The Next Rung: GSCM Grad Ken Naughton (’05) Joins CBS in NYC

In less than three short years after receiving his undergraduate degree from Clarkson’s Global Supply Chain Management (GSCM) program, alumnus Ken Naughton (05’) has utilized what he describes as an education that “excels in combining theoretical concepts with practice” to leverage opportunities and propel his career.

As Linkages goes to distribution, Naughton will have been on the job for merely a month with CBS Corporation in New York City, yet his strategic goals and personal vision for his new role as Senior Manager of Spend Analytics & Sourcing Strategies are already clearly defined. He and his department will serve as a shared resource for all of CBS and his overarching responsibilities and deliverables include: (1) developing enterprise-sourcing strategies to drive savings and efficiencies for CBS; (2) spend analytics including industry and global market analysis, RFP standardization and assessment of supplier capabilities; (3) developing and implementing a centralized contract administration system for the entire company; and (4) cultivating supplier innovations and leading supplier scorecarding efforts.

Naughton gained significant experience in these strategic areas during summer internships at Corning’s Life Sciences Plant in Kennebunk, Maine, as well as on the job at Eaton Corporation in Marshall, Michigan, in the company’s Supply Chain Leadership Development Program immediately following graduation. Both companies provided significant training working with materials inputs in the supply chain and he was able to spend time in Europe gaining a better understanding of global implications.

But it was his most recent role as Manager of Sourcing and Supplier Excellence at Cornell University that Naughton says helped open the door to CBS in more ways than one. “I was given the unique opportunity to work on cultivating and capturing supplier innovation to significantly reduce costs and increase efficiencies in the supply chain,” he says adding, "This experience is one of the key reasons why I was recruited to CBS."

While he hasn’t been at CBS long, Naughton says the company culture, and Manhattan itself, mirrors his own professional approach: “industrious and dynamic.” He believes Clarkson School of Business grads share these traits. “I knew I wanted to go to Clarkson because the Supply Chain program provided more practical integration than other universities I looked at,” says Naughton of his education. “Clarkson challenges students to “hit the ground running,” he adds. 

“When I got out and started comparing myself to recent graduates from other leading schools, I valued what I received at Clarkson even more,” he adds noting unparalleled training in analytics. “Econometrics was one of the most difficult, yet now recognizably one of the most valuable, courses I took at Clarkson. But having this background, as well as training in negotiation and supply chain system design, gave me a leg up as there is little bench strength in these functional areas across industries,” he states.  With increasing demand in the supply chain field, Naughton says Clarkson prepares graduates who adeptly balance “professionalism and tenacity,” and as such, “When it comes time for me to hire new recruits, I know exactly where to look,” he remarks.

Naughton says his wife, Clarkson alumna Kim (Gillette) Naughton (Business and Technology Management ‘05), and brand new son, Zachary, will be joining him in the next month as they complete their relocation to the region. “We are really excited to embark on this opportunity as a family. In terms of this career move, I am eager to work with both CBS and our suppliers and internal customers to fully realize the benefits of the company’s new supply chain management initiatives.”