Tauber Institute alumni bring their operations expertise to leadership roles in a wide variety of fields, all over the globe. Read about what some of our alumni are doing today, and learn about the impact their Tauber experience has had on their career paths.
MSCM '13
Sr.Global Portfolio Manager - ECG Electrodes and Innovation
Cardinal Health
Chandrashekar Shastry (MSCM '13) has a passion for increasing efficiency in health care. Pursuing understanding of the health care supply chain is what first brought him to Tauber. Now, as Manager of Services Development at OptiFreight Logistics at Cardinal Health, Shastry works to improve freight management for health systems, and he has become a mentor for Tauber students.
Q: Can you summarize your career path and current responsibilities?
A: On the supply chain side, I was a consultant (Tauber intern) in the Channel Marketing department at Cardinal Health where we formalized an “end-to-end supply chain visibility pilot with a health system and a medical device manufacturer". I also worked on improving the “hospital supplies distribution process”. After I joined Cardinal Health in January 2014, I led the business segment of the pilot and developed efficient service offerings for hospitals and medical device manufacturers leveraging lean six sigma method. Currently, at OptiFreight, I am responsible for developing new freight services for non-acute customers. On the healthcare side, I have worked at Fortune 50 healthcare companies, GE Healthcare, and Johnson & Johnson Medical. Now, as Manager of Services Development at OptiFreight Logistics at Cardinal Health, I am responsible for developing new freight and technology services for health systems and non-acute customers to provide better and cost effective freight management solutions.
Q: Why the University of Michigan and the Tauber Institute for Global Operations?
A: I was working for GE Healthcare in India in 2011 when I realized the time was right to move into the health care supply chain -- just as the Affordable Health Care Act was evolving. I knew of Tauber and the opportunities it presented, so I came to Ann Arbor and attended the Spotlight! (Team Project Showcase & Scholarship Competition) and met many people and asked a lot of questions. I was well prepared and went after the Cardinal Health project, which I did get. There was no guarantee, but I was confident.
Q: How did your experience at Tauber impact your career?
A: My team project in 2013 at Cardinal Health involved implementing RFID technology to help customers achieve cost efficiencies and process improvement in the health care field. RFID had been used in retail applications, but not so much in health care. I met a supervisor at a major health system that used a manual process to gather inventory information. We were able to switch her over to an iPad using new technology and she was so happy with the RFID benefits. It was very fulfilling to see the impact we made. Looking back, being a Tauber student was one of the best experiences of my life. I was skeptical that I could even do it, but the support system is so great, I did very well. I’ll always continue to support U-M and Tauber alumni, and encourage others to be involved.
Q: What is your management style or philosophy?
A: I use the concept of 360-degree leadership. I believe in the value of leading your team, your peers, your boss, everyone around you. A leader isn’t the person that everyone has to listen to or report to. A leader is someone who sees opportunity and seizes it, champions it to all involved.
Q: What is the biggest challenge your company is currently facing?
A: Health systems and hospitals are looking for cost effective, technology driven solutions to reduce waste and to create visibility of products and costs throughout hospital supply chain. Offering products and services that effectively meet customer requirements, address their pain points and enhance patient care is the key.
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about my family, which includes my 7th grade son and my wife of 15 years. I am also a Hollywood and Bollywood movie fan, a cooking expert and a Michigan football fan (this can be difficult working in Dublin, Ohio surrounded by OSU fans, but it’s all fun.) I am also passionate about doing work that ultimately benefits people. I not only work for a living, but to contribute to society. The lives of so many patients can benefit from the work we do in health care. I’m proud to work in this industry.