Meggan Harris discusses positioning MWI as a leader in sustainability

In this latest installment of our Day in the Life series, we talked with Meggan Harris, Senior Director, Commercial Delivery, and the leader behind MWI’s sustainable tote delivery program. Read on to learn about the importance of looking out for customers’ mental health and why Meggan is grateful her customers keep her on her toes.  

What does a typical day look like for you?

In my role as Senior Director, Commercial Delivery, my days are full of learning, and no day is typical. I have had the opportunity to interact with individuals across our organization as we worked together over the last 6 months to stand up our sustainable tote delivery program. This initiative replaces single-use cardboard and Styrofoam with reusable plastic totes that are delivered and retrieved by dedicated courier partners. This alternative delivery model will reduce the amount of waste our customers have to manage when they unpack an order, while also improving practice efficiency.  

While customers can still order daily, we will hold those orders and deliver them twice a week. Fewer deliveries and dedicated delivery days allow customers to manage their staffing needs and time spent on inventory more efficiently. The combination of less waste and fewer deliveries means both MWI and our customers are reducing our carbon footprint.  

I’m working with folks who are experts in their fields, trying to understand and absorb what they do and how we can put that expertise into practice to achieve our goals.

I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished in such a short time:

• We launched our tote program in 12 of our U.S. animal health distribution centers providing this service to over 1,300 customers.  
• We trained our teams and provided them with marketing materials to communicate the initiative to our customers. 
• We used a customer relationship management platform to facilitate interactions between our teams and customers who were part of the initial launch. 
• We developed targeted messaging with our group purchasing organization partners to enhance customer engagement. 
• We implemented analytics to measure our progress and success. 
• It's been a whirlwind experience, and I can't thank our wonderful team members enough for their integral contributions to the totes program.

Why MWI? What attracted you to working here? What is MWI’s “unique fingerprint” that makes us stand out in the market?  

My attraction to MWI has always been the people. The first MWI representative I met (while I was still in college) was Georgine Mondich, who has since retired. She was already a legend at MWI — successful and well-respected because she worked hard and genuinely cared about her customers and the animals they served. As I got to know more MWI team members, I learned a great number of them had been with the company for many years. This longevity indicated a strong culture where people were happy to stay. I wanted to be part of such a culture, working with people who were passionate about animal health and committed to doing the right thing for customers, which in turn allowed those customers to provide the best possible care for animals.  

I believe the people remain MWI’s unique fingerprint. While many of the faces I knew 24 years ago are no longer here, the newer team members are just as passionate about our customers and their patients. They bring fresh ideas, a comfort with technology, and a mindset of inclusion that ensures everyone feels valued. As these team members become the future leaders of our business, MWI will continue to thrive because our people genuinely care.  

What brings you the greatest professional joy?  

Having been in this industry for several decades and at MWI for most of that time, I have experienced a lot of professional joy over the years. Working with a passionate and dedicated team is incredibly fulfilling. I delight in collaborating with colleagues who bring fresh ideas and diverse perspectives. Over the years, I have had the humbling opportunity to coach, mentor, and train younger team members who have gone on to achieve great success and become leaders in our company and our industry. I’ve also had the opportunity inside of MWI to work with Cencora’s Women's Impact Network and outside of Cencora to volunteer with associations such as Women in Leadership and Management in Animal Health. These organizations bring career development, community, advocacy, and mentorship to women to promote their personal and professional development. Seeing others gain confidence, enhance their skills, and achieve their goals has brought me much joy over the years.  

It’s also been rewarding to work at a company that continues to strive to make a real difference in the lives of people and animals. We provide solutions and bring value to our customers to make it easier for them to do business.  

What is one thing you wish people knew about working in the companion animal space?

The companion animal industry is more than just petting cute puppies and playing with kittens all day. I've interviewed so many people who “love animals,” and they seem to think that's all that's required to thrive in this space. While we all love the animals we care for, there's so much more to it! At the surface, we're providing the framework to keep those animals medically sound through the manufacturing, distribution, and administration of products or medical treatments.  

But what about all the people involved? We're also focused on helping them thrive! Partners like Hound help us focus on the well-being of the entire veterinary team by providing tools to offer feedback and recognition and ultimately build a culture where team members are thriving.  

The weight of guiding pet owners through medical and financial conversations while managing the ever-changing business aspects of veterinary medicine can be overwhelming. Veterinarians and veterinary professionals face immense pressures and emotional burdens. I'm proud that the Cencora Impact Foundation supports Not One More Vet, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting mental wellness in the veterinary community.  

Working in this space allows us to not just care for the animals but also the people — from the sales team to the veterinary team and everyone in between. If you're going to love the animals and keep our industry viable, you have to love and care for the people too!  

Tell us about the biggest risk you’ve taken to advance your job/career and what the outcome was. 

This year, I took on a new role leading the launch of our sustainable tote delivery program. Moving into this role has definitely been the biggest risk I’ve taken in my career. I “grew up” professionally at MWI, starting as a territory manager and progressing through various sales leadership roles over the last two-plus decades. I knew sales and worked with a great team that knew how to accomplish our goals each year. I’m also very tactical — my team would refer to me as the “plane lander” because I know how to get from where we are today to where we need to be.  

In my new role, I’ve had to stretch and take a much more strategic, 40,000-foot view of our business and how we’re innovating for the future. I’m no longer the subject matter expert and am constantly learning from and leaning on other team members. There’s a lot of uncertainty as we work to stand up this new solution. While there might be risk, there’s a lot of excitement knowing that when we succeed with this initiative, we will be in a unique sustainability leadership position in our industry.  

Fill in the blanks. Our customers are ____________ and they make me feel _________________.  

Our customers are challenging, and I don't mean that in a negative way. The nature of distribution has always required us to be chameleons, as each customer on our route might have different needs or topics they want to discuss. Today's customers expect me to have ideas and solutions beyond just product knowledge to help them combat the competitive threats that could impact their business. These threats are ever-evolving, and the expectation is that I will be ever-evolving as well.  

I appreciate that my customers challenge me and they inspire and motivate me to continuously learn so that I can support them with innovative solutions. Seeing their passion and dedication to both animals and their clients reinforces the importance of our work and drives me to contribute to their success.  

I define customer success as ___________________.  

Empowerment. How can we equip our customers to succeed in an ever-changing landscape of regulatory impacts, political influence, competitive differentiation, economic factors, advancing technology, and changing pet owner/producer demographics? Our customers face pressures every day that challenge their long-term viability. When we empower them with a product or solution that helps them thrive in the face of these obstacles, that’s success.  

The most surprising thing I’ve learned from my customers is ____________. 

You know, it's probably not surprising, but what I've learned from my customers over the years is that genuineness and relationships matter. I have customers who remember our first interaction and appreciate the time I put into assisting them. Taking the time to listen, to understand, and to take care of what's important to someone else is foundational.