Lifetime of Achievement: Sheri Hinish
Her ‘Supply Chain Queen’ title might be self-proclaimed, but you’ll struggle to find anyone better suited to it than Sheri Hinish.
In her roles as a Principal/Senior Partner and Global Consulting Sustainability, Technology and Ecosystems Leader at EY, as well as across the wider industry, Sheri has spent her career in supply chain driving positive change. She is a true impact leader who shakes up how future-fit enterprises are designed and built to cultivate ecosystems that operationalise sustainability-led business transformation.
“Supply chains can change the world,” she says. “Every product in your hand, from your phone to your coffee cup, has a story of its making. With more than 40% of the global workforce involved in supply chain activities, the potential for transformation is nearly limitless.”
A Supply Chain Queen
With the consulting powerhouse EY, Harvard and Cornell graduate Sheri works across various sectors, service lines, alliances, sustainability solutions and digital ventures. Before assuming this role, she led Sustainability Services and Alliances at IBM, fuelled by her passion for sustainable supply chains, circularity and hardening emerging sustainability tech use cases.
Sheri’s experience in the field underpins her industry-recognised moniker. Having spent two decades leading and influencing transformations, while also serving as a practitioner and consultant for Fortune 500 clients in consumer, technology, industrial and disruptive innovation, she leverages her knowledge for good.
Despite being the only woman and the youngest person in the boardroom, Sheri has established herself at the very top of the supply chain game. However, she most certainly isn’t one to rest on her laurels. Sheri knows that working at the intersection of supply chain management, sustainability and digital transformation means the learning never stops.
“I’m a rebel and eternal student who loves creating, building and bringing out the best in people, helping to grow and empower others,” she adds.
Sheri shares what she learns via the Supply Chain Revolution, her podcast that gives a platform to provocative discussions and expert analysis from all corners of the supply chain world. She has managed to create a community of change-makers, industry professionals and sustainability enthusiasts who gather in one place in pursuit of common goals: to gain invaluable insights, uncover new perspectives and be inspired to join the revolution toward a more sustainable future.
“My vision is to change the world through shared purpose and sustainable supply chain, circularity and building technology grounded in the principles of sustainable development," she says of her podcast work.
Outside of this, Sheri is a well-known speaker at industry events, including Supply Chain Digital’s own Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE. On several occasions she has taken to the stage to explore the importance of creating sustainable supply chains and the social, environmental and economic benefits this brings.
Speaking at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE New York last year, Sheri shared insights into how companies can collaborate with suppliers, stakeholders and the wider community to ensure responsible, ethical and sustainable supply chains. She highlighted how the costs associated with driving sustainability in products and services is becoming “normalised” thanks to ever-present and increasing regulatory pressures.
“Plus you also have pressure from investors, and ultimately making sustainability information more transparent is going to lower your cost of capital,” Sheri added.
Propelling the future of supply chain
Sustainability remains at the forefront of Sheri’s supply chain pursuits and is something she foresees being at the heart of the industry moving forward.
“I see more investment, specifically in technology, which is a great enabler and accelerator,” she continues. “I don't see investment in sustainable products softening. What I do see is people balancing their portfolios in order to finance investment in sustainable products.”
Alongside this, Sheri is set to continue championing DE&I across an industry that is overhauling what diversity means and injecting it into all elements of its operations. Her goal is to create equitable access to education and mentorship, particularly for underrepresented individuals and communities, while advocating for diverse representation in solving global challenges and emphasising the critical need for cognitive diversity in developing impactful solutions.
And, as Sheri continues on her journey towards a better future, propelled by her ethics and passions, her purpose remains the same: to make a meaningful impact for the clients, colleagues, partners and communities she serves.
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