YPN Sportlight: Brandon Duley
The supply chain industry is changing fast, and the pressure on today’s workforce is only growing. According to respondents in MHI’s 2025 Annual Industry Report, one of the most impactful trends shaping the future of supply chain is the ongoing shortage of skilled talent. With experienced professionals retiring and technology advancing at a rapid pace, keeping the next generation engaged, supported, and guided has become more important than ever.
That is exactly why MHI’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) exists.
YPN is a growing community created to support emerging leaders in material handling and supply chain. Through monthly coffee chats, webinars, book club discussions, and in‑person meetups at MHI events, it gives young professionals a place to connect, learn, and grow alongside both peers and long‑time industry experts. The network thrives because its members show up with curiosity, ambition, and a willingness to learn from one another.
This month, we’re excited to spotlight Brandon Duley, Business Development Manager at Körber Supply Chain LLC, who was first drawn to YPN after experiencing how welcoming and engaged the community was during a virtual coffee chat.
YPN Spotlight Q&A
Brandon Duley, Business Development Manager at Körber Supply Chain LLC
How long have you been a part of YPN? Since late 2024
What motivated you to get involved in YPN? I was invited to a virtual coffee chat and was taken aback by the community and engagement from peers across the industry.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved in YPN? Do it! Whether new to the industry or new to MHI, the YPN community is incredibly welcoming and always supportive of new perspectives and backgrounds.
What is special about the material handling industry that gets you excited about your future career? The industry is so collaborative. Depending on the solution, companies go from being customers, to suppliers, to competitors and sometimes combinations of all. It makes for interesting partnerships where, at the end of the day, we all are pushing towards whatever provides the best solution and value to our customers.
Which topics—pertaining to our industry—are you especially passionate about and do you think we will all need to focus on in the future? Where to begin?! Material Handling is constantly looking for better, faster, smarter so it’s very interesting to see new innovations that can cause macrolevel disruptions by making last year’s innovation obsolete. To pick one, it would be automating the inbound. There are many variables contributing to the complexity of this issue, but any updates or changes impact the sorting, processing, and reporting of the downstream systems.
What challenges has YPN faced? How could YPN improve your experience in the future? Like any industry group it is powered by its members; all working their day jobs. Maintaining consistent engagement from members across companies, roles and geographical locations is challenging. By continuing to support the Mentorship program the inter-member relationships will only strengthen and incentivize members to commit the extra time required for YPN events.
What professional or community accomplishments would you like to highlight? I am very proud of the team we have built here at Körber in the last two years. The wins and solutions we have been able to create are awesome and of note but bringing together a diverse group of subject matter experts able to collaborate across the country to react to market changes and customer challenges has been nothing short of remarkable. I know this question should be focused on individual achievements, but it really speaks to how great it has been to be on this team from the beginning and be a member of the evolving culture and rapid growth we have experienced at Körber.
Get involved with YPN
If you’re ready to grow your network and connect with others who are building the future of our industry, YPN is the perfect place to start. Reach out to Chelsea Liston or visit the YPN page to learn more. Whether you’re early in your career or looking to expand your influence, YPN offers a community where your ideas matter and your growth is supported every step of the way.
