Karen Stack Chief Logistics Officer, Army & Air Force Exchange Service
Karen Stack is the Executive Vice President & the Chief Logistics Officer for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense. Established in 1895, the Exchange is the 54th largest retail organization in the U.S. With annual revenues of $8.2 billion, the Exchange employs approximately 29,000 associates, including military personnel. In the last 10 years, the Exchange benefit has provided $3.5 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs such as outfitting 712,000 Warfighters at cost annually, providing school meal support for Department of Defense Education Activity facilities overseas and delivering needed services to locations impacted by natural disasters.
Stack’s position is commensurate in rank to a member of the Senior Executive Service. Stack oversees global distribution and transportation operations, including nine distribution centers and the 11th-largest private retail fleet in the U.S. She is also responsible for logistics in Contingency Operations, providing essential support and a lifeline to America for Warfighters deployed to remote and austere locations worldwide. Stack is also the Executive Champion for Able, Believe, Lead, Empower (ABLE), the Exchange’s disabilities employment awareness Special Emphasis Program.
The Exchange operates more than 4,330 facilities, including department and convenience stores, restaurants, malls, movie theaters, gas stations and other specialty retail businesses on military installations. The Exchange’s operations span 50 states, four U.S. territories and more than 30 countries. Additionally, the Exchange Credit Program manages a $2.1 billion credit card receivables portfolio.
To support combat readiness and provide foreign-based service members and their families with U.S. products, the Exchange operates bakeries in Europe and Asia and water bottling plants in Europe under 10 brand licenses from U.S. consumer goods companies, including Wonder Bread, Krispy Kreme and Culligan.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of the Exchange’s culture and represent the strength of the organization. The Exchange challenges itself in its ability to recruit, hire, promote and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce to create business advantages and opportunities for growth. A major employer of Veterans and military spouses, the Exchange has hired more than 1,900 Wounded Warriors since 2010 and more than 55,000 Veterans and military spouses since 2013. The Exchange aims to hire a total of 75,000 Veterans and military spouses by 2030.
Stack received her Bachelor of Science from the University of the State of New York. She also holds a Master of Science in Human Resources and Business from Amberton University in Garland, Texas, graduating in May 1998.
Stack was born to an Army family at Fort Lewis, Washington. She began her Exchange career in 1976 at the Giessen Distribution Center, Germany. Since that time, she has held a variety of Exchange positions, including Services Manager (Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma); General Manager (Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota; and Presidio of San Francisco, California); Business Program Manager, Main Store Strategic Business Group (Exchange headquarters); Vice President, Eastern and Western Regions; Senior Vice President, Western and Europe/Africa/Southwest Asia Regions; and SVP, Sales Directorate. She was named SVP, Logistics, in October 2012, assuming the title of Chief Logistics Officer shortly thereafter. She was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2014.
Since 2012, Stack has focused on establishing an agile and efficient logistics network, integrating the directorate’s Supply Chain Optimization and Contingency Operations teams. Logistics continues to modernize the supply chain and expand capabilities through state-of-the-art technology, including commercial off-the-shelf warehouse management and transportation management systems.
Stack has deployed to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. As Europe/Africa/SW Asia SVP, she oversaw contingency operations in 30 countries and coordinated Exchange support for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Her team's efforts earned the Exchange the Army's Meritorious Unit Commendation, recognizing their support for more than 300,000 troops.
Stack’s devotion and dedication to service has resulted in multiple accolades, including two Desert Shield and Desert Storm medals, three Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn medals, the Exchange Exceptional Service Award, three Exchange Extraordinary Achievement Awards, six Exchange Superior Accomplishment Awards, and five Exchange Excellence Awards.