MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Where Are They Now?
Catching up with an MHEFI Scholarship Recipient
Stephen Farley arrived at Penn State University in 2021 prepared to study finance and pursue a career in investment banking, following in the footsteps of his mother, an executive assistant at a leading Wall Street firm. But then, at the suggestion of a professor and some friends, he attended a supply chain career fair on campus and landed an internship with The Hershey Co., a sweet development that would shape his career plans.
“After taking a couple of classes in finance, I found that although I do have an analytical mindset, I love the tangible side of supply chains,” Farley said. “Hershey offered me a seven‑month co‑op during the spring of my sophomore year, and I just picked it up and ran with it. I really enjoyed my experience there. After that, I declared my major as supply chain.”
In May, Farley earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain and information systems, with a concentration in sustainability, but in a sense, his education is just beginning. For the next three years, he’ll be part of the supply chain development program at Kimberly‑Clark, which supplies diapers, tissues, paper towels and other personal‑care products to customers in 175 countries.
As part of the rotational program, Farley will spend a year in a project-based role at a manufacturing facility in Chester, Pa., that produces Scott paper towels and other products. After that, he’ll relocate to an operations center in Wisconsin to broaden his experience.
“I’ll be moving around a bit, rotating between three different roles in three years, so I’ll get to dip my feet in different areas of supply chain,” he said. “This program will serve as the foundation for my career in the supply chain industry. I want to learn and understand the endto‑ end supply chain at Kimberly‑Clark, and hopefully, at the end of the program, I’ll know which role is right for me. As I progress in my career, I’d eventually like to serve in a leadership position.”
At Hershey, Farley worked in transportation operations, interacting with more than 50 carrier partners and plant operators to ensure that outbound deliveries reached their destinations on time. Last summer, he got another internship with Textron Systems in its defense sector, creating an innovative sales, inventory and operations‑planning (SIOP) visual template for executive meetings.
As an upperclassman, Farley participated in a mentorship program for first‑year students at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and served as vice president of a supply chain research honors society. Prior to his senior year, he received a scholarship from the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. that enabled him to attend a Lean Six Sigma class, which focuses on eliminating waste and variance from business processes.
“I’m very grateful to have received the scholarship, and I probably wouldn’t have taken that class without it,” Farley said. “It was the first time the class was offered to supply chain students, and I received my yellow belt. I think that knowledge is really going to help me when I join Kimberly‑Clark.”