Michael Newcity wins C-Suite award from Northwest Arkansas Business Journal
Michael Newcity, senior vice president and chief innovation officer at ArcBest and president of ArcBest Technologies, is among the recipients of the 2022 C-Suite Award, presented by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. This award, now in its eighth year, recognizes 10 senior-level executives in the C-Suite who are driving success and innovation and making a difference within their community.
With a nearly 30-year career at ArcBest, Michael is leading the way with strategic, tech-forward initiatives around digital logistics, and making enterprise-wide advancements in business intelligence, e-commerce, market research and strategy management. Under his leadership, ArcBest has built on new approaches to innovation management that have helped propel the company forward to become a tech-enabled $5 billion logistics powerhouse, with cutting-edge supply chain solutions.
Driving ArcBest’s business growth strategy with innovative technology
To help drive growth, overcome the challenges of today’s supply chain environment and help keep the global economy moving, leaders like Michael are driving companies to continually invest in innovative strategies that incorporate leading technology.
Some of his most notable work contributions include:
Linking ArcBest’s strategy to innovation and technology
When Michael moved into the Chief Innovation Officer role in 2015, he identified the need to introduce strategy management to advance the company’s innovation approach. He began developing a strong team and ideated around how to seed innovation throughout the organization. As a result, the company transformed processes to ensure innovation was a top priority driving the overall business strategy, which was focused on serving customers well. This transformation, coupled with treating the company’s technology initiatives as a portfolio of business investments and products, has been instrumental in making technology a key enabler of ArcBest’s current strategy.
Expanding the focus on technology investments
With technology as a key enabler, Michael has driven investments toward innovation. Each year, the company invests nearly $150 million on technology and innovation, prioritizing half that investment toward strategic projects and transformative initiatives. With a greater focus on these tech investments, the company is positioned to serve customers well, develop its people and help keep the global supply chain moving.
Enhancing the customer experience through disruptive innovation
Michael also puts emphasis on driving change and growth by building on our deep tech and innovation stack — including next-level freight shipping optimization, advanced shipment visibility, and other disruptive technologies. His teams are focused on listening to our customers and pursuing innovative technology that enhances their experience, making it easier for them to do business.
One example is how the ArcBest Technologies team is leveraging the company’s $25 million investment in Phantom Auto — a leading provider of human-centered remote operation software — to support customers’ supply chains by helping them build efficiencies in their own warehouses and distribution centers.
Additionally, he and his team led the investment in a 235,000 square-foot innovation warehouse where we test technology in an environment that mirrors customer facilities — enabling us to create customized solutions that address our customers’ most critical needs and further improve their experience.
Serving the community
Michael is active in several organizations that seek to empower youth to fully embrace their potential. His involvement includes:
- Serving on the Board of Directors for Student Mobilization — a non-profit faith-based collegiate organization
- Participating in the Dean’s Leadership Council at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
- Serving on the Mercy Health Foundation
Congratulations, Michael Newcity!
Congratulations, Michael on being named a 2022 Northwest Arkansas Business Journal C-Suite Award Winner! We commend your leadership at ArcBest and the expertise you bring to the industry — helping to continue positioning ArcBest as a leading logistics company that supports customers with cutting-edge technology and innovation.
