Shradha Muktidoot is currently a Senior Group Manager of Global Supply Management at Lyft. She leads a team of diverse and talented individuals who manage all of Lyft’s indirect spend; looking after the savings, the influence, and the change that is able to be made on the business in an impactful way. In her role as a manager, Muktidoot enjoys the ability to mentor and empower other young supply chain professionals.
The field of supply chain first interested this Penn Stater because of its versatility. Whether it be upstream with sourcing and manufacturing, or downstream with warehousing, distribution, or logistics—the industry felt like a gold mine to Muktidoot. She was determined to become as well-rounded a professional as she could be before becoming specialized in just one area.
“I started my career as a Supply Chain Intern at Reckitt Benckiser, a multinational consumer goods company, where I focused on warehousing and distribution, and after graduating, I started at VWR International, a research lab products distribution company, as a buyer,” she shared. “From there, Apple came calling, so I packed my two suitcases and moved across the country on my own for my dream job.”
Muktidoot’s role at Apple taught her the ins and out of manufacturing, negotiations, and complex supply chains. She found that the discipline she learned at Apple was irreplaceable and instrumental in her success as a business professional.
As she progressed in her career, Muktidoot felt she was yet again ready to experience a new chapter of supply chain. She went into retail and transitioned to indirect supply chain with sourcing at Gap. She instantly fell in love with sourcing, which brought her to Lyft where she grew and has continued to hone in on sourcing and procurement skills.
“I will forever be a Penn Stater at heart and carry it with me as a badge of honor,” Muktidoot explained. “I look back very fondly at my time working at the Center for Supply Chain Research and am very grateful for the support, advice, and love Dr. Novak and Ms. Tracie Shannon gave me— I would not be where I am in my career without them, the network, and the education I received at Smeal, a top 5 Supply Chain program in the country for decades now. “
Muktidoot finds great pride in being a woman in the field of supply chain, hoping to empower other women and shatter any stigmas that it is a masculine profession. She is motivated at Lyft to continue to excel and contribute to the success of the business and even more excited to be a mentor and advocate for future professionals .
“I remember walking into a production meeting in China when first working on the AirPods and realizing I was the only woman in the room; I started to consciously adjust my style, my expressions, and my behavior to fit in,” she recalled. “Looking back, I am thankful for that experience and what I learned from it. It gave me a stronger sense of confidence, but also the lesson that we shouldn’t have to code-switch and change ourselves to have our voices heard. My goal is for all women to have an equal seat at the table.”
For Muktidoot, she believes that empowering and increasing diversity starts with equitable hiring practices. She hopes that the future will bring inclusive practices in hiring processes and that companies will make a conscious effort to have equally represented gender and ethnicities in their leadership teams.
Lastly, the Lyft Senior Group Manager has several nuggets of wisdom to share with fellow supply chain professionals:
- Take the time to invest in relationships: Invest in your stakeholders, suppliers, team, as well as your leaders.
- Be curious and ask questions. That is the only way you can learn and grow. If you do not understand something, don’t shy away from asking thoughtful and intentional questions.
- Work for leaders, not companies.
“Not only do strong relationships make work more enjoyable, but the people you surround yourself with become your teachers, advisors, mentors, as well as your advocates,” she said. “Asking questions and looking up to good leaders will shape your career in powerful ways in the long run.”