Throughout her education and career, Marriott School alumna Amy Sawaya has used global supply chain as her catchall answer to what she wants to be when she grows up, even as the details of those plans have changed significantly.
As a freshman, she’d decided against geophysics and was looking for a new path. Feeling directionless, Sawaya turned to the Marriott School of Management for a starting point.
“Once I got into a supply chain class, I loved reading the textbook, which was a very unique experience for me,” says Sawaya. “I figured if I liked reading the textbook in my free time, I liked the subject matter.”
She graduated from the program in 2010 and proceeded to work in numerous supply chain positions for multiple companies. She quickly rose in rank and responsibility but felt the pull to pursue more education.
“I reached a point in my career when I was starting to manage teams of people,” Sawaya says. “And I enjoyed it, but I didn’t feel like I had the skill set to be the type of manager I wanted to be. I’d always wanted to get an MBA, so I decided this was a great time to do it, because my career was at a turning point.”
Fast-forward to graduating with another global supply chain degree in 2017, this time from Arizona State University’s MBA program. But again, Sawaya faced the same question as she had during her undergrad at BYU: what did she want to be when she grew up?
With the help of great mentors, the versatility her supply chain education provided her, and her love of breaking down processes to make them better, she landed a position as the marketing analytics director of Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment.
“I’ve discovered that the skill set that comes from a supply chain degree is incredibly diverse,” Sawaya says. “It’s allowed me to work in many different areas of the companies I’ve been associated with.”
Sawaya is energized by her experience with global supply chain and would recommend the field to BYU students looking for a career.
“I have really enjoyed being in supply chain for many reasons, but especially as a woman,” Sawaya says. “I love that you get to work with people all across an organization. There is great need and potential for people who are good at collaboration and understand how to work with people.
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By Madeline Lewis
