William “Gus” Pagonis

When it comes to expertise in logistics and overall leadership in management of very complex projects and organizations, few people are better qualified than Gus Pagonis, a retired three-star U.S. Army Lieutenant General. Lieutenant Pagonis is widely recognized for his logistical achievements particularly during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After successfully masterminding logistics for the Gulf War and winning high praise from General Norman Schwarzkopf, Pagonis left the Army in 1993 and was elected Executive Vice President of Logistics for Sears, Roebuck and Co. As head of the Sears Logistics Group, he functions as the single point of contact for all Sears logistics and is responsible for Vendor Relations, Distribution, Transportation, Home Deliveries, Outlet Stores, International Logistics and the integration of Information Technology to cement it altogether. In addition, he is the President of Sears Logistics Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears.

Sears-dismissed as a dinosaur only a few years ago, with its earnings and customer base swindling-has suddenly become a star of the retailing universe. Pagonis has been one of the key players in the turnaround of Sears. He explains, The secret of logistics is never lose sight of who the customer is.- Gus has proven himself as a leader within the United States Army as the chief logistician during the Gulf War and today, in the corporate world, he continues to set new standards for logistics leadership. As he says, I think Corporate America is waking up to logistics as the last frontier. It’ s the place where people can really maneuver to get a competitive edge.

Leadership is nothing more than the art of influencing others to achieve desired results. Yet, this simple procedure of influencing seems to be dying art. The country is always searching for leaders in government and the corporate world to take organizations and individuals to new heights. Pagonis will discuss this leadership shortfall and will offer leadership practices and management techniques he has employed in his careers that achieved desired results for organizations he has led.

Pagonis discusses two models he has developed to promote corporate success by tapping the last business frontier– Logistics & Leadership. His Logistics Pentagon and Three Star Leadership Models will provide real world solutions that have been successful in military and corporate worlds. Solid proven logistics concepts and down to earth leadership techniques that you can select for your particular leadership style will be discussed in his Leadership Tool Kit. Mr. Pagonis is author of Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics From the Gulf War, published by the Harvard Business School Press. A polished raconteur with a good sense of humor, Gus Pagonis will draw from his amazing experiences and speak about leadership and logistics and how he has successfully transferred what he learned in the military to the corporate world. Pagonis retired from Sears in July 2004 and was selected Chairman of the Board of RailAmerica, Inc. (Worlds largest Short Line Railroad) and will continue as the Chairman of the DBB (Defense Business Board under direction for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld).

Mr. Pagonis is also the author of Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War, published by Harvard Business School Press.