Where in the World? Trulaske ITC Alumni Spotlight – Ryu Taggart
by Jackie Rasmussen and Krista Hinrichs
As a senior, Ryu interned with the Trulaske International Trade Center during the spring semester of 2024. He graduated at the end of that semester with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management, a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and a certificate in Global Business and immediately moved into an exciting position with global technology and e-commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Based in Clearwater, Florida, Ryu is doing great things in his new role at Amazon. In a recent conversation with Ryu, he shared the following update and words of advice for future Trulaske and MU graduates.
Hometown: Okinawa, Japan
Current Status: “I currently serve as an Area Manager II, at Amazon, where I manage the end-to-end back-half sorting operations in a high-volume delivery station, owning productivity, quality, safety, and people development. Responsible for a team of 50+ associates, my day-to-day activities involve planning and executing shift staffing in real time, monitoring system metrics across the stow, pick, and sort operations, and coaching associates through data-driven conversations. Beyond this core role, I also took ownership of our site's sustainability program, increasing waste diversion from 49% to 88% and launching the first greenhouse facility in Amazon's North America and Canada region.”
Most exciting international opportunity: “During my ITC internship, I conducted a semester-long market analysis for Sunnen Products Company, a St. Louis-based global manufacturer of precision honing technology with distribution across six continents. That project gave me my first real exposure to how a Missouri-based company navigates international markets, export compliance, and global distribution strategy. It taught me how to research foreign markets, analyze competitive landscapes, and present actionable recommendations to real stakeholders. That foundation directly prepared me for Amazon, where I now operate within one of the world's largest international supply chains. Moving forward, I aspire to take on roles with broader global impact, whether launching new fulfillment operations internationally, training leaders across markets, or leveraging my bilingual English/Japanese skills to support Amazon's expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Favorite feature about working in the international trade arena: “The scale of impact and the diversity of thought. At Amazon, a process improvement I make at one site in Clearwater, Florida, can be adopted across thousands of facilities worldwide. When I designed an induct table wheel solution to keep 99% of packages off the floor, it wasn't just a local fix, it became a replicable model. Working for a company with a global footprint means your ideas don't have a ceiling. I also value collaborating with people from different backgrounds daily, it pushes me to build solutions that work universally, not just locally. My ITC internship at Sunnen first showed me this reality that even a mid-size Missouri manufacturer operates on a global stage and Amazon amplified it exponentially.”
Words of Advice for MU students: “Take the opportunity to intern with the ITC and actively pursue any and all hands-on learning opportunities that you can. Take those internship opportunities seriously as it's not just a class credit, it's your first real client engagement. The market analysis I did for Sunnen taught me research discipline, how to present to stakeholders, and how to think about business beyond U.S. borders. Those skills transfer everywhere. Get your Global Business Certificate, study abroad if you can, and learn a second language, even if you're bad at it at first. The global trade arena rewards people who can adapt, communicate across cultures, and solve problems without a playbook. And finally, build relationships with your ITC cohort, your client contacts, and your professors. The connections I made at Mizzou opened doors I didn't know existed. Your network is a valuable resource that continues to compound over time.”
Favored Quote: " Work hard, have fun, make history " - Jeff Bezos (Amazon's Motto)