Alumni

Suresh C. Patel

Suresh C. Patel
MSI, ‘75
Sr. Vice President, Limited Logistics Services

 

 

 

 

 

Like many international graduate students, Suresh Patel chose to enroll at Cleveland State because of its urban environment that offered greater job opportunities after graduation. A native of India, Suresh earned his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering that served as a springboard to a successful career. After graduation, SureshHe went to work fortook a position at a local consulting firm graduation and then worked at Land’s End, Inc. in Wisconsin. In his current role as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Technical Services at Limited Logistics Services, Suresh oversees the global logistics for Limited Brands products and business units, which includes thousands of employees.

Suresh said that his education at CSU taught him to apply a process engineering mindset to the business problems he faces at Limited. “You have to look at processes holistically when you’re dealing with numerous players such as manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. It’s better to find a creative use of an existing technology such as an IT system, than it is trying to invent a new technology.”

Suresh advises current engineering students in his field to get a wide breadth of education and experience, including the business and human aspects of the field. “You need to connect with the core curriculum of business and analytics. Limited’s engineers learn how the retail stores operate so they have a better framework of the merchant side of the supply chain,” said Suresh. He offers words of wisdom that helped him throughout his career, “Think broader, be flexible and remain open to new opportunities.”