What's written on your business card?
My name is Jesse Kestenberg and I am a Supply Chain Graduate at Coles.
What's your job about?
My employer is focused on lowering the cost of supermarket shopping for Australian retailers and my current area of responsibility consists of overseeing supply chain operations from suppliers to our distribution centres and from our distribution centres to our stores.
Currently I am on a project based in one of our flagship stores working with a cross functional team to further optimise our supply chain that will translate into better service for our customers.
While my role within the project team does involve relatively in-depth analysis, it's basic goal is simple. This is to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
What's your background?
I was born and raised in Melbourne. High school was quite an important stage in my life and had a big influence on shaping who I am.
My job during uni was also an important stage in my life. I had a big interest in health and fitness so I decided to work as a personal trainer which allowed me to meet lots of interesting people and help them overcome health challenges. My current position as a Supply Chain Graduate at Coles was attained through a recruitment process involving submission of a resume and cover letter, filling out a questionnaire, attending an assessment centre and undergoing several interviews.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, I think someone with a different background could do the job I do. The reason being that I was one of four Coles Supply Chain Graduates for 2015 and the only one with a degree relating to Supply Chain Management while the educational backgrounds of my colleagues were quite diverse. This did not prevent them from being able to attain and perform in the role.
Communication skills are an important element in a Supply Chain Role and the reason for this is that you are overseeing the movement of goods through several geographical points in which it is processed by several different teams and in order to deliver the best outcomes there needs to be clear communication and strong collaboration with stakeholders in order for you to effectively manage this process.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The thing I love most about my job is that I am always faced with new opportunities and challenges that push me to find new and innovative ways to respond while learning and developing in the process. A good example would be one of the many potential unforseen transport delays that the logistics industry is susceptible to such as the breakdown of a truck carrying urgent stock. Dealing with unpredictable events such as these has seen me develop problem solving skills that are applicable across many situations.
What are the limitations of your job?
My job has both a lot of responsibility and can be relatively demanding from a time perspective, however, this is one of the parts that I enjoy.
As a role with a wide range of responsibility, there is no shortage of work that can be done which challenges one to evolve in the way they work to become as organised, efficient and effective as they can be.
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