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Supply Chain is Boring
Episode 45

Episode Summary

James R. Stock is a University of South Florida Distinguished University Professor and Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing. He has interviewed many of the greatest minds in transportation logistics, a practice area we call supply chain management today. He shared those interviewed with Chris Barnes to be republished as part of the Supply Chain is Boring program.

In this interview, Stock speaks with Kenneth B. Ackerman, a well-known warehousing guru and consultant about the independent school he founded in Columbus, Ohio, a few of his favorite U.S. presidents, and his go-to reading list of papers and journals.

Listen in to learn more about this well-known luminary in supply chain management.

Episode Transcript

Chris Barnes (00:06):

Hey, it’s Chris. The supply chain doctor and host of supply chain is boring. Over the years. I’ve interviewed some of the brightest minds and successful leaders in the world of supply chain management. In May, 2020. I sat down with Ken Ackerman to learn more about him, collect a little supply chain management history. After our discussion. Ken told me about a similar interview he had with Dr. James stock many years prior, and the related work Dr. Stock was doing in November, 2020. I was able to catch up with Dr. James stock to learn about his work as an academic in the field of transportation logistics. And now what we call supply chain manage ment. Jim was well connected to many of the original academic thought leaders in the space. Jim did interviews with many of these original thought leaders and shared them with me. The list includes Ken Ackerman, Don Bauer, SOS James Hasket, bud littleand John Langley, Jr. Tom Menser, Tom SP and Daniel rent To carry on the great work started by Dr. Jim stock. I’m dusting off these interviews and bringing them to you on supply chain is boring,

Ken Ackerman (01:13):

Said, well, if I ever have a child who wants to be in business, I’m gonna hope I’m in a position to be his or her banker, Buy them. The company, help them buy a company, but not the same company I’m in, because I don’t want to do what my dad did. I don’t have the kind of personality where that’ll work. He did. And I don’t.

James Stock (01:34):

Okay. Now let’s go back to, um, your, your spouse, your wife, uh, you mentioned that whirlwind romance. Um, so your first date was at dinner with her

Ken Ackerman (01:50):

Yes. At her brother’s house. Yes.

James Stock (01:53):

And you got approval at that apparently.

Ken Ackerman (01:56):

Yeah, but that, but the funny part is that one didn’t take, uh, then I didn’t see her for a while. And then I met her again at a party, uh, sometime later and remembered meeting her before and got to talking with her and decided this is somebody I really like spend more time with. So, uh, uh, the first meeting didn’t get the result that her brother intended, but the second one did

James Stock (02:22):

Now, did you think back 53 years? Yeah. Of marriage. Did she, um, let you pursue her and she slowed down so you could catch her type of thing or, uh, did you have to convince her that you were the right person?

Ken Ackerman (02:38):

I’m really not sure about that. I, I think you’d have to ask her,

James Stock (02:44):

Well, whatever it’s been, uh, excellent. 53 years, let’s shift gears for a moment in terms of, uh, general questions that probably you’re never asked. Okay. You haven’t thought about first one being, if you could, uh, live in any historical period, you mentioned interest in, uh, literature and history and other things. What historical period of time would you like to have lived in and why?

Ken Ackerman (03:14):

Well,

Ken Ackerman (03:15):

I think that probably the, uh, Civil war period In America had to be among the most turbulence and interesting times. Uh, it was a time when businesses grew like crazy, those that, you know, were, were positioned, could grow particularly in the post-Civil war period. It was a time when in the country was going through great agony. Uh, and when the country had is probably its best leadership in, uh, having been born on the 12th of February, I’ve had an enormous interest in Lincoln, have done a lot of writing, reading about Lincoln, trying to understand the talents the man had. I, I would’ve enjoyed being alive when he was, And, and, and having the chance to observe how he operated. So I think that’s probably the time in that that is of greatest interest. And that’s only 150 years ago. I haven’t thought much about whether, or I would like to have been a Roman or a Greek or one of those people that’s so far away that it’s hard to identify.

James Stock (04:26):

And back in Lincoln’s day, you actually could have met him. It was much easier to

Ken Ackerman (04:30):

Meet. He probably could have. Sure. Of course it was. Yes.

James Stock (04:34):

Now, if you could meet any historical icon, you mentioned, uh, Lincoln, the pastor present, who would that be?

Ken Ackerman (04:42):

Well, that’s, uh, I’ve answered it really. Anyone

James Stock (04:45):

Else?

Ken Ackerman (04:47):

Oh, gosh.

James Stock (04:49):

Could be present day or anything from the past.

Ken Ackerman (04:55):

Uh, my commander in chief when I was in the army was Eisenhower and, and I saw Eisenhower numerous times. I wish I could have met him and talked with him. Uh, I, I think he was an amazing man and, uh, I would’ve loved to have learned from him because I think, uh, he, I don’t think he’s fully appreciated today. I think will be with a little more distance. So I guess, uh, Those two Are, are people that I, I wish I could have met and talked with.

Ken Ackerman (05:37):

I’ve gotta think of a little bit, uh, Sherman has always interested me. He was born 30 miles from here. I’ve read a lot about him. Uh, he was considered by some to be clinically insane. Uh, he was also considered to be brilliant. Uh, Lincoln was among those who thought he was brilliant. Uh, and from everything I’ve read about him, I wish I could have met him because he was, he was very unconventional military man. Uh, he, uh, and, and the ironic thing is that he had great love for the south. He lived in Louisiana when the war started and, and he loved the south. He was furious about those people in the south who had taken it out of the union, but he didn’t hate the south in general. He really loved it. So he was a complex human being.

James Stock (06:33):

Yeah. Sounds like he was. Now, if you could be in anyone in history, who would you be?

Ken Ackerman (06:41):

Oh, I suppose Lincoln, I’m getting repetitive, but still, uh, Lincoln’s style of leadership was unique. And the last wonderful book, uh, written by Doris Kerns Goodwin about, is it called the band of rivals or team of rivals, whatever it is, uh, His ability to take all the people who he knew was a PO were opposed to him and say, I want you on my team, uh, was, was absolutely incredible. And, and most of those people arrived there, either hating him or, or something close, certainly not liking him and came away with the opposite because, uh, he just absolutely turned them around. And that’s a rare talent.

James Stock (07:32):

Sounds like something we could use today.

Ken Ackerman (07:34):

Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed.

James Stock (07:37):

Now some general information about you, Ken, um, that perhaps we’ve not touched on, is there any little known fact or intriguing event that other people probably would not know about you As an illustration? When I interviewed Don B, so, and Katie almost became a pharmacist

Ken Ackerman (07:59):

Really,

James Stock (07:59):

And, uh, Tom Meer indicated he was almost put in jail by the, uh, the federal agents for, uh, something that they thought he had done.

Ken Ackerman (08:11):

Gee, well, you know, I I’s terrible that I can’t kind of think of an answer to that, but, uh, Uh, Well people outside of this town don’t know that I am a founder of an independent school, which I am and very proud of that. Uh,

James Stock (08:36):

What was the motivation behind that

Ken Ackerman (08:39):

Rage? I, uh, uh, absolute disgust with the status quo. Uh, there were, at that time two independent schools in Columbus, both single SACS, uh, and the girls school particularly was very badly managed at that time. They finally, uh, fired the guy that, uh, was wrecking the school. They finally caught up with him. We opened a school on the other side of town and it was opened at a co-ed school. It was the first co-ed independent school in Columbus us. And it has had a fantastic growth it’s going, I think, beyond our wildest dreams. And, and I think if there’s any single community thing that I’m proud of, it is to have been a founder of the Wellington, the school, but people outside of Columbus don’t know about that, unless they reg all the line print in my bio.

James Stock (09:38):

And so it’s a profit center sounds like,

Ken Ackerman (09:41):

Well, I wouldn’t say it’s profitable, but it, no, it’s, it’s, you know, it’s a 5 0 1 [inaudible] [inaudible] of course. Uh, and, and we depend upon, uh, the generosity of parents and grandparents and, and now alumni we’ve been in business long enough now to have alumni able to give money.

James Stock (10:01):

Okay.

Ken Ackerman (10:02):

But, uh, fundraising for schools is a tricky thing. We’re still working at that. And I would add that I have nothing at all to do with that school today. Cause I don’t believe in staying on board. So I was on that board a long time and was glad to leave somebody else’s turn.

James Stock (10:18):

Okay. Now, is there any part of what you have done in your life that you would, as you think about, uh, that 50 plus years that you would do differently?

Ken Ackerman (10:32):

If I could do it over again, what would I do differently? Not really a lot. Uh, I wish I had gotten into this counseling business with Vistage earlier than I did because I’ve had a lot of fun with it. And, uh, I, I would’ve been glad to do it earlier. It’s great. Virtue is there’s no track. All of my group members live in Columbus, so I’m not on airplanes. And, and my motivation for doing this is to reduce the amount of travel, which as you know, is not as much fun as it used to be if it ever was fun. It certainly isn’t today. So, uh, I, I wish I had, uh, started that maybe 10 years earlier than I did

James Stock (11:20):

Now, did that group exist 10 years before? Uh,

Ken Ackerman (11:23):

It was, it used to be called tech and many people know it by its old name. It was the executive committee and tech entered. It started in Wisconsin 52 years ago. It entered Columbus in the early nineties. So I could have been doing it, uh, 10, 15 years earlier than I did. I’ve been at it for three years, but I could have been at it a lot earlier. And

James Stock (11:49):

How did you become aware of that group?

Ken Ackerman (11:52):

Well, the guy, the first tech chair in Columbus was a friend. I knew him when he started, uh, I even gave him some tips on recruiting, building a group of people that might be interested. So I was trying to help him because I liked him. And I thought that the business model was different from Y P but very valid. Hm. And, and I liked the differences and I thought it, that that YPO needed competition. Everybody needs competition. And that this was a good option to those who might like the idea, but didn’t want to go to Y P or didn’t get didn’t couldn’t or something like that. Uh, unlike Y P tech and Vistage have no age restrictions. So I have this group with a 30 year spread from oldest to youngest. You don’t get that with a group that kicks everybody out at age 50. So it’s an interesting business model and, uh, in many ways a superior one, which I wish I had started earlier.

James Stock (12:55):

Okay. Now, Ken being in the, um, we don’t wanna say Twilight of your career, but you’re certainly older than when you began 50 some years

Ken Ackerman (13:05):

Ago. That’s fair. Yeah. I haven’t gotten younger.

James Stock (13:08):

How do you hope to be remembered? You know, what, how do you think people will remember you?

Ken Ackerman (13:14):

Well, I think about, uh, Jefferson, another person that, you know, we talked about people you’d like to meet, I should have mentioned him. I really would’ve loved to meet him cuz uh, and I would’ve loved to admit Teddy Roosevelt. I don’t know. I didn’t, I’m answering these out of order, but

James Stock (13:31):

That’s quite alright. Jefferson being Thomas Jefferson,

Ken Ackerman (13:33):

Thomas Jeff person and Teddy Roosevelt, I think were two of the greatest intellects that ever sat in the white house and uh, and strong personalities. Uh, and, uh, Roosevelt must have been a speed reader and a fantastic linguist. He read most stuff, most French stuff he read in French and, and read at huge speed

Ken Ackerman (14:04):

And was a brilliant horseman. I like horses. I would’ve liked to have met Teddy and it would like to have met Jefferson, but I think, uh, Jefferson at Mo hello, if you go to, uh, his beautiful home in Virginia and visit the grave site, he designed his own tombstone and he even did a sketch of it and said what they could write and said, write this and nothing more. And what it says is that he was the author of the Virginia bill of religious freedom. Something like that. That’s what it was about. Anyway, uh, author of the declaration of independence and founder of the university of Virginia, that’s all it said. Doesn’t say that he was president. And that was very deliberate. He felt that doing those three things was more important than being president. So, uh, I guess I don’t think it was terribly important to have been president of a corporation. Uh, I do think it was important to have been a founder of a school. So, you know, I am not designing my tombstone, but, and, and don’t even care if there is one, but, uh, I guess I’d like to be remembered as a founder of a school.

James Stock (15:19):

Okay. Now what do you do in your spare time?

Ken Ackerman (15:23):

I don’t have much. I

James Stock (15:24):

Understand. I understand you try to have some spare

Ken Ackerman (15:29):

Time. I, I do a lot of re Uh,

James Stock (15:33):

Fiction, nonfiction

Ken Ackerman (15:35):

Nonfiction, and in periodicals. Uh, my favorite is the economist. I spend a lot of time reading that magazine, which has a huge amount of material in it. And, uh, I go through the New York times on the web and, uh, scan parts of the wall street journal. I do read to the fiction, uh, I’m reading, uh, VAO, who’s the Peruvian who won the, uh, Nobel prize for literature. When I read about him, I said, I wanna read a little of his stuff because I like Peru. And I wanted to see what he was writing about. And, and that’s fun

James Stock (16:14):

Now, are you reading it English or

Ken Ackerman (16:16):

Spanish? No, I’m reading it in English. Oh, I thought about trying to read it in Spanish and said, it’s too hard. Won’t read it as fast. I could probably could do it, but it’s just easier. And I pace walk, uh, usually two miles a day. So three, Uh, I do ski about once a year. Uh, I go to the opera now that the metropolitan and opera is in your local movie theater. I go to the opera a lot, but just for 20 bucks to the movie theater and it’s better than being in Lincoln center. So I do that. And uh, I watch very little television, almost never go to the movies. So that’s, and I don’t have a whole lot of spare time. And one of the things about writing, which I still producing a newsletter, you can’t write, unless you’re read reading, cuz you run out of things to write about. And if you keep writing about the same old stuff, nobody will read it.

James Stock (17:21):

I always find interesting on your newsletter. You always have on the back page summary of articles,

Ken Ackerman (17:25):

That’s right. I have to read those that’s right. So, so as you well know, seeing my newsletter they’re uh, six or eight trade magazines that I have to thumb through every month to find stuff They that’s, you know, and I’ve I’ve with experience learned how to get through those pretty quickly find what’s worth writing about

James Stock (17:49):

Now, Ken, one of the things I find interesting with all the activities and things, uh, and knowing a number of people here in Columbus at Ohio state, especially that you were never a golfer.

Ken Ackerman (18:01):

No, I think it’s a terrible waste of time. Uh, I, I, I have no regard for the, that activity whatsoever. And of course it’s a ball game. I told you I can’t play ball games, even croquet, no hand do I coordination. Okay. I, my father wanted me was very anxious to have me be a polo player, being at a school full of horses at Culver. I couldn’t hit the ball great to his appointment to me and more to my father. He thought that was a thing to do was to play polo. And it is a wonderful game, but you must have hand to eye coordination. Yeah.

James Stock (18:39):

Long stick ball. You’re up several feet from the ball. That’s right. Very difficult. Now Ken’s religion have any role as you were growing or presently?

Ken Ackerman (18:52):

Uh, not presently. Uh, I joke that I am sort of a born again pagan and uh, my wife had, uh, is a card carrying member of the Unitarian church here and she goes and I let her go. And uh, I like to spend my, uh, I didn’t mention this. We have a cabin in the Hills in hawing county, Southeastern Ohio. So Sunday for me is hawing county. It’s where I like to be. And uh, I get inspired by the trees.

James Stock (19:27):

Yeah, the hawing Hills. Very pretty. As I remember when I was here

Ken Ackerman (19:31):

Still are very pretty.

James Stock (19:32):

Now in terms of, uh, Your life, both before warehousing and distribution, um, what were, what do you think the main lessons you’ve learned in life have been

Ken Ackerman (19:49):

Leadership is important. Leadership can be taught, uh, helping people be good. Leaders is worth doing, uh, developing the next generation of leadership is valuable in every organization and passing on leadership responsibilities to other people is not easy, but very nice, necessary.

Ken Ackerman (20:14):

Good.

James Stock (20:15):

And you think in terms of what you’re doing now, um, in terms of counseling and so forth, developing leaders, um, you could not have done earlier in your career then.

Ken Ackerman (20:27):

Oh, I probably would’ve tried. I don’t know. I think that, uh, but tour has probably made me better at it. I don’t think I’d have been very good at it. Uh, in my twenties. I think that, uh, as you go through life, you’re in a, A constant, uh, tussle with leadership issues. One of my greatest frustrations in leadership was a very turbulent year as president of our local opera company. And I came away from that hating almost everybody involved in it. And it was, And, and I simply couldn’t identify with those people.

Ken Ackerman (21:13):

Uh, we didn’t think the same way. And, and it was my view that you ought to, at least if you don’t make money, at least spend it responsibly and come close to breaking even. And I was with a bunch of people who were the last of the big time spenders and they drove me crazy. So that was a leadership job. That was a failure on my part. I, I could not adapt to the culture or nor could I change. It came away just very frustrated. So proof of the fact that you don’t win them all

James Stock (21:50):

Now, given your educational background, your work experience, your marriage, were there things that you would call turning points in your life, which caused significant shifts in direction or expanded horizons? Those kinds of things.

Ken Ackerman (22:12):

One turning point was what I considered to be perhaps the best single piece of advice that I can remember receiving. And it came from my wife’s guardian. It wasn’t her father. She lost her parents in childhood, both died young of disease in her childhood, in, in her childhood. But she was raised by two cousins and the man was a tax lawyer in Washington. And I think shortly after I was married and he was talking to me about the business I was going into and he gave me wonderful piece of advice. He said, if you start writing about the business you are in and how it’s done, he said, you’ll be positioned as an expert. He said, even if you aren’t cuz nobody else writes, he said, so few people in business write anything down. So he said start writing. And I followed that advice, follow it pretty early and discovered fairly early that there were trade magazines that would print almost anything if it was legible because they were looking for material. So I, I realized that the best way to be recognized as a supposed expert was to write about what you were doing. He been the most mundane things that nobody else wrote down.

Ken Ackerman (23:33):

Okay.

Ken Ackerman (23:34):

So that was a turning point. Uh, the idea of getting out of business before age 50 was clearly a turning point. And then the idea that was brought to me by one of my board members, that it, that the company would bring more gain by liquidating rather than selling with a major turning point. And we executed and we did it. So, uh, I felt it was the, the luckiest thing that ever happened to me aside, of course, from being married, Was to get out of business While I was still fairly young.

Ken Ackerman (24:18):

Okay.

James Stock (24:18):

Now, given all that experience that you’ve had, you know, here we are at Ohio state university, They have a logistics and supply chain program. Um, if you were counseling them, what would you tell them in terms of, uh, What they should expect, what they should look for, what they should be doing as recent graduates?

Ken Ackerman (24:43):

Well, I think I would tell That they need to constantly Polish their communication skills That a supply chain manager is a bridge builder between other disciplines. And particularly in this era of email, uh, you don’t get it all done talking, you gotta get a lot of it done writing. And uh, So you’d better be able to write, well, you’d better be able to communicate with other people. You’d better be able to see their point of view and build a bridge to them. Uh, you have to get along And, uh, recognize that you’re in a bridge building occupation. And if you don’t like being a bridge builder, better find something else to

Ken Ackerman (25:30):

Do.

James Stock (25:31):

So you would do. I infer from that, that, uh, if students were pursuing careers in distribution, supply chain management, for example, uh, they should concentrate on nons supply chain, non distribution type of courses that are more human relations, uh, communications and so on.

Ken Ackerman (25:54):

Jim, I’m a great believer in versatility. I’m awfully glad that my undergrad degree was in modern languages and Latin American affairs and not in business.

Ken Ackerman (26:03):

Uh,

Ken Ackerman (26:05):

I, I think, uh, that the, the best leaders are rounded people who have varied interests instead of being very narrow specialists that just know how to do one thing. So I would advise them, uh, Don’t just study, Don’t just study supply chain, you know, go out and learn another language. Uh, if it’s not too late to get that done, it’s never really too late, Uh, go out and do other things and be a generalist because I think that, uh, Generalists are the ones that can move to the top. We have multiple skills and of course in our world economy today, uh, I have a granddaughter who’s decided she’s going to major in Japanese. That just fascinates me. I, I kind of wish I’d done that

James Stock (26:55):

Tough

Ken Ackerman (26:56):

Language. It is a very tough language and a very different culture, but a very important one. And that youngster will, if, if she gets good at it, uh, that alone will be something that’ll get her a good job somewhere.

James Stock (27:13):

Now, when you think back, you know, you started the profession in the fifties, you were familiar with it before that cuz your father being in the trucking and warehousing business, uh, uh, what are the most significant ways you think the marketplace has changed in that time?

Ken Ackerman (27:31):

Well, there is far greater recognition today For the role of service providers. Incidentally, I reject the term of 3:00 PM, which I think is a poorly chosen phrase. I prefer to call them logistic service providers, which is the business I was in far greater acceptance of that willingness to outsource that function far greater than it was 20 years ago in infinitely, greater than it was of years ago. It, uh, You know, there’s far more outsourcing than insourcing, I think today and it started in Europe, but it’s happened more here. The growth opportunities for logistics services overseas are enormous. Latin America has run relatively little of it.

Ken Ackerman (28:28):

Uh,

Ken Ackerman (28:29):

Not sure about the percentage in Asia, but as a world business, it has enormous growth opportunities Because there is greater acceptance of the fact that you do the follow the, the Drucker idea, sell the mail room, stick to your core competency and don’t mess around with things that you don’t know how to do. Well.

James Stock (28:54):

Now you mentioned core competency. Should a firm ever outsource a core competency to a service provider?

Ken Ackerman (29:01):

Well, not if it’s really the core competency. I don’t think they no. Uh, unless there are certain conditions where it makes sense, uh, a turbulent labor market, uh, a overseas different culture. Uh, you may be very good at running warehouses in the United States, but should you try to run them in China if you have to be in China or would you be better off to let a Chinese firm or an American firm with extensive Chinese experience, do it for you,

Ken Ackerman (29:39):

Uh, or not necessarily American, but a firm with substantial on the ground experience. And, and the hypothetical is supposing I gotta open a distribution center in China and have it open within the next six months. And I think you’d be insane to try to do it yourself, that cultural gaps, the linguistic gaps, the everything about it is so different. Plus the relationship building that takes years yes. In those things. Yes. Now these changes that have taken place. Are there any that you perceive as being not good changes? Oh boy. In, in this election season, I almost hate to answer that question. Uh, I think one of the healthiest things that’s happened in America in the last 30 years has been the relative shrinking of labor unions in the private sector, because I think they’ve been very destructive. There was a time in the 19th century and early 20th when they did good work, but more recently they’ve been very destructive and I’m very concerned about the pro-union bias of the federal government today, which I hope and believe will have to change.

Ken Ackerman (31:02):

Uh, I am like many very concerned about what I see as an anti-business bias in Washington, which I think will change. And I am concerned about the growth of the public sector and the fact that public sector workers today apparently make more money than people in private industry. So pretty soon, uh, we lost a wonderful politician in the state for the name of bill Saxby, who said in England, everybody’s taking in everybody else’s wash and that’s where we could end up if nobody he is making anything in America anymore. We’re just taking in each other’s wash.

Chris Barnes (31:49):

Supply chain is boring as part of the supply chain. Now network the voice of supply chain, interested in sponsoring this show or others to help you get your message out. Send a note to chris@supplychainnow.com. We can also help with world class supply chain, education and certification workshops for you or your team. Thanks for listening. And remember supply chain is boring.

Featured Guests

Dr. James Stock has been honored internationally three separate times for his achievements in supply chain and logistics management by the industry’s leading professional organizations. This year, he will receive the Supply Chain Management Professionals’ Distinguished Service Award – the highest honor that an individual can receive for their achievements in supply chain and logistics management. In addition, he will also be honored with the Special Lifetime Logistics Service Award by Yasar University in Izmir, Turkey and the 9th International Logistics and Supply Chain Congress for his outstanding achievement and continuous contributions to the field.

During the course of his 35-year career, Stock has also been honored with, DC Velocity magazine’s “Rainmaker for 2006” and has been awarded the Eccles Medal and the Armitage Medal by SOLE – The International Society of Logistics.
Stock has more than 150 publications in the field. He has authored six books and his publications have been translated into five different languages – Chinese, Czech, Portuguese, Russian, and Thai. He has also traveled to 46 countries on six continents to conduct research, lecture, or do consulting work for various organizations and universities.

Before coming to USF in 1989, Stock, the Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing at the College of Business, taught at Michigan State University, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Notre Dame. He holds a BS and MBA from the University of Miami (Florida) and a PhD from The Ohio State University. Stock is an active member of numerous professional organizations, former editor of the Journal of Business Logistics and International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, serves on many international editorial review boards, and is on the USF Honors and Awards committee.

Ken Ackerman has been active in logistics and warehousing management for his entire career. Before entering the consulting field, he was chief executive of Distribution Centers, Inc., a public warehousing company that is now part of Exel Logistics USA. In 1980, Ackerman sold the company and joined the management consulting division of Coopers & Lybrand. In 1981, he formed the Ackerman Company, a management advisory service. Ken is the editor and publisher of Warehousing Forum, a monthly subscription newsletter. His newest books are Lean Warehousing and Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management, both published in 2007. His other recent publications include Auditing Warehouse Performance and Warehousing Tips. Harvard Business Review published “Making Warehousing More Efficient,” co-authored with Professor Bernard J. LaLonde. The New York Times published his bylined article “Just In Time, Right For Retail.” He is the author of numerous other articles dealing with warehousing and management.

Some additional credentials – B.A., Princeton University M.B.A., Harvard University. Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals – Past President Warehousing Education and Research Council – Founder

Connect with Ken on LinkedIn.

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Chris Barnes

Host, Supply Chain is Boring

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.

He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.

A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host

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

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

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

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

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host

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

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

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

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

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Marty Parker

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.

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Laura Lopez

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!

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Jake Barr

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.

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Marcia Williams

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.

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Luisa Garcia

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.

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Astrid Aubert

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.

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Sofia Rivas

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. 

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Karin Bursa

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. 

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Vin Vashishta

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.

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

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

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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

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

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Greg White

Principal & 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.

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

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

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

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

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

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

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

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

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

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

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

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

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

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

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

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

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

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

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

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

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

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

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

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

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Katherine Hintz

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.

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Mary Kate Love

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.

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Joshua Miranda

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.

Donna Krache

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.

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Vicki White

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.

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Katherine Hintz

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.

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Kim Reuter

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.

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Kristi Porter

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.

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

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.

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Demo Perez

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.

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