Oceanside Meet: In this engaging conversation, Tony Blevins, former VP of Procurement at Apple, discusses his career journey, highlighting the lessons learned from his father, his work at IBM and Apple, and his approach to negotiation. Blevins emphasizes the importance of empathy in negotiations, shares personal stories of his passion for cars, and reflects on the infamous 25-second TikTok video that led to his departure from Apple. Throughout the video, Tony shares wisdom on leadership, building relationships, and the intersection of strategy and operational execution.
Tony J. Blevins is a former Vice President of Procurement at Apple, where he spent 22 years leading teams that brought products like the iPhone and Apple Watch to market. Before joining Apple, Blevins held key supply chain and engineering roles at IBM, working across multiple global locations. He currently serves on the boards of NextGen Cyber Talent, Pivotal Commware, and Urbanic. A Summa Cum Laude graduate from North Carolina State University, Blevins has earned numerous industry accolades, including the prestigious 'Captain of Industry' award in 2022. Our host, Helen Wang, met Tony at Apple, where they worked together on building a global supply chain.
Key Learnings:
Empathetic Negotiation: Blevins stresses the value of understanding the other party’s perspective and using negotiation strategies that benefit both sides.
Learning from Mistakes: Observing others' failures helped Tony avoid similar pitfalls in his own career, a philosophy he credits to his Little League coach.
Work Ethic and Perseverance: Tony shares how his father’s entrepreneurial spirit, from building houses to running an auto dealership, inspired his own path of resilience and resourcefulness.
Balancing Personal and Professional Life: Tony reflects on how missing crucial family moments during his Apple career led him to rediscover personal fulfillment after leaving the company.
Resilience and Adaptability: Tony's journey from IBM to Apple shows how staying adaptable to different work cultures can lead to success.
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