Experience is Tania Smith's Precious Cargo

By Alex Keimig

Tania Smith, project logistics manager for S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd., is all about movement and flow. Whether it’s expressed in her abstract paintings or her role as a logistics manager, her passionate talent for smooth motion is undeniable.

Smith began her logistics career in the 1990s as a procurement professional for an international company in her native Chile. After traveling the world and seeing significant evolution of supply chain and logistics operations in her twenty-five years of experience since – including working with AMECO, VF Corporation, Fluor Corporation and others – she describes the modern logistics landscape as an entirely different ballgame.

“Where in the past logistics was simply the last link in the chain of many cooperating stakeholders, we are now part of the primary process. There are many different parties involved; it’s getting bigger and more complex daily. With processes so much larger than they used to be, early engagement from logistics parties makes final outcomes even more successful,” Smith said.

Given her decades of success in the industry, it might come as a surprise that Smith’s logistics debut in Chile hinged on her degree in teaching English as a second language. “That was an extra tool for me. My degree didn’t just qualify me to teach; I spoke English. My first procurement job offered to train me because of it, and that was my start in logistics,” she said.

Her communication skills, readiness to grow and appreciation for novelty made her an ideal trainee, and she continued to learn from professionals and partner vendors with whom she interfaced.

“When someone asks for volunteers on a new project, be the first to raise your hand,” Smith advised. “You don’t need to know it all; you’ll learn once you get there. You don’t need to be the expert who already knows everything to get these opportunities. I raised my hand and went to job sites in the Andes Mountains – not only Chile, but Peru and Argentina – where I gained a great deal of experience in construction of mining and metal projects, including buying and transporting large equipment.”


Moving to the States

In 1998, Smith took the next leap by moving to the U.S.

“Coming here to do international logistics work taught me so much about U.S. ports and highways, and how transportation, permitting and just-intime deliveries work here in general,” she said. “Everything was different. Another language, another unit system, another road system; the U.S. has this vast network of highways and railways between states that was very new to me. After a few years of learning, I jumped back into the EPC world because that’s what I really enjoyed: those big, large capital projects.

“One thing I love about logistics is it’s not a linear field. It’s constantly changing, and every project and shipment tells a different story. No day is the same as the one before. There are some professions doing the same thing every day, which some people like. But for us, in this industry, we love the changes and evolution in getting to see different things – different countries, different pieces of engineered equipment and new project locations worldwide.”

Smith also spent several years working on Middle East projects run by operating centers in the U.S., UK, and Philippines. These projects required significant cooperation across languages, time zones and work cultures to come together successfully.

“It really impressed upon me that every one of your professional experiences, no matter how seemingly small, continues to add to your ever-growing set of skills and qualifications,” Smith said. “Those skills are good for more than just one type of project.”


Coordinating and Managing

As she continued to put down roots and raise a family in the U.S., Smith found herself well-suited to managerial logistics roles.

“I still love traveling, but I enjoy coordinating and managing big operations involving freight movements, imports, exports, compliance, stakeholder alignment, intermodal transportation operations and strategizing to reach successful outcomes,” she said. “Planning processes sometimes take six months to a year just to move one large piece of equipment. I strive to look at the bigger picture.”

The bigger picture also includes the future of the breakbulk and logistics sectors, which Smith knows rests upon industry newcomers and emerging young professionals. That’s why she’s so eager to share her decades of knowledge and experience with them. She credits her mentoring work with the U.S. Exporters Competitive Maritime Council (ECMC) for having opened additional pathways to mentorship with local college students.

“I’ve had the incredible opportunity to be on the ECMC Board as well as involvement with developing its various committees, and in my opinion, the education committee is one of the most important. We collaborated with Breakbulk Americas for Jerry Nagel Education Day, where we got to speak with students about our experiences, host panels, question and answer sessions, and a poster competition with local universities. It was amazing to be able to judge students’ work and see what these high-achieving newcomers are going to bring to the industry even while they’re still in school. I want to be a lifelong learner and educator; I’m always finding opportunities to learn new things as well as opportunities to share what I’ve learned with others.”

The word “opportunities” might mean more to Smith than the average professional.

“I like to call potential hurdles opportunities as opposed to problems. I like to focus on solutions we do have, instead of problems we might have. Whatever troubles may come, like another pandemic or similar disrupting event, we’re better equipped to handle them now than we’ve ever been. The Covid-19 pandemic put supply chain and logistics in the spotlight. In the past we were very much behind-the-scenes, and now suddenly everyone can see not only the value of strong logistics operations, but opportunities to get involved and even further improve our processes.”

Be it on a canvas or columns of ocean containers, management or mentorship, supervising transport of small-sized boxes or mega-load cargo, Tania Smith has more than proven she can bring it all together.


S&B Engineers and Constructors is a member of the Breakbulk Global Shipper Network, an extensive networking platform for executives operating at the top end of the project supply chain in sectors such as oil and gas, energy and renewables, mining and minerals, construction, forestry, industrial manufacturing, and aerospace.

The next in-person meet-up for BGSN members will be at Breakbulk Middle East 2024, taking place on 12-13 February at the Dubai World Trade Center.