SCH’s Founders & Leaders Series Welcomes Aramark Executive and SCH Parent Autumn Bayles

SCH’s Founders & Leaders Series recently welcomed Autumn Bayles, senior vice president of Global Supply Chain & Group Purchasing Organizations at Aramark and an SCH parent, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, risk, and building resilient systems in an increasingly complex global economy.

Bayles leads Aramark’s $20 billion managed services global supply chain and GPO network, overseeing sourcing, logistics, and supplier relationships across industries and continents. But rather than focus on titles or scale, she used her time with students to pull back the curtain on what leadership really looks like behind the scenes—especially when things don’t go according to plan.

Leadership Is About People First

One of Bayles’ clearest messages to students was that leadership begins and ends with people. Managing large, distributed teams requires intentional communication, strong expectations, and trust, particularly when leaders don’t work alongside their teams every day.

She emphasized the importance of regular team check-ins and creating structures that help people stay aligned, even when leaders are traveling frequently or overseeing global operations. “Your team is your greatest asset,” she explained, noting that leaders don’t succeed because of the tools they control, but because of the people they empower.

Bayles also spoke about motivation and fulfillment, encouraging students to seek roles that challenge them. Boredom, she suggested, is often a sign that people aren’t being stretched. The most effective teams are those where individuals feel both supported and pushed to grow.

Navigating Risk in a Global System

As someone responsible for global supply chains, Bayles offered students a real-world look at risk management on a massive scale. From transportation disruptions and geopolitical instability to environmental disasters and inflation, supply chain leaders must constantly prepare for uncertainty.
She cited events like COVID-19, international conflicts, tariffs, and extreme weather as reminders that resilience isn’t optional—it’s essential. One key lesson: never rely on a single option. Leaders who have multiple suppliers, backup plans, and strong relationships are better positioned to respond quickly when circumstances change.

She encouraged students not to feel pressured to make immediate decisions, particularly when options are limited. “A weakened position,” she noted, “is when you only have one choice.”

Ethics, Responsibility, and Impact

Beyond efficiency and cost, Bayles stressed that modern supply chains must be built on ethical and responsible practices. At Aramark, supplier codes of conduct, labor standards, and sustainable sourcing are not add-ons — they are expectations.

She also highlighted Aramark’s work with communities facing natural disasters and its efforts to ensure that global sourcing decisions have a positive impact on people and the planet. For students, this was a powerful reminder that business decisions carry real-world consequences and that leadership comes with responsibility.

Lessons in Career Growth and Curiosity

Bayles’ career path—spanning consulting, technology, operations, and executive leadership — underscored the value of adaptability and continuous learning. With a background in industrial engineering and an MBA from Wharton, she shared how formal education helped her think systematically, but real growth came from listening closely, asking questions, and figuring out how to be useful in every role she held.

She described herself as “very Type A,” with high standards and a strong bias toward action, but also emphasized the importance of empathy and “humanness” in leadership. Promotions and opportunities, she noted, often come to those who combine results with trust and collaboration.

Perhaps most resonant for students was her reflection on passion. For Bayles, job satisfaction comes from not being bored and feeling that your work matters—a definition of success that goes beyond titles or compensation.

Bringing Real-World Leadership to SCH Students

Bayles’ visit was a powerful example of how SCH’s Founders & Leaders Series connects students with professionals who are shaping industries in real time. By grounding her talk in lived experience — not abstract theory — she gave students a clearer picture of what leadership looks like in practice: complex, human, and deeply consequential.