“Las oportunidades que te dan son pocas, y cuando te las den, aprovéchalas al máximo”.
José Guillermo Suárez viajó de México a Australia a Venezuela a los Estados Unidos, para diferentes trabajos e industrias antes de encontrar su lugar en la logística. En este episodio de Supply Chain Now en español, escuche cómo Enrique le da la bienvenida a José Guillermo al programa y aprenda cómo el trabajo que a José Guillermo no le gustaba en realidad dio forma a su camino a seguir, y las lecciones que aprendió de esos trabajos lo llevaron a la logística, tecnología, y la industria de la visibilidad de la cadena de suministro.
[00:00:37] Muy buenos días y bienvenidos a otro episodio más de Supply Chain Now en español. Mi nombre es Enrique Álvarez y el día de hoy tengo el placer de entrevistar a una persona que no sólo tiene una muy interesante carrera profesional, sino que está en un en una industria muy interesante. La conjunción entre la logística y la tecnología, la visibilidad en las cadenas de suministro. Y bueno, sin más preámbulos, José Guillermo Suárez, gerente comercial de Latinoamérica para la empresa TV, un líder mundial en visibilidad en la cadena de suministro. ¿José Guillermo, Qué tal? ¿Cómo estás?
[00:01:14] Buenos días Enrique, qué gusto saludarte. Gracias por tenerme, te lo agradezco mucho. Espero poder ofrecerte una plática interesante y tratar de resolver todas las dudas que tengas. Este me da muchas, Me da mucho gusto que me hayas invitado, te lo agradezco y pues aunque mi trayectoria no es tan no es tan elegante como la pones. Con muchísimas ganas te ayudo y te cuento.
[00:01:37] ¿Aparte de todo, aparte de todo humilde este no? José Guillermo, muchas gracias a ti por participar. Este es un episodio más de Supply Chain en español y tenemos a mucha gente escuchándonos, listos para conocer un poco más de tu historia, un poco más de tu empresa y un poco más de tu visión sobre las cadenas de suministro y la logística a nivel internacional. Sin embargo, antes de empezar, platícanos un poco de ti. ¿Quién es? ¿Quién es José Guillermo?
[00:02:06] Pues mira, yo nací en la Ciudad de México, tengo 43 años, he vivido más de la mitad de mi vida fuera de México, pero he estado alrededor de todo el mundo. Tuve la oportunidad de hacer la universidad en Australia, en la Universidad de Griffith, en Brisbane, una carrera en relaciones internacionales, este con una especialidad en crimen y enología que no tiene nada que ver con lo que hago ahora. Hasta el momento se me hacía muy interesante. He podido. Estoy casado con tres hijos. He podido estar en este medio de la logística en los últimos 15 años desde que estaba en Australia y he pasado por Estados Unidos, Australia, Europa, Venezuela y los últimos 12 años aquí radicado en en Florida, trabajando en directamente en lo que es logística y Supply Chain. Hasta hace un año que tomé esta oportunidad de desarrollar Latinoamérica para Chile.
[00:03:01] Una visión muy muy internacional. Entonces porque tú has de de manera personal he experimentado diferentes países, pero antes de remontarnos a tu carrera profesional y posteriormente a Tíbet, la empresa con la que actualmente estás trabajando, trabajando en algo que nos puedas contar, una experiencia de joven todavía en México, algo que te empezó a orillar hacia la carrera que elegiste y hacia donde estás ahora.
[00:03:29] Pues experiencias bastantes, pero en varios años trabajé para una fábrica de extintores. Se llamaba Industrial Sauro y este y bueno, tuve la oportunidad de le llamo hay oportunidad. En ese entonces yo sentía como un castigo empezar desde.
[00:03:47] ¿Por qué? Cuéntanos.
[00:03:48] Cuéntanos más de la fábrica de fundidores y lo único que hay en ese lugar es polvo. El polvo químico, los químicos, los extintores. Y empecé. Me acuerdo que empecé en la parte de de. ¿Cómo se llama? De almacén. Y no, no estaba chavo, estaba joven, no le entendía mucho y como que me hicieron. Pues lo cuento con orgullo. No hubo un downgrade y me pusieron a barrer, a barrer el patio. Entonces me decían hasta que no termines de barrer el patio no puede regresar al almacén. No terminaba nunca. Ya cuando llegaba al otro lado del patio volteaba y ya era todo eso azul del polvo de los extintores. Entonces aprendí que había que echarle ganas, había que dedicarle mucho tiempo y y esfuerzo, porque ya cuando uno está en un trabajo profesional y todo, si no le echas ganas, pues no das para adelante. Entonces aprendí. Estuve como mes y medio barriendo el patio y dije no necesito ponerme las pilas, vamos para adelante. Y terminé siendo un industrial. Saro, el gerente de rutas.
[00:04:49] Oye no! Excelente aprendizaje. ¿Como tú dices en el momento muchas cosas no las vemos como que pudieran ser útiles o como que fueran relevantes, pero ese tipo de experiencias son las que luego marcan quién eres, no? ¿Y qué aprendiste después de eso? Bueno, antes de eso fue esto, antes de tu carrera o antes o esto.
[00:05:10] Estoy hablando en época de preparatoria que llevaba yo la prepa con el trabajo en mi casa, mi papá me dijo aquí se trabaja desde chicos y.
[00:05:20] ¿Este algo más que aprendieras o de tus papás o de algún mentor que tuvieras en aquella época?
[00:05:26] Pues para mí. Lo más importante es eso, ser tesonero en lo que estás haciendo, dedicarte al 100%. Mucha gente dice con pasión y amor. Hay muchas cosas que no tienes que hacer con amor y pasión, simplemente las tienes que hacer bien, completar y entender que tienes que hacer las cosas que estás haciendo bien, como si las estuvieras haciendo para ti mismo. Como quieres que te traten a ti. Es como tú debes tratar a tus demás, a tus clientes, a todo mundo y de esa manera vas a ser exitoso. ¿Me explico por qué? Porque esperas. Yo doy el servicio que espero yo recibir cuando estoy en un restaurante o cuando estoy en una oficina, o cuando estoy vendiendo qué es lo que me estén vendiendo o lo que estén haciendo, o el servicio o programa que me estén ofreciendo, o sea, el que yo disfrutaría totalmente.
[00:06:13] No va a ser como lo pusiste, hacer las cosas como si las hicieras para ti mismo, que es muy importante. ¿Y bueno, aparte después de barrer el patio varias o varias veces durante todo un mes y medio, cuéntanos un poco más después, como cómo fuiste creciendo, cómo evoluciona?
[00:06:28] Pues aunque no lo creas, trabajé para un bufete de abogados en el área migratoria. En un momento de mi vida dije que quería ser abogado y trabajé cuatro años para un despacho de abogados, mandar detalles y salón donde si tú me preguntabas algún mentor, Carlos Mandala, un excelente abogado, me enseñó muchísimo y me enseñó cómo hacer eso que te digo tesonero y seguir para adelante. Seguir adelante, buscar siempre hacer las cosas bien, la perfección. Y de eso tengo una cantidad de historias porque me dediqué a la parte migratoria. Entonces trabajábamos para distintas compañías haciendo los trámites migratorios. Yo me encargaba de los trámites migratorios para varias compañías.
[00:07:10] ¿Algo en particular que te acuerdes de aquella época? Me imagino que conociste a muchas personas queriendo entrar a trabajar al país, o sea, muchas historias de México que hoy no conozco, pero me dijeron que hay muchas historias increíbles de gente que quiere otra oportunidad en un país que no es el suyo.
[00:07:26] Muchísimas, muchísimas. Y ahorita me hiciste acordar y me da risa lo que trabajamos. No quiero decir el nombre de la compañía, es muy grande, es una compañía asiática que traía personas de de China y. Eran los que más problemas tenían. Pobres de verdad en México eso era como un infierno viviente, como era pasar hambre, pues me tocaban las llamadas de las tres o 04:00 y me decían que ya los había agarrado los agentes de migración cuando estaban saliendo de la oficina muy tarde oyendo la oficina muy temprano y había que ir a sacarlos.
[00:08:03] ¿Pero oye, y bueno, de la parte de la planta con químicos, extinguidores a leyes, Qué estudiaste? Me dijeron que estabas probando varias partes.
[00:08:14] Sí, estaba probando. Te estaba probando. Quería saber qué quería hacer mi papá, abogado, tías, abogadas, todo el mundo. Y pensé en un momento que era como que era para mí la abogacía. Después descubrí que no y fue cuando agarré mis cosas. Decidí aplicar para una universidad en Australia por la Universidad de Griffith, en Australia, a la carrera de Relaciones Internacionales. Me aceptaron en la universidad.
[00:08:38] ¿Y por qué Australia? ¿Por qué fuera de México?
[00:08:42] Pues quería una oportunidad fuera de México. Estaba buscando una oportunidad fuera de México, lo más lejos que se pudiera en ese entonces. Como que no sé, a lo mejor rebeldía. No me estaba gustando las cosas que estaba viendo que sucedían en México o algo así. Dije bueno, pues a Australia apliqué, pensé que no iba a ser posible porque tenías que hacer muchísimas cosas para aplicar y cumplir varios requisitos. Los cumplí, me aceptaron y en un mes y medio yo estaba ya en Australia. Me acordé. Sí, sí, sí. Me acuerdo que vendí mi banca.
[00:09:12] Nunca había sido la primera.
[00:09:14] Había ido Australia, nunca había ido a Australia, Fue a la embajada que esté en Polanco, en Ciudad de México. Pregunté qué es lo que se tenía que hacer, me explicaron. Y le dije bueno, puedo llenar aquí mismo la forma. Y me dijeron la gente generalmente lo piensa más, pero si quieres accionar la forma y después vas a tener que hacer ciertas cosas. Sí, dije no de una vez, la llené y te digo en un lapso de mes y medio me aceptaron y cuando me aceptaron me acuerdo que. Fui. Vendí mi coche en Perico. ¿Se acuerdan? El Tangiers. ¿Ese que había de los coches? Fui, vendí mi coche y dejé con el dinero del coche. Y le dije a mi mamá. Dije Me voy en dos semanas. Me voy a vivir a Australia.
[00:09:55] Por medio de mamá. No sé.
[00:09:58] Se rió un poco al principio, pero cuando ya me vio la cara de serio, me dijo. ¿En serio? Le dije Sí, sí, es en serio. Y me fui. Me fui sin tener nada preparado, o sea, más que una semana de hotel y a donde llegaba a la universidad y tenía que buscar todo lo demás y listo. Cinco años. Terminé en Australia.
[00:10:18] Cinco años en Australia, estudiando la misma carrera, la misma Relaciones Internacionales.
[00:10:23] Relaciones Internacionales Fueron cuatro años de la universidad y después estuve un año más porque mis planes originalmente era quedarme a vivir en Australia, en Sydney. No en Brisbane, que es la capital de Queensland, al norte en el Gold Coast. Y mi intención era quedarme a vivir allá. Yo. El sistema de migración australiano es a base de puntos por la licenciatura que había hecho. ¿Mis calificaciones y todo me daban para me daban, me autorizaban para cómo se llama? Me utilizaban para quedarme, me daban los puntos suficientes para quedarme. Entonces este fui a visitar un abogado migratorio. Allá estaba haciendo con mis prácticas de mis prácticas de trabajo, con dos empresas, con una empresa mexicana y con una empresa del gobierno australiano. Y me dijeron mira, cuando metas tus papeles va a haber un periodo de entre 6 a 8 meses en que no vas a poder salir de Australia. Si te interesa, puedes pedir un permiso de dos meses para ir a visitar a tu familia o algo así, metiendo tus papeles, dejándolos ya dentro y puedes salir. Ok, vamos a hacer eso. Fui a fui a visitar a México, a mi mamá. Después agarré unas vacaciones en las que terminé en Venezuela y en Venezuela conocí a la que hoy es mi esposa y no regresé a Australia, que dejé botado allá. Roommate, casa, trabajo, todo.
[00:11:49] ¿Pero te quedaste en Venezuela, no?
[00:11:51] Me quedé en Venezuela por dos años. Wow!
[00:11:54] Bueno, y cuéntanos que estabas haciendo ahora en Venezuela.
[00:11:59] En Venezuela. Llegué y tuve la oportunidad de encontrar un nicho que hacía falta en Venezuela, Venezuela en ese entonces. ¿Te estoy diciendo, esto fue hace 15 años, ok? ¿No estaba tan mal como se encuentra ahora, ok? Y encontré la oportunidad vendiendo equipo, equipo de cómputo, equipo de cómputo y partes de impresoras y eso. Y monté con un amigo, una empresa y nos dedicábamos a vender la empresa. Computadoras, impresoras, toners, mouse, cámaras, todo, todo lo de cómputo que lo traíamos de Estados Unidos o de algunos mayoristas en México y este y distribuimos en Venezuela. Estuve dos años viviendo en Venezuela y la situación se fue poniendo más mala y casos personales y otras terminamos mudándonos a Miami, terminamos mudándonos a Miami.
[00:12:49] Todavía con tu empresa.
[00:12:50] En Venezuela no se cierra lo de lo de la empresa de computo y en eso fueron temas de salud de la familia de mi esposa que nos tuvimos que mudar a Estados Unidos y como ya estaba yo comprometido con ella, casado y todo y bien, me dije bueno, vamos a, vamos a probar, vamos a probar suerte. En Estados Unidos ella es mitad venezolana y mitad americana, pues venimos aquí a Estados Unidos y el día que llegué a Estados Unidos me encontré a un amigo. Me dijo que estaba iba a ir a Miami a ver cómo podía arreglar una cosa de la oficina que él tenía en Miami, que estaba teniendo problemas. Me preguntó que qué estaba haciendo y le dije que me estaba viniendo a vivir a Miami. ¿Y ahí mismo me dijo Oye, no quieres trabajar conmigo? Mira, el día que llegué a Miami no tenía los papeles legales todavía, pero ya tenía una oferta de trabajo.
[00:13:44] Oye, y bueno, tomándonos una pequeña pausa aquí de esta increíble historia de vida, al final de cuentas, creo que eres el claro ejemplo de lo que dijiste al principio. No es la persistencia el tomar riesgos, el cómo. Cómo puedes comparar un poco este para la gente que nos está escuchando, sobre todo la gente más joven, a lo mejor gente que se está graduando ahora. ¿Qué te impulsó a cambiar de México a Australia, Australia, Venezuela? ¿Qué le sugerirías a alguien joven que está todavía tratando de decidir que quiere hacer o que quiere a lo mejor entrar en logística? Qué sugerencias o qué aprendizajes tuviste en esos, en esos tres países tan diferentes.
[00:14:27] Tan, tan, tan distintos. ¿Sabes? México siempre va a ser mi casa, el amor de mi vida. Y todo Australia es al país al que le debo mi formación, mi profesor. Así que mi rectitud laboral en muchas formas este la manera de ver los negocios, la manera de entender a las personas. Es un país multicultural, enorme, que te ofrece muchísimas oportunidades, muchísimas oportunidades, al que le echa ganas, al que trabaja. Le va bien. La filosofía de vida del australiano es Si trabajas y haces las cosas bien, te va a ir bien. Entonces es. Es. Es precioso. Y después en Venezuela me encontré esos contrastes de la riqueza y la pobreza en un lado de la balanza, tan grandes y tan marcados y. Pero también la oportunidad. La manera de pensar, de ver el negocio como. Como. ¿Cómo entenderlo? Cómo entender la cultura, la filosofía. El venezolano es muy rápido para el negocio, es gente también súper trabajadora. Entonces este son muy, muy vivos y muy inteligentes. Y tuve la oportunidad con este socio, con Alejandro, de crear la compañía, de estar con él y este.
[00:15:41] Y así fue, así fue. Entonces de México pues nada, mi cultura, mi familia, todo de Australia, la parte laboral, el crecimiento que esperaba de la vida y en Venezuela la oportunidad de negocios que cuando se te dan y se te presentan, si es algo bueno, adelante, tomar el riesgo. Y de mis viajes siempre fui, como decimos en México, Pata de perro y siempre que tuve la oportunidad de viajar viajé. Entonces, claro, mi recomendación sí es si eres joven, si no tienes ninguna responsabilidad que te ate, toma. Las oportunidades que se te dan son pocas y cuando se te dan, sácale lo mejor. Si llegas a cualquier lugar, vale lo mejor. ¿Para ser inmigrante necesitas mucho valor, mucho coraje, porque? Porque estas vas a dejar atrás tus raíces, tu todo, pero siempre vas con esas ganas de impulsarte, de crecer, de buscar lo bueno, de sacar tu nombre adelante y el nombre de tu país. Sí, me explicó, porque soy José Guillermo Suárez, también soy mexicano y la idea y lo que le dejo a las personas de un mexicano es muy importante para.
[00:16:46] Pues muchas gracias por decir eso, José Guillermo. ¿En algún momento clave sé que has tenido varios que han sido los que te han llevado a moverte de un lugar a otro, pero antes de que nos digas un poco ya tu vida en Miami, este algún momento clave? Este. En Australia a lo mejor. ¿O en Venezuela algo que dijeras? Bueno, poco a poco ya estoy formando. Obviamente tu personalidad ya estaba formada y los viajes te enseñaron muchísimo, pero tus capacidades como como administrador, como profesionista, como se ve que eres un emprendedor también. Cuando algo clave.
[00:17:26] Pues cuando llegué a Australia es mi inglés, no era perfecto y el inglés americano o el inglés británico y el inglés australiano son totalmente distintos. ¿Me explico? Entonces mi inglés no era muy bueno. Al principio pensé que iba a llegar y decía bueno, que algo podré hacer sin nada me tocó. Empecé recogiendo en un lugar que se llamaba Café San Marcos. Este vasos era eran lo que encontré de trabajo, porque aunque llevaba dinero y no mi familia, no me iba a pagar la universidad en Australia y era algo que había decidido yo y era una responsabilidad que me había metido yo y tenía que o triunfar o regresar con la cola entre las patas a México. Claro, yo dije bueno, pues no hay nada. Empecé recogiendo basura y fui cambiando. Trabajé después de mesero, de bartender, te digo de recoger vasos hasta ser gerente en una discoteca y después con la embajada de México conseguí una oportunidad que es donde fue mi primer acercamiento a lo que es el Supply Chain. Este trabajando con una compañía que se llamaba Artes de México que importaba Talavera de Puebla, Talavera Uriarte del Puerto de Puebla con denominación de origen hasta Australia. Y aprendí también el valor que uno le da a las cosas es cuanto alguien está dispuesto a pagar por ellas. Y la idea con la que tuve en las cosas. Los platos de Talavera, que no son baratos pero que nosotros podemos comprar por 100 $. En Australia se vendían por 600 € y en Australia eran obras de arte. La tienda estaba en un lugar que se llamaba James Street y era una cosa hermosísima. Era como un museo precioso, todo de cristal y con mesas. Y había tambores que estaban en 8000, 9.000 $. Y estoy diciendo esto hace 15 años. 17 años. ¿Me explico? Y la gente entraba y veía y decía Oh, necesito think that should be chip. Muy barato. No, para nada. Entonces. ¿Cómo les vendías? Como les decían. Y. Pues vendía en la tienda, vendía y además les ayudaba con todos los contratos de importación y exportación.
[00:19:30] Ahí es donde te empezaste a meter en la logística, en el Chain. Y ahora, volviendo a donde estaba tu historia, llegas a Miami el primer día, ya tienes una oferta de trabajo y cuéntanos.
[00:19:44] Tengo una oferta de trabajo. Le digo que sí. Es una familia con la que estoy súper, súper agradecido, que han sido muy buenos amigos de toda la vida. Los conozco desde hace mucho tiempo, vivíamos juntos, vivíamos muy cerca en la Ciudad de México, en el sur de la Ciudad de México, y éramos amigos. ¿Cuando me reencuentro a Alex me dice Oye, te invitó a formar parte del equipo de Brasi Mex en Miami? Yo creo que ahorita con lo que vienes, como estás y todo, sobre todo necesito a alguien honesto, de confianza en que en quien pueda confiar y apoyarme en mis operaciones. Y le dije que sí, le dije dame un mes en lo que me asiento, todo termino, todo. ¿Estaba yo casado por el? Estaba yo casado por el civil, no por la iglesia. Se juntaba mi esposa con la del matrimonio y con la iglesia y todo y me dijo sí, claro que sí. ¿Y este? Y a la semana después de que me casé por la iglesia empecé a trabajar y me acuerdo que me mandaron un file que me dijeron mira, aquí llegan estos cuatro contenedores a Miami, necesitamos que los saques, que los planees y los pongas en la bodega.
[00:20:52] Y yo digo tú nunca me has visto.
[00:20:54] Con un contenedor, Nada, Ni las formas que se tenían que hacer con con aduanas, ni los trámites para hacer el brief, ni el ni los Rivera. No con la naviera. Nada, nada. Ni el packing, ni el limbo, ni nada, nada, nada. Como se hacía con un costume broker en Estados Unidos, ni cómo se pagaban los hoteles, ni los impuestos, si había o no todos los requisitos y regulaciones se hicieran. Y sino me metí y me dijeron bueno, tienes una semana para.
[00:21:25] Que llegue a mi cero.
[00:21:26] Esto tiene que estar. Y lo logré. Agarré el teléfono y empecé a hablar, hablar, hablar. Me acuerdo que estaba yo. Yo vivo a la fecha todavía en Weston. En ese entonces estaba en Miami. No me quedaba tan lejos. Pero Diario iba de Downtown Miami al aeropuerto primero. Después conocí a otras personas de ustedes con los que trabajamos y me ayudaron muchísimo. Mi práctica sitúa excelentes personas y otra abogada, Jennifer Jenniffer Díaz, que. Que si otra vez me preguntas de mentores, mentores en esto de la logística en Estados Unidos, en Estados Unidos. Ellos tres. Y me ayudaron como lógica.
[00:22:04] Y yo conozco a Gary. De hecho, todo ha estado en la industria toda su vida.
[00:22:09] Básicamente todo, todo. Y con Gary es alguien con quien me mantengo mucho en contacto, de verdad. Es alguien que aprecio de manera impresionante. Me quiere muchísimo y lo quiero muchísimo. Y su ayuda fue invaluable. Yo creo que me vio la cara de desesperación.
[00:22:25] Bueno, pero bueno de verla también. La actitud de querer resolver las cosas que me imagino que es algo que se ve reflejado en la historia de lo que nos has contado desde que saliste de México y bueno, desde antes.
[00:22:38] Entonces pues lo logré.
[00:22:40] ¿Qué hacía esta empresa, la que me estabas contando?
[00:22:43] Así ellos se encargan de tu producto desde poner la orden de compra hasta la entrega en el país que necesites y todo el servicio básico, incluido este de recepción en moneda local, es un es un Fake Management Company total, incluyendo financiamiento. Ofrecemos financiamiento de de a los clientes, entonces pues es un espectro muy largo y este cliente en particular no era una bodega normal, tenía que ser una bodega donde en ese entonces todavía no había las zonas libres de comercio que hay ahora.
[00:23:16] El mira, ahí es donde hoy es la conexión con Gary.
[00:23:19] Entonces así es. Yo necesitaba encontrar un Bonded Warehouse. Todavía no había Treadstone y Gary y me ayudó. Me explicó cómo se hacía todo, cómo se metía a los permisos de manipulación. Si tenías que manipular la carga. ¿No? ¿Cómo íbamos a recibir estos generadores? Porque estos generadores no podían estar este si no era en Bone de los Estados Unidos y. Y así fue. Así, así. Así fue mi primer. Mi primer encuentro duro aquí en Estados Unidos con la logística y nada de ahí. De ahí terminé abriendo yo la segunda Zona Libre de Comercio para Cemex. ¿La primera nos ayudó Jennifer Díaz, para la segunda, Cuando abrimos la segunda bodega me dijeron Te crees suficientemente bueno para hacerla tú solo? La hice yo solo ayudé a otras, a varias otras compañías a crear Este año ayudé a varias otras compañías a crear la zona Libres de comercio. Yo solo hice todo el proceso de del trámite legal.
[00:24:19] De.
[00:24:19] Operación, todo de cómo acondicionar el el almacén donde tienen que ir las cámaras, donde tienen que ir las señalizaciones, cuáles son los requerimientos que tienes, que.
[00:24:28] Tienen cuando tienes que hacer alguna certificación o algo así o no, No necesariamente.
[00:24:32] No lo hice como gestoría, como consultoría, No, no tuve ningún problema. Y este y de ahí fue, fue realmente que aprendí. Te digo, aprendí. Al. Haciéndose el loco. Haciendo así. Si este.
[00:24:50] Oye. Y ahora. Y nos acercamos. Y ahora si, a Tibe. Me imagino que también otra vez. Bueno, a lo mejor. ¿Y qué pasó después de eso?
[00:25:00] ¿No? Después de eso se me hizo una maestría. Una maestría con el Facebook en logística en su play y.
[00:25:07] Para ese entonces ya sabías que. ¿O sea, qué te cautivó de la logística? Me dijeron que aprendiste los retos.
[00:25:13] Me encantaban los retos. A mí no bastaba que me dijeran es casi imposible para mí decirle a Alex yo quiero un proyecto y yo me encargaba de trabajar con Latinoamérica. Era yo la base de Estados Unidos, la zona libre para toda Latinoamérica. ¿Por qué Florida? Porque Florida es el gateway a Latinoamérica por excelencia. Entonces, aunque ellos hoy tenemos más bodega, tenían más bodegas en Laredo y en California y eso. Yo me encargaba de la zona libre de Florida y los negocios, y entonces hacíamos muchísimos negocios con Costa Rica, con Guatemala, con Ecuador, Brasil también, incluso Venezuela, tuvimos oficinas allá, se me explicó y fue de lo que yo me encargaba, los clientes que tenían que mover toda esa mercancía, todas esas compañías americanas que no tenían tanta certeza de ir a Latinoamérica, que encontraban en las zonas libres de comercio un refugio de aranceles, impuestos y seguridad que les proporcionaba tener la mercancía ahí para después despacharla en un tiempo súper por toda Latinoamérica y con efectividad, ya fuese este marítimo o a él.
[00:26:19] ¿Entonces, esa dificultad, la complejidad del hecho que tratabas con muchos países, eso te llamó la atención? Bueno, pues sí, ya voy a hacer esto, más bien hacer una maestría.
[00:26:28] Para hacer una maestría. Hice la maestría con Cornell FEUU, Fue una maestría cuando empezaba el COBIT. Originalmente iba a ser presencial, llega el COBIT y la mitad de la maestría fue online. Entonces una experiencia muy simpática. El final de la maestría. Si ya fue presencial este y terminé la maestría muy contento. En ese inter me buscó un headhunter, me llamó que había una empresa que estaba interesada en platicar conmigo. Esto es muy chistoso porque al principio pensé que era una franquicia lo que me estaban ofreciendo, algo así. Le dije que no estaba interesado. Lo dejé plantado una vez al jefe Hunter y me llamó y me mira. ¿Realmente quieren hablar contigo? Si no, John te hubiera vuelto a contactar. Ya me autorizaron decirte qué compañía es la compañía. Cuando me metí a averiguar de ti, dije Guau, esto es impresionante. O sea, lo que habíamos visto, lo que yo conocía de termografía de sismógrafos, como lo hicimos en México. Termografía. Y no era nada en tiempo real. No había nada que te ofreciera una plataforma de localización en tiempo real de tus mercancías. Y sí, el día que hablé yo con un Ryan Sullivan, el que hoy es mi jefe, y después con Carnal, el fundador, a los dos les dije Yo soy el que quiero trabajar con ustedes. ¿O sea, qué necesito yo para trabajar con ustedes? Porque esto es realmente lo que las cadenas, lo que las cadenas de suministro buscan. Cualquier persona que mueva mercancías de un punto a otro es lo que necesita. ¿Y si yo lo conocí en ese entonces? ¿Y si hace todo lo que me estás diciendo? Es una maravilla.
[00:28:07] Y pues la visibilidad, como dices, es sumamente importante. ¿Pero antes de meternos un poco ahora así a lo que haces en Tiff este, cuéntanos a grandes rasgos para la gente que nos escucha o qué problema trata de resolver TIFF y qué es? ¿Qué empresa es? Cuéntanos un poco más de TIFF para que la gente lo conozca un poco mejor.
[00:28:29] Es una empresa relativamente nueva.
[00:28:31] Americana o.
[00:28:32] Americana, fundada en Boston, Massachusetts, pero nada común. Y es el es el fundador de. Es el fundador de Type OK. En el 2015, el. Desarrolla lo que hay. Estar. ¿Por qué? Porque su suegro tenía una compañía de transportes y él veía todos los problemas que tenía su suegro con la compañía transportista de que si la fruta que estaba mandando salía de temperatura, que si la mercancía de valor le robaban ciertas cosas, que si le habían la ca a la que se le abrían la caja, que el IPC estimado era el lunes a las cinco y era martes y el camionero todavía estado no llegaba y nadie sabía dónde estaba y a lo mejor estaba perdido en un casino. Si no explicó todos esos problemas le dijo mira, yo creo que puedo ayudar. Él es alguien súper, súper inteligente. Se empezó a desarrollar en el sótano de su casa, lo que hoy está hecho con distintos sensores. Sí, pues eran mucho más grandes. Usábamos distintas tecnologías a las que usamos hoy. Este, Pero fue empezando. Le fue viendo, le fue viendo, le fue encontrando la manera de hacerlo más práctico, más, más portátil, más movible y con más información. Y hoy cuenta con la patente de que utilizamos triangulación celular. Wifi y GPS para ofrecerte en tiempo real. La ubicación y el estado de tu mercancía. La filosofía de Tip. La misión y visión de ti es que todos los chismes lleguen on time a ning fu. Porque esa mercancía a alguien le importa y es importante que puedan saber la ubicación y conocimiento de tu mercancía en todo momento.
[00:30:12] Hoy con la pandemia, la visibilidad en las cadenas de suministro se ha vuelto un tema sumamente importante, crítico y con mucho dinero. Muchas empresas, me imagino, están buscando el resolver el problema de la visibilidad en sus cadenas de suministro.
[00:30:29] La visibilidad es importantísima. El estado de la mercancía también, pero sobre todo toda la data, toda la analítica que te genera nuestros nuestros hackers es impresionante. Puedes generar sport cards, puedes saber qué producto estás moviendo más, cuánto dura el viaje, cuántos kilómetros son exactos. El día es súper exacto. ¿Dónde está? Somos. Fuimos pioneros en desarrollar un tracker que no utilizaba baterías de litio, sino baterías de zinc que fuesen más friendly para poder usarse en ciertas compañías que no los utilizan, que no les gusta el litio o en compañías aéreas. Este es es impresionante cómo ha ido avanzando y cómo estamos avanzando y no deja de cambiar. Nos estamos. Somos una compañía que escucha mucho a los clientes. Ya tenemos un cliente y buscamos saber cómo podemos mejorar nuestro producto.
[00:31:21] ¿Nos podrías enseñar otra vez? Ese es básicamente. Ese es el tracker. Básicamente para la gente que no conoce, o eso lo agarra. ¿O sea, cómo funciona? Lo compras y lo pones en un contenedor, lo rentas.
[00:31:34] Lo compras. Otra cosa impresionante de esto que no he llegado a fondo es de un solo uso. Es desechable porque la gente que conoce de logística sabe.
[00:31:43] Si no tienes que mandarlos de regreso por DHL o FedEx. Es un relajo.
[00:31:48] Porque la certificación en la documentación son desechables de un solo uso. Tenemos un programa verde que se llama Green Tide para preocuparnos por el ambiente. Ok, entonces son de un solo uso. Es muy sencillo y una vez que contratas nuestra plataforma lo despegas y lo puedes pegar, ya sea a nivel del contenedor, a nivel local o a nivel del producto. Ok, y todos estos este tracker.
[00:32:15] Y en cuanto lo pegas yo empiezo a trabajar. No tiene nada nuevo con la rueda.
[00:32:21] Y el botoncito que ahí empieza. Entonces tú te vas a la plataforma. En nuestro sistema, creas tu origen, creas tu destino, pides las alertas que te indique siempre conexión, luz, temperatura, humedad, inclinación soc, geo, rutas, geo cercas, localización. Te digo, puedes cambiar la traducción del fin de cada dos minutos de transmisión y medición a cada 12 horas, dependiendo el tramo donde estés o el interés de cada producto que tengas. Sí, me explicó y funciona por un rango enorme, desde perecederos, frutas, verduras, carne hasta servidores de computadoras u obras de arte. Tenemos un espectro de todos los clientes en entidades. ¿Por qué? Porque dependiendo el país, dependiendo el producto hay. Factores que te sirven más que uno de otros. Para Latinoamérica nos hemos dado cuenta que el factor principal es la seguridad. La localización. Entonces. Las rutas, las cercas. ¿Este ojito que tiene aquí para detectar la luz si alguien te abre tu contenedor, que pasó porque te lo abrieron cuando paró, dónde paró? ¿Si varió la temperatura, si varió la humedad? ¿Como transmite este tracker? Transmiten 5G, 4G, 3G y LTE. Si pierde el 5G manda tres pings en 4G. Si pierde 4G, manda tres pines en LTE o en o resto.
[00:33:47] Está sumamente interesante. Muy, muy muy completo. Y se usa. Se oye bastante fácil de usar.
[00:33:54] También fácil de usar es un solo uso, no te preocupas. Y después con el programa Verde tenemos unos incentivos en el que si tu cliente final o tú regresas, hay un programa por cada dispositivo que se recibe en un centro de reciclaje de los que tenemos internacionales.
[00:34:10] Oye, y pues obviamente si tu carga se origina en otro país, digamos, estás importando mucho de Asia, como pasó en Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, o a cualquier otro país del mundo. Estos, los los equipos ya están en Asia, o sea, podría el cliente comprarlos allá y ya están allá, nos tienen que embarcar desde acá ni nada.
[00:34:30] Tú me dices dónde quieres que te entregue los.
[00:34:32] Y a quién, y tú lo mandas a la persona que.
[00:34:35] Y yo te los.
[00:34:36] Envío. Les llega la caja con sus tracker. Bueno, vamos a vamos a poner todo el contacto y todo eso cuando acabe la entrevista. ¿Creo que está bastante interesante este lo que haces y cómo se ve el día a día para para ti José Guillermo Cuál? ¿Qué es lo que haces ahorita para Tibe?
[00:34:55] Pues mira, empecé a intentarlo una vez más. Empecé como vendedor, me contrataron para ser vendedor hace cumplí un año en Tigre hace un mes y ahora me dieron la oportunidad de dirigir Latinoamérica, de ser gerente de ventas para Latinoamérica. Tengo ya un equipo de ventas de cinco personas en México, Colombia y Latinoamérica. Me encargo del Caribe y Latinoamérica. ¿Y bueno, qué es lo que estamos buscando ahorita? Darnos a conocer, porque aunque en Europa somos súper conocidos, en Estados Unidos estamos dominando el mercado y en Asia igual. Latinoamérica es algo que no habían volteado a ver full time y bueno, pues les demostré que Latinoamérica es una fuerza impresionante de.
[00:35:39] Latinoamérica, es un mercado impresionante como dices yo que el futuro de mucho de lo que estamos viendo en cadenas de suministro.
[00:35:48] Es muchísimo entonces, y más como está ahora. Latinoamérica surge en produce más del 60 70% Estados Unidos todo el año, si no solo Estados Unidos hacia Europa. Tenemos un clima privilegiado, tenemos oportunidades de producir bastantes cosas y hacer las cosas bien. El latinoamericano. O en relación a todos los que conozco, siempre son muy trabajadores si tenemos algunos defectos y otras cosas, pero de verdad, cuando queremos hacer las cosas bien, hacemos las cosas bien, con muchas ganas, nos ayudamos mucho entre latinoamericanos y eso nos hace, nos hace crecer. Mi día a día es buscarme penetración de mercado, supermercados, buscar verticales que darle a mi equipo de atacar, asistir a pláticas, asistir a expo logística, conferencias, viajar muchísimo ahorita que se reactivó el viaje escolar joven claro. Y nada, seguir, seguir promocionando. Estoy muy muy muy muy contento y muy orgulloso de lo que hemos logrado en Chile, tanto en Latinoamérica como en el resto del mundo. Creamos una zona común y creo una que se llama la Red Open Networking y es la colaboración de Red de Visibilidad Abierta que se juntó.
[00:37:06] Esto platicamos antes de empezar a grabar el programa. ¿Esto está bastante interesante y de hecho la siguiente pregunta el Open Network Ability es de Open Ability Network Open Ranking? ¿Qué es y cuál es la idea detrás del Open Ability Network?
[00:37:26] Pues mira, el es. La idea es que una sola plataforma no cubre al 100% con todas las necesidades de un cliente con nada. Y los desafíos de estas compañías se dieron cuenta y aprendieron que si uno colabora, la experiencia que tiene el cliente final es la experiencia del 100% y la solución al 100%. Entonces tal punto con Ever Stream Park, Pure Marine Traffic Project for Kids, Frank Vaillant y Blue Systems crearon el Open Network, que significa que colaborar entre todos nosotros para ofrecer una mejor solución de visibilidad a todos los clientes. Hay partes en las que tal uno puede obtener cierta data. ¿Bueno, nos asociamos con Traffic o hay partes que no puede ofrecer cierta visibilidad a nivel de mercancía a través de tickets? Se puede hacer sin todas estas compañías. Estamos trabajando juntos para ofrecerte en tiempo real la visibilidad de tu cadena de suministro.
[00:38:29] Algo. Algo que. Que gente que está en esta industria ha estado esperando desde hace muchísimos años. Es realmente algo que no debería ser tan difícil de lograr con la tecnología que tenemos actualmente, pero es algo que es crítico. ¿Dónde está mi contenedor? ¿Dónde está mi palet? Llevan el puerto dos o tres días y nadie sabe dónde está. Cosas que no deberíamos padecer en estos momentos.
[00:38:56] Proyecto y sobre todo hoy en día, hablamos antes y después de COBIT. ¿Por qué? Porque a la fecha hoy estamos viendo los retrasos y ahora viene lo de la guerra en Ucrania. ¿Y eso cómo? ¿Cómo ha ido afectando las cadenas de suministros? Pero no solo es en la cadena de suministros. ¿Dime tú, Enrique, hace cuánto no te subes a un taxi común y corriente?
[00:39:16] Tres años.
[00:39:17] Se triplicó. ¿Y qué? Pero cuál es la seguridad que te da que abres el app y a la hora de abrir el app te dice exactamente quién va a ser tu transporte, tú o tu chofer, qué vehículo te va a llevar, en cuánto tiempo, si.
[00:39:30] Lo ves, dónde viene, no está fácil de.
[00:39:33] ¿Ruta, vas a tomar bus? Exactamente. Es lo mismo este Open networking civil, poder saber dónde estás desde el momento en que lo solicitas o desde el momento en que está pasando. ¿Dónde? Retrasos en los puertos. ¿Qué está pasando con todo esto? ¿Dónde está tu mercancía? ¿En qué momento va a llegar y en qué estado va a llegar? Algo súper importante de TIFF es que, por ejemplo, pues la forma de transporte más utilizada en el mundo es terrestre. Camiones. Sí. Me explico. En la parte de transporte terrestre que te da la oportunidad, te da el beneficio de poder solucionar cualquier problema que esta pasando en tránsito. Claro, claro. Tu contenedor porque está saliendo de temperatura. ¿Por qué no está donde debe estar? Si esta perdiendo temperatura, tienes la oportunidad de llamar al transportista. Y si lo oye, mira. El tipo que me está mandando, que está saliendo de temperatura a la cara. Párate y revisa tu termo o apagas la alarma cuando la puerta está mal cerrada. Esto o está desviándose de la ruta o bien sabes que es una zona roja, una zona de peligro y el transportista se está saliendo cinco o diez kilómetros, Ha bajado la velocidad y hay una alerta de que se abrió la caja. Pues algo está pasando.
[00:40:41] Y todas estas alertas me vienen automáticamente.
[00:40:45] En tiempo real. En el momento en que están pasando por mi API.
[00:40:50] Y la aplicación del.
[00:40:51] Celular y la aplicación en tiempo real, está recibiendo todo bien.
[00:40:56] No es, creo, José Guillermo Creo que es muy, muy interesante la gente que nos está escuchando. Me parece que va a tener muchas, muchas preguntas y sobre todo muchas dudas en cuanto a cómo, cómo contactarte, cómo contactar a. Pero volviendo un poco a ti, que eres a final de cuentas la persona central de esta entrevista. Este. Y ya estamos un poco cerrando y terminando. Al final te preguntaré cómo pueden contactarte, pero. Dándole. Si tu tuvieras, volvieras en el pasado y tuvieras un consejo a ti mismo. Al. Al José Guillermo de tenía 18 o 20 años. ¿Cuál consejo te darías a ti mismo?
[00:41:45] Mejora tu inglés. Ja, ja, ja.
[00:41:46] Ja, ja. Es un buen consejo. Es importantísimo.
[00:41:50] Ahora mira, no es mejorar tu inglés, es aprender cuantas lenguas puedas, cuántos idiomas puedas. Qué buen consejo. Es una ventaja que yo he visto aquí, que a lo mejor ha habido gente que es más calificada en el puesto, pero sólo habla inglés. Yo hablo inglés, español y trato de masticar el portugués. Si no se puede entender, entonces eso después toma riesgos. La vida es muy corta. Si hay momentos en la vida cuando eres joven, cuando eres chavo, toma todos esos riesgos antes de que estés casado y con hijos y tengas responsabilidades y cargas cuando estás joven. Si te dan la oportunidad de viajar, viaja lo más que puedas viajar. Educa adonde sea, hasta la esquina, pero ya conoces un poco más que los demás. Viajar abre tu mente. Viajar te hace entender otras culturas. Viajar te hace entender a la gente y entender que aquí, cuando estás solo, te encuentras tú con contigo mismo y es la hora más difícil saber quién soy yo y en qué soy bueno y qué estoy haciendo y que puedo hacer pa para salir del charco, sino que todo el mundo quiere salir del charco y te encuentras contigo mismo viajando. Date su oportunidad y cree en ti mismo. Porque si uno cree en sí mismo. La gente. Los demás creen en ti. Pero si tú no crees en ti mismo o no, no, no lo vas a hacer. Mi consejo es ese Toma riesgos y crece el fuego.
[00:43:06] Excelente consejo y muy, muy práctico también. Y bueno, viene de de un hombre que lo aplicó en su carrera profesional y personal. Y bueno, estamos sumamente honrados de que aceptaras la entrevista el día de hoy fue una entrevista sumamente valiosa, informativa y muy con mucha inspiración para muchos que nos están escuchando. ¿Estoy seguro de gente como tú que ha logrado tener un éxito importante profesionalmente, pero al final de cuentas no se ha olvidado también de su raíz? ¿De dónde salió? ¿Entonces? ¿Muchísimas gracias, Jose Guillermo, Cómo se puede conectar la gente que nos ve contigo? ¿Cómo pueden saber un poco más de ti? ¿Cómo pueden ser un poco más de fe?
[00:43:49] Pues te voy a pasar ahorita todos mis contactos para subirlos. Sencillo, es triple doble TV que este de otoño y de Ignacio de Víctor el Ernesto punto com. Está la plataforma, ahí tiene eso es una plataforma omnicanal. Entonces ahí nos contactas dependiendo Región, Asia, Europa, Norteamérica, Sudamérica, Caribe, ok. Se canaliza con directamente conmigo o con alguien de mi equipo, o alguien del equipo de ventas de Europa, de Asia o de Estados Unidos, dependiendo donde estés buscando. Perfecto. Ok, vienen todos los casos de éxito que hemos tenido, vienen todas las aplicaciones que recibe de acuerdo a las industrias y hay blogs distintos donde te puedes suscribir, donde te mandamos distintos newsletters de lo que está pasando en el mercado y la visibilidad en tiempo real.
[00:44:33] Pues bueno, ya lo escucharon. José Guillermo, nuevamente muchísimas gracias. Obviamente en el episodio pondremos todos los contactos, todas las ligas, no solo de ti, sino también la tuya. Y bueno, también pondremos algo de ligas que nos puedas mandar sobre el Open Ability Network y cualquier otra cosa para que la gente se informe un poco más de los avances tecnológicos en cadenas de suministro. Nuevamente muchísimas gracias a todos los que nos escucharon y les gusta y les interesan pláticas como las que tuvimos el día de hoy con José Guillermo. No dejen de subscribirse nuevamente. Mi nombre es Enrique Álvarez y esto fue otro episodio de Supply Chain en español. Saludos.
“The opportunities you are given are few, and when you are given them, make the most of them.”
Jose Guillermo Suarez traveled from Mexico to Australia to Venezuela to the United States, for different jobs, and industries before he found his place in logistics. In this Supply Chain Now en Espanol episode, listen as Enrique welcomes Jose Guillermo to the show, and learn how the work that Jose Guillermo disliked actually shaped his path forward, and the lessons he learned from those jobs led him into the logistics, technology, and supply chain visibility industry.
[00:00:37] Good morning and welcome to another episode of Supply Chain Now. My name is Enrique Alvarez and today I have the pleasure of interviewing a person who not only has a very interesting professional career, but is in a very interesting industry. The conjunction between logistics and technology, visibility in supply chains. And well, without further ado, José Guillermo Suárez, Latin America business manager for TV, a world leader in supply chain visibility. José Guillermo, how are you? How are you doing?
[00:01:14] Good morning Enrique, what a pleasure to greet you. Thank you for having me, I really appreciate it. I hope to be able to offer you an interesting talk and try to solve all the doubts you may have. I’m very glad you invited me, I appreciate it and although my trajectory is not as elegant as you put it. I’ll be glad to help you and tell you about it.
[00:01:37] Apart from anything else, apart from all this humble is not it? José Guillermo, thank you very much for your participation. This is one more episode of Supply Chain en español and we have a lot of people listening to us, ready to learn a little more about your story, a little more about your company and a little more about your vision of international supply chains and logistics. However, before we begin, tell us a little about yourself. Who is it? Who is José Guillermo?
[00:02:06] Well look, I was born in Mexico City, I am 43 years old, I have lived more than half of my life outside of Mexico, but I have been all over the world. I had the opportunity to do university in Australia, at Griffith University in Brisbane, a degree in international relations, this one with a major in crime and enology which has nothing to do with what I do now. So far it was very interesting to me. I have been able to. I am married with three children. I have been in this logistics environment for the last 15 years since I was in Australia and I have been in the United States, Australia, Europe, Venezuela and the last 12 years here in Florida, working directly in logistics and Supply Chain. Until a year ago I took this opportunity to develop Latin America for Chile.
[00:03:01] A very very international vision. So because you have personally experienced different countries, but before we go back to your professional career and then to Tibet, the company you are currently working with, working on something that you can tell us about, an experience when you were still young in Mexico, something that started you on the path to the career you chose and where you are now.
[00:03:29] Well, quite a lot of experience, but in several years I worked for a fire extinguisher factory. It was called Industrial Sauro and this and well, I had the opportunity to call him there is opportunity. At that time I felt like a punishment to start from.
[00:03:47] Why? Tell us about it.
[00:03:48] Tell us more about the smelter factory and the only thing in that place is dust. Chemical powder, chemicals, fire extinguishers. And I started. I remember that I started in the part of. What is your name? Warehouse. And no, he wasn’t young, he was young, I didn’t understand him very much and they kind of made me. Well, I count it with pride. There was no downgrade and I was put to sweep, sweep the yard. Then they would tell me until you finish sweeping the yard you can’t go back to the warehouse. It never ended. By the time I got to the other side of the courtyard I would turn around and it was all blue from the fire extinguisher dust. Then I learned that you had to work hard, you had to dedicate a lot of time and effort, because when you are in a professional job and everything, if you don’t work hard, you don’t move forward. Then I learned. I spent about a month and a half sweeping the yard and I said I don’t need to get my act together, let’s go ahead. And I ended up being an industrialist. Saro, the route manager.
[00:04:49] Hey no! Excellent learning. As you say, in the moment we don’t see many things as being useful or relevant, but those kinds of experiences are the ones that mark who you are, right? And what did you learn after that? Well, before that it was this, before your career or before or this.
[00:05:10] I am talking about when I was in high school, when I was in high school and I was working at home, my father told me that here we work since we were kids.
[00:05:20] Is this something else you learned either from your parents or from a mentor you had at the time?
[00:05:26] For me. The most important thing is that, to be tenacious in what you are doing, to dedicate yourself 100%. Many people say with passion and love. There are many things you don’t have to do with love and passion, you simply have to do them well, complete and understand that you have to do the things you are doing well, as if you were doing them for yourself. How you want to be treated. It’s how you should treat others, your customers, everyone, and that’s how you will be successful. Can I explain why? Because you wait. I give the service that I expect to receive when I am in a restaurant or when I am in an office, or when I am selling what they are selling me or what they are doing, or the service or program they are offering me, that is, the one that I would totally enjoy.
[00:06:13] It’s not going to be like you put it, do things as if you were doing them for yourself, which is very important. And well, apart from sweeping the yard several or several times during a whole month and a half, tell us a little bit more afterwards, how you were growing, how it evolves?
[00:06:28] Believe it or not, I worked for a law firm in the immigration area. At one point in my life I said I wanted to be a lawyer and I worked for four years for a law firm, sending details and salon where if you asked me for a mentor, Carlos Mandala, an excellent lawyer, taught me a lot and taught me how to be tenacious and move forward. To go forward, to always seek to do things well, to strive for perfection. And I have a lot of stories about that because I dedicated myself to the migratory part. Then we worked for different companies doing the immigration procedures. I was in charge of immigration procedures for several companies.
[00:07:10] Anything in particular that you remember from that time? I imagine that you met many people wanting to enter the country to work, that is, many stories from Mexico that I don’t know today, but I was told that there are many incredible stories of people who want another opportunity in a country that is not theirs.
[00:07:26] Very, very many. And now you reminded me and it makes me laugh what we worked on. I don’t want to say the name of the company, it is very big, it is an Asian company that was bringing people from China and. They were the ones who had the most problems. In Mexico that was like a living hell, as it was to go hungry, they would call me at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. and they would tell me that the immigration agents had already caught them when they were leaving the office very late and they had to go to get them out.
[00:08:03] But hey, and well, from the part of the plant with chemicals, extinguishers to laws, what did you study? I was told you were testing various parts.
[00:08:14] Yes, I was testing. I was testing you. I wanted to know what my dad, lawyer, aunts, lawyers, everybody wanted to do. And I thought at one point that it was like it was for me lawyering. Then I found out I didn’t and that’s when I grabbed my stuff. I decided to apply to a university in Australia through Griffith University, in Australia, to study International Relations. I was accepted to the university.
[00:08:38] And why Australia? Why outside Mexico?
[00:08:42] I wanted an opportunity outside of Mexico. I was looking for an opportunity outside of Mexico, as far away as possible at the time. I don’t know, maybe rebellion. I wasn’t liking the things I was seeing happening in Mexico or something. I said well, I applied to Australia, I thought it was not going to be possible because you had to do a lot of things to apply and fulfill several requirements. I fulfilled them, they accepted me and in a month and a half I was already in Australia. I remembered. Yes, yes, yes. I remember I sold my bench.
[00:09:12] She had never been the first.
[00:09:14] I had been to Australia, I had never been to Australia, I went to the embassy in Polanco, in Mexico City. I asked what had to be done, they explained. And I said well, I can fill out the form right here. And I was told people usually think about it more, but if you want to action the form and then you’re going to have to do certain things. Yes, I said no at once, I filled it out and I tell you in a period of a month and a half they accepted me and when they accepted me I remember that. I went. I sold my car in Perico. Do you remember? The Tangiers. The one with the cars? I went, sold my car and left with the car money. And I told my mom. I said I’m leaving in two weeks. I am going to live in Australia.
[00:09:55] Through mom. I don’t know.
[00:09:58] He laughed a little at first, but when he saw my serious face, he said. Really? I said Yes, yes, I’m serious. And I left. I left without having anything prepared, that is, more than a week of hotel and where I arrived at the university and I had to look for everything else and that was it. Five years. I ended up in Australia.
[00:10:18] Five years in Australia, studying the same career, the same International Relations.
[00:10:23] International Relations It was four years of university and then I stayed one more year because my original plans were to stay and live in Australia, in Sydney. Not in Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland, north on the Gold Coast. And my intention was to stay and live there. Me. The Australian migration system is based on points for the degree you had done. My qualifications and everything gave me for what’s it called? They used me to stay, they gave me enough points to stay. So I went to visit an immigration lawyer. There I was doing my internships with two companies, with a Mexican company and with an Australian government company. And they told me look, when you get your papers in, there’s going to be a period of 6 to 8 months where you’re not going to be able to leave Australia. If you are interested, you can ask for a two-month permit to go visit your family or something like that, put your papers in, leave them already inside and you can leave. Ok, let’s do that. I went to visit my mom in Mexico. Then I took a vacation where I ended up in Venezuela and in Venezuela I met my wife who is now my wife and I did not return to Australia, which I left there. Roommate, home, work, everything.
[00:11:49] But you stayed in Venezuela, didn’t you?
[00:11:51] I stayed in Venezuela for two years. Wow!
[00:11:54] Well, tell us what you were doing now in Venezuela.
[00:11:59] In Venezuela. I arrived and had the opportunity to find a niche that was missing in Venezuela, Venezuela at that time. I’m telling you, this was 15 years ago, okay? It wasn’t as bad as it is now, ok? And I found the opportunity selling equipment, computer equipment, computer equipment and printer parts and stuff. And I set up a company with a friend and we were dedicated to selling the company. Computers, printers, toners, mice, cameras, everything, all the computer stuff we brought from the United States or from some wholesalers in Mexico and this and we distribute in Venezuela. I spent two years living in Venezuela and the situation got worse and worse and personal cases and others ended up moving to Miami, we ended up moving to Miami.
[00:12:49] Still with your company.
[00:12:50] In Venezuela, the computer company was not closed and that was due to health issues of my wife’s family that we had to move to the United States and since I was already engaged to her, married and everything and well, I said well, let’s, let’s try, let’s try our luck. In the United States she is half Venezuelan and half American, because we come here to the United States and the day I arrived in the United States I met a friend. He told me that he was going to go to Miami to see how he could fix something in the office he had in Miami, which was having problems. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was moving to Miami. And right there he said Hey, don’t you want to work with me? Look, the day I arrived in Miami I didn’t have the legal papers yet, but I already had a job offer.
[00:13:44] Hey, and well, taking a little break here from this incredible life story, at the end of the day, I think you are the clear example of what you said at the beginning. It’s not the persistence of risk-taking, it’s the how. How can you compare this a little bit for the people who are listening to us, especially the younger people, maybe people who are graduating now. What prompted you to move from Mexico to Australia, Australia, Venezuela? What would you suggest to someone young who is still trying to decide what they want to do or who wants to maybe go into logistics? What suggestions or what lessons did you learn in those, in those three very different countries.
[00:14:27] So, so, so, so different. You know? Mexico will always be my home, the love of my life. And all of Australia is the country to which I owe my training, my teacher. So my work righteousness in many ways is the way I look at business, the way I understand people. It is a multicultural, huge country that offers many opportunities, many opportunities, to those who work hard. He is doing well. The Australian’s philosophy of life is If you work and do things right, you will do well. Then it is. Es. It is beautiful. And then in Venezuela I found those contrasts of wealth and poverty on one side of the scale, so great and so marked. But also the opportunity. The way of thinking, of seeing the business as. As. How to understand it? How to understand culture, philosophy. Venezuelans are very quick for business, they are also very hard-working people. So this one is very, very lively and very intelligent. And I had the opportunity with this partner, with Alejandro, to create the company, to be with him and this one.
[00:15:41] And so it was, so it was. So from Mexico, nothing, my culture, my family, everything from Australia, the work part, the growth I expected from life and in Venezuela the business opportunities that when they are given to you and presented to you, if it is something good, go ahead, take the risk. And from my travels I was always, as we say in Mexico, Pata de perro and whenever I had the opportunity to travel I traveled. So, of course, my recommendation is if you are young, if you don’t have any responsibilities that tie you down, take it. The opportunities you are given are few and when you are given them, make the best of them. If you get anywhere, it’s worth the best. To be an immigrant you need a lot of courage, a lot of courage, because? Because you are going to leave behind your roots, your everything, but you will always have that desire to push yourself, to grow, to look for the good things, to take your name forward and the name of your country. Yes, he explained to me, because I am José Guillermo Suárez, I am also Mexican and the idea and what I leave to the people of a Mexican is very important to me.
[00:16:46] Well, thank you very much for saying that, José Guillermo. I know you have had several key moments that have led you to move from one place to another, but before you tell us a little bit about your life in Miami, is there a key moment? East. Maybe in Australia. Or in Venezuela something you said? Well, little by little I am already forming. Obviously your personality was already formed and the trips taught you a lot, but your capabilities as an administrator, as a professional, as you are an entrepreneur as well. When something key.
[00:17:26] Well when I came to Australia it’s my English, it wasn’t perfect and American English or British English and Australian English are totally different. Do I make myself clear? My English was not very good then. At first I thought I was going to get there and said well, I’ll be able to do something with nothing. I started picking up at a place called Café San Marcos. This was what I found for work, because although I had money and not my family, I was not going to pay for my university in Australia and it was something that I had decided and it was a responsibility that I had put on myself and I had to either succeed or go back to Mexico with my tail between my legs. Of course, I said well, there is nothing. I started picking up garbage and kept changing. I worked as a waiter, as a bartender, from picking up glasses to being a manager in a nightclub and then with the Mexican embassy I got an opportunity that is where my first approach to the Supply Chain was. He worked with a company called Artes de México that imported Talavera from Puebla, Talavera Uriarte from the Port of Puebla with denomination of origin all the way to Australia. And I also learned that the value you place on things is how much someone is willing to pay for them. And the idea with which I had in things. Talavera plates, which are not cheap but which we can buy for $100. In Australia they were sold for 600 € and in Australia they were works of art. The store was in a place called James Street and it was a beautiful thing. It was like a beautiful museum, all glass and tables. And there were drums that were at $8,000, $9,000. And I am saying this 15 years ago. 17 years. Do I make myself clear? And people would come in and see and say Oh, I need to think that should be chip. Very cheap. No, not at all. Then. How did you sell to them? As they were told. Y. Well, he sold in the store, he sold and he also helped them with all the import and export contracts.
[00:19:30] That’s where you started getting into logistics, into the Chain. And now, going back to where your story was, you arrive in Miami the first day, you already have a job offer and tell us about it.
[00:19:44] I have a job offer. I say yes. It is a family with whom I am super, super grateful, who have been very good friends all my life. I have known them for a long time, we lived together, we lived very close in Mexico City, in the south of Mexico City, and we were friends. When I meet Alex again, he tells me, “Hey, did he invite you to join the Brasi Mex team in Miami? I think that right now with what you are going through, the way you are and everything, above all I need someone honest and trustworthy that I can rely on and support me in my operations. And I said yes, I said give me a month, everything is over, everything. Was I married to him? I was married in a civil ceremony, not in a church. My wife got together with the marriage wife and the church and everything and she said yes, of course she did. What about this one? And the week after I got married in the church I started working and I remember they sent me a file that told me look, here come these four containers to Miami, we need you to take them out, plan them and put them in the warehouse.
[00:20:52] And I say you have never seen me.
[00:20:54] With a container, nothing, neither the forms that had to be done with customs, nor the paperwork to make the brief, neither he nor the Rivera. Not with the shipping company. Nothing, nothing. Neither packing, nor limbo, nor anything, nothing, nothing, nothing. How was it done with a costume broker in the United States, nor how the hotels were paid, nor the taxes, whether or not all the requirements and regulations were made. And if I didn’t get in and they said well, you have a week to.
[00:21:25] Let it reach my zero.
[00:21:26] This has to be. And I succeeded. I grabbed the phone and started talking, talking, talking. I remember I was there. I still live in Weston. I was in Miami at the time. It wasn’t that far away. But Diary was going from Downtown Miami to the airport first. Then I met other people of yours that we worked with and they helped me a lot. My practice has excellent people and another attorney, Jennifer Jennifer Diaz, who is a great lawyer. If you ask me again about mentors, mentors in logistics in the United States, in the United States. The three of them. And they helped me as logic.
[00:22:04] And I know Gary. In fact, it’s all been in the industry his whole life.
[00:22:09] Basically everything, everything. And Gary is someone I keep in touch with a lot, really. He is someone I appreciate in an impressive way. He loves me very much and I love him very much. And his help was invaluable. I think he saw my desperate face.
[00:22:25] Good, but good to see it too. The attitude of wanting to resolve things, which I imagine is something that is reflected in the story of what you have told us since you left Mexico and well, since before.
[00:22:38] So I made it.
[00:22:40] What was this company doing, the one you were telling me about?
[00:22:43] So they take care of your product from placing the purchase order to the delivery in the country you need and all the basic service, including the reception in local currency, it is a total Fake Management Company, including financing. We offer financing to customers, so it is a very long spectrum and this particular customer was not a normal warehouse, it had to be a warehouse where at that time there were not yet the free trade zones that there are now.
[00:23:16] He looks, that’s where the connection to Gary is today.
[00:23:19] So that’s how it is. I needed to find a Bonded Warehouse. There was still no Treadstone and Gary and he helped me. He explained to me how everything was done, how to get into the handling permits. If you had to handle the load. No? How were we to receive these generators? Because these generators could not be this if it was not in the United States and Bone. And so it was. Like this, like this. So was my first. My first hard encounter here in the U.S. with logistics and nothing from there. From there I ended up opening the second Free Trade Zone for Cemex. The first one was helped by Jennifer Díaz, for the second one, When we opened the second winery they told me Do you think you are good enough to do it by yourself? I did it myself, I helped other, several other companies to create this year I helped several other companies to create the Free trade zone. I just went through the whole process of the legal paperwork.
[00:24:19] From.
[00:24:19] Operation, everything about how to set up the warehouse where the cameras have to go, where the signage has to go, what are the requirements that you have, what.
[00:24:28] They have when you have to do some certification or something like that or not, Not necessarily.
[00:24:32] No, I did not do it as a management, as a consultancy. And this one and that’s where it was, that’s really where I learned. I tell you, I learned. Al. Acting crazy. Doing so. If this.
[00:24:50] Hey. And now. And we got closer. And now yes, to Tibe. I imagine that again too. Well, maybe. And what happened after that?
[00:25:00] No? After that I became a master. A master’s degree with the Facebook in logistics in your play and.
[00:25:07] By then you already knew that. So, what captivated you about logistics? I was told you learned the challenges.
[00:25:13] I loved the challenges. It was not enough for me to be told it is almost impossible for me to tell Alex I want a project and I was in charge of working with Latin America. I was the U.S. base, the free zone for all of Latin America. Why Florida? Because Florida is the gateway to Latin America par excellence. So, although today we have more warehouses, they had more warehouses in Laredo and in California and so on. I was in charge of the Florida free trade zone and business, and then we did a lot of business with Costa Rica, with Guatemala, with Ecuador, Brazil too, even Venezuela, we had offices there, it was explained to me and that was what I was in charge of, the clients that had to move all that merchandise, All those American companies that did not have so much certainty of going to Latin America, that found in the free trade zones a refuge from tariffs, taxes and security that provided them to have the merchandise there to later dispatch it in a super time throughout Latin America and with effectiveness, whether it was maritime or to it.
[00:26:19] So, that difficulty, the complexity of the fact that you were dealing with many countries, that caught your attention? Well, yes, I’m going to do this, more like a master’s degree.
[00:26:28] To pursue a master’s degree. I did my master’s degree with Cornell FEUU. It was a master’s degree when COBIT was just starting. Originally it was going to be face-to-face, COBIT arrives and half of the mastery was online. So a very nice experience. The end of the master’s degree. Yes, this one was already attended and I finished the master’s degree very happy. In the meantime, a headhunter called me and told me that there was a company interested in talking to me. This is very funny because at first I thought it was a franchise they were offering me, something like that. I told him I was not interested. I stood Chief Hunter up once and he called me and looks at me. Do they really want to talk to you? If not, John would have contacted you again. I have already been authorized to tell you which company is the company. When I got in to find out about you, I said Wow, this is awesome. That is, what we had seen, what I knew about seismograph thermography, as we did in Mexico. Thermography. And it was nothing in real time. There was nothing that offered you a real-time location platform for your goods. And yes, the day I talked to Ryan Sullivan, who is now my boss, and then to Carnal, the founder, I told them both I’m the one who wants to work with you. So, what do I need to work with you? Because this is really what the chains, what the supply chains are looking for. Anyone moving goods from one point to another is what you need. What if I met him back then? What if it does everything you’re telling me? It is a marvel.
[00:28:07] And so visibility, as you say, is extremely important. But before we get a little bit into what you do in Tiff East, tell us roughly for the people listening to us what problem TIFF is trying to solve and what it is? Which company is it? Tell us a little more about TIFF so people can get to know it a little better.
[00:28:29] It is a relatively new company.
[00:28:31] American o.
[00:28:32] American, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, but not at all common. And he is the founder of. He is the founder of Type OK. In 2015, the. Develop what is there. Being. Why? Because his father-in-law had a transport company and he saw all the problems that his father-in-law had with the transport company, that if the fruit he was sending was out of temperature, that if the valuable merchandise was stolen, that if the box had been opened, that the estimated CPI was on Monday at five o’clock and it was Tuesday and the truck driver had not arrived yet and nobody knew where he was and maybe he was lost in a casino. If he didn’t explain all those problems he said look, I think I can help. He is someone super, super smart. It began to develop in the basement of his house, which today is made with different sensors. Yes, they were much larger. We used different technologies than we use today. This one, But it was starting. He saw it, he saw it, he found a way to make it more practical, more, more portable, more mobile and with more information. And today it has a patent that we use cellular triangulation. Wifi and GPS to offer you in real time. The location and condition of your merchandise. Tip’s philosophy. The mission and vision of you is that all the gossip arrives on time to ning fu. Because someone cares about that merchandise and it is important that they can know the location and knowledge of your merchandise at all times.
[00:30:12] Today with the pandemic, visibility in supply chains has become an extremely important, critical and high-dollar issue. Many companies, I imagine, are looking to solve the problem of visibility in their supply chains.
[00:30:29] Visibility is extremely important. The status of the merchandise as well, but especially all the data, all the analytics that our hackers generate for you is impressive. You can generate sport cards, you can know which product you are moving the most, how long the trip takes, how many kilometers exactly. The day is super accurate. Where is it? We are. We were pioneers in developing a tracker that did not use lithium batteries, but zinc batteries that were more friendly to be used in certain companies that do not use them, that do not like lithium or in airlines. It is impressive how it has been advancing and how we are advancing and it keeps changing. We are. We are a company that listens a lot to our customers. We already have a customer and are looking to find out how we can improve our product.
[00:31:21] Could you teach us again? That’s basically it. That is the tracker. Basically for people who don’t know, or so he grabs it. In other words, how does it work? You buy it and put it in a container, rent it.
[00:31:34] You buy it. Another impressive thing about this that I haven’t gotten to in depth is single-use. It is disposable because people who know logistics know.
[00:31:43] Otherwise you have to send them back by DHL or FedEx. It’s a relaxation.
[00:31:48] Because the certification in the documentation are single-use disposable. We have a green program called Green Tide to care about the environment. Ok, so they are single use. It’s very simple and once you hire our platform you take it off and you can paste it, either at the container level, at the local level or at the product level. Ok, and all these this tracker.
[00:32:15] And as soon as you paste it I start working. It has nothing new with the wheel.
[00:32:21] And the little button that starts there. Then you go to the platform. In our system, you create your origin, you create your destination, you ask for the alerts that always indicate connection, light, temperature, humidity, soc inclination, geo, routes, geo fences, location. I tell you, you can change the end translation from every two minutes of transmission and measurement to every 12 hours, depending on the stretch where you are or the interest of each product you have. Yes, he explained and it works for a huge range, from perishables, fruits, vegetables, meat to computer servers or works of art. We have a spectrum of all customers in entities. Why? Because depending on the country, depending on the product there are. Factors that serve you better than one another. For Latin America we have realized that the main factor is safety. Location. Then. Roads, fences. This little eye that you have here to detect the light if someone opens your container, what happened because they opened it for you when it stopped, where did it stop? If the temperature varied, if the humidity varied? How does this tracker transmit? They transmit 5G, 4G, 3G and LTE. If it loses 5G it sends three pings on 4G. If you lose 4G, send three pins on LTE or on or else.
[00:33:47] It is extremely interesting. Very, very, very, very complete. And it is used. It sounds quite easy to use.
[00:33:54] Also easy to use is a single use, no worries. And then with the Green program we have some incentives in which if your end customer or you come back, there is a program for each device that is received in one of our international recycling centers.
[00:34:10] Hey, and obviously if your cargo originates in another country, let’s say, you are importing a lot from Asia, as it happened in the United States, for example, or any other country in the world. These, the equipment are already in Asia, that is, the customer could buy them there and they are already there, they don’t have to ship them from here or anything.
[00:34:30] You tell me where you want me to deliver them.
[00:34:32] And to whom, and you send it to the person who.
[00:34:35] And I’ll give them to you.
[00:34:36] Shipping. The box arrives with your tracker. Well, we’re going to put all the contact and all that when the interview is over. I think it’s quite interesting what you do and how does the day to day life look like for you José Guillermo Which one? What are you doing now for Tibe?
[00:34:55] Well, look, I started to try one more time. I started as a salesman, I was hired to be a salesman one year ago in Tigre a month ago and now they gave me the opportunity to manage Latin America, to be sales manager for Latin America. I already have a sales team of five people in Mexico, Colombia and Latin America. I am in charge of the Caribbean and Latin America. So, what are we looking for right now? To make ourselves known, because although we are very well known in Europe, we are dominating the market in the United States and in Asia as well. Latin America is something that they had not turned to see full time and well, I showed them that Latin America is an impressive force of.
[00:35:39] Latin America is an impressive market, as you say, the future of much of what we are seeing in supply chains.
[00:35:48] That’s a lot then, and even more as it is now. Latin America is producing more than 60-70% from the United States all year round, if not only from the United States to Europe. We have a privileged climate, we have opportunities to produce a lot of things and to do things well. The Latin American. Or in relation to everyone I know, they are always very hard workers, even if we have some defects and other things, but really, when we want to do things well, we do things well, with a lot of enthusiasm, we help each other a lot among Latin Americans and that makes us, makes us grow. My day to day is to look for market penetration, supermarkets, look for verticals to give to my team to attack, attend talks, attend logistics expos, conferences, travel a lot now that the young school trip has been reactivated, of course. And nothing, keep on, keep on promoting. I am very very very very very very happy and very proud of what we have achieved in Chile, both in Latin America and in the rest of the world. We created a common area and created one called the Open Networking Network and it is the collaboration of the Open Visibility Network that came together.
[00:37:06] This is what we talked about before we started recording the program. This is quite interesting and in fact the next question the Open Network Ability is from Open Ability Network Open Ranking? What is it and what is the idea behind the Open Ability Network?
[00:37:26] Well, look, he is. The idea is that a single platform does not cover 100% of a client’s needs with nothing. And the challengers of these companies realized and learned that if you collaborate, the experience that the end customer has is the 100% experience and the 100% solution. So with Ever Stream Park, Pure Marine Traffic Project for Kids, Frank Vaillant and Blue Systems created the Open Network, which means collaborating with all of us to offer a better visibility solution to all customers. There are parts in which one can obtain certain data. Well, do we partner with Traffic or are there parts that you can’t offer some visibility at the merchandise level through tickets? It can be done without all these companies. We are working together to provide you with real-time visibility into your supply chain.
[00:38:29] Something. Something that. That people who are in this industry have been waiting for many, many years. It’s really something that shouldn’t be that difficult to achieve with the technology we have today, but it is something that is critical. Where is my container? Where is my pallet? The port has been there for two or three days and nobody knows where it is. Things we should not be suffering from at this time.
[00:38:56] Project and especially today, we talk about before and after COBIT. Why? Because as of today we are seeing the delays and now comes the war in Ukraine. And how? How has it been affecting supply chains? But it’s not just in the supply chain. Tell me, Enrique, how long has it been since you’ve been in a regular cab?
[00:39:16] Three years.
[00:39:17] It tripled. So what? But what is the security that gives you that you open the app and when you open the app it tells you exactly who is going to be your transportation, you or your driver, which vehicle is going to take you, how long, yes.
[00:39:30] You see, where it comes from, it’s not easy to.
[00:39:33] Route, are you taking a bus? Exactly. It’s the same this civil Open networking, to be able to know where you are from the moment you request it or from the moment it’s happening. Where? Port delays. What’s going on with all this? Where is your merchandise? At what point will it arrive and in what condition will it arrive? Something super important about TIFF is that, for example, the most used form of transportation in the world is by land. Trucks. Yes. Let me explain. In the land transportation part that gives you the opportunity, it gives you the benefit of being able to solve any problem that is happening in transit. Of course, of course. Your container because it is coming out of temperature. Why is it not where it should be? If it is losing temperature, you have the opportunity to call the carrier. And if you hear it, look. The guy who is sending me, who is coming out of temperature to my face. Stand up and check your thermos or turn off the alarm when the door is improperly closed. This is either deviating from the route or you know it’s a red zone, a danger zone and the carrier is going five or ten kilometers out, he’s slowed down and there’s an alert that the box is open. Well, something is happening.
[00:40:41] And all these alerts come to me automatically.
[00:40:45] In real time. At the moment they are going through my API.
[00:40:50] And the application of the.
[00:40:51] Cellular and real time application, it is receiving everything well.
[00:40:56] It is not, I think, José Guillermo I think it is very, very interesting the people who are listening to us. It seems to me that you are going to have many, many questions and above all many doubts as to how, how to contact you, how to contact. But back to you, who are ultimately the central person in this interview. East. And now we are closing and wrapping up a bit. At the end I will ask you how they can contact you, but. Dándole. If you had, went back in time and had some advice to yourself. Al. The José Guillermo of 18 or 20 years old. What advice would you give yourself?
[00:41:45] Improve your English. Ha, ha, ha, ha.
[00:41:46] Ha ha. This is good advice. It is very important.
[00:41:50] Now look, it’s not about improving your English, it’s about learning as many languages as you can, as many languages as you can. What good advice. It is an advantage that I have seen here, that maybe there have been people who are more qualified in the position, but they only speak English. I speak English, Spanish and try to chew Portuguese. If it cannot be understood, then that then takes risks. Life is too short. If there are times in life when you’re young, when you’re young, take all those risks before you’re married with kids and have responsibilities and burdens when you’re young. If you are given the opportunity to travel, travel as much as possible. Educate anywhere, even on the corner, but you already know a little more than the others. Traveling opens your mind. Traveling makes you understand other cultures. Traveling makes you understand people and understand that here, when you are alone, you find yourself with yourself and it is the hardest time to know who I am and what I am good at and what I am doing and what I can do to get out of the puddle, but everyone wants to get out of the puddle and you find yourself traveling. Give yourself a chance and believe in yourself. Because if you believe in yourself. People. Others believe in you. But if you don’t believe in yourself or not, no, you’re not going to do it. My advice is that Take risks and grow the fire.
[00:43:06] Excellent advice and very, very practical too. And well, it comes from a man who applied it in his professional and personal career. And well, we are extremely honored that you accepted the interview today, it was an extremely valuable, informative and very inspiring interview for many who are listening to us. Am I sure about people like you who have achieved significant success professionally, but at the end of the day haven’t they also forgotten their roots? Where did it come from? So? Thank you very much, Jose Guillermo, how can people who see us connect with you? How can they know a little more about you? How can they be a little more faith?
[00:43:49] Well, I’m going to send you all my contacts right now to upload them. Simple, it is triple double TV than this fall and Ignacio de Victor’s Ernesto dot com. There is the platform, there you have that is an omnichannel platform. Then you contact us depending on Region, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Caribbean, ok. It is channeled directly to me or someone from my team, or someone from the European, Asian or U.S. sales team, depending on where you are looking. Perfect. Ok, there are all the success stories we have had, there are all the applications it receives according to the industries and there are different blogs where you can subscribe, where we send you different newsletters of what is happening in the market and the visibility in real time.
[00:44:33] Well, you heard the man. José Guillermo, again thank you very much. Obviously in the episode we will put all the contacts, all the leagues, not only yours, but also yours. And well, we’ll also post some links that you can send us about the Open Ability Network and anything else so that people can learn a little more about technological advances in supply chains. Once again, thank you very much to all of you who listened to us and like and are interested in talks like the one we had today with José Guillermo. Be sure to subscribe again. My name is Enrique Alvarez and this was another episode of Supply Chain in Spanish. Greetings.
Jose Guillermo Suarez is an experienced Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of success working in the logistics and supply chain industry. Skilled in Sales, Customer Relations, Import, Export, Operations Management, Freight, and Easily Adaptable. A strong business development professional with a BA in International Relations from Griffith University and a Master Of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from FIU. Connect with Jose on LinkedIn.
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Host, Logistics with Purpose
Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.
Host
From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.
Host, Supply Chain Now
The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.
He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.
A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.
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.
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.
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.
Host
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.
Host
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.
Host
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).
Host
Marty Parker serves as both the CEO & Founder of Adæpt Advising and an award-winning Senior Lecturer (Teaching Professor) in Supply Chain and Operations Management at the University of Georgia. He has 30 years of experience as a COO, CMO, CSO (Chief Strategy Officer), VP of Operations, VP of Marketing and Process Engineer. He founded and leads UGA’s Supply Chain Advisory Board, serves as the Academic Director of UGA’s Leaders Academy, and serves on multiple company advisory boards including the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, Zion Solutions Group and Carlton Creative Company.
Marty enjoys helping people and companies be successful. Through UGA, Marty is passionate about his students, helping them network and find internships and jobs. He does this through several hundred one-on-one zoom meetings each year with his students and former students. Through Adæpt Advising, Marty has organized an excellent team of affiliates that he works with to help companies grow and succeed. He does this by helping c-suite executives improve their skills, develop better leaders, engage their workforce, improve processes, and develop strategic plans with detailed action steps and financial targets. Marty believes that excellence in supply chain management comes from the understanding the intersection of leadership, culture, and technology, working across all parts of the organization to meet customer needs, maximize profit and minimize costs.
Marketing Coordinator
Laura Lopez serves as our Supply Chain Now Marketing Coordinator. She graduated from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Mexico with a degree in marketing. Laura loves everything digital because she sees the potential it holds for companies in the marketing industry. Her passion for creativity and thinking outside the box led her to pursue a career in marketing. With experience in fields like accounting, digital marketing, and restaurants, she clearly enjoys taking on challenges. Laura lives the best of both worlds - you'll either catch her hanging out with her friends soaking up the sun in Mexico or flying out to visit her family in California!
Host
An acknowledged industry leader, Jake Barr now serves as CEO for BlueWorld Supply Chain Consulting, providing support to a cross section of Fortune 500 companies such as Cargill, Caterpillar, Colgate, Dow/Dupont, Firmenich, 3M, Merck, Bayer/Monsanto, Newell Brands, Kimberly Clark, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Sanofi, Estee Lauder and Coty among others. He's also devoted time to engagements in public health sector work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At P&G, he managed the breakthrough delivery of an E2E (End to End) Planning Transformation effort, creating control towers which now manage the daily business globally. He is recognized as the architect for P&G’s demand driven supply chain strategy – referenced as a “Consumer Driven Supply Chain” transformation. Jake began his career with P&G in Finance in Risk Analysis and then moved into Operations. He has experience in building supply network capability globally through leadership assignments in Asia, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. He currently serves as a Research Associate for MIT; a member of Supply Chain Industry Advisory Council; Member of Gartner’s Supply Chain Think Tank; Consumer Goods “League of Leaders“; and a recipient of the 2015 - 2021 Supply Chain “Pro’s to Know” Award. He has been recognized as a University of Kentucky Fellow.
Host
Marcia Williams, Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain, has 18 years of experience in Supply Chain, with expertise in optimizing Supply Chain-Finance Planning (S&OP/ IBP) at Large Fast-Growing CPGs for greater profitability and improved cash flows. Marcia has helped mid-sized and large companies including Lindt Chocolates, Hershey, and Coty. She holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a degree in Accounting from Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay (South America). Marcia is also a Forbes Council Contributor based out of New York, and author of the book series Supply Chains with Maria in storytelling style. A recent speaker’s engagement is Marcia TEDx Talk: TEDxMSU - How Supply Chain Impacts You: A Transformational Journey.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Luisa Garcia is a passionate Marketer from Lagos de Moreno based in Aguascalientes. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico. She specializes in brand development at any stage, believing that a brand is more than just a name or image—it’s an unforgettable experience. Her expertise helps brands achieve their dreams and aspirations, making a lasting impact. Currently working at Vector Global Logistics in the Marketing team and as podcast coordinator of Logistics With Purpose®. Luisa believes that purpose-driven decisions will impact results that make a difference in the world.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Astrid Aubert was born in Guadalajara, she is 39 years old and has had the opportunity to live in many places. She studied communication and her professional career has been in Trade Marketing for global companies such as Pepsico and Mars. She currently works as Marketing Director Mexico for Vector Global Logistics. She is responsible for internal communications and marketing strategy development for the logistics industry. She is a mother of two girls, married and lives in Monterrey. She defines herself as a creative and innovative person, and enjoys traveling and cooking a lot.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Sofia self-identifies as Supply Chain Ambassador, her mission is to advocate for the field and inspire young generations from diverse backgrounds and cultures to join the industry so that thought diversity is increased and change accelerated. Recognized as Linkedin Top Voice and Linkedin Community Top Voice in Supply Chain Management, as well as Emerging Leader in Supply Chain by CSCMP 2024, Top Women in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Executive 2023, and Coup de Coeur Global Women Leaders in Supply Chain by B2G Consulting in 2021.
Public speaker at multiple international events from keynotes and panels, to webinars and guest lectures for bachelor's and master's degrees, discussing topics such as sustainability, women in the industry, technology and innovation. Writer at different online magazines on logistics, supply chain and technology. Podcast host and guest on different recognized programs in the industry. Sofia has more than 5 years of experience from academic research and field studies to warehouse operations, demand planning and network design. She has worked in manufacturing, airport operations, e-commerce retail, and technology hardware across Latin America, North America and Europe.
Currently working as Supply Chain Network Design and Optimization Manager at HP within their Global Supply Chain and Logistics team.
Host
Karin Bursa is the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year and the Host of the TEKTOK Digital Supply Chain Podcast powered by Supply Chain Now. With more than 25 years of supply chain and technology expertise (and the scars to prove it), Karin has the heart of a teacher and has helped nearly 1,000 customers transform their businesses and share their success stories. Today, she helps B2B technology companies introduce new products, capture customer success and grow global revenue, market share and profitability. In addition to her recognition as the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year, Karin has also been recognized as a 2019 and 2018 Supply Chain Pro to Know, 2009 Technology Marketing Executive of the Year and a 2008 Women in Technology Finalist.
Host
Vin Vashishta is the author of ‘From Data To Profit’ (Wiley 2023). It’s the playbook for monetizing data and AI. Vin is the Founder of V-Squared and built the business from client 1 to one of the world’s oldest data and AI consulting firms. His background combines nearly 30 years in strategy, leadership, software engineering, and applied machine learning.
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.
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.
Principal & Host
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Director, Customer Experience
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.
Chief of Staff & Host
Mary Kate Love is currently the VP of marketing at Supply Chain Now focused on brand strategy and audience + revenue growth. Mary Kate’s career is a testament to her versatility and innovative spirit: she has experience in start-ups, venture capital, and building innovation initiatives from the ground up: she previously helped lead the build-out of the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific and before that, MxD (Manufacturing times Digital): the Department of Defense’s digital manufacturing innovation center. Mary Kate has a passion for taking complicated ideas and turning them into reality: she was one of the first team members at MxD and the first team member at the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific.
Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Marketing Specialist
Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more. In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.
Director of Communications and Executive Producer
Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys. She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.
Controller
Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.
Creative Director, Producer, Host
Katherine Hintz, MBA is a marketing professional 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.