Richard Douglass

Richard is the Global Industry Executive for Manufacturing & Logistics at for B2B and Commerce at IBM, where he is responsible for industry marketing and key industry account support. He has over twenty-five years of experience in supply chain management consulting and solutions development in a variety of manufacturing sectors ranging from chemicals to high tech. Prior to joining Sterling Commerce, he had similar responsibilities at webMethods, a business integration software provider, and prior to that he was an associate partner at Accenture, a global consulting firm.

He received a B.S. in computer science from Michigan State University and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt. He is a Senior Fellow at the University of Maryland.

EMS companies I have worked with

Underrated supply chain experts. Not listed in AMR Gartner "Top 25 Supply Chain" - but they should be

What I think about low-cost manufacturing

The pendulum will eventually swing to more full-service, high value providers

A book I recommend to others or am currently reading

"Everything is Obvious (Once You Know the Answer"" by Duncan Watts

One of my favorite quotes

"I have found you an argument, but I am not obliged to find you an understanding" (Samuel Johnson) - or, knowing when to move on in a debate that can't be won

Some of the countries I have visited for work or play

UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, France, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Australia