Leading the Mission to Provide Supply Chain Excellence

Last Updated October 24, 2024

So far, Malcolm Green has had the opportunity to travel to 26 different countries—and counting! A member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, Malcolm serves in Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 11, which provides logistics and supply chain support to all the military branches, anywhere in the world. 

“What we can do, ideally, is they can drop us off on an island and we can make our own city,” says Malcolm of his battalion’s mission. “We can onload/offload cargo, we can get our own water, we can get our own food, we have our own supplies.”

His military experience has provided Malcolm with more than working supply chain knowledge; it’s been a lesson in from-scratch supply chain creation that has “helped me realize things on a global scale,” he says. “Whether it’s thinking about currency changes I have to go through, language barriers, country policies—all those experiences helped mold me… The attention to detail, and of course, the hard work that I’ve been through, it really prepared me to hit the ground running, especially in the supply chain industry, where things are constantly changing.”

Looking to Advance with an Advanced Degree

In his civilian work, Malcolm took note that most hiring announcements of new senior executive leaders included “a master’s of some sort” in their background. “That’s where I aspire to be one day,” says Malcolm, with his goal being to “obtain a higher level management position in the supply chain industry and, ultimately, provide a company with supply chain excellence.”

Malcolm was “thinking of a local college” back in Florida for his graduate education when as an undergraduate student at the University of North Florida, he got to experience Michigan State University (and the refreshing November Michigan weather) firsthand while participating in a case study competition at that MSU campus.

“After seeing the campus, knowing about the instructors, seeing the reputation as a number one program, it attracted me to actually apply,” Malcolm recalls, as he shifted his focus to MSU’s Master of Science in Supply Chain Management.   

A recommendation and personal introduction from one of his undergraduate professors, an MSU alum, provided Malcolm with an instant connection to the program. “She pretty much walked me straight to Lizzie and Nancy [MSSCM Program Directors], and I got information from them at that moment and after that I applied. The rest is history!”

Making Connections On Campus and Online

With that first visit to MSU, Malcolm knew “I have to be part of this!” He also knew he would need a graduate program with flexibility, as “with me being in the Navy Reserve they can call me at any time.”

The M.S. in Supply Chain Management program checked both boxes for Malcolm. “The online portion gives me the flexibility,” he explains. “As long as I have internet and I can get my books, I can do my schoolwork at the time that I need. The on campus gives me face-to-face with the instructors and it also lets me network with other members of my cohort. It’s given me the opportunity to learn about other people and what they do outside of what I do every day.”

The online learning, including group chats and projects, combined with on-campus sessions has made the graduate experience “more personal” and helped Malcom “build connections” with classmates, regardless of where they may be.

“Our cohort is really tight, great rapport, great relationships,” he explains. “So just spending that weekend with them, learning from them, seeing different perspectives of the supply chain industry—you’ve got people in procurement, operations, logistics, all over—just seeing their experience, talking with them and also the networking aspect of it…I really enjoy that, it makes you closer.”

Achieving Goals Through Applicable Learning

The ability to connect and network with fellow supply chain professionals and MSU’s faculty thought leaders can be a doorway to opportunity for M.S. in Supply Chain Management students. In Malcolm’s case, one classmate offered to “connect me with his HR for a possible position that they had open.”

While he appreciated the opportunity, Malcolm was already well underway in achieving the goal he didn’t think he’d reach until he had his master’s degree in hand: “obtain a higher level management position in the supply chain industry.”

Malcolm recently accepted a management position with Amazon, and the MSU MSSCM courses and program’s reputation have already been impactful in his new role.

“During my interview, they mentioned how prestigious and well known the MSU supply chain program is,” says Malcolm. “The person interviewing me knew about the program, and I really think that it helped me stand out…outshine the other candidates I was up against.”

As an area manager for Amazon, Malcolm is “over anywhere from 80-100 associates, ensuring they are operating safely, within our standards.” In this role, he’s already applying principles of lean manufacturing, enterprise and total quality management that he gained in his most recent M.S. in Supply Chain Management courses.

“A lot of the definitions and terms I learned…I’ve been able to directly correlate in my position at Amazon,” he explains. “For instance, Amazon is really big on the 5S of Lean Six Sigma and how to eliminate waste, and that’s pretty much my day-to-day job—how to make things faster and more efficient.”

Looking to the Next Mission

While this role with Amazon has Malcolm on track in his goals of continued advancement and, ultimately, providing supply chain excellence, he recognizes that “things change…life happens” and there is always a next mission.

“I’d like to grow within the Navy,” he says when considering how his military service fits with his future professional goals. “I’d like to stay in the military because it’s paid 100% for this program. They’ve done a lot of things for me that I could never pay them back for. I think it’s changed me for the better.”

As he continues his mission to earn his M.S. in Supply Chain Management, Malcolm knows there’s another goal he’s looking forward to completing.

“A friend, he asked me, ‘are you going to go to your graduation?’ and I said, ‘absolutely’!” exclaims Malcolm. “With this program in particular, I want to go back and see everyone, and I get excited about going. It creates more pride in the actual school. I always tell people I’m a part of Michigan State.”