Paul Theriault ’22

How did you choose your major?

I took Operations Management with Professor Christopher Roethlein, and I was really interested in all the concepts. Global supply chain management is how to get products to consumers, and that involves ordering, procurement, making sure that you remain ethical with your vendors and suppliers, but also dealing with the logistical issues. It requires you to really focus on details, be creative in your solutions, but also be very analytical.

You never know what you’re going to get into each day. There are always things that are impacting the supply chain, whether it’s the economy, the weather, a natural disaster. You’re never going to have the same routine. I’m someone who really likes numbers, but I can’t sit behind a desk. So it’s a nice mix of management, accounting, marketing, and a lot of different business functions.

Do you have a favorite class? 

My favorite class was Global Sourcing and Supply Management with Professor Teresa McCarthy. It was a lot of hands-on experience. We worked on a project the whole semester where we had to procure an item and go through the supplier selection process. Our group focused on expanding Chobani’s oat line and purchasing oats used in oat milk. We had to find four or five different vendors and analyze them on a variety of different metrics, from their financial performance to their corporate social responsibility. What we learned from that can be applied to anything, which was the best part.

What makes Bryant’s global supply chain management program stand out?

You get to practice what you’re learning, and you get to partner with companies and have a real impact on organizations while also developing your skills. You’re not just learning concepts. You are applying the concepts you learn to what you’re doing.

Tell us about your internship with Hasbro, which led to your full-time job. 

It was such a cool opportunity. Everything I was doing had an impact on the bottom line. I was working on the My Little Pony brand, and there was a movie launch I got to be a part of and see what it’s like to get products out during a Netflix movie launch. I got to see the day-to-day struggles our items faced in the supply chain. I got to work with so many cool people. I was treated like a full-time employee. I was communicating with people in 35 different countries on a daily basis. I learned that you never know what’s going to happen. You always need to be adaptable, and in order to be successful, you have to work with your team. Sometimes you have to bounce ideas off of one another.

I’m looking forward to working in a field that’s really bringing joy. It sounds cliche, but their mission is to bring joy to children and families. But that’s the fun thing — I get to do something that will make kids happy.