William Pagonis

Vice Chairman GENCO Supply Chain Solutions

When it comes to expertise in logistics and overall leadership in management of very complex projects and organizations, few people are better qualified than Gus Pagonis, a retired three-star U.S. Army General. Lieutenant General Pagonis is widely recognized for his logistical achievements particularly during Desert Shield/Desert storm. After successfully masterminding logistics for the Gulf War and winning high praise from General Norman Schwarzkopf, Pagonis left the Army in 1993 and was hired as Head of Supply Chain for Sears Roebuck and Co. He was responsible for all supply chain functions to include: establishing policies and procedures for the flow of inventory from vendor to store, vendor relations, transportation, distribution, international logistics, home delivery services, and the integration of information systems to cement it all together. As such, he functioned as the single point of contact for Sears Logistics. He directed logistics for more than 2,500 stores, in addition to a network of strategically positioned distribution centers. Also, he was President of Sears Logistics Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears. He retired from Sears in June 2004.

Gus has proven himself as a leader within the United States Army as the chief logistician during the Gulf War and today, in the corporate world, he continues to set new standards for supply chain leadership. As he says, “I think Corporate America is waking up to Supply Chain as the last frontier. It’s the place where people can really maneuver to get a competitive edge.”

William (Gus) Pagonis is presently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Board, Genco – (supply chain solution) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Vice Chairman of the Board, Combine Net – a software firm also based in Pittrsburgh, Pennsylvania. Additionally, he is the Former Chairman of the Board, Rail America - short line railroads located in Boca Raton, Florida, and Former Chairman of the Department of Defense Business Board under Former Secretary of Defense, Mr. Rumsfeld.

Mr. Pagonis is author of Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics From the Gulf War, Published by the Harvard Business School Press.