We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Fletcher, Vice President of S&OP Transformation at Western Milling, to the AWESOME community! With a career spanning consulting, food and agriculture, and global supply chain leadership, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience and a passion for building strong, people-driven supply chains. In a recent interview with us, Jennifer shares insights from her career journey, leadership philosophy, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Jen Fletcher is an Enterprise Leader and Change Agent skilled in designing and delivering profit improvement by transforming and scaling teams and organizations. She is a military veteran with passion for insights, innovation and creating cultures where the development of people and the work they do matters.
Jen is the Vice President of S&OP at Western Milling Inc.; a 2B agriculture supply chain company. She has worked across Operations and Sales in food and beverage alcohol including 5 years as a Vice President at Constellation Brands. A mountaineer groupie, Jen is on the Board of the California Alpine Club. She lives in Sonoma County, CA with her husband and two boys.
AWESOME
Welcome to the AWESOME community! Let’s kick off with a question—how did you learn about AWESOME?
Jennifer Fletcher
I’m a member of a community called Chief, and someone there told me about it. I had made a comment about how it’d be great to have more women supply chain leaders in Chief, and she said, “You should check out AWESOME.”
AWESOME
So, word of mouth through Chief—cool! What makes you excited about AWESOME?
Fletcher
For me, it’s all about the people. Relationships are so important—for energy, best practices, and building connections. I’m looking forward to building relationships through your platform.
AWESOME
Definitely! This is the perfect space for that. Now, I’d love to learn more about your background. Can you walk me through your career journey?
Fletcher
I didn’t always know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be a leader. Growing up in a small town, I didn’t have family in corporate roles, so I thought the military would be a good path. I joined the Canadian military, got a scholarship for university, and had amazing experiences in the Navy—though I also discovered I get seasick!
At the time, the Navy was focused on retaining women and didn’t allow transfers out, even when I requested to move into supply chain. So, I left with some debt and a lack of direction but knowing I wanted to lead. I worked in Japan for a couple of years with the Japanese government, driven by my interest in working with a global community. That was amazing, but I didn’t see a long-term path there.
When I returned to Canada, I started consulting with a boutique firm in Toronto. We’d help companies, particularly in manufacturing and food, develop strategies and ensure successful execution over several months. I ended up staying for over 15 years and became a partner. That’s how I entered supply chain—through the back door.
Mid-career, I decided to shift from consulting to execution. One of my clients, Constellation Brands, recruited me. I had been helping them with their wine sales in New Zealand, and when their country president moved to Napa, he asked me to join the team and help double the division’s size. So, I moved internationally with my family and worked there for five years, in various supply chain consulting efforts and P&L businesses.
Unfortunately, growth in the Wine Industry is fickle and the company decided to change strategy and downsize. I stayed for a year and a half after the divestiture, but ultimately decided to seek opportunities in a growing space. That led me to Western Milling, an agriculture and supply chain company that sells food and grain to farmers.
AWESOME
Wow, what an expansive background! A lot of people say they “stumbled” into supply chain, but it seems like you were drawn to it and navigated through varied experiences to get where you are today. I also noticed you’ve had diverse, multicultural experiences. Was there something specific that drew you to food and agriculture?
Fletcher
Food and agriculture impact everyone—it’s a net good. We all need to eat! It’s exciting to be part of that, and I’ve found the industry to be fun. There’s a unique energy, especially in farm-to-table sectors like wine and agriculture. Plus, supply chain is more challenging when Mother Nature is involved. More challenges mean more opportunities to beat the competition.
AWESOME
That’s incredible! What challenges have you faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
Fletcher
One that stands out was during a project in Japan. In North America, we usually get leadership aligned first, then focus on execution. But in Japan, leadership repeatedly emphasized getting buy-in from the people doing the work. Initially, I resisted—it felt slow and inefficient. But I learned that taking time upfront to explain the ideas, address concerns and incorporate feedback made implementation much smoother.
That experience taught me to respect cultural differences and embrace a more inclusive process. It’s about understanding the unique needs of the environment and adapting accordingly.
AWESOME
So, it’s about having a plan, listening to others, and working as a team to find the best approach.
Fletcher
And it’s also about ensuring the people doing the work have a voice in changes before they’re implemented.
AWESOME
I love that. Switching gears, can you share more about your leadership style and how you balance the demands of leadership with personal and professional growth?
Fletcher
My leadership style is values-based—focusing on results, caring for others, being positive and entrepreneurial. I also believe in listening more than talking. Everyone in the room has something to contribute, and the more senior you are, the more important it is to encourage and support others.
I’ve also learned to lead with a calm presence, even though I’m naturally high-energy. Staying calm is effective with diverse teams and fosters trust.
AWESOME
It sounds like your style evolved over time. What inspired those changes?
Fletcher
It’s been a journey. I started in the military, where leadership was directive. But when I moved to consulting, that style didn’t work at all. It was impossible to learn all the things my staff has to digest and then tell them what to do. I had to teach the new hires I was managing how to think, not what to think. Leadership is about ensuring clarity so your team can find solutions, and ensuring they trust you enough to raise a flag when challenges arise.
AWESOME
Absolutely. What advice would you give aspiring supply chain leaders?
Fletcher
Step back regularly to see the bigger picture. Supply chain is all about connections—planning and execution. Make sure you’re communicating with the right people and building the right relationships.
AWESOME
That makes sense—focusing on people and ensuring connections across the chain. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Fletcher
You asked about work-life balance, and I think of it as work-life optimization. Jeff Bezos has famously stated that he doesn’t believe in “work-life balance” and instead advocates for “work-life harmony” or “work-life optimization.” It’s about recognizing our finite time and making intentional choices. Leaders need to look beyond the day-to-day and ensure they’re setting non-negotiables for their month. And if things aren’t working, reach out—whether it’s to a boss, mentor, peer, or community like AWESOME.