Sonia Baig

About

A career built on closing the gap between the plan and what actually happens

Store Manager / Certified Trainer

Starbucks · partner development & bench strength

Retail Business Consultant

7-Eleven

Logistics Service Representative

Starbucks Global Supply Chain · current

Supply Chain Strategy, Strategic Sourcing & Business Transformation

Next chapter · contributing to strategy, execution, and measurable impact

My career started where operations get real: on the floor of a Starbucks store, as a Manager and Certified Trainer responsible for the people, standards, and daily problem-solving that keep a location running. Part of that role was developing partners and building bench strength, coaching people up so the team was stronger with or without me in the room. That experience taught me how small breakdowns like a missed order, an unclear process, a communication gap. They ripple outward if no one catches them early.

As a Retail Business Consultant at 7-Eleven, I carried that lens across multiple locations, learning to diagnose operational issues at a regional level and translate field realities into guidance that business owners could actually act on.

Today, as a Logistics Service Representative within Starbucks' Global Supply Chain, I apply that same operational mindset at enterprise scale, supporting logistics coordination across 41 distribution hubs, resolving complex service issues, and identifying opportunities to improve systems and processes through continuous improvement and data-driven decision making. My experience positions me to contribute to strategic supply chain initiatives, strategic sourcing, program management, and multi-unit operations leadership, whether developing store managers and teams across multiple locations or helping organizations improve processes, connect strategy with execution, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Enterprise Impact

Where daily execution meets enterprise supply chain

Coordinating daily with distribution centers, transportation partners, stores, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to resolve complex logistics issues and support enterprise supply chain performance. Every day is an opportunity to identify process improvement, close execution gaps, and connect operational work to strategic outcomes.

Career Journey

From frontline to enterprise

Each role added a wider lens and new tools, all tied to the same core habit of finding and fixing what's broken.

STORE LEVEL

Starbucks Store Manager / Certified Trainer

Led store operations and partner development, coaching people up and building bench strength through hands-on training and leadership development.

REGIONAL

7-Eleven Retail Business Consultant

Advised multiple business owners on operational performance, translating field issues into actionable guidance.

ENTERPRISE

Starbucks Logistics Service Representative

Supports logistics coordination and issue resolution across 41 distribution hubs within Global Supply Chain.

PARTNER NETWORK

Hora del Café Communications Lead · Coffee Culture Lead (Emerging)

Serves as Communications Lead within Hora del Café, a Starbucks partner network initiative rooted in connection, language, and culture. Also holds the Coffee Culture Lead role within the Mission & Values Committee partner network, currently building toward fuller execution.

CAREER DIRECTION

Supply Chain, Multi-Unit Leadership & Business Transformation

Built on 15+ years of operational leadership across retail and enterprise supply chain, I'm focused on contributing to supply chain strategy, strategic sourcing, program management, and multi-unit operations leadership, developing teams, improving processes, and helping organizations connect strategy with execution to deliver measurable business outcomes.

AI in Action

Applying AI with judgment, not just curiosity

I use AI tools including Claude, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot as working partners in both my day-to-day work and my own professional development. Rather than treating AI as a novelty, I apply it the way I apply any new operational tool: with a clear purpose and a human check at every step.

At work, I use Microsoft Copilot across Teams, Outlook, and Excel to move faster on communication, summarize information, and support clearer decision-making. Beyond that, I've used AI to organize my career story into a clear narrative, structure this portfolio, translate operational work into business-impact language, and sharpen how I communicate professional value to leaders and mentors.

This isn't AI replacing my judgment. It's AI accelerating the parts of the work that benefit from speed, so I can spend more time on the parts that require experience.

Responsible AI Leadership

Grounded in CRAIL

CRAIL Foundation · CRAIL Coaching · CRAIL Responsible Certified Leader

Human review

Accuracy

Privacy

Bias awareness

Ethical decision-making

Responsible communication

AI as a support tool, not a replacement for judgment

Leadership Beyond My Role

Influence that doesn't wait for a title

Hora del Café: Partner Network Communications Lead

Serves as Communications Lead within Hora del Café, connecting partners through intentional communication, community building, and recognition across Workplace and Viva Engage.

Coffee Culture Lead, Mission & Values Committee (Emerging)

Holds the Coffee Culture Lead role within the Mission & Values Committee partner network. Role established, actively building toward fuller execution and community impact.

Cross-Functional Communication: Logistics Operations

Engages daily across distribution centers, retail transportation, carriers, and the broader supply chain team, coordinating communication across functions to support logistics resolution and operational continuity.

Career Goals

Where this is heading

Fifteen years of operations leadership across retail and enterprise supply chain has given me one consistent skill: seeing the gap between how a business is running and how it could run. I work on closing it. I'm focused on roles in supply chain strategy, strategic sourcing, program management, business transformation, and operational excellence where that instinct can operate at a larger scale. I'm not looking to manage from a distance. I want to be close enough to the work to see what's actually happening, and senior enough to do something meaningful about it.

Education

Education & Continuous Learning

2014

Bachelor of Business Administration

Bernard M. Baruch College, The City University of New York

Management Major Human Resource Management Track Communication Studies Minor

A business foundation built around people, organizations, and communication, directly informing how I lead teams, manage cross-functional relationships, and approach operational problem-solving today.

Leadership Philosophy

How I think about the work

Good operations don't happen by accident. They're designed, built on clear processes, honest communication, and people who understand not just what they're doing but why it matters. My job, regardless of title, has always been to find the gap between the plan and what's actually happening, and to close it in a way that sticks.

That means developing the people around me, not just solving the problem in front of me. It means using data to ask better questions, not just to report on what already happened. It means applying new tools, including AI, with judgment and accountability, not just because they're available.

I believe the best operations leaders make complexity look simple to the people depending on them, and stay honest about what's hard. That's the standard I hold myself to.

A career built on closing the gap between the plan and what actually happens

Where daily execution meets enterprise supply chain

What I bring to the work

Enterprise Supply Chain Operations

Strategic Problem Solving

Process Improvement

Partner & Team Development

Cross-Functional Leadership

Data-Driven Decision Making