JAMES LAHUE
Mount Washington
Summary
Transformational Senior Operations Leader with 20+ years driving global logistics, e‑fulfillment, and large‑scale automation solutions. I deliver measurable results — including $140.5M in annual network savings at Amazon and 150% above planned contribution margins as P&L owner at Ingram Micro. I have led process improvements through integrating AI into warehouse automation, optimizing complex vendor ecosystems, and building high‑performance cultures rooted in safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. My leadership blends data‑driven decision‑making with empowerment- focused leadership principles to create scalable, resilient, and customer‑centric operations.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Site Lead
Ingram Micro
Hebron
01.2026 - 05.2026
- Site leader overseeing 150+ front-line employees and nine exempt leaders.
- Championed a cultural transformation fostering collaboration, accountability, and a shared sense of purpose.
- Maintained full (P&L) ownership for the warehouse operation. Drove exceptional financial results by exceeding the contribution margin plan by 150% in Q1.
- Directed and negotiated complex RFP processes with potential vendors, thoroughly evaluating service capabilities, pricing structures, and contractual terms to secure cost-effective, high-performance solutions.
- Led continuous improvement initiatives by identifying performance gaps. Provided the leadership team with the tools and mechanism's necessary to be successful in the CI journey from idea generation to execution.
Senior Operations Manager
Amazon
01.2023 - 01.2025
- Led the expansion of new sortation initiatives that supported the Reverse Logistics Network across North America and the EU, resulting in an annual savings of $140.5 million.
- Sponsored two significant Kaizen events:
- Introduced Machine Learned Grading (MLG) into WMS, integrating artificial intelligence into the evaluation process and achieving a 63% increase in direct processing rates.
- Implemented pre-sorting of returned items before grading, which improved processing and recovery rates.
- Achieved a 65% year-over-year reduction in recordable incident rates, exceeding network safety goals.
- Managed the warehouse’s P&L, identifying trends in overall recovery rates, customer concessions, transportation costs and labor hours.
- Designed and implemented a process improvement platform reinforcing the hierarchy of controls through an CM approval workflow.
- Established weekly process improvement classes to help leaders develop and implement innovative ideas from inception to successful execution.
Operations Manager
Amazon
01.2020 - 01.2023
- Oversaw weekly labor planning to forecast labor needs to S&OP unit forecasts.
- Oversaw the transition of more than 90,000 storage bins, generating $20.5 million in annual savings.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all operational processes, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
- Developed workforce development programs in partnership with local colleges.
- Conducted quarterly performance evaluations on exempt leaders, focusing on leadership development and upward mobility.
Area Manager
Amazon
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Managed up to 250 hourly associates during all night shifts.
- Implemented station rotation process that reduced cherry picking, increasing productivity by five percent.
- Enhanced associate morale while decreasing cherry picking incidents at site.
- Developed cross-functional bin conversion project, boosting rate for stow and recycle pick processes.
- Achieved annual savings of $763,751 through process improvements.
Warehouse Operations Supervisor
Radial
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Initiated process enhancements by designing quarterly KPIs for every department and identifying workflow bottlenecks.
- Discovered opportunities in wave planning, specifically in the timing and method of customer order releases.
- Reduced pick travel time by 30% by developing an inventory storage strategy based on higher volume SKU placement.
- Integrated a new training program - Voice Assisted Training into our Pick and Pack operations - reducing training time by 60%.
Operations and Planning Coordinator
UPS
Louisville
07.2003 - 08.2016
- Coordinated project timelines to ensure on-time deliveries and service excellence.
- Managed communication between departments to streamline planning processes and to minimize real time service disruptions.
- Monitored and controlled the balance of package flow in using WMS.
- Created and developed hourly reports to highlight real-time performance.
- Achieved a 98% on-time shipment rate for the OPC department.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY05-2010
B.S. - Business Management
University of Louisville
Skills
- Supply Chain Optimization
- Operations Leadership
- P&L Management
- Project management
- Strategic Planning
- Continuous Improvement Leadership
- Lean Six Sigma & Kaizen Facilitation
- A3 Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
- Value Stream Mapping
- Multi-Site Change Management
- Training, Coaching & Mentoring
- Metrics, Goals & KPI Deployment
- Operational Excellence
Professional Highlights
- $140.5M annual savings through reverse logistics initiatives
- $20.5M annual savings through storage optimization
- 63% increase in processing via AI-enabled grading
- 65% reduction in safety incidents
- 200%+ contribution margin above plan
Timeline
Senior Site Lead
Ingram Micro
01.2026 - 05.2026
Senior Operations Manager
Amazon
01.2023 - 01.2025
Operations Manager
Amazon
01.2020 - 01.2023
Area Manager
Amazon
01.2017 - 01.2020
Warehouse Operations Supervisor
Radial
01.2016 - 01.2017
Operations and Planning Coordinator
UPS
07.2003 - 08.2016
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
University of Louisville
B.S. - Business Management
University of Louisville