Logistics Expert Gus Pagonis Joins CombineNet Business Board of Advisors

Feb. 1, 2004
PITTSBURGH - CombineNet today announced that William "Gus" Pagonis, executive vice president of logistics at Sears Roebuck and Co. and former logistics

PITTSBURGH - CombineNet today announced that William "Gus" Pagonis, executive vice president of logistics at Sears Roebuck and Co. and former logistics commander for the Gulf War, has joined its Business Board of Advisors. Pagonis is a recognized expert in logistics, who authored the business bestseller "Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War" and frequently serves as a keynote speaker at industry events.

"Gus has an impressive background in army logistics, and the way he has applied his experience to Sears Roebuck's supply chain is a great complement to our Advisory Panel concerning Department of Defense matters," said Tony Bonidy, CEO of CombineNet. "He has led Sears in its crisis preparedness and successfully directed its logistics through the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as Hurricane Isabel that rocked the U.S. East Coast two years later."

The Business Board of Advisors is comprised of industry experts from business and academia, brought together to counsel CombineNet in its strategic direction and in the development of its procurement and sourcing applications. CombineNet's Decision-Guidance Systems utilize patented, combinatorial optimization technologies to provide better answers to high-impact strategic business problems.

Gus Pagonis served in the U.S. Army for 29 years, retiring with the three-star rank of Lieutenant General. Pagonis is widely recognized for his logistical achievements during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As General Schwarzkopf's logistics commander, he functioned as the single point of contact and was responsible for all logistics (food, shelter, fuel, ammunition, transportation, and contracting) for the Gulf War.

Pagonis joined Sears Roebuck and Co. in 1993 as executive vice president of logistics. Pagonis is responsible for all supply chain functions including the flow of inventory from vendor to store, transportation, distribution, international logistics, home delivery services, and the integration of information systems. He is the single point of contact for all of Sears's logistics and directs logistics for more than 2,500 stores, including a network of strategically positioned distribution centers. In addition, he is president of Sears Logistics Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears.

"There isn't a company out there that doesn't have to worry about some aspect of logistics and I've seen my share of logistics challenges," said Gus Pagonis. "Working with CombineNet and seeing the value they bring to companies has been very exciting and rewarding for me. Many of the logistics challenges I have faced could have benefited from the expressive capabilities of CombineNet. I'm looking forward to working with CombineNet as it expands its presence and continues to solve complex logistics events."

Through expressive bidding, CombineNet creates a truly free market exchange where buyers receive greater savings and suppliers are able to show their unique capabilities. By creating expressive competition, enabling a richer interaction between suppliers and buyers, CombineNet is changing the way companies source large spends on materials, services and transportation.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, CombineNet is a leading provider of combinatorial optimization - a technology that delivers unprecedented cost savings to Fortune 1000 companies. For more information, contact CombineNet at (412) 471-8200 (Pittsburgh) or +44 208 995 5134 (London), or visit www.CombineNet.com.