Tim Babcock has served as Vice President, Inventory and Supplier Performance Management since 2023. In this role he leads a team focused on planning and executing the inventory plan, as well as purchasing to support the customer experience in the United States, Canada and Mexico. His team is also responsible for managing supplier operational performance and effectiveness.
Tim joined Grainger in 2001 and has held multiple leadership roles across Grainger’s Supply Chain and finance groups. Prior to his current positions, he served as Vice President, Network Strategy and Transportation. Tim led the Network Strategy team, responsible for distribution center capacity planning and the multi-year distribution center capital plan to support Grainger’s growth. He also oversaw all facets of transportation in North America, along with the company’s export operations, Global Sourcing imports and trade compliance. Tim has also held the role of Director, Internal Audit, where he led planning and execution of the internal audit plan across U.S. and Supply Chain organizations.
In addition to his operational leadership roles, Tim has been a longstanding supporter of Grainger’s college recruiting efforts. He has led college recruiting for Supply Chain and oversaw the Financial Development Program, Grainger’s three-year rotational program for recent graduates in Finance and Accounting. Tim currently serves as executive sponsor for recruiting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a member of the University of Wisconsin Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management Executive Advisory Board.
Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance and Real Estate Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned an MBA from DePaul University.