Clara Walt, B.B.A.’17

Supply Chain Sensation

Strategic Buyer, Rolls-Royce PLC

Clara Walt is driving innovation throughout her career in supply management. As a strategic buyer for Rolls-Royce, Walt supports multiple divisions of the company. On any given day she could be negotiating over $10 million in contracts or earning her Yellow Belt certification for leading a Lean Six Sigma value stream mapping project. Walt leaned into her supply chain education even after her time at WMU when she earned her Production Inventory Management credentials via APICS (now ASCM).

Her proficiency in these methods helped to identify initiatives at Rolls-Royce that could also benefit from her support—namely, how she could steer opportunities for other underrepresented employee groups. She serves as a board member for the Hispanic employee resource group and is a member of the Rolls-Royce Women of North America group. Walt has been an advocate in these positions for removing barriers and building professional development opportunities. As a proud Latina, she credits her professional experience and her heritage with giving her the empathy needed to navigate complex situations in and out of the supply chain.

Funniest Work Experience: “My husband and I both working at Rolls-Royce and having the same job!”