Aimee Hollier
Director of Supply Chain Operations
LifePoint Health
Brentwood, Tennessee
Born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia, Hollier attended the University of Kentucky, where she majored in Russian and Eastern European Studies. “During college, I participated in a foreign exchange program and attended school in Vladimir, Russia, a small town east of Moscow. Early on, I thought my career would take the path as a language translator for either a corporation or for the government.”
Describe a key event in your life.
During her senior year of college, Hollier experienced what she describes as a life-changing event – the unexpected death of her father.
She moved to Bradenton, Florida, for a fresh start, and responded to a job posting for a distribution technician in the materials management department at the local hospital. “At that time, I had no idea that supply chain management would be my future career path,” she says. “The manager took a chance on someone with no previous healthcare experience, but something clicked for me.”
Soon after, she was promoted to warehouse manager. “I realized how much I enjoyed the teamwork and the interaction with others in the hospital. I could see the many opportunities within healthcare.”
During the first 15 years of her supply chain career in Florida, Hollier transitioned from working in a standalone hospital to working in a shared services environment for HCA West Florida. She rose from distribution clerk to supply chain director at multiple hospitals in the market. In 2013 she moved to Atlanta to serve as market director and later to Nashville as a supply chain director for HCA TriStar Division. In July 2015, she joined HCA-spinoff LifePoint Health as director of supply chain operations.
In what way(s) are you a better supply chain leader than you were, say, five or 10 years ago?
“I have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing supply chain leaders who had the ability to get the best from their staff and believed in self-evaluation as a means for improvement,” says Hollier. “I have never stopped learning and developing. Each supply chain role in my career groomed me for the next. Starting with the foundational supply chain roles and working my way up over the last 21 years has given me the knowledge and competence to perform my job successfully and to support my hospital supply chain teams.”
Describe the key characteristics of the successful supply chain leader of the future.
First and foremost, the successful leader cultivates the ability to develop strong and positive working relationships both internal and external to the organization, says Hollier. “It has always been my motto that you can learn the job skill, but you need the passion and energy to build the relationships. The connections that are built are important to the success of your supply chain program. I have always believed if you develop a culture of trust, the relationship will flourish, and success will be easier to achieve no matter the level of complexity. Always listen to others, be open to advice and ideas, and always look for ways to be better.
“Be ready for change! The supply chain environment is evolving every day, and you need the ability to drive change, to be innovative, and most important, to enjoy the interaction with others.”