Kate Mahoney

Senior Director, Integrated Business Management at Utz Brands

Mahoney was drawn to the field of supply chain because of the problem-solving aspects that are core to the discipline and the empowering ability to affect change. She wasted no time employing these core elements in her current role, as Utz did not have a formalized demand or supply planning process prior to her team. Mahoney shared that while the previous process worked for many years, Utz leadership recognized the competitive advantage a formalized sales and operations planning (S&OP) process would bring to the business. Thus, her team worked diligently to implement new methods and tools and continue to improve the process today.

Mahoney first began her career after graduating from Penn State in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in information science and technology along with a minor in supply chain. Since then, Mahoney’s background has predominantly been in fast-paced consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies such Church & Dwight, Mondelez, and now Utz. Her experience has afforded her the opportunity to touch different parts of the business process and shoulder various responsibilities throughout her career—including leadership roles.

As a woman in supply chain, Mahoney has noticed trends in the style of female leadership over the years. At the beginner of her career, she observed most female leaders took on an authoritarian leadership strategy which tended to be isolating, yet effective. However, that has changed in recent years and led to a revelation within Mahoney’s personal approach to leadership.

“Since then, I’ve seen many more females lead with empathy, trust, empowerment,” said Mahoney. “My most significant barrier was realizing I could be myself to be the best leader I could be.”

Having been in the business world for over 18 years now, Mahoney has learned the value of mentorship and the importance of gaining career experience. She advises students looking to enter the supply chain field to dive into these opportunities headfirst.

“There are many options within supply chain – supply planning, demand planning, strategy, transportation, warehousing, purchasing, external manufacturing management, etc. Get experience in all of them as soon as you can,” she shared. “Second, find a mentor. A mentor that will truly help you advance your career based on your personal goals and aspirations.”

What’s next for this Penn Stater? On the personal side, Mahoney is excited to prioritize family and self-care throughout this next year. This includes providing her kids with what they need to thrive, planning travel trips for 2024, making time for friends and family, and making healthy choices. From a career perspective, Mahoney is currently living out one of her goals—implementing a S&OP process from scratch with a growing CPG company.

“My focus over the next 2 years will be my team – empowering them to grow and advance is an amazing & rewarding process.”