60 seconds with Devon Birch, MHI

Devon Birch, MHI
Title: Director of membership
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Experience: More than 10 years experience in marketing, including five years at MHI
Duties: Create programming and communication channels to recruit and retain the association’s materials handling membership and to manage the Young Professionals Network (YPN)

Modern: Tell us a little about the Young Professionals Network, which is sponsoring an event at Modex.
Birch: The short answer is that YPN was created as a way for young professionals in the industry to network with each other and to receive education that might be pertinent to their careers. Today, we have just shy of 800 members in YPN.

Modern: How did YPN get started?
Birch: It started about three years ago, and the spark was feedback we were getting—and continue to get —from our leadership and board. In recent years, there has been an influx of young people into our industry who felt a little disconnected from people who have worked in the industry for years. We thought that there ought to be a way to connect young professionals to leadership, provide them with training and education that’s relevant to their careers, and hopefully keep them in the industry. At the same time, George Prest, our CEO, was involved in the Emerging Leaders conference at the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association. He wanted to create something like that at MHI.

Modern: Are most members employed by MHI member organizations or do some also come from the end user community?
Birch: We have both, but the majority of them are from our member companies. Our webinars, educational opportunities and programs at ProMat and Modex are open to everyone, but events at the MHI spring meetings are only open to members, and we now partner with MHEDA on the Emerging Leaders conference, which will be held in July in Chicago.

Modern: What kinds of programming have you created?
Birch: We’ve done webinars on communication skills for young professionals and international business etiquette, and we’ve had speakers on best marketing practices and public speaking. The materials are designed to help young professionals hone their leadership skills.

Modern: Can you describe a typical member?
Birch: A typical member is under the age of 40, and the majority are under 35. Most have been in the industry for a few years and are on track to become managers or directors. At shows like Modex, we do skew younger and see more sales and marketing professionals.

Modern: What will you be doing at Modex?
Birch: For the first time, we’re offering a day-long education track on Tuesday. Every topic is designed for young executives, including a look at how women can find leadership roles in their organizations, a profile of the next generation in the workforce and a panel on diversity. We’ll wrap it up with a networking event in the evening.

Modern: How can someone learn more about YPN?
Birch: You can find more information on the Modex Website (modexshow.com), or you can contact me at [email protected].