MEL #030 | From Entry-Level Engineer to Executive Leader Through Trust and Tenacity with Phil Byerly

In this episode, I speak with Phil Byerly, a former supply chain executive turned business consultant. Phil stumbled into engineering thanks to a late suggestion from his mother and his strength in math and hands-on work. He ultimately chose industrial engineering, drawn by its blend of people, systems, and business. After graduation, rather than taking a flashier aerospace job option, he chose a manufacturing role with VF Corporation, valuing the people and growth opportunities there. His 34+ year career at VF (one of the world's largest apparel and footwear companies with brands such as The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Dickies.) spanned engineering multiple functions, including plant management, and executive roles in global supply chain.A key leadership challenge was aligning operations and finance forecasting to reduce miscommunication and improve performance. Phil tackled this by embedding finance personnel into collaborative planning meetings, removing executive presence to encourage candid discussion, and encouraging team members to "dollarize" unit forecasts. This cross-functional integration improved accuracy, accountability, and team development.Phil encourages aspiring engineering leaders to “go for it” and “start now.” He advocates for hands-on experience, building trust and work ethic, developing interpersonal skills, and investing in self-awareness. He also emphasizes humility, communication, and his personal faith as the foundation of his leadership.Takeaways, transcripts, and more in the show notes: https://drangeliqueadams.com/podcast/