Our Supply Chain Leadership Across Africa series continues in earnest with a fascinating discussion around the proposition of using drone technology for social good. In this episode, hosts Scott Luton welcomes Prashant Yadav to the show, a globally recognized expert in healthcare supply chains and affiliate professor at global business school INSEAD, where he leads the Africa Initiative. Prashant is something of a media virtuoso, having appeared in prominent publications such as The Economist and Financial Times to share his expertise. Sitting alongside Prashant is Olivier Defawe of VillageReach, a global nonprofit that transforms healthcare delivery to reach everyone by working with partners to build responsive primary healthcare systems that deliver health products and services to the most under-reached. A key priority for both guests centers around realizing the immense potential for drones to unlock healthcare access, supply chain optimization, and socioeconomic development across the African continent. During the discussion, they touch on a number of pertinent questions: What are the major challenges to scaling and sustaining drone transport operations in Africa? How can we ultimately ensure drone transport is more cost-effective for public health supply chains? What can stakeholders do on the supply and demand side to increase adoption…

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton sits down with Todd Heimes, Vice President of Amazon Business, live from Amazon Reshape 2025 in Seattle. Todd—an Amazon veteran of 26 years and a Seattle resident for over 30 years—shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights on scaling Amazon Business across Europe, Japan, and India, and leading multiple global teams including small business, global marketing, Business Prime, and international expansion. Todd explains how AI and innovation are reshaping procurement, with Amazon working to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce manual drudgery, and empower organizations to make smarter, faster purchasing decisions. He underscores the enduring influence of Jeff Bezos’ principle: start with the customer and work backwards. Todd shares a fascinating look at how Amazon Business streamlines procurement for large-scale, high-stakes operations, and also breaks down Amazon’s newest AI-driven capabilities—like the Amazon Business Assistant and Spend Anomaly detection—designed to elevate customer experience and bring intelligence to purchasing workflows. Todd closes with advice for today’s supply chain leaders: master your data to navigate uncertainty and drive smarter decisions. Tune into this episode to hear how Amazon Business is using AI, innovation, and customer-obsessed strategies to transform procurement and empower organizations to work smarter and faster.   This…