Building Community and Culture in Supply Chain Leadership with Brent Hagan
In this episode of The Manufacturers Network Podcast, host Lisa Ryan sits down with Brent Hagan, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lob, to explore what it really means to lead with impact: in business, in culture, and in community.
With experience at Amazon, Deliver, Eaton, and Lob, Brent brings a rare perspective on how to scale operations without losing the human connection. He shares stories from massive fulfillment centers to small-town manufacturing plants, where leadership goes far beyond efficiency metrics. From creating bus routes for workers to strengthening local schools, Brent’s approach shows that true supply chain success isn’t just operational, it’s personal.
What You’ll Learn:
- How leaders can leave the communities they enter better than they found them
- The balance between autonomy, accountability, and culture on the shop floor
- Why technology should simplify, not replace, human problem-solving
- The biggest mistakes companies make during mergers and acquisitions—and how to avoid them
- How small and mid-sized manufacturers can use digital tools without losing their people-first approach
- Why something as simple as a whiteboard can outperform high-tech dashboards
Key Quote: “You don’t need a building full of Harvard MBAs. You need people who say, ‘This is what we tried, here’s what we learned, and here’s what we’ll do next.’” — Brent Hagan
About Brent Hagan: Brent Hagan is the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lob, where he leads logistics, supply chain, and operations strategy for a platform powering billions of personalized mail pieces. With leadership experience at Amazon, Deliver, and Eaton, Brent specializes in bridging traditional operations with technology-driven innovation—while keeping people and community at the heart of every strategy.
Connect with Brent:
LinkedIn: Brent Hagan
Connect with Lisa:
Website: LisaRyanSpeaks.com
LinkedIn: Lisa Ryan, CSP
Listen now to learn how to build a culture that scales and a company that leaves every place it touches better than before.
