Edward M Straw

Bio

Mr. Straw was the former President, Global Operations of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. He was with Estee Lauder from March 2000 through February 2005. He currently sits on the boards of the following companies: MeadWestvaco, Performance Equity Management, Panther Expedited Services and is the Chairman of Odyssey Logistics and Technology and Document Capture Technologies, Inc. As President, Global Operations for Estee Lauder, Mr. Straw led the manufacturing, research and development, information systems, package engineering, quality assurance and global supply chain (procurement, inventory management and distribution) areas, which support all 20 brands of the Estée Lauder Companies around the world. Mr. Straw also had P&L responsibility for the Fashion Group, which consists of 250 stand alone retail outlet stores and military exchanges. In his five years at Estee Lauder, he is credited with directing major improvements in the global supply chain, implementing new business applications, reducing inventory to the lowest levels in company history, reducing product development time by 40 percent, and driving major stock price impacting savings to the bottom line. Prior to joining the Estée Lauder Companies, he was Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management at Houston-based Compaq Computer Corporation--then, the world’s largest computer company. At Compaq, Mr. Straw was responsible for integrating and managing its global supply chain across the entire organization and among suppliers, distribution partners and customers. He is credited with driving dramatic improvements to the bottom line by reducing cost of goods and inventory. Before joining Compaq in late 1998, Mr. Straw was President of Miami-based Ryder Integrated Logistics--the leading provider of third party supply chain services in North America. Prior to joining the private sector, Mr. Straw had a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a three-star admiral in 1996. During his military service, Vice Admiral Straw was Chief Executive Officer of the Defense Logistics Agency, the largest military logistics command supporting the American armed forces. In this position, he reported directly to General Colin Powell, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his military career, Vice Admiral Straw received Defense, Navy and Air Force Distinguished Service Medals, the Ford Foundation’s Innovations in American Government Award and the Society of Logistics Engineers’ Founders Medal. He is a distinguished graduate of the Navy Supply Corps School and is one of three officers to receive the Navy Supply Corps’ Lifetime Achievement Award. During his military career, he also held numerous operational and policy leadership positions at the Navy’s principal logistics commands--including full supply chain planning and coordination responsibility for material support to Navy and Marine Corps forces during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-91. In addition to the boards mentioned in the first paragraph above, he is a Trustee for the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Navy Federal Credit Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Boy Scouts of America, National Capital Region. Admiral Straw holds a Master of Business Administration degree from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. He is also a graduate of the National War College.