2019 40 Under 40: Michael White, 31

SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton

When Michael White was first hired at SRC Logistics, he was a staff accountant taking night classes at Missouri State University to earn his MBA. After graduation in 2016, he was promoted to business controller and, less than a year later, earned his current title as director of operations.

White now oversees a budget of $30 million, three locations, a 600,000-square-foot campus and 120 employees.

White is also vice president of Play for Springfield Inc., proudly hosting an annual golf tournament that has raised $50,000 for local charities in the past three years. And he’s a board member and finance committee member of United Way of the Ozarks.

What was your first job? Refereeing soccer games. I did this for a few years, learning lessons in leadership, patience and how to handle criticism. Mainly the latter.

What is your best productivity hack? Prioritization and goal setting. I prioritize my goals into A’s, B’s and C’s. I only work on the A’s and B’s. 

What did you learn the hard way? Procrastination. I used to tell myself I performed better under pressure, but in reality I could have done more. 

How many times do you hit the snooze button? My wife gets up before me and I usually wake up to the sound of her blow-dryer. It would be nice if it had a snooze button.

What app gets you through the day? I could eat hot wings every day. We’re talking appetizers, right?