Mr. Caldwell Hart ’87 has 25 years of experience in supply chain management in the aerospace, consumer, and pharmaceutical industries. Mr. Hart served as the chief procurement officer for various companies simultaneously before pursuing a career in consulting. He currently works for New Dominion Consulting. From 2013 to 2020, Mr. Hart was secretary of the school’s Alumni Association Board of Govenors.
Why did you decide to attend Hotchkiss?
I grew up in Philadelphia and went to the same all-boys school from kindergarten to 10th grade, but I had this vision of going away from home and becoming independent since sixth grade.
I loved the idea of meeting kids from all over the world—there were Hotchkiss students from New York, Boston, Hong Kong, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. I thought it would bring something to the learning experience that going to a day school wouldn’t.
My dad didn’t want me to go, so I had to beg for nearly four years until my parents finally agreed to let me look at boarding schools. I arrived at Hotchkiss as a Lower Mid, and I loved my three years here.
Did you have a favorite course at Hotchkiss?
I loved all my history classes with Mr. Tom Drake, instructor in history—I thought he was fantastic. In Philadelphia, the teachers lectured, with students who sat in rows just listening, but Mr. Drake’s classes were not lecture classes. He would introduce a topic, and then we would debate and discuss it based on what we read the night before.
What are your favorite memories from your time at Hotchkiss?
Hotchkiss used to have an old-fashioned outdoor rink, so playing hockey outdoors was an experience. But my most memorable club ice hockey practice wasn’t even on the ice—it was snowing heavily, and we were playing capture the flag on the golf course. I’ll never forget this red fox popping up out of a hole right next to me and bounding across the golf course towards the pond.
Friendships are one of the things that I cherish the most about Hotchkiss. Through classes, dorm life, and sports, I’ve formed relationships with classmates and teachers that have lasted my whole life.
How did you come to work in supply chain management?
When I went to Hotchkiss, I thought I was going to major in the sciences and pursue a career as a doctor. Then, I got to college and realized I didn’t want to spend my whole life in the lab. I always loved history, and my teachers at Hotchkiss further cemented that love. So, I ended up focusing on pre-law and majoring in European and Asian Amrican history in college.
I was going to go to law school, but I didn’t want to go straight away. So, I taught for one year down in Westchester County, New York. Then, I spent three years in the financial services industry working for a mutual fund company. I found I really liked business and decided to go to graduate school for an MBA. I’ve spent the last 25 years in industry, most of that time in supply chain and procurement roles.
I am fortunate to have worked for companies that pioneered supply chain and procurement concepts that are considered best practices today but were new 25 years ago. I was a senior supply chain leader, and I developed a global team that could deliver on its goals and objectives. I had the opportunity to lead teams in South America, Asia, Europe, and North America, which I loved.
What makes working in supply chain management unique?
It’s a dynamic, complex, challenging field where I use all of my knowledge and skills. You have to understand economics, finance, and the role of currencies. You have to develop management, sales, and negotiation skills.
I work to make sure companies can get the right goods and services, so they can transform them into products or services that they can sell to customers to deliver value to stakeholders. It’s not without challenges and stress, but it’s fun.
What does a normal day look like for you?
Before I became a consultant, a day might mean flying from Boston to Hong Kong to visit manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen to meet with key suppliers, see how products are made, and understand what challenges they’re facing. Then the next day, I might be flying to Singapore and Malaysia and doing it all over again with new suppliers.
We might have unexpected challenges and disruptions. Maybe there was a strike going on. Or maybe something like the Fukushima earthquake affected Japanese suppliers. For any single day, it could be any number of things that we would be working on.
What are some of your hobbies?
I’m trying to teach myself how to tie flies for fly fishing. I used to play a lot of racquet sports, but now it’s mostly paddle tennis.
I read a lot. I particularly like historical biographies. I just finished one on Mountbatten and I’m reading one on Winston Churchill right now.
I like to be outside a lot, too. In the summers, I like to kayak and hike. That’s something that I loved in my time at Hotchkiss—to go off into the woods, down to the lake, or for a hike was amazing.
