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Supply Chain Now
Episode 1039

Episode Summary

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott goes on location to speak with Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Espanol host Enrique Alvarez to discuss one of their favorite topics- leadership. Listen as they cover their top leadership traits for the current environment and going into 2023. You’ll hear a frank conversation between Enrique and Scott about how they view leadership and culture, as entrepreneurs, team members, and as fathers.

Episode Transcript

Intro/Outro (00:03):

Welcome to Supply Chain. Now the voice of global supply chain supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues, the challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from those Making Global Business happen right here on supply chain now.

Scott Luton (00:32):

All right, Scott Luton here, my dear friend and collaborator, the one and only Enrique Alvarez, uh, managing director and co-founder of Vector Global Logistics. I get that right?

Enrique Alvarez (00:43):

You got that right, Scott. Thank you. And we have some kind of brewing sounds in the back. I know. You’re gonna have to edit that out or what. That’s the,

Scott Luton (00:50):

We’re rolling with it because you know what, it’s

Enrique Alvarez (00:52):

A coffee

Scott Luton (00:52):

Pot. Our listeners, if they know anything, they know that coffee fuels us all for, well,

Enrique Alvarez (00:57):

I gotta say you’re the coffee drinker. I’m making my tea as well in parallel, but

Scott Luton (01:01):

This is fun. All right, so what we are doing here today, uh, it’s gonna be a brief interview. I’m basically out to get three leadership practical leadership tips from someone like you that really believes, I mean, you’re a, you’re very passionate about, um, effective, successful, um, different innovative leadership and culture and, you know, vector that y’all built here. I recently recognized as a, in 5,000 company. Cause all the growth and success that the team’s had, you know, I think that bears it out, right? So I’m really curious, obviously you lead logistics with purpose, uh, supply chain. Now in a spaniel. You’ve been featured on a variety of supply chain now programming, so folks aren’t new to one Enrique Alvarez. But to really focus in, in a very, um, focused conversation, how many times can I use focus on three, what is three practical leadership tips, especially for this timeframe and this era and this environment we’re all working through. So let’s start with the first one,

Enrique Alvarez (02:03):

Your thoughts. Yeah. Well, for me, I think, uh, culture is very important, as you know, and the team’s very important. And I think all the success we’ve had in the past, and I’m hoping that it will be the same way in the future, is attributed to the culture that we’ve been able to establish. So, and it’s not me, it’s everyone, and it’s something you work on a daily basis. But I would probably start with the, uh, get to know people at a personal level. Okay. I think it is important for everyone in the company to get to know each other at a personal level. Make sure that you, um, genuinely think about the other person’s, uh, concerns, worries, hopes, dreams, and you make it part of the company and part of the culture too, right? So it’s important that the company that you’re working with not only understands where you’re trying to get at in life, right? Uh, with your family, with your spouse, with your significant other, but also like professionally. So it’s not just like a job for us. So I would say, say just get to know people, uh, personally and, and deeply, and try to build those good relationships and friendships, even if, um, for whatever reason they work here or not in the future. Uh, just try to be good friends with people. I

Scott Luton (03:14):

Love it. And, and I love it more, even more so because I’ve seen it in your approach. You know, we’ve known each other now for, uh, five years or so, going on six, maybe it

Enrique Alvarez (03:24):

Feels like 15, but <laugh>. But

Scott Luton (03:28):

I see it, I see it in every interaction, and I see it with you and the team and even with you. And, um, so that we’re still in the first one, and it’s really about building those meaningful relationships. But Enrique, would you also extend that to, uh, you know, supplier customer relationships?

Enrique Alvarez (03:46):

It’s not just about the, it’s not just about the, the team or the employees or people that work with you, not your clients alone, but everyone that you really work with. And, um, everyone I think is very important no matter what you do as part of a team. Yeah. Um, we have a, a lot of respect and admiration for people that deliver our mail. Like the FedEx delivery guys, Adrian in particular,

Scott Luton (04:07):

Hard work

Enrique Alvarez (04:07):

Folks. They’re amazing. And so we try to just get to know them. We always come here. They offer, we offer them coffee, they sometimes sit down. We have a quick conversation. I mean, you don’t need to go out of your way to just be nice to people. And I think that pays off, uh, enormously. Agreed. From a cultural and, um, success in your company standpoint.

Scott Luton (04:28):

Ptk, every day is what we have saying in our household. Patience, tolerance and kindness.

Enrique Alvarez (04:32):

Patience, tolerance and kindness. I love that. Ptk. Some days I need a lot of peace. Like patience, patience, patience would be some of my days. And then,

Scott Luton (04:41):

So I stole it. So I should give credit where it’s credit. I’ve heard, first heard that from, uh, a dear, uh, small friend at church and I’ve stole it from her. That’s

Enrique Alvarez (04:50):

A good

Scott Luton (04:50):

One. Yeah. Yeah. Jack, if you’re listening, I really appreciate that. Uh, and some, what’s one of the mantras, I don’t know if you’ve got one of these, Enrique, when you take your kids to school and my wife Amanda and I share those duties. I’ve got about 13 things that I say right before we drop the kids off. Oh, that’s awesome. That we want to bake into their mindset, you know, uh, ptk every day is one of the things I share. That’s

Enrique Alvarez (05:13):

Really

Scott Luton (05:14):

Cool. Um, and I won’t, won’t, won’t bother with the other three.

Enrique Alvarez (05:16):

We’ll have to have another interview so I can learn a bit more about those other 12. Cause I think it’s amazing. I mean, I, I know it has nothing to do with the interview or where you were going with all this, but,

Scott Luton (05:26):

Uh, you learn, I’ll tell you, there’s a book to be written in Rek soon about things that we learn in Car Line. Yeah. I’m telling you. Yeah. Okay. So I love the first one. Uh, so the first one really build those meaningful relationships. And it’s not just within your four walls, it’s across your ecosystem. Right? And I, and I love that one because on the, you know, as you know, Enrique, on the good days, it’s easy to get along and do your day in, day out with anybody. But on those bad days, those strong relationships are, are what’s gonna help you overcome, overcome, uh, those challenging times. Right? Okay. So that’s the first one. What’s number two when it comes to practical leadership tips from and Ricky Outre?

Enrique Alvarez (06:05):

Practical leadership tips from me? Uh, I would say the second one would be transparency. Uh, in a, a company stand, uh, format, it would be really be candid about everything and be brutally honest about things and be transparent and vector. We’re very transparent, not only when it comes to, uh, the things we’re doing, the projects we have, the people we’re hiring, but also the financial aspect of a company. And I think this is going to be very important as we kind of go into a recession, right? I mean, we’ve always had speculation as of what will be get into a recession. Is this just inflation? Is this or that? I’m pretty sure we’ll get into a recession. There’s no question about

Scott Luton (06:45):

It. It’s a pretty good bet. Yes.

Enrique Alvarez (06:47):

So being transparent with your team is important. And, uh, so making sure they know how much we have in our bank account and how much we’re invoicing, how much our profit margins, how much or cost, how much is our payroll, how much is everyone making bonuses or not bonuses or salaries even. So we have a very open policy and I know that it’s hard to implement, but we’ve had it since we started Vector. But, and I think that’s critical as we face challenging times because all of a sudden everyone is very familiar with what we have, what we can do, what we can do. And I think everyone kind of brings the attention back to, uh, a common goal and makes the team be not only more efficient and effective, but also more focused, as you said at the beginning of the interview. Sure. And things that are important.

Scott Luton (07:31):

Well, and it builds trust. And, and with trust you can move

Enrique Alvarez (07:35):

Mountains, right? Absolutely. At

Scott Luton (07:36):

Least

Enrique Alvarez (07:36):

It’s easier to, adds up to the relationship, relationship building that we’re talking about as number one. So yes, definitely.

Scott Luton (07:44):

Okay, so number one, building those meaningful relationships, taking the time, investing the time to do that. Number two, the power of transparency. Um, and, and even sometimes with those frank conversations, you gotta have that make it transparent, but sometimes are more difficult to have, right? Still the power of transparency. And then number three, what would that be in re kay

Enrique Alvarez (08:06):

Number three. And, uh, it’s really, I would say it’s a combination. It’s really focusing on results and making sure that you prioritize what’s most important. So take out all the other noise cuz we’re all have like this every day. We always wake up and we have like a hundred things to do on our to-do list,

Scott Luton (08:22):

And we can fool ourselves with what’s important.

Enrique Alvarez (08:24):

And we’re doing busy. Maybe we just feel like we’re doing busy work, but we’re really not really making any impact. So just be very strategic and focus on results and results alone. And just do the two or three things that are going to be more meaningful and impactful and, and honestly, forget about the rest. The thing that with all the information we have, with all the different schedules we have, we’re on a very hectic life. And I’m not talking about me or you, but everyone, right? It feels busy, right? Just in general. So, um, so taking that noise out of your daily life, I think it’s a huge, huge, uh, factor in being successful as a, as a leader and as a team, right? So just make sure that the employees are focusing on the one or two things that are important. Just forget about the rest. Don’t, don’t give them a hard time for things that are not important.

Scott Luton (09:14):

I love that. Um, so I think this is Lou Holtz. I came up with this, and that’s kind of your number three kind of reminds me of this. So Lou Holtz, as he was coaching his players back at Notre Dame, I think this is one it’s come, comes from his book, but I think it stems from his time at Notre Dame where he won a national championship. You know, semen, his status is a legendary football coach and all that stuff, right? And for these busy college football players are trying to balance academics and, and practice and everything else. He tried to bullet down and make it simple, right? You know, ask yourself when you get up in the morning, what’s the number one priority right now? And then do it right? And then, and then ask yourself again, what’s the number one most important thing to do and do it. And that’s kind of a little bit of what you’re speaking to. You’re not, not fooling yourself in terms of just staying busy all the time, but really focusing on what’s important and what drives outcome

Enrique Alvarez (10:05):

And thinking about that. Like not only on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, but just, just have a plan, right? So for this week, what’s important for this day? What’s important for this year? What’s important to me and my family and everyone else? Um, and to what you were saying before about you telling your kids when you dropped them off, one of the things that I usually tell mine that actually links to what we’re talking about is, uh, you don’t have to see the whole straight case. You just take the first step. Yes. Or then just take the first one and just take the second. Cause sometimes it’s just overwhelming <laugh>, like, uh,

Scott Luton (10:35):

Especially for kids, it’s these days and what they’ve gone to

Enrique Alvarez (10:38):

Recently years. Me too. For everyone, right? It’s just too much. There’s too much things going on. Uh, so the hardest thing, and I think my number three would be just say no to a lot of things. Yeah. Just say no and I’m terrible at this, you know this. I always say yes. And then I’m like in trouble to

Scott Luton (10:53):

This interview right.

Enrique Alvarez (10:54):

To everything. But, but I, that’s one of the things that I’m working on personally, right? Just no say no. Yeah. You’re not gonna be able to do everything

Scott Luton (11:04):

Or you can and do it all poorly and not right. Not do the things you’re, you’ve set out doing this life. Um, I love that. And, and, and there’s so much synergy here, station to station is my phrase with the kids, uh, you know, slow things down. It, you know, comes from kind of a baseball term, I believe. Yeah. Where, you know, don’t always go for second base. You don’t have to stretch them. The out <laugh> station, the station’s a good way to be, right? Yeah. To your point, taking that first step, not the whole staircase. Um, okay, last question for you Enrique. Uh, since the first day I mention I’ve got it right here. I know this is an audio only interview and hopefully this audio is good quality we’re trying to approach here. But, um, since the first day I met you, this work sucks. Maybe, maybe almost the first day, maybe the third day I met you. Yeah. Maybe heard about this, this, this book, uh, why Work Sucks and How To Fix It. The Results Only Revolution. This is by, is it Callie Russer and Jody Thompson? Uh, I think you give a team, every team member a Vector gets a copy of this book, I believe,

Enrique Alvarez (12:04):

Right?

Scott Luton (12:05):

What, what, what’s the, um, if there’s one thing about that read that our listeners should know about and maybe check out, why does that book matter to you?

Enrique Alvarez (12:15):

So the book’s very important and I think it’s the base of our culture. Uh, and by the way, we give them to every single employee, and it’s actually part of the, it’s in their, uh, offer letter. They have to read it as part of the offer <laugh>. And, uh, but we also give it to a lot of suppliers and clients and, and people that we believe are, um, smart and, and interesting. Um,

Scott Luton (12:34):

So why’d I get one?

Enrique Alvarez (12:35):

You already did.

Scott Luton (12:36):

You what? I say what third? That’s,

Enrique Alvarez (12:38):

You got one already,

Scott Luton (12:40):

But, uh, I’m not smart. I’m not interesting, Rick, I gotta

Enrique Alvarez (12:42):

Copy the book. I’m pretty sure day number five is when I send you the book. But, uh, no. Um, so why is it important? It’s because, uh, you take out the noise out of the equation. So it goes back to my third point here, right? You’re just focusing on what really matters and what’s important in life. And, uh, you’re not trying to balance work and life and trying to play this kind of dual role. Uh, it’s like life is more important. Uh, and we all recognize and acknowledge that. And sometimes you’ll have to work and sometimes you’ll have to enjoy life. And sometimes you, you, you can’t pick and choose, you have to do both. Uh, and both are important. Uh, life is definitely more important. So just, uh, I think it’s just taking the noise out and treating people like adults, right? So why having to come to the office at nine in the morning and then having one hour lunch time and then leaving at five.

Enrique Alvarez (13:33):

Like, why, who, who says that’s the way we should work, right? If I trust you and you have a very clear set of goals and you’re reaching your goals, what do I care? If it takes you 15 minutes to close an account and then you want to go play golf the rest of the week, what is, it? Doesn’t matter, right? I mean, it shouldn’t feel bad about you enjoying life as my employee, or w I should be proud and happy that you’re able to do that. Um, as long as of course you’re, uh, reaching the goals and commitments and agreements as a, as an employee as well. So that’s what I think it’s important. I think everyone has benefit from it, and I think that has made our culture not only very vibrant and dynamic, but at the same time very successful

Scott Luton (14:13):

Man. And, and, uh, you know, I really appreciate that in all of it’s frankness and honesty and transparency. But, you know, hey, as the outsider in terms of not being a a Vector team member, I’ve seen it, it

Enrique Alvarez (14:25):

Feels like you’re almost are a Vector

Scott Luton (14:27):

Team. Well, I, I caught a Vector family member. Yes, we Avarez family.

Enrique Alvarez (14:30):

Oh, right, you’re an Anari Vector member. Well,

Scott Luton (14:33):

Sir, but you know, we talk about you and Vector team a lot, but it’s not lip service. You’re living it out. And I bet every team member, at least everyone I’ve rubbed elbows with in your team, I mean, they, they say it. And if they don’t say it, they model it. You know? So I love what y’all built here, what you, you continue to build. And I really appreciate your three pieces of, uh, practical leadership advice, especially for these times. So last question, I’m gonna give it bonus question. So folks wanna connect with you if they want to have you come in at Keynote. You know, you do a lot of speaking these days, uh, interviews, um, doesn’t take you away from all the great things you’re doing at Vector or all the do good, give forward, uh, things that y’all been up to, such as the leveraging logistics for Ukraine initiative where I don’t have the latest numbers, but over 500,000 pounds of humanitarian aid

Enrique Alvarez (15:23):

Is made. Well, good memory by

Scott Luton (15:24):

The way. Uh, we try Ukraine and Poland and all those folks in need, um, folks can find the information about all of that by connecting with you on LinkedIn, maybe.

Enrique Alvarez (15:33):

Yes. So LinkedIn, I would probably refer people first to our website, uh, at vector gl.com. And then of course, if you go on LinkedIn and you type in Click Vector, you’ll, you’ll see my name there. You can connect through Vector through LinkedIn as well. And, uh, send me an email, enrique.Alvarez@vectorgl.com

Scott Luton (15:52):

Wonderful. And we, we’d invite and encourage y’all to, to, you know, connect with Enrique for sure. But, but check out many of the things you’re doing, especially the leveraging logistics for Ukraine, uh, humanitarian aid ongoing initiative. So very valuable work there. And maybe on a lighter note, uh, Chica the spokesperson. <laugh>, she, is she gonna have an agent? So Chica is your, what kinda dog is she?

Enrique Alvarez (16:15):

She’s a Australian Labradoodle.

Scott Luton (16:18):

Australian Labradoodle.

Enrique Alvarez (16:19):

Okay. Basically our third kid. <laugh>. Yes. <laugh>.

Scott Luton (16:22):

Well, Enrique, uh, thanks to you and the whole Dr. Family. Love what y’all do, uh, and hope you have a wonderful and very successful, uh, closed your 2022.

Enrique Alvarez (16:32):

Thank you so much, Scott. It’s always a pleasure.

Intro/Outro (16:36):

Thanks for being a part of our supply chain now community. Check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain now, anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain. Now.

Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

Enrique Alvarez

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics.  He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.

She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.

An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.

A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts "The Winning Link," a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network. As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release "The Winning Link" book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.

A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute "The Nobel Prize of Operations" and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME); two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning.  He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board, a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host, Supply Chain Now

Tandreia Bellamy retired as the Vice President of Industrial Engineering for UPS Supply Chain Solutions which included the Global Logistics, Global Freight Forwarding and UPS Freight business units. She was responsible for operations strategy and planning, asset management, forecasting, and technology tool development to optimize sustainable efficiency while driving world class service.

Tandreia held similar positions at the business unit level for Global Logistics and Global Freight forwarding. As the leader of the Global Logistics engineering function, she directed all industrial engineering activies related to distribution, service parts logistics (post-sales support), and mail innovations (low cost, light weight shipping partnership with the USPS). Between these roles Tandreia helped to establish the Advanced Technology Group which was formed to research and develop cutting edge solutions focused on reducing reliance on manual labor.

Tandreia began her career in 1986 as a part-time hourly manual package handling employee. She spent the great majority of her career in the small package business unit which is responsible for the pick-up, sort, transport and delivery of packages domestically. She held various positions in Industrial Engineering, Marketing, Inside and On-road operations in Central Florida before transferring to Atlanta for a position in Corporate Product Development and Corporate Industrial Engineering. Tandreia later held IE leadership roles in Nebraska, Minnesota and Chicago. In her final role in small package she was an IE VP responsible for all aspects of IE, technology support and quality for the 25 states on the western half of the country.
Tandreia is currently a Director for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Foundation Board and also serves on their Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Previously Tandreia served on the Executive Advisory Board for Virginia Tech’s IE Department and the Association for Supply Chain Management. She served on the Board of Trustees for ChildServ (a Chicago child and family services non-profit) and also served on the Texas A&M and Tuskegee Engineering Advisory Boards. In 2006 she was named Business Advisor of the Year by INROADS, in 2009 she was recognized as a Technology All-Star at the Women of Color in STEM conference and in 2019 she honored as a UCF Distinguished Aluma by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems.

Tandreia holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from UCF. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is being the proud mother of two college students, Ruby (24) and Anthony (22).

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.

From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.

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Greg White

Principal & CMO, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain Now and TECHquila Sunrise

When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.

Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.

Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog.  He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community.  Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include Cisco, Microsoft, Citrix and IBM.  Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane University, O’Reilly Media, LinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight.  Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems Engineering, Carrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.

He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.

Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.

Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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