Leadership Lessons from the Navy to Veritiv, with Chris Martin, Veritiv Corporation (Executive Perspective, Episode 14)
Chris Martin, Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Veritiv Corporation, discusses his transition from the U.S. Navy to corporate leadership in this episode of Executive Perspective, with host Danny Vander Maten. Chris discusses his diverse roles at Veritiv, the company’s mission and services, and the critical importance of people and culture in business. The conversation covers leadership lessons, the impact of mentoring, and the challenges and successes of Chris’s career. Chris offers insights into effective supply chain planning, inventory management, and the dynamic nature of the commercial real estate and packaging industry.
Executive Perspective is sponsored and presented by Cresa Atlanta. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.
Chris Martin, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, Veritiv Corporation
Chris Martin is the Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Veritiv, a B2B packaging, facility solutions, and fine print distribution company based in Sandy Springs, GA, with 90+ distribution centers across North America.
Chris has been with Veritiv for over 11 years, and prior to that, he served in leadership roles as an officer in the Navy, as a District Manager with Aldi Foods, and as a Senior Consultant with Deloitte Strategy and Operations Consulting.
Chris completed his MBA in 2014 at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, where he and his family are originally from. Chris also serves on the Advisory Board for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Chris partners in life with his wife, Erica and their three daughters, Audrey, Addyson and Annabel, who are all in the Fulton County School system. He enjoys reading historical non-fiction, being outdoors, playing and watching golf, and passionately following his Cincinnati Bengals and Reds. He spends time chauffeuring his girls between lacrosse, soccer, dance/voice/music theatre events, and playing with his 2 dogs, Beasty and Simba.
Veritiv Corporation
Veritiv Corporation, headquartered in Atlanta, is a full-service provider of packaging, JanSan, and hygiene products, services, and solutions. Additionally, Veritiv offers print and publishing products, as well as logistics and supply chain management solutions. Serving customers in a wide range of industries both in North America and globally, Veritiv operates distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Mexico and employs team members around the world to help shape the success of its customers.
The company’s vision is to be the most desired B2B design-to-delivery provider by serving its customers with a solutions-first mindset. This is achieved through living its CODE of Values every day. These values unite the team, represent the company’s identity, and influence its operations. The Veritiv CODE serves as a guidepost for everything the company does to achieve what matters most:
C: Cultivate Innovation
O: Own It
D: Delivery and Delight
E: Embrace the Green
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Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction to Executive Perspective
01:04 Meet Chris Martin: From Ohio to Veritiv
02:54 Navy Experience and Transition to Civilian Life
04:31 Career at Aldi and Deloitte
07:04 Role and Operations at Veritiv
18:23 Leadership and Mentorship Insights
23:16 Navigating Career Transitions
23:39 Building Relationships in Business
23:56 The Power of Communication
24:59 Difficult Decisions in Leadership
25:56 From Navy to Corporate Life
29:54 Mentorship and Personal Growth
32:59 Reflections on Career and Leadership
37:38 Balancing Work and Life
40:10 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
About Executive Perspective
Executive Perspective features executives and business leaders from a wide variety of sectors. Host Danny Vander Maten and his guests cover industry trends, insights, challenges, success strategies and lessons learned. Executive Perspective is underwritten and presented by Cresa. The show series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. A complete show archive can be found here.
Executive Perspective
Danny joined Cresa in the Spring of 2016 and brought a diverse background with nearly 10 years of experience in finance, business operations, and strategy to his client’s real estate transactions.
At Cresa, Danny’s primary responsibilities include strategic planning, lease analysis, negotiations, and cost mitigation. As a registered Certified Public Accountant with an active license in the state of Georgia, Danny provides unique financial insight into every critical aspect of the transaction.
Cresa is the world’s most trusted occupier-centric commercial real estate firm. They strategize for the best possible results for occupiers everywhere. Cresa thinks beyond space. Partner without conflict. And apply their integrated expertise to make your business better.
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