A Career of Connections

Sherilyn Hardy links her career to supply chain management

By Eleanor Hunt

When Sherilyn Hardy was considering a major at Baylor University, she looked for one that matched her communication, planning and scheduling skills.

“I am good at all of those things,” she said. “I came across supply chain as a way that I could use the skills that I have.”

Hardy has been supporting ExxonMobil’s supply chain since graduating from Baylor in 2019 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems and Supply Chain Management. As a supply chain planning specialist, she ensures that ExxonMobil’s supply chain software, SAP modules and Logility inventory optimization tool work optimally for the company’s worldwide chemicals business.

Sherilyn Hardy, BBA ’19
Supply Chain Planning Specialist II—ExxonMobil
Houston, Texas

“I handle break-fixes, enhancements and new configurations,” she said.

Her work enables nearly 100 people—production planners and schedulers, advisors and raw materials coordinators—to facilitate the intricate flow of goods and services from raw materials to finished products.

“Our supply chain is much larger than some other chains because we have many chemical products,” she said. “There is a lot happening at our manufacturing plants and in the field. We are not only creating and distributing chemicals for sale to other companies, but we are also creating plastics for makeup, diapers and all kinds of consumer products.”

ExxonMobil’s complex supply chain enables continuous production, scheduling and adaptability for changing times. Thus, Hardy has had to overcome technology challenges and a huge learning curve.

“Working a lot with Singapore and our other business areas, I experience the time differences and various communication styles of people around the world,” Hardy said. “These can be good challenges because I learn so much from that. My team and I have been fortunate to continue making money for the company—in spite of retracted oil prices—because of the way we prioritize our work.”

Looking back, Hardy believes Hankamer School of Business provided an excellent platform from which to launch her supply chain management career.

“If I had not gone to Baylor, I would not necessarily be where I am,” she said. “I fully took advantage of our connections with ExxonMobil and other companies and that benefited me. Although it takes hard work to reach your goals, whenever you have resources given to you, it is helpful and less stressful. Students should utilize Baylor’s business school connections with the companies they have.”

Now with nearly two years of experience, Hardy is convinced that her choice of a major was the right one. She believes the expanding field of supply chain management offers professional growth and future promotional opportunities.

“There is a lot of opportunity in this field,” Hardy said. “As technology develops, our supply chains will also develop. Supply chains can grow extremely complicated, but we have a lot of good technology to help sustain them.”

Hardy believes she can offer insight to students on the future of supply chain and the opportunities awaiting them.

“This is a good career choice if you are interested in artificial intelligence, automation and bringing new levels of efficiency and planning capabilities to a supply chain,” she said. “That is where I see it going. It is a growing field.”