Jim Tompkins, founder and chairman of Tompkins International, has over 40 years of experience in the supply chain and logistics industries. Tompkins began his career in warehousing and logistics before expanding his expertise to logistics technology, total logistics solutions, material handling integration, warehouse control systems, and global supply chains. He had a pivotal moment in 2005 when he began to grasp the significance of e-commerce and has since conceptualized the innovations required for distributed logistics and "each" supply chains into a Fulfillment-as-a-Service business, entrepreneurship in robotics, Warehouse Execution Systems, and Digital Commerce. He is now laser-focused on enabling Direct-to-Consumer and required technology and data science to drive digital commerce growth.

Tompkins has received over 50 awards, including the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award from the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He has served as President of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Materials Management Society, and the College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education. He completed his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering at Purdue University, where he was named a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus.