Shawn McGee

Tell us more about your background – how did you get started in the transportation industry?

My career began at 13 years old, bussing tables in my aunt and uncle’s restaurant. I must have done something right because I was quickly promoted to washing dishes, peeling potatoes, and eventually to more sophisticated responsibilities such as carrying commercial kitchen sized stock pots full of scalding hot used fryer oil three blocks away to a nearby restaurant that had the proper disposal container on site.

Forty thousand peeled potatoes later, and with a college degree in hand, I left the restaurant business and began my full time career in sales. I have spent time with large publicly traded companies and small venture-backed startups in a number of different industries. My first experience in transportation was when I joined Pyle in 2012. I have been lucky to work with patient, supportive people at Pyle who have helped me learn and understand our industry.

What about Pyle made you want to work for this company?

Working for Pyle has been the closest thing in my career to working in my aunt and uncle’s restaurant. Everyone works. Leaders lead from the front. No one takes themselves too seriously. Customers are important. And the people count.

Describe your role at Pyle.

As Vice President National Accounts, I oversee Pyle’s National Account Managers and 3PL Sales Team. Our National Account Managers build and support relationships with corporate customers throughout the country, and our 3PL group does the same with our third party logistics partners. It’s important to me to ensure our team is well-positioned to be successful today and prepared to capitalize on opportunities well into the future. 

Can you share key insights from your journey at Pyle, from starting as Inside Sales Manager to your current role of VP National Accounts, and how each role has shaped your leadership approach and strategic vision?

I have been very lucky throughout my career to work for a number of really effective leaders. While they share commonalities, each leader brought unique attributes to the table that made them effective. Rather than try to mimic one ideal model, I tend to think of the people I’ve worked for as a sort of cabinet of invisible counselors. When faced with a challenge, having a group of effective people and experiences to reflect back on comes in handy.

As the VP National Accounts, how do you approach developing and maintaining strong partnerships with customers, and what role do you see these relationships playing in the long term success of Pyle?

Strong, enduring partnerships are built on mutually beneficial outcomes, communication, and trust. This is our focus in each interaction with customers today, and will continue to be our focus as our supply chain service offerings evolve to meet the needs of customers for quality capacity and predictable service in the future.

What achievements are you most proud of during your time at Pyle?

I am thrilled for the success of the Pyle People around me. Talented employees who are willing to work hard, have an appetite to learn, and are open to new challenges have a great future at Pyle. I enjoy supporting the career development of members of my teams. 

Any closing thoughts?

I am excited for the change that our industry will continue to bring. Pyle’s flexible, forward-thinking, team approach uniquely positions us to respond to the unexpected, meet future customer needs, and provide dependable careers for remarkable people.