Coworking with Neil Mahoney

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Neil Mahoney is VP of operations at New Hampshire-based fulfillment and warehousing company Prep Partners Group.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? As vice president of operations, my responsibility is to make sure that our clients and their customers encounter minimal supply chain issues. Despite the daily challenges such as labor shortages, packaging options, and transportation costs/time in transit, our goal remains unchanged: to make a complex process appear seamless.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? One thing not evident from my LinkedIn profile is the extensive time I dedicate within our organization’s various departments, constantly striving for process improvement. Our ongoing efforts focus on enhancing efficiency to save time and costs for our valued clients.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I love being witness to the growth of a startup company that has onboarded with our organization and the realization that I had a direct impact on facilitating that growth. The ability to take the burden of the distribution arm away from an emerging company and allow them to focus on the marketing side makes me feel like I am an integral part of their organization.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Technology has been a vital part of any new retailer’s ability to get their product out to consumers. With the ever increasing use of AI, end consumers will be able to be identified through social media mediums and targeted appropriately. We are seeing the emergence of more startup companies due to the ability to gain market share and compete with larger corporations using social media and technology.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Just a standard New Englander order from Dunkin’: medium iced coffee regular (three creams and three sugars).

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “This is the way it has alway been done” or “If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.” Companies who do not strive to improve will be the first to fail. I have always made a point to gain knowledge whether internal or external that could increase productivity. We have instilled an open-door policy where process improvement ideas are encouraged and rewarded.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? As an avid sports fan growing up, receiving new sports equipment prior to the season was my favorite retail product (especially the original release of the Air Jordan sneakers). Today, my favorite retail product is the iPhone and its ability to transform our ability to work and to play.