28 May 2026

From Insight to Impact: Leading Supply Chain Innovation at Otto Group with KLU Alumna Katrin Pompe

For Katrin Pompe, the KLU MBA was more than an academic journey: it was a catalyst for redefining how she leads, collaborates, and drives innovation across complex supply chains. Now Head of Supply Chain Innovation & Cooperation at Otto Group, Katrin operates at the intersection of logistics, technology, and partnerships, turning bold ideas into tangible solutions that improve efficiency, sustainability, and customer experience. Discover how Katrin translates complexity into action, and why she believes leadership means creating space for others to grow.

Name: Katrin Pompe
Position, Company: Head of Supply Chain Innovation & Cooperation, Otto Group
Program, year: MBA in Leadership and Supply Chain Management, class of 2021

Best about my degree program:

What was special about this MBA program for me was the unique combination of a strong logistics and supply chain focus, academic insights, and a very personal atmosphere. The small cohorts, close contact with faculty, and the ability to apply insights directly in my job made the program intellectually rewarding and valuable for my career.

A pivotal moment during my MBA was working on a project with classmates from very different professional backgrounds. In several courses, learning was most intense through project-based group work, but this particular project stood out. We were tasked with developing a new business and supply chain strategy for a fictional company, based on detailed financial figures, operational data, and market insights. This challenged me to connect strategic thinking, operational detail, and people dynamics in a way I had not experienced before, while also working in English, which is not my mother tongue. What became clear to me was that success was not about finding the “right” answer. For me the real challenge was how we worked together by aligning different perspectives, building trust quickly, and making decisions as a team. This experience ultimately solidified my desire to move deeper into leadership and cross-company collaboration in logistics.

As I already mentioned, the coursework also equipped me with solid foundations in operations and supply chain management, strategic and financial thinking, and leadership and change management. It helped me, for example, to structure complex problems and communicate solutions clearly to very different stakeholders. And showed me that leadership is about the responsibility to create environments where teams feel safe to challenge, experiment, and grow, to give direction without limiting creativity, and to make “change” as something we shape together.

Best about my job:

I currently work as Head of Supply Chain Innovation & Cooperation at the Otto Group. My role sits at the intersection of logistics, technology, and partnership management. I work on how we can make our supply chains smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient – often together with internal business units and external partners.

What I find most fulfilling is turning ideas into tangible solutions that create visible impact: better customer experience, more efficient operations, and a smaller environmental footprint. I enjoy being a “translator” between strategy and operations, and between different functions and regions. In my job, I often serve as a bridge between different departments, business units, and external partners. For example, when we launch a new supply chain innovation initiative, I break down the vision into practical steps, align everyone on clear objectives, and create visual roadmaps that show “who does what, when, and why”. I also set up regular check-ins to ensure progress and adapt as needed. By connecting technical details to the bigger picture, I help teams see how their work fits into our overall goals and make complex ideas actionable.

My approach to leadership is based on clarity, trust, and collaboration. I aim to give teams a clear purpose and guardrails, then empower them to decide and experiment. Because I work across regions and business units, I invest a lot in building relationships, creating shared standards, and aligning on outcomes. In the end it is all about people.

The MBA experience helped shape this approach. It gave me framework to make complexity manageable and encouraged me to lead more through questions than answers. Working with an international cohort also made me more aware of different perspectives and cultural nuances – something that is essential when leading cross-functional, cross-regional initiatives.

How KLU helped me get there:

My time at KLU accelerated my professional and personal development. Professionally, the MBA gave me the necessary self-confidence and skills to take on a company-wide role in innovation and collaboration. Personally, balancing a demanding job with the MBA and my private life forced me to prioritize, organize, and reflect much more consciously on how I use my time and energy. This built resilience that I now rely on when steering complex change initiatives.

The KLU network continues to be valuable. My classmates, coming from different industries and functions, are an important sounding board when I consider new ideas or challenges. The connections to faculty and the broader KLU community also keep me close to current research and trends.

My advice to current students is to bring your own real challenges into the classroom, be open and honest about them, and use your peers and professors as sparring partners. For those earlier in their career or considering leadership roles, I’d say: treat your MBA as a safe laboratory to experiment with your leadership style, to practice decision-making, and to clarify the professional story you want to tell.

How do you incorporate an "Operations Mindset" in your current job?

In my daily work life these four attributes I apply most: Ethical and responsible leadership guides decisions around sustainability, working conditions, and transparency. Innovation in supply chains only makes sense to me if it is human-centered and follows a clear vision.

Hands-on implementation and execution are also essential. I spend time close to operations, listen to the teams who run the processes every day, and involve them in designing and testing solutions. For me, innovation is successful only when it works in practice – not just in a slide deck.