Optimizing Supply Chains: Using Industry Characteristics for Decision Making
November 08, 2023 / Wednesday Webinar / Tag: Center for Supply Chain Excellence
Paul Blom has had an exciting four decades-long career, focused on engineering, procurement, manufacturing operations and supply chain management. Paul began his career as an engineer with IBM's manufacturing division in Toronto, Canada, where he later advanced through a number of technical and business leadership roles. It was at IBM where Paul began to appreciate the diverse world supply chain, and how excellence in this area would be crucial to global industrial competitiveness. Paul was a member of the leadership team which founded Celestica, a divestiture of IBM's manufacturing operations in Toronto Canada. From the mid-90's to 2004, Celestica acquired over 30 manufacturing and distribution companies from around the world, creating what is today a top-tier Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Company. It is during this time that Paul Blom focused his technical talents and leadership skills in the areas of Supply Chain and Procurement, with responsibility expanding to leadership of several thousand staff worldwide. He has extensive experience working with information technology platforms and solutions used in the running and optimization of supply chain business processes-all with a focus on driving ever-improving performance and business results. Over the past two decades, Paul Blom continued his work in a variety of industries. This included manufacturing and distribution of gas fireplaces, woodstoves and other home heating products, as an executive of CFM Corporation, a company acquired by the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan. Paul's later work included a return to electronics manufacturing with a focus on enterprise cloud technologies, aerospace electronics, semiconductor equipment, and numerous industrial and green energy applications. For the past three years, Paul Blom has worked in the Toy industry, as the EVP Operations and Supply Chain, for Spin Master, a company with such iconic brands as Paw Patrol, Rubik's Cube, Gund, and Hatchimals. Paul retired from Spin Master in 2023, and now enjoys spending time cycling, swimming and on other outdoor activities. Paul Blom is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and an MBA graduate from the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business.
