“Just because you have a large supply chain does not guarantee that you’re a going to survive.”
– Mike Griswold, Vice President of Research, Retail at Gartner
According to Gartner research, 60 to 75% of organizations report a disconnect between their business strategy, digital strategy, and supply chain strategy. If companies struggle to align their business and digital strategies, it seems like a long shot that they will be able to align the supply chain, especially given the elevated levels of uncertainty we face today.
Mike Griswold is the Vice President of Research at Gartner, specializing in retail with a particular focus on forecasting and replenishment. He is responsible for Gartner’s annual Top 25 Supply Chain ranking and joins Supply Chain Now on a monthly basis to discuss the latest in retail supply chains from an analyst’s perspective.
In this conversation, Mike tells Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton:
· The need to be able to identify and articulate business problems before trying to solve them through technology or operational change
· Why the key to cross-functional collaboration may reside in the traditional org chart and using a broader definition for ‘supply chain’
· The concrete steps companies can take today to reduce the cost and inefficiency of their reverse logistics
It’s time for supply chain. Now broadcasting live from the supply chain capital of the country. Atlanta, Georgia heard around the world. Supply chain. Now spotlights the best in all things. Supply chain, the people, the technologies, the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.
Scott Luton (00:40):
Hey, Hey, good afternoon, Greg white tequila, sunrise supply chain now has got lead here all with Wednesdays. Last string, Greg. I liked that. Well, I wanted to, I wanted to see how much I could fit on the screen. Well, I’ll tell you, you’ve had, you’ve been on quite a roll folks. Need to know a lot more about tequila, sunrise. We’ve got we’ve we’ve had a slew of, of conversations with some of the movers and shakers, not just across supply chain, but across industry. And that looks like it continues. You’re like, uh, old DiMaggio here lately 57 game hit street. Right?
New Speaker (01:14):
I guess so. Yeah. I, you know, people like listening, um, it, this, this next episode is going to be all about investing in supply chain tech. So I have a feeling, uh, like, like my, so you think you want to start a supply chain tech?
New Speaker (01:32):
This could be a little bit of an awakening for investors, like the same sort of, uh, awakening we offered.
Scott Luton (01:39):
founders. So I love it, but Hey, let’s talk about that later, man. We have a huge guest once again here. Yeah. Huge guests. We’re getting today’s all about supply chain today and tomorrow, right? The one and only Mike Rosewall with Gartner, we’ve enjoyed this monthly series. We’ve gotten a ton of feedback from folks in the audience. I know that live streams have been with ton of interaction and answers. So Hey, David and Kayvon, uh, smile. Great to have you Larry Klein, two squared via YouTube. Of course. Jenny Froome may even sneak in here on YouTube. Hey, just a fair challenge. This isn’t really challenge our audience because they always bring it, but challenge them. That’s right. We’re going to be talking about some key takeaways from a big event early this month with, uh, certainly a leader in the nose. So y’all get ready. Cause we want to hear from you all as well. So, uh, Greg quick programming note, as we were working hard, improve and increase and enhance and maybe optimize everybody’s supply chain IQ. Yup. If you want to do, if you enjoy today’s conversation, everybody make sure you check out our podcasts wherever you get your podcasts from. So, uh, cert for supply chain now, and please subscribe it’s free. Uh, and you won’t miss conversations like this one with Mike Griswold here, money back guaranteed. Our marketing people want us to say subscribe
Greg White (03:00):
Or follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch.
Scott Luton (03:05):
Nice, nicely done. And on that note, we should thank both Amanda and clay and the whole team, always behind the sides. They’re certainly the true cogs in the engine that keep us coming so greatness to see what they do. Appreciate it. Um, two quick announcements, we’ve been talking about these two events for quite some time. Uh, we’ve had an outpouring of participation on this webinar. We’ve got teed up tomorrow. It’s all about not just IOT, but the latest and greatest, um, cutting edge applications, practical, uh, bottom line results, driving applications of IOT. So check that out. We’ve got a link to the, uh, registration page on the show notes, making it easy. One click November 19th already tomorrow. Greg, have you already gotten your Turkey thought out?
Greg White (03:56):
Uh we’re we buy it on frozen as a matter of fact, but um, yeah, I’ve been contemplating a deep fried one, but I don’t think I’m going to get away with that this year. Okay. But one thought on this IOT thing. Yep. Uh, so if this, hopefully this is a motivating perspective. Consider that with IOT, we no longer have to use traditional forecasting methods to identify when, to position parts, replacement parts and new, uh, equipment in the supply chain. So think about it from that perspective. And then listen up.
Scott Luton (04:33):
I thought just for sh I thought for sure, you’re going to apply that to when you pull your, your Turkey out of the freezer and begin the thawing process, continue down that famous Turkey, Tom, Greg, we’ve got to embrace that theme at least for the next couple of days, right? Or a couple of weeks. Lots of Turkey saying which is cranberry sauce. No cranberry sauce.
Greg White (04:53):
Greg. No cranberry sauce. Yeah. I’m with you. I’m with you. Very, uh, I’m very basic when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Yes. Yes I am. It looks like mashed potatoes and dressing. That’s a battle. I care about
Scott Luton (05:07):
Climb the stakes at stakes at his house. That’s the tradition there. Uh, clay Clayton says unfrozen Turkey. Talk about nimble supply chain.
Greg White (05:20):
Well, I may, I may or may not have been doing business in the food, food and food service industry. So I might have a connection or two. Awesome. All right.
Scott Luton (05:29):
Well, Hey, uh, one other quick announcement for bringing in the one and only Mike Griswold, we’re really looking forward to the st. Picks 20, 20 safe mix virtual conference taking place next week. Uh, our role there, Greg is twofold. Number one, we’re going to be sharing a couple of our, uh, favorite moment, uh, you know, 300 plus podcasts. And lastly webinars here in 2020 as well as hashtag trivia is back. We’re going to be leading one of the most events, this side of the supply chain industry. So hashtag trivia is back looking forward to it.
Greg White (06:04):
Yeah, yeah, no doubt. I think, uh, I love the dichotomy of we’re the entertainment, but we’re also the authorities. So I think I said this before. I’m going to wear my tuxedo t-shirt yes, yes, but I’m also supply chain authority
Scott Luton (06:26):
Key with a tie. I love it. All right. Well, Hey, check out the event. We can’t say enough. Great things about st. Pick’s love what they’re doing to disseminate supply chain, best practices and leadership and forward looking leadership across the continent of Africa across all the, uh, the 40 plus countries that make up the continent. So check that out. The link to register is in the show notes. Okay. So Greg, I’m excited. I, I had to, I was on the sidelines watching you and Korean in October kind of pick Mike’s brains. Great to be back with him. So with no further ado, let’s welcome in Mike Griswold, vice president analyst
Scott Luton (07:04):
Gartner.
Mike Griswold (07:08):
Hey guys. Hey Mike, how you doing? Hey Angela. Well, thanks. I, I would, I would submit going down Greg’s Turkey line. The very first internet of things was a little thing that pops up on the Turkey to tell you it’s done. So I think they were ahead of the curve when it comes to IOT. And if you think about it, I mean, for, there are refrigerators that have IOT in them. Oh, you have to do is put something in the freezer that could identify how long it would take to thaw. Yep. I mean, there’s a way to do it. Yes.
Scott Luton (07:43):
The only thing we’re missing here is a Turkey’s perspective on exactly what they think, but regardless, Hey, great to have Mike Rosewall back. We’ve got a lot of, a lot of ground to cover, want to say hello to a few folks, uh, uh, Kayvon Keith Duckworth. Of course, Larry Sophia, uh, Reavis Herrera is back with us clay. Uh, David says bonus episode, and he’s going to grab his popcorn. It’s great to have you here. Uh, Dave, and, uh, so buckle up. This is gonna be a great session. All right. So let’s, let’s have a little bit more fun. Sure. Trying to keep it’s been so important to maintain a healthy sense of humor here in this 2020. So I appreciate your good sportsmanship here, Mike. So three quick lightning, lightning, round questions for you. First question. How many hours of masters coverage did you watch and who were you?
Mike Griswold (08:34):
Yeah, so, um, I, I’m assuming too much, isn’t a wrong answer. I watched it all. And in fact, I watched like a masters before and after. So, uh, it was, I watched it all. I had, uh, my brother-in-law runs a, you know, for entertainment purposes, a master’s pool that had about a thousand bucks in it. Um, I didn’t see any of that. I had Zander Schalfly and Collin Mara Markella who I thought were, you know, semi-intelligent picks going into this the way they were playing. Uh, it obviously didn’t turn out. I, I, I do the want to want to give it in some serious note, kind of a life lesson that I took from the masters, which is if anyone had watched it all or even if you didn’t watch it, I’m sure you heard about, uh, tiger woods, you know, getting a tan on a par three, for those of you that don’t golf.
Mike Griswold (09:23):
That’s not good, but what he said afterwards and what he did afterwards, I think is a life lesson for everybody which is in golf. And in a lot of instances, you have to find a way to pull yourself up. Right. You know, he referenced there is, you know, in golf, there is no sub, there is no replacement. He had to figure out a way to gut through and finish the hole. And then he managed to, I think birdie five of the last six holes. So I mean sports in general, I love cause they give life lessons golf in particular can give us all life lessons. And I think that was one from tiger. I did not see that was that on 12. Oh yeah, of course. I mean, if it was going to be on any hole, it would be, so you should go, go look it up. I’m sure there’s YouTube of it. It’s, it’s, it’s something that all of us that golf can relate to, but what we can’t relate to, at least from my game is, you know, when I get to seven, it’s like, okay, that’s the most I can take in this whole I’m outta here. You know, when you’re the masters, you can’t do that. You got to finish and he ended up with a 10. Yeah.
Scott Luton (10:27):
Also continued analogy everything’s within your control typically, right? You’re the only one hitting the ball. There’s no beef fence. No one can break your clubs except for you. Yes. Uh, so, so many life, uh, analogies there with the game of golf, uh, quick, want to say a quick, low, uh, and, and D a great to have you via LinkedIn. Thanks so much for joining us. Pre-teach is back with us. Pretyt welcome. Hope this finds you well. And David is a big fan of cauliflower soup during Thanksgiving. So it takes all kinds for sure. Different strokes, different folks.
Mike Griswold (11:00):
He’s already had his Thanksgiving, hasn’t he? Oh, that’s right. That was a couple of weeks ago. Monday. Yes. I’m aware that, um, many of our, of our emotional support Canadians are not aware of the timing of Thanksgiving because I’m sure, I’m sure you’ve seen that. Me. My, um, Sarah Barnes scheduled a board meeting for ships Tuesday late afternoon. And I’m like, man, usually I don’t work after like noon on Monday.
Scott Luton (11:33):
Uh, uh, you know, let’s keep driving. I’ve got two more questions, Greg, before this symposium that I want to pose to my next question, Mike, what is one habit or routine that you’ve picked up in 2020? And you’re grateful that you did
Mike Griswold (11:50):
Yeah. This and this is, you know, somewhat, I think probably we actually more on a serious note. And I think for people that work from home, um, it might be something considered, but it was something as simple as closing my office door, leaving my office door tended to allow me to wander in and out over the course of the entire day. It was like, I was never really disconnecting and shutting down. Uh, I know for people that, like for me in the analyst world, I’ve been working for hold forever, but for people that that’s relatively newer to, I think finding some way to, even if it’s just virtually closing your door, that was, that’s been huge for me. Um, and just being able to kind of separate, you know, the work stuff from the home stuff. So that to me was big. Just this idea of closing the door smart.
Scott Luton (12:38):
Yeah. The simple things tend to be cinema, more powerful things. So I love that answer, Mike. Uh, the last time I posed that in the last week or two also got some serious answers around a couple of executives that took up, uh, either gardening or some kind of, uh, gardening. And they, it was very therapeutic and very, they were able to, to, to really step back from the email and, and all the digital ways that our organizations get their, their hands around you. But love that answer. Uh, last question here is what is the last movie or TV show that you watched that you actually thought was worth the time?
Mike Griswold (13:15):
Yeah. So I’ll give you two. Um, I, my wife and I are we’re late to the Mandalorian party, but we watched the first season and absolutely loved it. Um, if you, if you’re into that whole star Wars kind of universe and the, and the satellite things that happened within that universe, Mandalorian was really, really good. Uh, and they just started, uh, launching season two. Uh, and then something maybe a little bit more closer to earth. My wife and I love Yellowstone, the Kevin Costner, um, series. If you have not watched season three, watch season three, be prepared for the season finale. It is brutal. I won’t say anymore, but man, I can’t wait for season four to start, um, with what a hanger. Yes.
Scott Luton (14:02):
The cliffhanger of all cliff fingers in the eighties when I was growing up was, was who shot jr.
Mike Griswold (14:06):
Dallas, right? This is booked.
Scott Luton (14:08):
Yeah, this is close. And by the way, it reminds me just how much of a fan I am of Kevin costs or I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad movie or TV.
Mike Griswold (14:17):
Well, he’s Waterworld. I think if he sticks to westerns in baseball, he’s perfect. Um, when he strays, I mean the post man wasn’t, wasn’t horrible. It was better than Waterworld, but yeah, uh, I was chill. Let us not forget bull Durham. My favorite movie of all time.
Scott Luton (14:45):
Yes. And Greg has got every single, uh, uh, quote memorized and they, they come from time to time
Mike Griswold (14:53):
Constitutional amendment, the designated hitter.
Scott Luton (14:57):
Let me be transparent before we recognize a few comments and I’ve tossed over to Greg is, uh, we got one of our dogs, a home made thunder jacket, right? He’s he’s, he’s always anxious and whatnot. So my youngest outgrew a, um, outfit, let’s be honest, outgrew a jacket, and it happened to fit the dog. So now everywhere, he’s moving, you hear this, this vinyl scraping y’all may not hurt him. He just walked into the home studio here. And so I was texting, as you were talking about Mike, the value of shutting your door, I was fast and furiously texting my wife to shut the door. So there’s so much power in that. Um, right. So let’s recognize just a few folks here. I think I mentioned, uh, Aina DIA already to the via LinkedIn Mark held is tuned them via the logistics executive team and just Mark great interview with Patrick van home. Uh, who’s a great friend of the show that dropped yesterday. He had a great interview. So Mark cheers to you, Kim, the whole team there. All right. So Greg, let’s dive into this symposium and the wealth of information that took place there.
Mike Griswold (16:03):
Yeah. I mean, originally we wanted to schedule this at the time to be at symposium, right. So we have been dying talk about a cliff hanger. We’ve been dying to find out, you know, what, what new takeaways there are from symposium. So what do you got for us, Mike? Yeah. So what I have is I’ve got kind of six ideas, Greg. I thought I would try to, at least in my own brain logically group them. Um, and then maybe just see where between you and me and the other folks that are joining us, where this conversation goes the first two, um, you know, really in the future, the biggest, most powerful supply chains aren’t necessarily going to be the supply chains that win. I think that’s an interesting thing to think about. And the one that kind of, I think for me, when I think about the inquiries that I take and the people that I talk to when I look at our quantitative data, the second one, which I think is one, we want to spend a decent amount of time on the concern of supply.
Mike Griswold (17:03):
The concern for supply chains is that CEOs don’t have full confidence that their chief supply chain officers are actually ready to support the digital transformation. I think that’s huge. We’ve always battled as a supply chain to get in front of the C-suite and be part of that. Right. And the fact that our CEOs may not have full confidence in our ability to get us through that, I think is something that we all need to figure out, how are we going to deal with it? How are we going to change that perception? Yeah, that’s big. That’s surprising too. I mean, of all the things, there were a lot of terms going through my mind, as you said, the CEO does not have comfort with, I was going that we can
Greg White (17:50):
Handle another supply chain shock, but digital transformation did not come immediately to mind. So why do you think that is?
Mike Griswold (17:58):
Well, I think part of the challenge when I look at our research is there is in some ways, you know, we’re not helping the supply chain. Cause when I look at our data, we have anywhere from 60 to 75% of organizations telling us there’s a disconnect between the business strategy, the digital strategy and the supply chain strategy. And if I can’t align the business and the digital, it’s pretty unrealistic to expect my supply chain to be able to align with basically uncertainty. So I think it’s, it’s that definition of what does digital actually mean? Right. We know when you ask, you know, 10 companies, you’re going to get 10 different answers, which there isn’t anything wrong with that. It’s long, you know, what’s wrong is, or what’s the, what the challenge becomes is if an organization can’t articulate it internally, right? So when we say we are going to be a digital organization, what does that mean? Does that mean we’re jumping into the deep end of IOT? Does it mean we’re jumping into the deep end of automation? Does it mean as simply for a retailer? Hey, we’re going to do more through e-commerce. None of those are wrong answers, but all of those require different supply chain capabilities. And I think that’s where the dilemma, um, sits is, is what do we want to be when we grow up digitally? And then what do we need from a supply chain?
Greg White (19:17):
I could see that being a concern when you put it that way, where do you start eating the elephant?
Mike Griswold (19:23):
Yeah. Right. Exactly. All of those are options
Greg White (19:25):
To many entities. If you think about it with the number of manufacturers that are going, um, direct to consumer with, uh, and the e-commerce transformation that, that often it requires for them. When you think about how many, how many, um, functions need to move from paper to digital or from spreadsheets to applications or manual to automated, as you, as you think about, I could see why that’s probably not nearly as much an indictment of the chief supply chain officer, right. As it is more a recognition of the complexity of the business problem.
Mike Griswold (20:05):
Right. Exactly. And I think it also, Greg speaks to that first point, which is just because you have a large supply chain does not guarantee that you’re a going to survive. And B that you’ve understand, understood how to bring in resiliency and agility. Right. And those, those I’m sure for everyone that’s joining us are probably words that have made it to everyone’s supply chain bingo card. Um, and we frankly, even on a Gardner are trying to kind of not overuse those words. But if you look at organizations that are coming through this disruption, the pandemic on the other side, you know, in a better situation than when they started, it’s because they’re resilient and they’re agile and you know, size in some instances can help you with that. But also size in some ways can really hurt you in terms of your ability to kind of turn the ship and, and be able to be responsive. Agility is difficult on a big ship, right? Yeah.
Scott Luton (21:09):
So we’ve got a couple of comments from the audience, no reverse the order here, uh, entity, it says digital means transformation in process, business model, domain, and culture. And she also mentioned that she started, you know, we’re talking about new habits in 2020 start starting to create content for LinkedIn this year. Never imagined doing it ever before. So congrats getting out of your comfort zone, uh, and India and Keith says, uh, piggybacks. And one of the comments you made Mike, or does the technology with the supply chain mean using RFID and or blockchain for inventory management?
Mike Griswold (21:46):
I think that goes precisely to the dilemma you described. Mike is there’s yet another option, right? I mean, there are so many directions that organizations could go that, you know, it probably is manifestation of the, of the CEO’s own, own concern about what is the appropriate direction or appropriate first or next step. He, I, I think Greg, the challenge and Scott that here’s where the challenge becomes is, is the, the organization being able to articulate, you know, and I think most organizations can tell you, this is what digital means to us, right. We, I think we’ve, we’ve made a pretty good step in that direction. What we haven’t necessarily define then is how does that change the supply chain capabilities and the supply chain operating model? How does that need to change and what role do people process and technology play in that? So I’ll give you one of our, we’ve talked about it here in the past.
Mike Griswold (22:48):
L’Oreal from our supply chain top 25 that has evolved, you know, what digital means to them is personalized makeup. And what that, how that manifests itself is moving away from, you know, producing in incredible numbers, the same shade of red lipstick to now being able to produce potentially thousands of different shades, because customer a likes one shade and customer B likes another, right? There’s a huge capability and operating model change that needs to happen in order to support that digital strategy. And it’s being able to make those connections that I think in some ways is, is why chief supply chain officers, you know, are there, why they’re staying up late at night, trying to figure out what are those changes? And then how do I communicate that up to the CEO and those types of folks, you
Scott Luton (23:43):
Know, some mass customization only continues to grow and grow and grow, uh, and, uh, and, and D, and my apologies, uh, gentlemen, uh, my apologies there, so great to have you appreciate
Mike Griswold (23:53):
Keeping calls. I’m sure I get it. Yes.
Scott Luton (23:56):
Hey, one, one con you know, that running joke about Henry Ford when the model T first came out, all right. Yeah. You weren’t black or black in terms of the color of the vehicle. And it’s just so amazing. Of course, you’re talking to lipstick, not, not automobiles, but just the sheer scale of being able to get what you want when you want it, what shade you want it with this, this, this option, this option and, and how it’s so here to stay, you know,
Mike Griswold (24:21):
Cindy logged over a year ago, and then again, on a recent episode with her, the batch of one. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yep. Yeah. I mean it’s, and, and, you know, the immediate thing that, that makes me think about is laser or, or, uh, or 3d printing printing, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, imagine you just sit there and watch your lipstick or whatever, in my case, probably more, more of a, whatever they call that foundation. Plus I’ve heard daughters, I should know that better. Uh, anyway, uh, I, I mean, I think that that is a very, that is one of many incredible complexities, so I get the trepidation there. All right. So go ahead. Yeah. It’s just my last thought on that, Greg is you raise a great point with, and the previous comment around RFID and blockchain. I think we, the, the chief supply chain officers and the supply chain teams, I think, need to be, uh, you know, much more pragmatic and targeted around where technology is going to help.
Mike Griswold (25:28):
Right. So, um, find where RFID is going to help you find where, you know, a use case for blockchain, you know, embrace technology like 3d printing and understand where it, how might that enable the digital journey. So there certainly is an AR technology alternatives. I think that the challenge for folks is fitting that, that technology finding the right home for it and not like we’ve done with blockchain, which basically said, which is the same conversation we had. Oh, by the way, years ago, with RFID, it will solve all of our problems. It will solve some problems very, very well. You just need to find what problem it is. Yeah. That’s right. Find the problem first. Yes. Don’t go around with a hammer thinking everything’s a nail, right? Exactly. Yeah.
Scott Luton (26:18):
Hey, a couple of quick comments here. Uh, entity a says, that’s why data is so important. It helps drive customer experience. Great point there. Michael Kinnaman says we still have too many supply chains that operate in silos. Kind of going back to your earliest point, Mike, and for digital supply chains operate effectively. We must eliminate the silos. And then one final comment here, this really conjures up a visual. If you really think about it, the first customization of colors and shades were done at the local paint store, the challenge is to take that personalization to a larger model that covers national and global supplies. Thanks so much for that key. Yep. And appreciate your comment on, uh, this week we’re celebrating the, uh, founding of, of, um, the city of Denver. And we referenced that and I, and I, this week in business history podcast for thanks for the call out there, Keith. Okay. So Greg here in those comments and, and it’s, you know, especially going back to where this started with the lack, you know, all the concern around the lack of alignment and, and, and, and how that hinders digital transformation. And when you think of that proverbial silo that we’ve heard about for so long, Greg, what comes to mind here?
Greg White (27:28):
Well, uh, now silos silos used to apply within your organization now, silos of information or supply chain segment that, that applies to enter enterprise operations. I mean, we have to think of the supply chain as global. There are no boundaries anymore, not corporate boundaries, not country boundaries, maybe not even planetary boundaries, but I mean, if you think, I mean, if you think about the supply chain in that perspective, then that adds yet another level of complexity. And now if, if we expect to be able to be agile right, and resilient, those are two words we’ve been saying since, uh, March 13th at 3:00 PM when the order came down. Um, but at least in Georgia, um, but that if you expect to be agile and resilient, then you have to be enabled to change. Not just, not, not just your internal operations, but your external operations, right?
Greg White (28:37):
You have to be able to switch from your, let’s say you accomplish near shoring. You have to be able to accomplish, uh, switch from your near shoring to your offshoring initiative or to an insuring initiative or to whatever other shoring initiative you might have. Because now if you’ve got a China plus one or X country or vendor plus one strategy, you still need agility to, to be able to switch, uh, production to, to that facility or sourcing to that facility. Right. So, um, you know, data process, people training of course, right. Exception handling. I mean, there are all sorts of aspects of that. It sounds really overwhelming when you re, when you talk about it like that, all of the things that have been said here in the comments, all, all highly intellectual and difficult to even type, but 10 times as difficult to implement
Scott Luton (29:35):
Great point. And of course, it’s our, well-informed an expert community that always bring it expanding what to do. Yeah. Well, so my
Mike Griswold (29:44):
Role becomes in how to get it done. Yes.
Scott Luton (29:47):
Well, so let me ask you a follow-up question, Mike. Um, are there any, you know, especially when we talk about in the larger organizations, that, that Greg’s kind of alluded to all on our planet, though, uh, for now, for the sake of the question, um, what, you know, when you think of clearly that’s a concern in the CEO office, right. And, and everything rolls up there. W when you think about the companies that have really done a great job creating that alignment, you know, uh, not eliminating the silos, but really breaking them down for the most part. So that they’re really, uh, really going down the path practically and successfully down towards achieving digital transformation. What any observations there, in terms of who who’s getting that facilitation, that alignment strategy,
Mike Griswold (30:29):
Right? Yeah. I, I think it, um, it comes down to really two things. You know, when I look at probably bring us back to our supply chain, top 25 companies, right? They’re, they’re the ones that are probably closest to having things around that alignment and so on. And w one of the things they share is into the earlier comment around how do you break down silos? Part of the way you break them down is to bring all the silos into one area like the supply chain. So if I look at top 25 companies and our masters, they all have a broader definition of the supply chain. Their supply chain is not defined as distribution centers and trucks. You think of it as more like the traditional score model plan source make, deliver customer service. All of those elements are within the supply chain run by let’s say, a chief supply chain officer.
Mike Griswold (31:21):
So now you have those individual slot silos are now all within the same team. It becomes much easier to facilitate those cross silo. Those cross-functional discussions. The other element they have though, is in order to ensure everyone is going in the same direction, you need a balanced end to end set of metrics, right? We need metrics that highlight for us trade-off decisions they highlight for us, right? Here’s the trade off decision you’re making. Are you making that consciously? You know, we have, um, and it will sound harsh. So I apologize. We have a metrics, maturity model, stage one is unconsciously incompetent. It doesn’t get much worse than that. Um, and, and that’s a case where you’ve got all these functional metrics running around the organization, and everyone is optimizing their own functional metric and, you know, doing high-fives or, you know, virtual high-fives, um, because their piece of the business is running great.
Mike Griswold (32:21):
Doesn’t matter that they’ve, they’ve hosed the whole rest of the business, right? So that broader definition of the supply chain in terms of the area of its responsibility and this idea of end to end metrics that facilitates conscious trade off decisions, um, I think is important. And maybe the last maybe subplot to that is a general understanding that, that we need optimization to happen. And that in optimization, quite frankly, not everyone gets what they want, the organization gets what it wants and needs, but I might have to incur some more costs to the DCS in order to create a better experience let’s say, in the stores. So those would be kind of the two, maybe two eight things I see Scott in, in organizations is they’re looking to work through that
Scott Luton (33:11):
Standing. Um, all right. So Greg, uh, there’s so much here and, and, and, uh, we’ve got to take full use of Mike’s time while he’s here with us. Where do we want to go next? We want to pick, uh,
Mike Griswold (33:24):
What else stood out to him? Yeah, let’s get down the list, right. I think we only got to two, right. We got a few more coming, so let’s hear it. So, so maybe in the interest of time, let me jump to kind of what I think is the next big one. And it does. Um, and again, we don’t rehearse any of this, but it does feed pretty naturally off the whole resiliency and agility discussion was really two points. Um, reverse logistics is becoming more common in other industries beyond just industrial. And secondly, and this, I really think speaks to your earlier comment, Greg, it will no longer be acceptable to create waste in a future supply chain. And I know that inherently, we’ve never consciously decided to create ways to the supply chain, but it is now even more important that we recognize where waste is, whether that’s, you know, trailer space, miles, even things broader than that, um, wasted how we design products waste in terms of what happens to products end of life, that whole idea around waste and reverse logistics. And I, and I’ll, I’ll certainly show my bias here. Reverse logistics is still a huge problem for retail. Uh, we, we still haven’t sorted it out, frankly. And, uh, until we do, particularly with the growth of e-commerce, you know, we’re going to continue to struggle with that as a capability. Yeah.
Scott Luton (34:49):
Uh, so you, you’ve got some fans of the phrase you used a second ago, unconsciously incompetent. Awesome. Yes. Tim says, we say promoted to a level of income encompass.
Mike Griswold (35:02):
So Peter principle, exactly. Tim, great to have you here.
Scott Luton (35:06):
We need to talk more healthcare supply chain really soon. Uh, key says Mike is hearkening to Dale, Carnegie training, unconsciously, and competent. The next steps are consciously incompetent, consciously competent, and then unconsciously competent try to say that 10 times.
Mike Griswold (35:23):
Well, it’s easier to type than it is to say that’s for sure. Right?
Scott Luton (35:28):
Uh, so much good stuff here. If
Mike Griswold (35:29):
You want to, if you want a good analogy that think about your driving, where you go from, can’t start the car to forgetting shifted through second and third year to get to fourth, right. That is unconsciously competent. Right.
Scott Luton (35:44):
All right. We should be asking as much fun as we’re having and so many great practical insights. Um, Greg, we should be asking about what’s next on the radar,
Mike Griswold (35:53):
Right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, now that, um, you know, that we’ve addressed, uh, I think a very important topic, which is reverse logistics. I wonder if that isn’t maybe not in your area so much, but I know that, uh, Tom in right, um, addresses this frequently, is that something that you all have or intend to put a greater spotlight on based on the findings from symposium? I think we’re going to have to, and I, and I think it, it, I mean, as, as one of our analysts pointed out, right, th this isn’t just an industrial problem, right. And industrial sector problem, I, man, it’s a problem for everybody. I think if you were to ask consumer products companies, right. And their interactions and working with retailers, you know, they’ve got issues with reverse logistics, healthcare, life sciences companies, I’m sure do as well.
Mike Griswold (36:45):
So it really is a topic that, you know, we need to figure out as a supply chain. You know, I think the first step is actually monetizing the damage that poor reverse logistics is doing, whether that’s, you know, in a retail environment where I have returns that are fully sellable, that I can’t get back into my inventory ecosystem. Right. There’s a cost to that. You know, whether it’s the physical transportation costs of, of moving product that is either returned or unsellable moving that someplace else to be processed, you know, th the impact it has when I bring that stuff, say into a traditional distribution center, the inefficiency that causes as people are trying to work through, you know, reverse logistics stuff, plus stuff that actually just came in to be shipped out. So there there’s just a ton of work. I think that could be done around, you know, what, uh, what’s the cost of inefficient reverse logistics. That might be the impetus that gets people’s attention when they actually see how much money are we again, it gets back to that waste discussion, right? How much money are we wasting? Because our reverse logistics processes, aren’t very good. And today in a lot of industries, you’re able to put the waste off onto someone else’s balance. Yeah. It starts to hit your own balance sheet. That’s when you’ll do something about it. So that’s a great point, Greg. You’re exactly right. Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear that very well.
Scott Luton (38:10):
Quick comment, little teaser. Uh, we look forward to reinvigorating our reverse logistics series in 2021. Not only because we love our partners there, but, but because more folks need to understand all the what’s taking place in that aspect of global supply chain. So a little teaser, more details to come. Yeah. All right. Greg,
Mike Griswold (38:31):
Any other events coming up for Gardner? I know you have kind of interesting event about next year, at least as of now, but yes. So we just announced that we’re doing our symposium events live next year. At least that’s the plan we’re doing Barcelona on September 20th through the 22nd. And we’re doing, excuse me, Orlando, October 25th through the 27th. So right now we’re putting a stake in the ground and saying, we’re going to be live, uh, with those events. I mean, this year, it was mind boggling, Greg pulling all this virtual stuff together as we’ve talked about, but we had for both, um, Barcelona and for Orlando, we had nearly 3000 people registered, virtually, um, and close to 2000 people popped in to multiple different sessions over the course of the three days. So still was a lot of excitement. It wasn’t, you know, frankly the experience that we had all hoped for, right. We love doing these things in person, just like you guys like doing live events in person, but we’re, you know, we are optimistic that we’ll be able to have, you know, live events, uh, in September and October. And we’re really excited about that. That’s impressive. Uh, as soon as you said Barcelona, I started checking my calendar.
Mike Griswold (39:55):
Unfortunately, Greg is still on planet earth. Um, I’ll let you know when we move SIM to the moon or someplace else. Well, you know, I, I could probably go out of the atmosphere and back in by Barcelona, you probably could look forward to being together in any measure. And I think by that time, right, it looks like with, with, uh, both the vaccines and, um, some reasonable mitigation efforts that we should be able to get there. Right. We’re all hoping. I know, I know we are on the gardener side. Yes.
Scott Luton (40:31):
Yeah. And we’re going to, we’re going to break through, uh, we’re going to break through, so yeah.
Mike Griswold (40:35):
If I have to die anywhere, Barcelona would be just as good a place as any, Oh. Talking about me.
Scott Luton (40:48):
Well, Oh man, Mike, we never have enough time when you, when you stopped by stop in, which is one of the reasons why I’m so glad that we have a monthly conversation with you. We’ve heard so much about these conversations and what you bring to the table that we’re really grateful to have you here. Uh, let’s make sure folks know how to connect with you and the Gardner.
Mike Griswold (41:06):
Uh, so Mike dot Griswell garner.com. Um, I have a new year’s resolution to drag myself into the 21st century, at least to do more on LinkedIn. That’s about all I’ll commit to right now. Um, I’ll tell you, it’s just a quick side note. The worst thing that happened is is I, I have, now I now own the girls’ basketball program, Twitter account. It’s like the like guy. Yeah, exactly. So anyone that’s got Twitter suggestions, please send my way because
Greg White (41:34):
I am consciously incompetent when it comes to Twitter, take pictures of cats in team uniform and post them. And that’s all he needs to do on Twitter.
Scott Luton (41:45):
They have really entertaining names. There’s cats there. Mike, I’ll save that for another show, but Mike, uh, great to have you back really appreciate it. Um, looking forward already to December as we move into, um, uh, getting closer and closer to 2021 and, uh, we can all celebrate that, but thanks so much for your time, Mike Griswold, vice president analysts, but Gardner hope you and your family have a wonderful
Greg White (42:10):
Thanksgiving. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks so much. Good seeing you.
Scott Luton (42:17):
All right. So Greg, a lot of good stuff.
Greg White (42:21):
Oh, fast. Yes.
Scott Luton (42:23):
Well, yeah. Mike is one of the, um, you know, I won’t call it a short list because it seems like more and more folks, uh, you know, the list is getting longer, you know, uh, you can pose anything to Mike and he’s going to give you a well thought out, been there, done that data-driven research answer and informed, educated answer on what you pose to them. And that really we’ve had countless, um, uh, responses along that, along those lines. I’m, I’m jealous. I wish I could take a page out of the Mike [inaudible] book and approach conversations like he can’t. Huh.
Greg White (42:57):
Well, how about what he takes away from the masters? Not just that he watched the whole thing, but he takes away, you know, a life lesson from a 10 on number 12, which isn’t uncommon at the masters, by the way, just uncommon for tiger woods. That’s right.
Scott Luton (43:13):
Not uncommon for golf either. There’s so much, there’s so much, uh, so many life lessons to be found, especially play the game. It’s it’s, uh, it’s one of life’s most humbling, uh, sports and experiences
Greg White (43:25):
For sure. Mike, um, you know, first of all was a fantastic professional in industry and now he spends his time contemplating what can make the industry better, particularly from a retail and, uh, in a distribution in a, in a, uh, manufacturing, fulfillment, replenishment order optimization standpoint. And he’s just, I mean, he’s literally got his finger on the pulse of supply chain. I agree.
Scott Luton (43:54):
Agreed. All right. So I want to, I want to acknowledge some of the comments we had in the stream.
Greg White (43:59):
Tim’s about Mike’s pictures before we let Mike go.
Scott Luton (44:03):
I’ve got a different challenge. I want to pose the temps, a temp Ingram. If you’re still here, stick around for just a couple minutes, cause I’ve got a challenge for you. But for starters, I want to recognize a few of these other comments and India, of course, adapting the lean to eliminate the Moda. Uh, we needed a lot of the waste taken out of supply chain, waste, waste, a Japanese word for make waste. Okay. Um, Ehrenfried says I’m reminded of the Prussian officer, cause he corrected in a future message for types lazy and stupid, hardworking, and stupid, lazy, and smart and hardworking and smart four quadrants. You keep all, but the hardworking and stupid people because they’re going to muck it all up.
Greg White (44:48):
That actually that’s, I believe that’s, uh, what, um, the conscious and unconscious incompetence was adapted from is that if you read the, if I’ve read the books or review of the book, they actually attribute it to that. Yes.
Scott Luton (45:06):
And I always trust the European and particular Russian expert. They are. So yeah, well, yeah, small difference, but still, still geographically, here we go. Directionally direction. Right? Nick rumor, that rumor got his last name, right? That time is also a fan of tequila. Sunrise, Nick. Great to have you here as part of today’s live stream, uh, Keith says Aaron loved the model, the Prussian officer model. We just talked about our heard of that before, but forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder. Uh, tell you, Aaron is great at that. Let’s see here. All right. So Tim, I’m going to throw a challenge out. So Tim Ingram is with us and if I’m not mistaken, I could have this wrong. If I, if I have it wrong, the challenge will remain nonetheless. So Tim is in healthcare supply chain. If I’ve got that right. And if he’s not, at least he’s passionate about healthcare supply chain.
Scott Luton (46:05):
So Tim, I’ve got a challenge for you if, if you’re up to the task and if you have interest, I’d love for you to lead the assembly of a health of a diverse, uh, from different walks of life panel of healthcare practitioners, that will be interested in sharing what, you know, kind of the, the lay of the land right now from a healthcare supply chain standpoint, given all that that’s going on and, and where we’re headed. And for that matter, uh, having been a part of some, um, some continuous improvement programming at some of the larger hospital systems in my career, fascinating. It’s so fascinating, both the, the parallel challenges they’re solving and the very unique elements of that world. So, so Tim, if you’re interested, we’d love to tap and, and, and, uh, leverage your leadership to assembling again, a diverse panel that can share that expertise with our audience. So, Greg, do you think he’s going to take us up on the challenge?
Greg White (47:03):
I bet he will. And I’m going to make a suggestion for somebody you ought to talk to. And that is Paul Rose. Who’s the chief supply chain officer at Henry Schein. Um, if we consider Italian diverse, then he counts. But in any case, Henry Schein is one of the distributors that traditionally, uh, distributes the flu vaccine. So even though the fulfillment for the COVID vaccine is, um, is being conducted directly by the manufacturer, uh, Paul can speak very directly to the complexities of that, the distribution of a vaccine like that.
Scott Luton (47:41):
Let’s do both. Maybe we have a feature on Paul and maybe we put together a panel of folks are doing different things across healthcare supply chain. So, um, but Tim would love would welcome that. Uh, and, and that discussion T squared going back to reverse logistics says reverse logistics needs to be embraced just don’t asset recapturing. I think that’s certainly a big part, you know, uh, Greg, as we know,
Greg White (48:05):
And Stephens would agree with that you would, it’s difficult to recapture assets
Scott Luton (48:12):
Well, that, and that there lies in the, one of the greatest challenges of, of where we stand from a consumer expectations, uh, moment in history with the practical element of, okay, we’ll take it back, we’ll give you credit, but now what we do with it, you know, and, and, and how do we, how do we put it back cleanly safely and make, you know, the new consumers that may purchase it happy as well? I mean, it’s, it’s quite a fascinating, uh, dilemma that we have given, given the Amazon world we live in right now, you know?
Greg White (48:48):
Yeah. Undoubtedly, I mean, I got to tell you the biggest commentary, whenever a package comes to the house now is why did they put it in a box that big, or that much stuff in it? Or why is there a box within a box within a box, right?
Scott Luton (49:05):
Is there, it seems like, um, I don’t know Greg your experience, but it seems like the e-commerce providers have gotten better and better in the last, uh, picking a timeframe here. I’ll call it the last eight months, right. With at least what we’re getting. It seems like the exceptions of getting a small little, a Rubik’s cube in a package, the size of something, a big old, 50 pound bag of dog food will come in. It seems like I’m seeing that less and less, which is a great thing. Are you seeing something similar along those lines?
Greg White (49:36):
Uh, anecdotally I could say possibly I, you know, I’d have to think about it. I’m, I’m thinking about what we had delivered this week. Now there’s so many things that can be delivered in, uh, in bags that are, and you know, the, the benefit of, uh, of a protective bag is that it’s got those little bubbles you can pop for like the next four hours. And that’s, that’s nice as well.
Scott Luton (50:02):
Agreed. You know, we thought we, we thought Jenny fru may pop in and she’s doing just that to say hello again, folks, uh, vert 2020 say picks virtual conference right around the corner next week, open to any and all, and they’ve got some great programming. So Jenny hope this finds you well. And, uh, look forward to that next week. All right. So Greg so much good stuff here. Yeah. Um, let’s make sure know, Hey, again, we’re, we’re here to, to serve as the voice of supply chain and to serve the voice of supply chain. And that’s all the folks in the audience around the, around the world that keep industry moving forward. Right. And all think about all the different elements, uh, all the different nodes of global supply chain. So, um, if you enjoy today’s episode, you can learn more@supplychainnow.com. That’s also a, it’s a great clearing house and we’re going be rolling out a new website really, really soon, but that that’d be the great clearing house for all the different shows we’ve referenced here earlier, of course, tequila, sunrise this week in business history, uh, the reverse logistics, uh, monthly series, which is going to be re-invigorated as soon enough, right.
Scott Luton (51:08):
Tech talk, you name it so much good stuff. Um, but you can find it there, or you can find any of their shows on their own channels and you can search,
Greg White (51:18):
Not kidding. Uh, listen to the latest this week in business history, um, about Rose knocks and Knox gelatin and all of the, just business general business disruption that Rose, uh, employed in, was it 1908 teen Oh eight, right. A woman took over a company in the United States and imparted a five day workweek. Unheard of both. Unheard of at the time. Right. Two weeks of vacation, also not allowed by the robber barons of the time. And, um, there were, there was so much more, I mean,
Scott Luton (52:00):
Um, so I, I did, uh, uh, I can never do videos, right. I’ll try to do a promo yesterday.
Greg White (52:06):
Really good. Well, you know,
Scott Luton (52:08):
I was so stopped in my tracks with how gorgeous it was outside. Um, and then that’s where, of course all the great lighting was, but I wanted to call attention to the episode because it’s one of those that you just, you get inspired by. And, you know, one of the things as I, as I, uh, put that promo out there, it dawned on me that in 1908, uh, I think I’ve got this right. And I’m sure one of our audience members will fact check me. I think there was only between territory, some States for territory at the time there’s only three or four States or territories where women could even vote in 1908, much less, take the reigns and call the shots, uh, and, and defy all the folks that told Rose Knox not to do that. So that’s one of those episodes that really is uplifting, inspires you and, and challenge you to do more and more and more so good stuff there. All right. So Greg, uh, as we are starting to wrap here, um, enjoyed our conversation with Mike Griswold as always, I want to find a supply chain now.com. Uh, we want to challenge our audience right, as always do good gift forward and be the change that’s needed.
Greg White (53:16):
Greg. We got in on me there.
Scott Luton (53:19):
I did, I did because we’ve got a new timing, uh, device on the back here. And this is the first time we’re using it as we kind of finish on a high note and not a cold note. Uh, so to all of our audience, Hey, y’all ha if we don’t talk to you before next week, unless you’re, if you’re here in the States with Thanksgiving, upon us, we’ve got so much, even in a year like this, we’ve got so much to be grateful for. You know, sometimes if you’re like me, you gotta stop and call Tom out and just kind of level set, you know, cause there’s no shortage of challenges, but man, we’ve got so much to be thankful for. So I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are, whatever you’re dealing with. And on behalf of Greg white and Scott loot and whole team here, we’ll see you next time on supplies.
Mike Griswold serves as Vice President Analyst with Gartner’s Consumer Value Chain team, focusing on the retail supply chain. He is responsible for assisting supply leaders in understanding and implementing demand-driven supply chain principles that improve the performance of their supply chain. Mr. Griswold joined Gartner through the company’s acquisition of AMR. Previous roles include helping line-of-business users align corporate strategy with their supply chain process and technology initiatives. One recent study published by a team of Gartner analysts, including Mike Griswold is Retail Supply Chain Outlook 2019: Elevating the Consumer’s Shopping Experience. Mr. Griswold holds a BS in Business Management from Canisius College and an MBA from the Whittemore School of Business & Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Learn more about Gartner here: www.gartner.com
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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.
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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).
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Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics. He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
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Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.
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Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.
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Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.
She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.
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Billy Taylor 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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, 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.