Welcome to the Team John Farrelly
Meet John Farrelly, Stutsman Logistics’ new expedited sales director. He joined the team in August 2020 and helps with the introduction and development of new customer accounts and businesses. John brings a unique perspective to the SLI team; he has extensive experience in the air transportation industry and is originally from Ireland!
John grew up on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, and studied international sales & marketing at the Marketing Institute of Ireland. Due to Ireland’s high unemployment rate in 1993 (25%+), John came to the U.S. just seven days after finishing college. He was fortunate enough to secure a Green Card through a U.S. lottery and Chicago was his port of call. With the help of his uncle, who worked for Air New Zealand, John got his start in the transportation industry at an airport in Chicago, handling the international cargo flights coming to the U.S. Meanwhile, he was also a waiter at a local Irish restaurant (a lot of confusing nights taking orders on things he’d never heard of), and worked for a jewelry distributor, shipping packages throughout the U.S. Over the last 20 years, John has worked on the sales side of the air transportation industry, selling to freight forwarders.
John met his wife, Bobi, in Chicago and they celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary this year. The couple lived in New York for about five years before coming back to Chicago in 2010. John’s wife works for PNC Bank, so they moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh, PA in 2015 and love the ‘Burgh. Living on the north side of the city, they are a short walking distance to downtown, PNC Park, and Heinz Field. “The worst thing about it is we hear cheering outside before the delayed TV shows the action,” John stated.
John’s family still lives in Ireland; his parents are currently located in Wexford (in the southeast region of the country) due to the pandemic, his brother lives in Dublin, and his sister resides in Glasgow. John tries to get together with his family annually, although it may not happen in 2020.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Walking our two rescue dogs; we have a beagle named George Best and a pitbull named Lola. They’ve become our office mates as we work from home! My wife and I love to travel worldwide and throughout the US. Together, we have visited a majority of the MLB stadiums and are ready to tick off the last few.
When I was young, my grandfather took me to many horse racetracks throughout Ireland. This love of the track remains, and I still enjoy going to some of the big races nationwide. We have tickets to the Breeders Cup this year at Keeneland in Lexington, KY, although it does not look like crowds will be able to attend. We also enjoy going to concerts and trying out new local dining locations (more things not possible thus far in 2020).
What are you most excited about in your new job?
I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with a great group of people within the Stutsman organization, and to introduce our new expedited service to customers nationwide.
If you had to be a product that you work with, what would it be and why?
A 53’ tractor/trailer; I’d love driving across the country and seeing different people and places.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Remaining married for 18 years…in a row.
Who has influenced your career the most? Why?
It has to be my wife. She has been my calming influence and work motivator for many years; she stays calm in many scenarios.
If you could snap your fingers and become an expert at something, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to be a pilot! Being able to fly a large passenger/freighter aircraft around the world would be a dream. I once flew a Boeing 767 flight simulator while I was in Addis Ababa working with Ethiopian Airlines; it was an amazing experience.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Treat everyone how you would like to be treated.
What is your favorite season to work in? Why?
Spring; it’s not too hot and there’s lots of rain and nature returning after the winter.
What is something random that most people do not know about you?
I grew up working the 10-yard down marker chains at American football games throughout Ireland, as my father was a verified NCAA referee. We traveled up and down the country officiating the small number of clubs that existed at the time.
What is on your bucket list?
Short term is visiting those remaining baseball stadiums that I have not been to yet. Long term, I’d like to visit the remaining continents I have not been to thus far; Australia/Oceania and Antarctica.
Which Stutsman Core Value means the most to you and why?
Radiate enthusiasm because I love being passionate about my job! Representing this core value has helped Stutsman Logistics get to where it is today; I have seen this positivity in the Stutsman personnel I have met so far, and it’s contagious.
