Executive Forum with Brent Hagan, Vice President Operations for Lob

The Executive Forum is open to the public, as seating permits, and provides opportunities for the exchange of ideas and discussion of topics and issues facing business and management.

Brent is a distinguished leader, and diehard Boilermaker, in the logistics and supply chain industry with over a decade of progressive experience in operations management, supply chain optimization, and strategic leadership. His career is marked by significant achievements in high-impact roles across several leading organizations, showcasing his adeptness at driving operational excellence and business growth.

Brent graduated from Purdue University in December 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, emphasizing Manufacturing Engineering, and a minor in Entrepreneurship.  During his time at Purdue, he was an active student leader, serving as the President of the Association for Supply Chain Management, where he was also an APICS Scholarship Award Recipient. Additionally, he was the President of the Purdue Consulting Club and a dedicated tutor for the Athletic Department, contributing to the academic success of student-athletes.

Upon graduating from college, Brent entered the Eaton Corporations Leadership Development Program before entering Private Equity.  Brent joined Amazon in September 2017, quickly advancing through various roles within the organization.  As a Site Leader for Amazon Sortation, he was responsible for overall safety, quality, and productivity, achieving a 25% improvement in building efficiency.  Promoted to Senior Operations Manager and later Assistant General Manager for Amazon Robotic Fulfillment, he launched multiple robotic fulfillment centers, significantly improving quality metrics and reducing costs.  His final role at Amazon was as General Manager, where he managed a team of 150 salaried leaders and 5,000 hourly employees supporting $1.8 Billion in revenue, launched a new fulfillment center, and led the building to be recognized as the #1 in cost and efficiency for 2019 and 2020 launches and one of the most successful launches in Amazon history.

In June 2021, Brent joined Deliverr, Inc., a rapidly growing technology startup that was later acquired by Shopify for $2.2 Billion.  As the Director of Operations and subsequently Vice President of Global Fulfillment Operations, he oversaw a substantial expansion of the company's fulfillment network.  His strategic leadership in optimizing middle-mile transportation and developing new business units contributed significantly to the company's impressive growth and eventual acquisition, leading the post acquisition integration for the two teams before beginning a career sabbatical and enjoying time with his family.

Currently, Brent serves as the Vice President of Operations at Lob, Inc., where he reports directly to the CEO.  He manages a $250 million Global Fulfillment Network and leads a team of 50. Under his leadership, Lob has rebuilt their strategic sales motion, growing revenue by 50%.  He has also driven significant cost savings and quality improvements by insourcing materials procurement, optimizing logistics through innovative partnerships and moving from a de-coupled third party manufacturing network to a vertically integrated supply chain.

Beyond his professional achievements, Brent is deeply committed to philanthropy and community development.  He is a current member of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and serves on the Board of Directors for the Science Center of Iowa.  Previously, he was a Council Member for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council of Greater Des Moines and the Talent Development Board of Greater Des Moines.  He also served on the Board of Directors for the Bondurant Chamber of Commerce, where he contributed to local business and community initiatives.