Coby Blanchard seems a bit young to be top a executive at a large company, but sitting down with him and hearing his story, it’s easy to see why he is where is. As Chief Supply Chain Officer, Blanchard oversees the underlying processes that make Stuller’s just-in-time services possible. And while you might expect someone in this role to have the bearing of an overexcited drill sergeant, Blanchard is anything but overexcited. Speaking in a measured voice with just a hint of a Cajun accent, he radiates calm and a low-key, grounded friendliness as he explains his history and role with Stuller:
“I can recall as best as I can. I’ve been here almost 21 years. I started in 1994 while attending the local university,” he explains. “Back then, Stuller had no computer network, not even PCs.”
Brought in to help computerize inventory management for the Diamonds and Gemstones unit, he soon began managing inventory control elsewhere in the company. As Stuller added more computer networks, he became a Systems Analyst and then eventually the director of all planning for production. His knack for making complicated procedures more efficient led to a special role as director of a small process improvement team working throughout Stuller.
Despite his apparent level-headedness, Blanchard loves Stuller and isn’t afraid to show it. He remembers losing his cool on at least one occasion, when Matt Stuller and then-president Jay Jackson informed him of his promotion to his current role: “I stood up out of the chair and jumped up. I gave Matt a hug, gave Jay a hug and I said, ‘Absolutely, absolutely. I’d love to do it.’”
Although Blanchard’s job is enormously complex, and particularly so during the holidays, he boils it down to a simple concept: “Translating the company’s requirements to the technical requirements.” In order to get that done, however, the right people have to be motivated to do the hard work to put the pieces in place. This is where Blanchard believes Stuller stands out:
“It has most to do with the amount of care we have for keeping our promise to our customer. It's flattering when customers say, ‘Man, you always get it done. I never worry about it. I just call and order and it's here the next day.’ But that only happens because our people care about our customers. It matters to them.”
