Message from the Publisher

In today’s fast pace age, it is easy to lose track of the needs of your customer’s demands and direction. Since every customer has a slightly different marketing plan, it feels at times like there are no clear answers to having the strategies to support multiple types of customers and industries.

I remember working with several customers to develop our VIP Program and Conference Initiation Program back in 2009 and 2010, only to find out that hardly any of our other customers wanted anything to do with either. When we finished the beta test for our annual global Conference Invitation Program (CIP) in 2011, it seemed good, but within one year it was only productive for around 15% of our customers! So we scrapped the program and started talking to customers to see what was needed. But there were so many views and opinions.

Where does leadership come from? Direction must be determined by the leader of the organization. Steve Jobs was very good at determining what types of products to deliver to Apple customers. If he had asked his customer base about the iPhone they would have said “don’t waste your time”, we have great phones from so many vendors.

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So the same goes for RLA. In the first 7 years everyone was jumping into the RLA events and tools that we had developed. We had educated several industries about Reverse Logistics and introduced everyone to anybody that showed interest. Just like all organizations, we repeated what had been successful in the previous years.

We have now embarked upon a new series of Events, where tens of thousands will be in attendance, education will be measured through our RL Certification Program and a Standard Committee to track material, and products in a new and exciting way using QR Code technology.

As I announced in February, I will retire in 2016 and leave the Reverse Logistics Association in good hands of our Committees, Board and a new Executive Director. It is fun to see all that has been accomplished in the last 12 years here at RLA.

Gailen Vick founded the Reverse Logistics Association in 2002. His market research found that over $750 billion was being spent annually on Reverse Logistics in North America alone! Uncovered where thousands of 3rd Party Service Providers (3PSP) that provided services to OEM/ODM, Branded and Retail companies! Additional research showed that there wasn\\\'t any common thread between any of the 3PSPs other than competition. There just wasn't a forum for the OEMs, ODMs, Branded and Retail companies to discuss best practices for Reverse Logistics. In January 1996 Gailen was re-introduced to the Service Logistics sector. This process in the supply chain industry was taking advantage of 3PL improvements. Many products were being sent to a depot and setting untouched instead of being repaired and sent back to the field. This new sector was just evolving into a formal industry where major cost saving were being realized. Gailen turned his focus to the'repair services' industry and managed Business Development at Sequel, PCS, Inc and later at Magnetic Data Technologies, LLC until the successful acquisition by Solectron (aquired by Flextronics) in the spring of 2002. These companies supported major OEMs and 3PLs such as UPS, 3Com, Iomega, Dell, HP, Compal, Toshiba, Sun Microsystems, Hitachi, Panasonic, Apple, Mitsubishi, Imation, Gateway, Kinpo, Bizcom and many others. With 40 years experience in aftermarket supply chain, engineering, manufacturing and marketing, Gailen's RL knowledge is a resource to companies across all industries. Prior to founding Reverse Logistics Association, Gailen served on the executive staff of several 3PSP companies. Most of these companies were in the computer and telecommunications industries which made for an enjoyable learning experience in business management for Gailen. His career started at Diablo Systems in 1974 as an EE & expanded to senior marketing & sales positions at Shugart, Fujitsu and Seagate. His experience at Xerox, Seagate, and Fujitsu along with business involvement at many trade conferences has allow Gailen to work hand and hand with many of today\\\'s Executive Management and has thus made him a resource to his colleagues. Early in his career as a Regional and National Sales Manager, Gailen managed several Service Centers, but on January 1996 he joined Sequel after leaving the Disc Drive Industry. Reverse Logistics (even though it wasn\\\'t called that until much later) was just starting to be outsourced and a formal industry was evolving at that time. EDUCATION Mr. Vick studied Electrical Engineering at Chabot College & Chapman University. Tutored by IBM and Xerox file technology engineers while studying at night, Gailen reached the position of Senior Engineer at Shugart Associates before transferring to the Marketing department. PERSONAL Mr. Vick was born Tennessee where the importance of an individual\\\'s word carried as much weight as a contract. After six years in the Navy (and while going to college in the evenings) Gailen started at Diablo Systems in 1974 and started his career in Electrical Engineering. Gailen changed his career path in 1980 (while at Shugart Associates) to Sales in order to provide for his growing family. He held several senior management positions in the disk drive industry, with companies such as Fujitsu, Priam, Conner Peripherals, Seagate and Avatar. As Gailen retired on July 30, 2016, he stays fit by taking long trips on his recumbent bicycle, but his favorite sport is racquetball. Since all of his 8 children are raised, and to overcome the empty nest syndrome, family history research,volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America and at his Church which is his favorite pastime. He stays busy with his wife Stella of 49 years visiting their 32 grandchildren!