Christine Shue
Senior Regional Transportation Manager
Univar Solutions
Please meet this week's WOTW, Christine Shue. Christine is a second generation Asian American who grew up in Western Canada. She is a chemical engineer by trade with her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Christine has an extensive background in technical roles including new product and process introductions and process scale-ups, which paved the way for her to make the jump to Supply Chain & Transportation.
Christine is currently based in New Jersey with her family. Upon obtaining her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and eventually an MBA, Christine started in a R&D role at a pilot plant and then moved into production. She originally started her career in the food industry, transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry, then accepted a role at Univar where she spent 3 years utilizing her lean six sigma background to work on transportation improvements and 2 years handing vendor performance management. Her most recent role, which she has held for the past 5 years, has been in a tactical and strategic transportation execution role for Univar.
Throughout our interview with Christine, we focused on key themes including assimilation, fluidity and inclusion, and “comfortable confidence.” Christine shared her struggles with being female, growing up in a male-dominated culture, and feeling like her efforts were never enough in her 20s and 30s. As she shared her story, we learned how she overcame these difficulties and eventually felt comfortable and empowered to share her thoughts and perspectives, which helped her become a strong influence for other women in the industry. She has learned to embrace both sides of being bicultural Asian and American, knowing when to flex and use the different styles.
Towards the end of our interview, we asked Christine to share some guidance on being mindful & intentional when it comes to empowerment & inclusivity. She expressed the need for people to have authentic conversations, learn about one another, and remove judgements, stereotypes, and unconscious bias. She emphasized the importance in embodying this in workplace culture and training managers on diversity, inclusion, and unconscious bias. She commended Univar for how intentional the company has been about hiring minority leaders, publicizing the inclusivity goals, and providing the necessary support and training to the staff. Christine also offered advice for young women entering the industry, and this advice encompassed guidance on soft-skills and self-care.
This episode was sponsored by:
