Transportation Talks

🚛 Leadership in Action: From the Classroom to the C-Suite 📈

What does it take to lead teams, navigate disruption, and solve complex problems in today’s supply chain landscape?

Hear directly from Phil Yeager, CEO of Hub Group, in our latest Transportation Talks  — a powerful conversation on leading with clarity during uncertainty and the value of building resilient, strategic teams.

We're proud to share that four leaders on Hub Group’s executive and leadership teams are alumni of the University of Denver's Transportation & Supply Chain Institute — a testament to how our programs cultivate forward-thinking, agile leaders for today’s evolving transportation challenges. Thank you to our board member, Michelle Livingstone, for leading the interview and sharing her industry insight.

Phillip Yeager is Hub Group’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board. Prior to these roles, Phil served as President and Chief Operating Officer where he developed and executed the strategy to diversify our service offerings, enhance our technology and deliver a world class customer experience. He previously served as Chief Commercial Officer where he led Hub Group’s go-to-market strategy and its intermodal and truck brokerage operating units. 

Phil joined Hub Group in 2011 as the Director of Strategy and Acquisitions. He then held roles as Vice President of Account Management and Business Development in 2014 and Executive Vice President of Account Management and Intermodal Operations in 2016.

Prior to joining Hub Group, Phil served as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking at BMO Harris Bank, and as an investment banking analyst for Lazard Frères & Co.
In addition to his responsibilities at Hub Group, Phil also serves on the board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital-Chicago.

Phil earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Michelle Livingstone is a retired Vice President of Transportation for The Home Depot, where she led domestic and international logistics operations and championed women's leadership initiatives in the supply chain field. With over 30 years of industry experience at companies including Kraft Foods, J.C. Penney, and C & S Wholesale Grocers, she now serves on several boards, including Werner Enterprises, Mastery Logistics Systems, and the University of Denver’s Transportation & Supply Chain Institute. Michelle holds an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and a B.S. in Business from Indiana University.

Carol Tomé Talk

Thank you to our dedicated board members, Jared Bonneville and Michelle Livingstone, as well as our valued partners, including Meriel Hughes, Collin Shepherd, and Tim Flaherty at DU Advancement and the University of Denver - Daniels College of Business, for their invaluable support in making this leadership spotlight a success. Congratulations to our host, Michelle Livingstone, for facilitating an insightful and engaging fireside chat. We sincerely thank Carol Tomé and her team for their generous time and contributions. Thank you also to Provost Mary Clark and Chancellor Jeremy Haefner for their time.

Transportation Talks with Matt Cox, Chairman and CEO of Matson

Matt Cox was appointed chairman of the board of Matson, Inc. in April 2017. Having served as chief executive officer since 2012, Cox oversees the entire Matson organization, which includes Matson Navigation Company, Inc. (ocean transportation), Matson Logistics, Inc. (logistics and supply chain services), and Matson Terminals, Inc. (terminal operations in Hawaii). He has served on the board of directors of Matson, Inc. since 2012.

Cox joined Matson in June 2001 as senior vice president and chief financial officer. In 2005, he became executive vice president and chief operating officer and had a key role in the start up of Matson's China – Long Beach Express in 2006. In 2008, he became president.

Prior to Matson, Cox had 15 years of experience in the transportation industry. From 1999 to 2001, he held executive posts at Distribution Dynamics, Inc., a provider of outsourced logistics, inventory management and integrated information systems based in Danville, Calif. Cox held positions of increasing responsibility at American President Lines, Ltd. (APL), from 1987 to 1999, covering financial and operational aspects of the company.

Transportation Talks with Ryan Houfek, Chief Commerical Officer for Direct ChassisLink

Catch up on our last Transportation Talks episode hosted by Michelle Livingstone from September 17, from 2:30 – 3:00 PM ET, featuring Ryan Houfek, the Chief Commerical Officer for Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI). Learn about Ryan’s extensive background in intermodal, rail, ocean, and all things chassis! Hear how DCLI responds to customers’ changing strategies and shipping patterns, in addition to gaining insights about the industry and leadership in this 30-minute session.

Transportation Talks with Katie Farmer, CEO & President of BNSF

Katie Farmer was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2021 and also leads BNSF’s Board of Directors. BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states, and also operates in three Canadian provinces.

Transportation Talks with Lee Beard, SVP Logistics, Swire Coca-Cola, USA

Lee brings over 25 years’ experience and extensive industry knowledge in transportation, logistics, and supply chain management to the TSCI Board. He currently serves as SVP, Logistics at Swire Coca-Cola, USA where he and his teams deliver refreshment to Swire customers over two million times per year across 13 Western US states. Joining Swire in January, 2023 marked his return to the Coke system after previously spending 10 years at Coke earlier in his career.