SMC³ Behind the Scenes: Renee Rubino
Authored by SMC³ on October 5, 2023
Recently, we had the privilege to chat with SMC³’s Renee Rubino, to talk about all things Renee, her role, and the importance of building strong relationships with our Alliance Partners!
First things first, who IS Renee?
I am married to a brilliant man who continues to make me laugh and reminds me to take time to enjoy life. We have a daughter, three beautiful grandchildren and 2 ornery, lovable dogs all which bring us joy.
I have been in transportation for over 30 years. I started my career with Roadway Express where my tenure is primarily between project management and sales. As a project manager I worked on automating back-office functions, exploring and creating new service offerings, and designing and implementing systems to reduce costs, generate sales and enhance the customer experience. In 2006 we moved to Florida, and I began my sales career. I started selling our non-LTL transportation services and then later promoted into our LSP vertical before transitioning to the LTL technology side of sales.
You have been in transportation for a substantial amount of time, how did you get involved in this industry?
Like many people in transportation that started when I did, the industry found me. After deciding that chemical engineering was not for me, I made the only logical next step. I took a job with a trucking company while I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. That job turned into an exciting and rewarding career with many unplanned opportunities to grow and learn. 30+ years later, I finally realize this industry is the perfect fit for a puzzle solving nerd with the soul of an artist.
What’s your area of expertise at SMC³, and why do you like working in that area?
I am the Manager- Alliance Partners at SMC³. What I enjoy about working with our alliance partners is how unique each one is in their quest to simplify the complexity of moving product from one point to another. I am a puzzle solving nerd with the soul of an artist so working with our alliance partners is satisfying and energizing for me. I love learning the details of our alliance partners’ technology and the challenge(s) they are solving for their customers and the shipping community, but the real reward happens when we co-create a solution that helps them deliver excellence to the shipping community.
Our alliance partners span the globe. On a daily basis, I am meeting and working with the most innovative supply chain technology companies not just in N America, but all over the world. With SMC³ ’s data rich hub of LTL expertise and technology we help our alliance partners drive value and create solutions that literally keeps the world moving!
How important is the human aspect when managing Alliance Partners?
In my role, I’m lucky to work with many talented, passionate stewards at SMC³ that make our products and organization an industry leader and that help our alliance partners compete and deliver excellence. Add to that the perks of meeting and working with people from all over the world with diverse cultures and backgrounds and you start to experience the human aspect. It is in learning about each other, creating trust, and delivering value that we build a real alliance and true partnership. That is the moment when I fully understand the importance of the human aspect in my role.
What attracted you to the company?
Coming from the carrier side of LTL, I have experienced the value SMC³ provides the asset carrier community as well as the data and tools that allow LSPs and shippers to effectively manage their North American LTL transportation and working capital and that’s very attractive to me. Once I started to research SMC³ as a career transition, I learned there is much more to SMC³ than data, technology, and education. I discovered there is a team of people that are passionate about producing and providing industry leading data, technology and education to the shipping community and I wanted to share my talent and be a part of that team.
What are some of your hobbies when you’re not working?
What I enjoy most is spending time with family, friends and loved ones sitting around the table creating memories and laughing about old ones, playing a game, or passionately discussing hot topics. It’s the perfect end to the work week. In Italian we have a saying “a talova non s’invecchia’; which means “at the table one does not age” so that’s what keeps me young.
When I am not at the table, you’ll find me doing a crossword, re-organizing a closet, walking the mall, or laughing out loud at a Seinfeld rerun as I try to convince myself these are all valid forms of exercise!