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Tony, Project Director at Global Logistics and In-Country Support Services Provider: Advize Career Interview
From pharmacy beginnings to Project Director at Global Reach, Tony's journey highlights a passion for humanitarian logistics.
This career involves managing malaria commodity supply chains in Nigeria, working with diverse stakeholders, and fostering positive work environments, emphasizing empathy and communication as key skills. The most rewarding aspect?
Impacting lives through effective aid distribution. Although navigating stakeholder interests presents a challenge, the deep satisfaction derived from helping others and mentoring aspiring professionals makes this industry fulfilling.
The path to this career often begins with volunteering, offering invaluable experience and demonstrating a genuine love for humanity, a trait that defines those who thrive in global logistics and in-country support.
A rich college experience encompassing leadership roles, community involvement, and student government provides a solid foundation for success in strategic partnership and people management within this impactful field.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tony Anammah
Project Director
Global Logistics and In-Country Support Services Provider
University of Nigeria
Masters in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Salford Manchester, United Kingdom
Medical, Sciences & Related
Operations
Operations and Project Management
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Career path of a Project Director at a Logistics and Supply Chain Provider
Tony's career path began with a pharmacy degree in Nigeria, leading to volunteer work at an antiviral therapy clinic where their involvement in HIV programming sparked a passion for "procurement, logistics, and supply chain" management and eventual roles with Howard University, USAID, and the US Embassy in Kampala, Uganda. This expertise culminated in their current position as a Project Director at MEB at Global Reach, managing a Global Fund-supported project in Nigeria.
Main Responsibilities of a Project Director at a Global Logistics Provider
As a Project Director at a four-party logistics services provider, Tony leads a team of 40 in managing the logistics and supply chain for malaria commodities in Nigeria, funded by the Global Fund, which includes overseeing procurement of third-party logistics services, ensuring total quality management through key performance indicators, managing warehouse operations, and interfacing with both the Nigerian government and international partners like USAID and the US embassy, ultimately serving as a "consulting firm [and] a project management team."
A Day in the Life of a Project Director at MEBS Global
Tony, a Project Director, spends managing people and processes, emphasizing "strategic partnership management" with stakeholders, and ensures US government partners are satisfied, highlighting relationship management with officials. The role also involves senior manager check-ins for motivation, dashboard monitoring of digital systems and supply chain operations, regular global fund meetings, mentorship of staff, and daily communication with headquarters, managing teams across time zones.
Skills for a Project Director at a Global Logistics Company
For Tony, the most important skills in a role center around being "intentionally good," having empathy, and genuinely loving humanity because lifting others up ultimately sets one up for success; moreover, Tony believes "you attract what you are," suggesting that a positive outlook yields positive outcomes, a lesson learned through experience and continuously built upon.
Favorite Parts of Being a Project Director at a Global Logistics Provider
Tony, as Project Director, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role to be "enforc[ing] a positive work environment" by fostering team spirit, positive conflict management, and emotional intelligence, arguing this is crucial because toxic environments contribute to mental health issues. Tony advocates for "humane leadership with empathy" that inspires and transforms rather than resorting to micromanagement, and believes MBA programs should codify methods for ensuring positive work environments.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Project Director At A Global Logistics Provider
Tony, a Project Director, reframes challenges as "the work that needs to be done," identifying the most significant part of work as maintaining stakeholder satisfaction by understanding their diverse interests and using effective communication, even while acknowledging that "sometimes you have a stakeholder who you just cannot do no matter how you do it." Ultimately, Tony finds fulfillment in honing communication skills to keep stakeholders happy, contributing to a positive project environment and a sense of accomplishment.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The International Aid Industry As A Project Director
Tony's favorite part of working in international development and aid is the tangible impact on humanity, having contributed to the distribution of over "$400 million dollars worth of commodities to the last mile" for critical health programs and finding immense joy in seeing the positive effects in remote areas. Furthermore, a love for people and a desire to mentor and positively affect more lives are also significant sources of fulfillment in Tony's career, reflecting a deep "love for humanity" and a passion for keeping people healthy.
What Type Of Person Thrives In International Aid According To A Project Director At A Global Logistics And Support
According to Tony, the most important trait for someone to thrive in global logistics and in-country support services is "genuine love of humanity," because the work ultimately saves lives, villages, communities, or even countries; Tony believes that the technical skills can be learned later and that money will follow when one is passionate about the humanitarian work. Tony's own career trajectory, starting as a volunteer in an HIV clinic, underscores the belief that heartfelt service leads to professional fulfillment.
What a Project Director at a Global Logistics Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Logistics Industry
Tony wishes "I learned more about" the "game of interest," or navigating the different stakeholder interests, good or bad, within the industry. Despite this, Tony states that continuous self-improvement with relevant skills in strategic partnership, management, and leadership has allowed them to adapt and make progress, meaning that this lack of prior knowledge "has not been so much of a big deal" during a 20+ year career.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Project Directors
For entry-level positions in international development and humanitarian logistics, Tony suggests volunteering as a crucial first step, even in politically sensitive areas or within local communities, because "the entry point...was at the point of volunteering, not necessarily going for a paid job." This mirrors Tony's career trajectory, as volunteering for about four years ultimately led to the role of project director, demonstrating that offering services for free can be a valuable pathway to a fulfilling and well-compensated career.
College Experiences That Helped a Project Director In Global Logistics Succeed
Tony credits a multi-faceted college experience, going beyond academics ("I studied hard... it really stretched me.") to include dense union politics to learn leadership, playing a big role in a religious community to stay focused, and involvement in the Rotary Club which instilled the value of volunteering that translated directly into career contributions such as volunteering in a clinic. According to Tony, serving as a president of pharmacy students and involvement in student government, in general, are invaluable experiences that teach crucial life skills applicable to "strategic partnership management, stakeholder coordination, [and] managing people."
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