Adam Gittler has been involved with Portland State University’s supply chain program since 2016. He presently teaches graduate courses in Supply Chain Strategy and Supply Chain Circularity & Sustainability, as well as acting as a capstone project advisor.
Adam has over 25 years of experience in global supply chains and operational excellence. He holds a bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Buffalo and also a Masters of Science in Production Management from the University of Buffalo. Later, he also earned an MBA in International Business & Strategy from UC-Berkeley, and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. During his undergraduate studies, he began studying Mandarin Chinese and earned expatriate assignments in Tokyo and in Shanghai, as China’s markets were opening up to global manufacturing, and became the youngest expatriate in a Fortune 500’s history. Afterwards, he continued to work and live overseas in Shenzhen, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, where he held assignments as a Quality Director, Regulatory Director, and the head of multiple Lean Six Sigma programs. In those roles, he has managed as many as 200 employees across five sites.
He moved into a consulting role in 2012 when he moved to Portland to join a national consulting firm, and rose to lead that firm’s West Coast Supply Chain practice. His industry experience includes projects in apparel, automotive, medical device, utility, transportation, injection molding, and consumer electronics. Some of his projects include:
- Set up and ran an omnichannel, omni-product Lean Order Management program for a $50bb apparel company, including SAP, warehouse systems, visibility, reporting, and master data
- Developed a $2bb retailer’s Direct-to-Consumer logistics and distribution strategy across North America to achieve 3 days transit, including all financial modeling, SAP modules impacts, and warehousing systems
- Achieved $12mm in cost savings overseeing 100+ projects across the supply chain, including SAP modifications, manufacturing processes, and procurement function changes
Adam’s research centers around developing new channels for supply chain circularity, and trying to increase the amount and availability of reusable goods within North American municipalities. He established and runs The Give Bin (thegivebin.com) in Portland, which collects and donates more than one metric ton of goods per month to local nonprofits.
When Adam is not working at Portland State University, consulting, or running The Give Bin project, you won’t be able to find him – he’ll be backpacking through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with his dog.