By Jessica Sliver, communication intern
Interning for Whirlpool Corporation, prior to graduation, was one of the best choices Kenneth Perry, B.B.A.’08, made while at WMU. After the completion of his internship with the home appliance giant, Perry was offered a full-time position in Whirlpool’s leadership development program where he was able to see several different aspects of supply chain management early in his career.
“This has given me a solid foundation to understand the impact of the decisions I make across the entire supply chain,” says Perry.
Those crucial decisions have been the right ones. As the senior global commodity buyer for Whirlpool, he is now responsible for managing and negotiating motors for laundry in North America and leading the strategic direction of laundry motors globally.
During his academic experience at WMU, Perry was able to learn about supply chain management and manufacturing processes while learning in-depth business skills that directly correlate with his career. “The knowledge gained gave me a huge advantage in every role I’ve been in thus far.”
For Perry, finding success in his career is a limitless pursuit. “To me, success in this role would be driving product leadership in the marketplace by delivering the best quality and best cost to the consumer and continuing to push the limit within the company,” he says.
Perry’s favorite professor in the college of business is Dr. Bret Wagner, associate professor of management. “He was one of the teachers who went above and beyond his job scope to help me professionally and academically during my undergraduate education,” he says. “Dr. Wagner is someone that I still keep in contact with today.”
As a Bronco and successful business professional, giving advice is all part of the job for Perry. “Don’t be afraid of failure. Just make sure you learn from it and continue to challenge the status quo.”
Perry is on the Whirlpool team that recruits at the WMU ISM Career Night and Career Fair. Supporting the college of business is important for Perry, especially because the recruiting team at Whirlpool includes a number of WMU alumni.