The Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12 noon ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!
In this week’s episode of The Buzz, hosts Mary Kate Love and Katherine Hintz bring you the second marketing edition of The Buzz! Together they tackle top news by discussing:
Intro/Outro (00:03):
Welcome to Supply Chain. Now the voice of global supply chain supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues, the challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from Those Making Global Business Happen right here on supply chain now.
Mary Kate Love (00:32):
Hello everyone. Happy Monday. You’re joined with myself, Mary Kate Love and Catherine here from the Supply Chain. Now team, we’re doing our second installment of the marketing edition of Supply Chain Buzz this Monday. So you’ll see kind of a mix of supply chain news and marketing news and things that caught our eye this last week that we think are important for you to know. So Catherine, why don’t you introduce yourself? I’m sure most of the audience knows you, but just in
Katherine Hintz (00:59):
Case. Absolutely. Good morning everybody. I’m Catherine Hints. I’m the director of customer experience here at Supply Chain now, and I’m usually behind the scenes for all of our shows. So it’s so exciting to be in front of the camera today with Mary Kay, and I’m excited to kind of give you our marketing content perspective on some of the things that are happening in supply chain. And not to give it away, but mostly retail in this episode,
Mary Kate Love (01:26):
A lot of retail. That’s what’s been coming up lately. I think that’s something everyone is interested in and it’s really a way where we can see supply chain innovation as both practitioners and in our daily lives. So I always like to talk about retail, but before we get started, we have to give a shout out to Scott and Amanda, who’s typically, Scott is in the seat here obviously, but he is on an Alaskan cruise, so we’re wishing them well. We’re super excited to see more pictures. We’re a little bit jealous, but we know that they’ve had an awesome trip so far. And Scott will be back in the seat tomorrow, I think, right, Catherine?
Katherine Hintz (02:02):
Yeah. So thanks for watching Scott, and I hope that your coffee is good. I hear that the West Coast coffee is a little bit better than what we can get in the south sometimes.
Mary Kate Love (02:13):
Yeah, it’s coffee time on the West Coast for sure, for us. Catherine and I are both in central time. It’s kind of getting towards lunchtime, so we’re just starting to think about that. Yeah, so lastly, just don’t forget to subscribe, supply chain now.com/join. That’s our easiest link that has everything from signing up for our newsletter, from listening to our shows, watching on YouTube. So that has everything you need there. We have just a few quick announcements, Catherine, if you want to kick us off and then I’ll talk a little bit about what that said.
Katherine Hintz (02:41):
Yes, of course. So this is not the only show that we have this week, so you can tune in on Wednesday for an exciting webinar with our friends at Bastion Solutions. And then on Thursday we have another great webinar with Coupa and we’ll be able to paste those links in after. If you’re listening and you want to RSVP to join us, I promise you, you will not regret it. These are going to be two really informative sessions and they’re also going to have some really clear takeaways for you to go back to your daily work and know how to improve your supply chain experience as practitioners and providers. So it’s going to be really exciting.
Mary Kate Love (03:19):
Awesome. And on that note, subscribing to our newsletter With that said that Scott writes almost every week. It’s a really unique newsletter in that it’s written by Scott fully from his perspective. It also pulls in all of our upcoming events or interesting tidbits from our shows from the previous week, which I always personally love because even if you listen to the show, you might’ve missed something and Scott tends to pull out that knowledge, put it in what that said, and you can read it and sign up for any upcoming events. So check it out on our supply chain now, LinkedIn company page and you can also subscribe to it via email. So both ways. Alright, are we ready? Can we
Katherine Hintz (03:58):
Dive in? What do you think?
Mary Kate Love (03:59):
Again, this is kind of a mix between our passion, which are supply chain and marketing. So hopefully you’re as excited about these stories as we are. And we’re looking at the comments here too. So if you are commenting, we’re going to be trying to looking in and pulling in some of your thoughts and ideas.
Katherine Hintz (04:17):
We have t squared with us T squared. I hope that you’re okay with it’s us this week and not, but hopefully we can bring on some nourishment from maybe a different point of view. And then we also have Edgar here with us. Hi Edgar, thank you for tuning in. And I think we’ll start diving in on some key trends and what we see happening in the marketplace.
Mary Kate Love (04:39):
So just on that note, the trends that we’ve seen. So all of our news stories again are a little bit different, but if we kind of boil it up and see these high level trends is people are continuing to reach customers in new ways. That’s everybody that’s trying to reach customers in new ways. So we’ll talk a little bit about some of the AI automation, creating personalized content to reach new customers. We’re going to talk about community building via influencers and celebrities. Tale is all this time is the celebrity to reach people, but we’re seeing new and improved ways of doing. And then we’re going to talk about something very supply chain related in the retail space, which is reverse logistics. So that’s a topic that kept coming up on some of the retail news that we’ve seen. So high level trends, again, we’ll start off with this influencer, influencer and celebrity marketing, which is personally one of my favorites.
(05:28):
I am a Bravo fan, I am a former Jersey Shore fan of all. I love all reality TV shows, most reality TV shows. And as we see influencers create these larger and larger followings, a million, 2 million, 3 million followers, we’re seeing partnerships that in my mind are very creative in reaching a brand new target audience. So we don’t expect this to stop. The trend is showing that we’ll see more and more influencer in 2024 and beyond. And really the sentiment about this, this always works as long as kind of the morals and values of the brand line up with the influencer. If it’s something that seems off or if it’s something that seems like, why is this person talking to me about health when I know this is what they do every weekend, then that’s when people kind of throw the flag up and say, Hey, this doesn’t make sense. It’s not
Katherine Hintz (06:24):
Going to work. Exactly. And I think that that’s one of the reasons why it’s so important as a company or even just as an individual at this day and age. We all have digital footprints. We can all be micro influencers in one way or the other. So to know your personal brand ethos and identity and then your company’s brand ethos and identity, it really helps you figure out in a more timely manner the right partnerships to look for and the right impact that you want and who you want to be associated with. Because I think we are seeing the reach of these influencers and celebrities get to huge levels with stuff like the Super Bowl and Taylor Swift, bigger people. And then we also see the rise of folks that are micro influencers that are partnering with smaller brands and it’s a mutually beneficial experience. And so I think that making sure that you’re leading with authenticity and you really believe in who you are and who you’re presenting to the greater marketplace and then what the company you’re partnering with is doing too. Like you said, MK is paramount to these partnerships really being successful.
Mary Kate Love (07:27):
Yeah, and I love you talking about micro influencers. We talk a lot about that here at Supply Chain. Now supply chain has a lot of micro influencers and people that have their own niche that speak about a topic within supply chain that they know so well. And we love working with those people because they really have a captivated audience and people trust ’em. So the trend is going more towards micro influencers versus celebrities with hundreds of millions of followers, if you will. And so when I was thinking about this, I was thinking about who are my latest favorite that I would give an award
Katherine Hintz (08:01):
To
Mary Kate Love (08:02):
These marketing partnerships And I have three.
Katherine Hintz (08:05):
Okay, I’m ready.
Mary Kate Love (08:06):
And I hope you like these ones. I think you’ll and I’ll explain who they are because if you don’t watch reality TV shows, you might not know. But number one is Lindsay Hubbard, who’s a reality TV star summer house on Bravo, she had a partnership with Clear Blue, which is a pregnancy test in the market that claims to be the best pregnancy test can tell the earliest. And what I love about this is Lindsay is a woman in her thirties who has over the years shared her fertility journey that she’s gone through a lot of different things in her fertility journey. So she’s someone that people trust that will share what she has gone through. Good or bad, she froze her eggs. That was all on tv. She went through a miscarriage that was on tv, and so now she’s pregnant and she announces her pregnancy with a partnership Clear Blue, which I just love because again, this is someone that viewers have seen struggle or share the journey through the past. And you have a large company like Clear Blue partnering with her on her pregnancy
Katherine Hintz (09:08):
Announcement. I love that. And I mean talk about showing your authenticity. I think there is never a situation that you need a pregnancy test that there’s not a sense of anxiety a little bit with somebody that has so publicly shared the ups and downs. You want a reliable company, you want reliable results no matter what you want that result to be. So I think that that is such a beautiful way to share her family expanding and to really clear Blue did a great job finding a good partner to share their story with. Yeah,
Mary Kate Love (09:42):
A great partner, a great partnership makes sense all around for both of ’em, right? And it’s somewhat kind of the same. My second one is Jimmy Darts, so he’s a YouTube TikTok influencer who’s known for basically random acts of kindness. So finding strangers, whether it’s taking them to Disney World or giving them a thousand dollars, whatever it is. So you can imagine why he’s popular. It’s really a feel good type of channel that he has. And so he partnered with Choice Hotels to give away two trips. And so that lines up with exactly with what Jimmy Darts would do anyways. Choice Hotel kind of gets their name and brand out there and is associated with this person that makes everybody feel good,
Katherine Hintz (10:25):
Right? Yeah. I love traveling, I love going on trips, I love staying in a hotel, but I think that there sometimes can be this undercurrent of stress when you’re planning. So the fact that they partnered with somebody that is trying to spread so much joy and kindness and probably a lot of relief to these people too, there’s definitely a psychological undercurrent of ease in that. So that was very smart on their part.
Mary Kate Love (10:48):
Super smart. Super smart. And again, this is really just giving examples of ways that companies are reaching their audience. So obviously in supply chain, reaching audience, when you’ve got a very niche tool that can save people time, that can solve their problems, it’s thinking outside the box, right? Partnering with different people, conferences that reach this audience of yours. And so the third one that I think is probably the most popular one that people have heard about is Snoop Dogg and Solo Stove. And so this is when Snoop Dogg said, I’m giving up smoke and then waited 24 hours and talked about, he was actually saying it with solo stove, which is a fire pit essentially that does not have smoke. And I can attest it works. My parents have one. It’s awesome. You don’t go inside smelling like smoke. It’s really a great product. But I mean I feel like everyone was talking about this partnership just being genius and I
Katherine Hintz (11:40):
Love it. I definitely think that hearing that come out of Snoop Dog’s mouth, everybody was like, this has got to be some shit going on a
Mary Kate Love (11:47):
Second. Yeah, what’s going on? What’s going on? So yeah, those are our top three celebrity influencer partnerships and Catherine Scott kind of a big marketing slash supply chain story that we’ll talk about next.
Katherine Hintz (12:00):
Yeah, so going off of the influencer and celebrity marketing stuff, I can say that we’re about to talk about Amazon Prime Day. And I think that in relation to those first stories, we’ve reached a point where there’s so many influencers and there’s so much affiliate marketing and there’s so much endorsement of reviews that I can say for myself when I go to buy stuff, when I’m researching for Amazon Prime Day, I’m looking at influencers and I’m looking at people that I can tell, I’ve heard them say maybe negative things about products before. And if they say that they like something, then I’m much more willing to buy it because so often I’m really glad they had to start disclosing when it’s paid comments and reviews on stuff. But I don’t know, I think that I would be curious if any of our listeners feel the same way that they have certain people that they go to when they’re researching stuff to buy
Mary Kate Love (12:52):
Someone that isn’t just going to do all the partnerships and push everything and they probably make an Amazon list and you probably follow the list and add it right to your cart.
Katherine Hintz (13:02):
I may or may not have a couple different anthropology home dupe list,
Mary Kate Love (13:09):
But
Katherine Hintz (13:09):
To kind of get down to the details, Amazon Prime Day is expected to set a new record in the US for online spending. For those who don’t know, prime Day starts tomorrow, July 16th and it’ll go on the 17th as well. And the reports are predicting nearly 14 billion of sales over two days, which is a 10.5% increase from last year. And I think that this is really important to mention because a lot of retailers are struggling to sell certain types of products like appliances, home goods, clothing, and prime days really going to help boost those sales. And I think is really interesting because as a consumer, as someone that shops a decent amount, I can say that I am guilty of waiting until Prime day or waiting until I know that there’s going to be a sale. And I don’t know if I’ve really thought about the impact that that has on retailers that if I’m waiting or I’m classifying things as these are the types of products that I’m willing to pay full price on, this is what I’ll actually buy from free people or I’ll actually buy from KitchenAid. I don’t want the Amazon knock off of it, then what’s going to happen after time for all of those retailers if everybody’s waiting for sales to happen?
Mary Kate Love (14:22):
Man, that’s so interesting because I’m thinking Catherine, wow, Amazon Prime Day is changing our shopping behavior and habits, right? July typically isn’t a huge spending time for me at least. Obviously November, December, that’s typical. But because I always know it’s coming around this time, I start to build lists of things that I would buy if it’s on sale. And I know a lot of that is just a mental, I think I’m getting a good deal, so I better buy it right now. And so I think that change, it’s such a large marketed event and it’s even the way they market it is they don’t release the date, right? No, they don’t, right? Until up until, so it’s like this really smart marketing approach where everyone kind of knows it’s coming and people are like, get ready.
Katherine Hintz (15:06):
They’re getting this huge inclusion of cash. I know for me, I’m buying a bunch of furniture for my house right now and I sat on those purchases, I had them in my cart and I am waiting. And the same thing for some other retailers. There are places like Target Circle Week was last week, Friday
Mary Kate Love (15:26):
I saw this
Katherine Hintz (15:27):
Week
Mary Kate Love (15:28):
And the Nordstrom sale anniversary sales, they’re trying to
Katherine Hintz (15:31):
Compete with everybody and I know that it’s probably really challenging and I also know that I am still going to wait until it goes on sale to buy most of my stuff.
Mary Kate Love (15:40):
I know it. Yeah. We were looking at stats before this and it said the average household spends $181, which that’s really significant if that’s the average. If you’re buying big ticket items, obviously you’re going to be going above that, but for the average household to spend almost $200 on this is truly,
Katherine Hintz (15:59):
That’s impressive, man. I feel like speaking of that, the impact that this is going to have on supply chain and on reverse logistics is going to be really, really big. I don’t know about you mk, but I am the worst culprit of just buying a bunch of stuff and then returning it.
Mary Kate Love (16:17):
I talk about this all the time on the show. I’m like, and it’s a consumer. I’m terrible with it. And I know the impact on supply chain too. And this is why I’m always for solutions that are better about sizing and taking actual, I mean, I think the sizing across different brands is crazy. And so that makes it so hard on everyone to know what size you actually are, even when they provide measurements and also who measures all the time. We’re not really doing, but we saw a stat that said from Prime Day, no one puts out the exact numbers, but they estimate that 15% to 30% of items are returned. And so if you think about, what did you say, 14 billion in sales, that’s a lot of returns to manage, to deliver, to pick up. And you think about the inefficiencies this poses and how much money is lost during that. And this is just such a huge problem and becoming honestly a bigger and bigger problem as people online spend and watch more than in person.
Katherine Hintz (17:16):
And now I’m thinking too, and I didn’t even consider this before the show, I do all of my Amazon returns at Whole Foods. There’s one nearby my house and I just take out my sub and I use the little machine and they
Mary Kate Love (17:27):
Throw it at them and they’re like, thanks.
Katherine Hintz (17:30):
What kind of impact is this going to have on all of their third party affiliates or vendors or even Whole Foods is owned by Amazon now owned, but I mean there’s going to be probably
Mary Kate Love (17:41):
Kohl’s does it too. Yeah, that’s a great point. Kind of backing them up, it’s like we’ve created this, I don’t want to say unnecessary, but kind of this unnecessary strain on the supply chain. It’s not a week before Christmas, it’s not a week before a large holiday. And we’ve created this strain on the supply chain that has a lot of moving pieces, and I do think this reverse logistics trend is going to continue to grow. I think Catherine, you and I were talking about maybe on our last marketing edition of The Buzz about how brands are shifting to, they still have a brick and mortar, but the brick and mortar is for you to experience their product and say like, okay, this is a product I’ll buy. I’m probably not even going to buy it in the store. They might not have what I want in stock, but I’m going to go home and buy the money. And so we’re seeing that shift a lot more where there’s, everyone thinks, oh, brick and mortars have totally gone away, but not necessarily. They’re more about a brand experience, but you’re still shopping online. So these rehearsal can fix kind would scare me. When I think about,
Katherine Hintz (18:42):
When you think about the clothing retail side of things, not as much anymore, but I used to shop at Madewell pretty frequently and their stores are always pretty lean. They don’t have a million sizes of everything. They don’t have every single color. And I am wondering if that’s kind of their experience too. Is it? I know for me, I’ll go to Madewell, I’ll try on jeans and then I know my size, so then I’m just going to put my size online forever unless there’s something specific that I don’t know how it’s going to fit. But that’s so much easier than I was going through to donate some clothes this weekend. And the sizing for everything is, I mean, I have six different sizes for the same. I know it’s unbelievable.
Mary Kate Love (19:25):
And sometimes the same brand is not
Katherine Hintz (19:26):
Even the same. So I dunno, I just think it’s really changing the landscape and it’s impacting so many different parts of it. And I think that the user experience and the aftermath of purchasing needs to be considered too. There’s so much technology that goes into prime day and then is your shipment, have they made the tracking label has a ship? How do you make sure when it’s coming and there’s a lot of strain that happens, all of the traffic that hits those sites over the next probably week or so is going to be fairly disruptive. I’m sure there’s going to be glitches and slow down. I’m sure that as much as they love to promise two day delivery depending on where you live,
Mary Kate Love (20:09):
We all know prime Day is the exception. Yeah, no, and T squared is kind of saying exactly what you said. You said reverse logistics needs to be more in the business strategy, and that’s right. When you’re creating and delivering a product, reverse logistics needs to be part of the overall strategy. We need to be thinking about it in business and it needs to be, we need to understand the cost of that two year business and who takes on that cost. Where are we eating that cost in the business? Are we deciding that it’s a marketing cost? It’s a way to get the product in the customer’s hand and the size might be wrong, but they’re still going to buy, right? So I think that’s a great point and people are talking more and more about that for sure. And we also saw what you’re kind of hitting about is that all this different technology, making sure that’s tip top, right? Because we know this traffic is going to be insane on days like
Katherine Hintz (21:02):
This. And I think it’s also a good reminder to be kind to your delivery drivers if they deliver your package to the wrong apartment building. I don’t know where everyone lives watching the show, but it’s very hot in the southeast right now and I don’t think a lot of the trucks have air conditioning still.
Mary Kate Love (21:21):
Oh man. It’s hot up here in Chicago too. I feel like my summer has been a hot one for sure. Well yeah, that’s Amazon prime day. Maybe Catherine and I can make a list of all the things we’re buying on Amazon Prime day and
Katherine Hintz (21:33):
Yeah. Oh my gosh. We’ll get one from Amanda too. Amanda’s Amazon lover. So maybe that’ll be our next,
Mary Kate Love (21:40):
We’ve got a card
Katherine Hintz (21:41):
Full too, article, have our retail picks.
Mary Kate Love (21:45):
It’s a great idea. We’ll put that in though. With that said, of all the deals we’re getting and it’ll be a nice range. I’ve got babies and toddlers, so I’ve got stuff in there. Catherine, I feel like you’re great with fashion, beauty, skincare, and Amanda as well. So we’ll have it all covered.
Katherine Hintz (22:01):
And then sticking with the retail trend, we have some news about Costco to share. So for the first time since 2017, Costco will be raising their membership prices and MK has some stuff that she’s going to share about how interesting their relationship with the supply chain is. But I’ll give y’all some insight on the actual membership chains itself. So this past Wednesday, they announced that they’re going to be upping their annual membership fees starting in September for individual and business accounts in the US and Canada. So they’ll pay $5 more, it’ll be up to $65 a year, and then executive memberships will be $130, which is 10 more dollars a year, which doesn’t seem like that much, but when you think about that, there are 52 million paid members. That is a lot. I mean that’s pretty impressive. They also are putting a cap on the reward available for the highest membership tier.
(23:04):
So basically if you’re a Costco membership, you can get a certain amount of cash back for your spending. So if you purchase a couple of big items, you’ll be able to see at the bottom of your checkout cart, your 2% cashback reward is up to X amount of dollars, and now it’ll be the maximum is 2% reward available for the highest tier members, and it’ll increase from a thousand to 1,250. And then about half of their memberships are that highest executive level, which I recently got a Costco membership. My family had one for a long time, but I finally decided that I was going to fly away from the, and I think that the executive membership was worth it because you get that higher cash back and if you plan on being a couple bigger purchases, you’re going to want that 2%,
Mary Kate Love (23:54):
It’ll paying for itself.
Katherine Hintz (23:56):
But what I thought was so interesting, especially being in customer experience and success and marketing, is that over 90% of Costco members renew every year. So they are really doing something right with their customer retention strategy is to think that 90.5% of their members renew every single year.
Mary Kate Love (24:17):
I mean, that has to be amongst some of the highest retention rates ever. And you wonder if this increase will have an impact on that, but something tells me probably not, right?
Katherine Hintz (24:28):
Yeah. Like I said, I haven’t had my membership long enough to know what the renewal process is. Maybe it’s automatic and that helps. Is that it just happens.
Mary Kate Love (24:36):
I think I am pretty sure I have a membership and I don’t remember ever
Katherine Hintz (24:41):
Renewing this. Maybe they’re hoping people won’t notice. They’re like, if we keep you low enough, they just won’t even.
Mary Kate Love (24:46):
Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And I think Costco we’ve always talked about, one thing that is always talked about with Costco is they always try to keep their prices low. There’s the hot dog, what is it?
Katherine Hintz (24:58):
50 a buck 50 I think.
Mary Kate Love (25:00):
And the CO is always saying, it’s not going to raise. It’s not going to raise. Right? And it’s like you can’t even really buy a bottle water for a dollar 50 at this point anymore. So pretty amazing. I think to me, this increase in pricing is just a reminder that even the biggest and most successful organizations are feeling inflation and the rising cost of managing supply chain amongst other things. And so I think that I’m not super surprised about it. I think everything has increased. I hate to say it right, but it’s almost like as a consumer, we’re so used to it, which is not good because I wish we weren’t used to it and we would cause more fuss when things like this happen. But we are so used to it
Katherine Hintz (25:41):
At this point. Exactly. And I think it is kind of hard because with companies like Costco, it’s easy to almost feel like they’re doing you a favor. So you don’t want to complain too much because you’re like, I’m getting this cash back, I’m getting wholesale prices. I’m like, yes, I’m,
Mary Kate Love (25:56):
I’m buying in bulk. I’m getting it.
Katherine Hintz (25:57):
Yes. So then you’re like, is it really $10 a year is an increase, but if I bought all of the stuff that I bought at Costco at Target or Pub for even Walmart, oh my gosh, it would still be easily double the price for,
Mary Kate Love (26:12):
Gosh, yeah, I think about my diapers alone that I buy for the kids every month and it comes in bulk. It’s obviously a great price, and just that alone is probably worth the membership in this household. I buy my
Katherine Hintz (26:24):
Dog food at Costco now. My dog is really big, so it’s me. A lot of,
Mary Kate Love (26:29):
He’s huge. He’s really, but I think we, we talk about Costco supply chain strategy sometimes here and how we love their approach and obviously consumers reap the benefits of it. But a few things about their supply chain strategy and approach that you probably know you may not know, is obviously they have minimal touch points. So products are often going directly from the supplier to the warehouse in the store or directly from the supplier straight to the store. You’ve all seen the stacks in Costco where they’re using their store as their warehouse and things are moving around and moving off shelf pretty quickly. They also use a cross docking system. So items are transferred from inbound to outbound transportation with little to no storage time. Again, this is improving that inventory turnover. And so not having to hold that inventory, have that inventory take up space, the inventory’s right on the floor, you’re turning it over quickly.
(27:24):
That is a cost savings to the customer. They also do limited skews, so they’re really relying on high volume sales instead of having, I dunno if you guys have ever bought deodorant from there, but you end up buying 60 deodorants, when would you ever buy even two? So they’re really relying on you buying in bulk, not giving you as many choices, but giving you good choices. So you buy that deodorant and you buy those toothbrushes, whatever it is in bulk, instead of walking on the aisle at any other store and you have about 800 deodorants that you can choose from and you’re like, oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to
Katherine Hintz (28:02):
Choose. It helps with that decision fatigue of having endless options. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give your clients less options, less but higher quality.
Mary Kate Love (28:13):
That’s true. There’s something to be said about that too. I think Catherine is, maybe that’s why people love going to Costco so much. There’s obviously the first example, but it is kind of when you go to Costco, you’re just like boom, boom, filling up your cart, feel like you got a good deal. You kind of feel like they’ve done the work for you in terms of finding a good deal, keeping the price down. And even I’ve noticed they have a lot of products with good ingredients in it too. And I don’t know if that’s a strategic approach or if they just end up doing that because of their relationship with suppliers, but I think that is a bit about the customer experience. It’s like we don’t have that many choices to make in Costco. We just have to choose what could fit in our cart.
Katherine Hintz (28:55):
Is Costco the real influencer here? They have, instead of going on the Amazon shopping list, we just go to
Mary Kate Love (29:02):
Their house, they pick what we’re going to
Katherine Hintz (29:04):
Get. And I agree with you about the ingredients I am and I have food references for my ingredients and there’s so many things that they have that you can buy in bulk that is just so nice. Just know I’m going to have gluten-free crackers to eat my hummus with.
Mary Kate Love (29:24):
Yeah, you’ll probably have enough for
Katherine Hintz (29:25):
Six months for someone with dietary restrictions. It’s so expensive. And so it feels like I’m really actually saving so much money when I do that shopping at
Mary Kate Love (29:37):
Francisco, right? Yeah, I totally agree. And part of their approach too is those private labels. So we’ve all heard the, Hey, what is there? The Kirkland Vodka, right? Everyone says is the same as Great Moose. So there’s a lot of products like that where it’s just they go directly to the manufacturer’s supplier and they have their own private label that people tend to trust. I think the Kirkland products are trusted. Again, you feel like you’re getting this good deal. I think it’s just generally a great approach. And lastly on that list is their efficient packaging. Again, you’re going to buy in bulk so they don’t have to pay as much in packaging when you’re buying 60 odorants, right? It’s just all coming together. So I think there’s a cost savings there as
Katherine Hintz (30:20):
Well. Curious if there’s ever been any studies done on the fact that Costco doesn’t give you bags, you can ask for the boxes. That stuff came shipped in and I know in a lot of places, and not in the south yet, but in a lot of places you get taxed for bags or it’s like,
Mary Kate Love (30:36):
Yeah, we do here, you paint for your bags. Yeah, I think it’s 7 cents maybe. So you do see in Chicago, I think people are mad about that, so everyone’s carrying stuff out instead of just, I have
Katherine Hintz (30:47):
My reusable bags stacked up in the corner next to my door, but I’m curious,
Mary Kate Love (30:52):
You forget ’em at least every other time. I forget ’em all the time. There
Katherine Hintz (30:56):
Times I forget it and it’s in my car, they make it to my car and then I just get so excited that I’m inside and then I unload it into my car, into my back so I can carry it up to my apartment.
Mary Kate Love (31:06):
I know we need a reminder on our phone or something to tell us. But yeah, I think Costco, again, it’s just this really large retailer, very interesting supply chain strategy that typically delivers cost savings to their customers and they still are dealing things with inflation and the business costs rising, and we see that in kind of the membership be increased, but still an overall great customer experience for sure.
Katherine Hintz (31:32):
And to kind of tie all three of these stories together, it really does seem like buyers appreciate feeling seen and known, right? And I think that’s what is kind of a high point of all of these stories is that if you feel like you can relate to an influencer or you feel like a company like Amazon or Costco knows what you want before you have to ask for it, you’re going to give them your money. If you feel like, and I mean there are some things to be said about labor practices at some of these bigger companies, but if you feel like you are getting deals on things that reflect your lifestyle and your preferences, you’re going to keep going back to those companies. And if you feel like even you’re able to plan and strategize and research these white labels and get Gray Goose white labeled vodka as Costco, or I know I have their shampoo and it’s apparently the same as Pureology shampoo.
Mary Kate Love (32:28):
I didn’t know
Katherine Hintz (32:29):
That one. Yeah. So I really like it if you guys are looking for a new shampoo
Mary Kate Love (32:34):
List,
Katherine Hintz (32:35):
But I think that really making sure that everyone you interact with as a supplier or as anybody really in the greater business space that your client feels heard and appreciated, that customer experience is your customer retention. Just like here, T Square said it about Costco.
Mary Kate Love (32:54):
That’s so true. I guess we were not making that connection and that totally makes sense, right? Your customer experience is the reason for that retention. And it doesn’t matter if your customer experience is in store online or how easy it is to return. That’s still my customer experience. There are plenty of places that make it too hard to return that we won’t shop at. So I think all of that, your customer experience starts with reverse logistics even. That’s a great way to sum it up and kind of sum up our show too. I think that was all of our stories today. We hope you had a great time listening to our marketing supply chain mix of new stories. We like seeing these creative brand partnerships, these approaches in retail, what we can learn as both practitioners and I guess consumers in supply chain, right? So we hope you liked it. Catherine, do you have any final words, thoughts?
Katherine Hintz (33:47):
I don’t think so. Happy shopping and
Mary Kate Love (33:50):
Yeah, good luck with Prime Day.
Katherine Hintz (33:53):
Enjoy prime day and thanks for tuning in.
Mary Kate Love (33:56):
Thanks everyone for listening to the Buzz and we will see you hopefully at our shows this week as
Katherine Hintz (34:01):
Well. Bye everybody.
Mary Kate Love (34:03):
Bye.
Intro/Outro (34:05):
Thanks for being a part of our supply chain now community. Check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain now anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain. Now.
WEBINAR- Taming Logistics Complexity: How Logistics Leaders Can Optimize Operations with Emerging Technology
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Host, Logistics with Purpose
Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.
Host
From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.
Host, Supply Chain Now
The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.
He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.
A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics. He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.
Host
Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.
She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.
Host
Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.
An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.
A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts "The Winning Link," a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network. As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release "The Winning Link" book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.
A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute "The Nobel Prize of Operations" and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME); two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning. He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board, a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.
Host
Tandreia Bellamy retired as the Vice President of Industrial Engineering for UPS Supply Chain Solutions which included the Global Logistics, Global Freight Forwarding and UPS Freight business units. She was responsible for operations strategy and planning, asset management, forecasting, and technology tool development to optimize sustainable efficiency while driving world class service.
Tandreia held similar positions at the business unit level for Global Logistics and Global Freight forwarding. As the leader of the Global Logistics engineering function, she directed all industrial engineering activies related to distribution, service parts logistics (post-sales support), and mail innovations (low cost, light weight shipping partnership with the USPS). Between these roles Tandreia helped to establish the Advanced Technology Group which was formed to research and develop cutting edge solutions focused on reducing reliance on manual labor.
Tandreia began her career in 1986 as a part-time hourly manual package handling employee. She spent the great majority of her career in the small package business unit which is responsible for the pick-up, sort, transport and delivery of packages domestically. She held various positions in Industrial Engineering, Marketing, Inside and On-road operations in Central Florida before transferring to Atlanta for a position in Corporate Product Development and Corporate Industrial Engineering. Tandreia later held IE leadership roles in Nebraska, Minnesota and Chicago. In her final role in small package she was an IE VP responsible for all aspects of IE, technology support and quality for the 25 states on the western half of the country.
Tandreia is currently a Director for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Foundation Board and also serves on their Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Previously Tandreia served on the Executive Advisory Board for Virginia Tech’s IE Department and the Association for Supply Chain Management. She served on the Board of Trustees for ChildServ (a Chicago child and family services non-profit) and also served on the Texas A&M and Tuskegee Engineering Advisory Boards. In 2006 she was named Business Advisor of the Year by INROADS, in 2009 she was recognized as a Technology All-Star at the Women of Color in STEM conference and in 2019 she honored as a UCF Distinguished Aluma by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems.
Tandreia holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from UCF. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is being the proud mother of two college students, Ruby (24) and Anthony (22).
Host
Marty Parker serves as both the CEO & Founder of Adæpt Advising and an award-winning Senior Lecturer (Teaching Professor) in Supply Chain and Operations Management at the University of Georgia. He has 30 years of experience as a COO, CMO, CSO (Chief Strategy Officer), VP of Operations, VP of Marketing and Process Engineer. He founded and leads UGA’s Supply Chain Advisory Board, serves as the Academic Director of UGA’s Leaders Academy, and serves on multiple company advisory boards including the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, Zion Solutions Group and Carlton Creative Company.
Marty enjoys helping people and companies be successful. Through UGA, Marty is passionate about his students, helping them network and find internships and jobs. He does this through several hundred one-on-one zoom meetings each year with his students and former students. Through Adæpt Advising, Marty has organized an excellent team of affiliates that he works with to help companies grow and succeed. He does this by helping c-suite executives improve their skills, develop better leaders, engage their workforce, improve processes, and develop strategic plans with detailed action steps and financial targets. Marty believes that excellence in supply chain management comes from the understanding the intersection of leadership, culture, and technology, working across all parts of the organization to meet customer needs, maximize profit and minimize costs.
Marketing Coordinator
Laura Lopez serves as our Supply Chain Now Marketing Coordinator. She graduated from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Mexico with a degree in marketing. Laura loves everything digital because she sees the potential it holds for companies in the marketing industry. Her passion for creativity and thinking outside the box led her to pursue a career in marketing. With experience in fields like accounting, digital marketing, and restaurants, she clearly enjoys taking on challenges. Laura lives the best of both worlds - you'll either catch her hanging out with her friends soaking up the sun in Mexico or flying out to visit her family in California!
Host
An acknowledged industry leader, Jake Barr now serves as CEO for BlueWorld Supply Chain Consulting, providing support to a cross section of Fortune 500 companies such as Cargill, Caterpillar, Colgate, Dow/Dupont, Firmenich, 3M, Merck, Bayer/Monsanto, Newell Brands, Kimberly Clark, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Sanofi, Estee Lauder and Coty among others. He's also devoted time to engagements in public health sector work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At P&G, he managed the breakthrough delivery of an E2E (End to End) Planning Transformation effort, creating control towers which now manage the daily business globally. He is recognized as the architect for P&G’s demand driven supply chain strategy – referenced as a “Consumer Driven Supply Chain” transformation. Jake began his career with P&G in Finance in Risk Analysis and then moved into Operations. He has experience in building supply network capability globally through leadership assignments in Asia, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. He currently serves as a Research Associate for MIT; a member of Supply Chain Industry Advisory Council; Member of Gartner’s Supply Chain Think Tank; Consumer Goods “League of Leaders“; and a recipient of the 2015 - 2021 Supply Chain “Pro’s to Know” Award. He has been recognized as a University of Kentucky Fellow.
Host
Marcia Williams, Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain, has 18 years of experience in Supply Chain, with expertise in optimizing Supply Chain-Finance Planning (S&OP/ IBP) at Large Fast-Growing CPGs for greater profitability and improved cash flows. Marcia has helped mid-sized and large companies including Lindt Chocolates, Hershey, and Coty. She holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a degree in Accounting from Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay (South America). Marcia is also a Forbes Council Contributor based out of New York, and author of the book series Supply Chains with Maria in storytelling style. A recent speaker’s engagement is Marcia TEDx Talk: TEDxMSU - How Supply Chain Impacts You: A Transformational Journey.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Luisa Garcia is a passionate Marketer from Lagos de Moreno based in Aguascalientes. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico. She specializes in brand development at any stage, believing that a brand is more than just a name or image—it’s an unforgettable experience. Her expertise helps brands achieve their dreams and aspirations, making a lasting impact. Currently working at Vector Global Logistics in the Marketing team and as podcast coordinator of Logistics With Purpose®. Luisa believes that purpose-driven decisions will impact results that make a difference in the world.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Astrid Aubert was born in Guadalajara, she is 39 years old and has had the opportunity to live in many places. She studied communication and her professional career has been in Trade Marketing for global companies such as Pepsico and Mars. She currently works as Marketing Director Mexico for Vector Global Logistics. She is responsible for internal communications and marketing strategy development for the logistics industry. She is a mother of two girls, married and lives in Monterrey. She defines herself as a creative and innovative person, and enjoys traveling and cooking a lot.
Host
Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey University, class 2019. Upon graduation she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (GCLOG) 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. Former Data Analyst within the airport industry in Latin America at Pacific Airport Group, performing benchmarking reports and predictive analysis of future market behavior.
Currently working as Sr. Staffing Analyst within the S&OP team in Mexico at the biggest ecommerce company in Latin America: Mercado Libre. Responsible for workforce forecasting and planning through the analysis of demand, productivity, capacity, cost & time constraints. Sofia self identifies as Supply Chain Ambassador, sharing her passion for the field in her daily life. She has been recognized as upcoming thought leader in the field and invited to participate in several podcasts (Freight Path Podcast, Supply Chain Revolution Podcast, Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Industrificados) to discuss topics such as digital transformation, automation and future skillsets for supply chain professionals.
She is a frequent featured guest at Supply Chain Now and appointed co-host for their new series Supply Chain Now en Español. Global Ambassador for ISCEAs Sustainable Supply Chain Professional Certification (CSSCP) and keynote speaker at World Supply Chain Forum 2021 by ISCEA Indonesia.
Host
Karin Bursa is the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year and the Host of the TEKTOK Digital Supply Chain Podcast powered by Supply Chain Now. With more than 25 years of supply chain and technology expertise (and the scars to prove it), Karin has the heart of a teacher and has helped nearly 1,000 customers transform their businesses and share their success stories. Today, she helps B2B technology companies introduce new products, capture customer success and grow global revenue, market share and profitability. In addition to her recognition as the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year, Karin has also been recognized as a 2019 and 2018 Supply Chain Pro to Know, 2009 Technology Marketing Executive of the Year and a 2008 Women in Technology Finalist.
Host
Vin Vashishta is the author of ‘From Data To Profit’ (Wiley 2023). It’s the playbook for monetizing data and AI. Vin is the Founder of V-Squared and built the business from client 1 to one of the world’s oldest data and AI consulting firms. His background combines nearly 30 years in strategy, leadership, software engineering, and applied machine learning.
Vice President, Production
Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.
Founder, CEO, & Host
As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.
From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.
Principal & Host
When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.
Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.
Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring
Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.
Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.
Director of Sales
Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.
With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!
Host of Digital Transformers
Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog. He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community. Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include Cisco, Microsoft, Citrix and IBM. Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane University, O’Reilly Media, LinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight. Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems Engineering, Carrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.
Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español
Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.
He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.
Host of Dial P for Procurement
Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.
Host, Veteran Voices
Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.
Host
Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.
Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.
Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
Business Development Manager
Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.
Administrative Assistant
Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.
Social Media Manager
My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.
Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.
Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.
Marketing Coordinator
Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.
Director, Customer Experience
Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.
Chief of Staff & Host
Mary Kate Love is currently the VP of marketing at Supply Chain Now focused on brand strategy and audience + revenue growth. Mary Kate’s career is a testament to her versatility and innovative spirit: she has experience in start-ups, venture capital, and building innovation initiatives from the ground up: she previously helped lead the build-out of the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific and before that, MxD (Manufacturing times Digital): the Department of Defense’s digital manufacturing innovation center. Mary Kate has a passion for taking complicated ideas and turning them into reality: she was one of the first team members at MxD and the first team member at the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific.
Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Marketing Specialist
Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more. In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.
Director of Communications and Executive Producer
Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys. She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.
Controller
Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.
Creative Director, Producer, Host
Katherine Hintz, MBA is a marketing professional who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.