benefit of staying local, Gaffney supported driving academic, and corporate impact through collaboration \u2013 specifically towards initiatives aimed at increasing student co-ops, and full-time employment opportunities between Georgia Tech and the Coca-Cola Company. With mentorship serving as a cornerstone in Gaffney\u2019s professional landscape, he believes in advocating for the transformative power of supportive relationships. \u201c[My mentor] would make sure I was on track\u2026it was a much smaller situation then, but it made a huge difference for me, and I never forgot about that -- I\u0027ve had some really critical mentors early in my career, so I\u0027m a big believer in mentoring and coaching.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYellow Jacket Trajectory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGaffney\u2019s ties to Georgia Tech, spanning decades of investment, characterize a lifelong commitment to growth and service. The motivation and influence instilled during his time at Tech transferred to his life in more ways than one. Chris met his wife at Georgia Tech and has been married for over 30 years; with four adult children, including one being a GT graduate in the field of Supply Chain. Even in hardship, Gaffney\u2019s family is passionate about doing all they can, including relentlessly supporting one of their own as a childhood cancer survivor. They\u2019re also heavily involved philanthropically, specifically in raising money for research on childhood cancer, \u201cwe believe that we have a responsibility to do what we can.\u201d As Gaffney shared his final thoughts, he leaves us with a hopeful view, channeled in the moments where he started the beginnings of his career \u2013 back on Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EISyE alumnus, Chris Gaffney, returns as Managing Director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL), and leads with charge after 25 years at the Coca-Cola Company. As he embarks on this new chapter, Gaffney\u0027s excitement is toward a more interconnected and innovative future.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Chris Gaffney (BSIE \u201985, MSIE \u201986) steps into his role as the Managing Director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL) and the Academic Program Director for Georgia Tech\u2019s Professional Education (GTPE)."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2024-02-29 15:07:12","changed_gmt":"2024-02-29 16:10:47","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673261":{"id":"673261","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney Collage","body":null,"created":"1709222588","gmt_created":"2024-02-29 16:03:08","changed":"1709222587","gmt_changed":"2024-02-29 16:03:07","alt":"Collage with Chris and his family in 2024, from his days at Coca-Cola, from the SCM Talent podcast, and Supply Chain Now with Scott Luton and Greg White","file":{"fid":"256629","name":"collage-gaffney.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/29\/collage-gaffney.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/29\/collage-gaffney.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":466946,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/29\/collage-gaffney.jpg?itok=g4MuYp3d"}}},"media_ids":["673261"],"groups":[{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Einfo@scl.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}