Supply Chain Now
Episode 930

And I thought to myself that every single software in the world is becoming better except for the one that people use the most…

-Mathilde Collin, CEO, Front

Episode Summary

If you are a knowledge worker, chances are you manage most of your life and communications through email. And while collaboration platforms have come a long way, email always seems to stay the same. Most workers accept its limitations because they don’t believe there is a better way. But what if there were?

Mathilde Collin is the CEO of Front, a customer communication platform. She looked at the limitations of email and didn’t think it was a problem too big to solve. In fact, she found her mission.

In this interview with host Scott Luton, Mathilde Collin talks about:

• Why email is failing most of us today as a customer communications hub

• The story behind Front’s tradition of onboarding each employee with a set of Legos

• What it actually takes to create a better customer experience

Episode Transcript

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,

Scott Luton (00:32):

Hey, good morning, everybody. Scott Luton with you here on supply chain. Now welcome to today’s show. So today’s episode is really focused on a variety of things, but, uh, big theme is gonna be customer experience, certainly a big, hot topic in today’s world supply chain and otherwise, and as we all know, that experience can be optimized by developing strong customer relationships more on that in just a minute, but I wanna formally welcome in are our guest here today. She’s a fellow founder and entrepreneur and her organization’s doing big things in the customer experience space and beyond. So would no further do when welcome in Mathilde Collin co-founder and CEO at front ma how you doing?

Mathilde Collin (01:12):

I’m doing great. I’m very excited to be here and chat with you, Scott.

Scott Luton (01:16):

Well, we are too, uh, we’ve been admirers of what you’ve been doing and, and, uh, the type of what your organization’s been up to. And as we talked about, pre-show the type of culture you’re building for those extended family members that y’all call frontiers. So more on that and much more here today on supply chain now. Okay. So ma till, uh, up front here, I want to get to know you a little better. Uh, let our audience get to know you a little better. So tell us first off, where did you grow up and, and, you know, give us a few anecdotes about your upbringing?

Mathilde Collin (01:46):

Well, maybe you can tell for my accent, I was, uh, born in France, uh, in the suburb of Paris. Um, and you know, as far as I can remember, um, I was a very happy kid. Um, and maybe the, the thing that was most defining about who I was and still am today is very competitive. Um, I loved winning I, so I did a ton of sports. I played soccer, I played tennis, I played board games. Okay. Um, and it’s still a huge driver for what I’m doing today. Um, so that’s one piece about myself, the other pieces, for some reason, I’ve always cared about human beings, just cuz there are human beings, we’re in this boat altogether. Um, and I feel like we should care for one another. Mm. Uh, and one of the things that I realized when I was a kid being a happy kid was a lot of the, the adults around me. Weren’t super excited about their job. Like weren’t looking forward to going to work every Monday. Uh, and it made me so sad as like if that’s, what’s growing up means I’d rather not grow up <laugh> and a huge part. You talked about frontiers and you know, a huge part of also what drove my decision to start a company was maybe the naive dream of trading, a place where people would be happy to come to work every day and be engaged. Um, so two anecdotes.

Scott Luton (03:12):

I love that. Okay. Let me back up. Cause we’re gonna get into the front story in just a second. Um, but I love how that is so connected to who you are as a human, but also as a child and being that proverbial happy child. So you mentioned you played soccer and tennis. Which one were you better at?

Mathilde Collin (03:29):

Um, I think I practiced tennis way more, but I was more gifted at soccer.

Scott Luton (03:35):

Okay. All right. Um, and with soccer, what position on the field did you play?

Mathilde Collin (03:41):

I was striking goals.

Scott Luton (03:43):

Okay.

Mathilde Collin (03:43):

<laugh> and playing on the left

Scott Luton (03:45):

That what, you know, whether it’s world cup or whether it’s Olympics or whether it’s professional, there’s probably no better celebration than a soccer goal. You know, getting that goal and seeing the team come together and celebrate. Is that, was that cool? Mai,

Mathilde Collin (03:58):

I loved it. I loved the fact that it’s, it’s a team, uh, game. I love tennis as well. I played as a team, uh, played tennis, but yes, love celebrating success. I actually, so one of my areas of improvements as a CEO, I’m not so good at it, but when you strike a goal, like you don’t have anything else to do than, you know, celebrating. So that’s easy and business is a bit harder.

Scott Luton (04:18):

It is, it is. Okay. One final, uh, uh, question about your upbringing. You know, when I hear France and growing up in a, in a suburb, just outside of Paris, that iconic world city, I think cuisine and food, what’s one food dish that is inseparable from your upbringing that you really just, uh, loved as a kid.

Mathilde Collin (04:39):

Um, it’s interesting because my mom is actually, uh, half French and half Swedish and I have, so I think I have way more memories. So let me think about a French. So I’ll tell you because it’s the thing that I miss the most. It may be very basic, but I love baguettes. Like it’s the most cliche thing, but I’ve been living in the us for nine years and in San Francisco I’ve been enable to find an okay baguette, not even just, okay. And then I just took it for granted that every day, every morning you could edit every dinner you could edit. And now I miss it so much with like every meal I make. So that’s, that’s the like next disruption I want to work on

Scott Luton (05:22):

I’m with you, you know, uh, during the pandemic, especially during, during the, the, the deepest throws pandemic, uh, homemade bread making became such a big thing, not just here in the states, but globally. And to your point, there’s such a, uh, a big difference in, um, you know, bread. You find a grow store and that homemade character field, uh, you could almost taste the whole story behind the loaf when you have really good homemade bread. And of course you pair it with great butter and it doesn’t help you shed some of these, uh, pandemic pounds. But man, it’s really almost irreplaceable.

Mathilde Collin (05:55):

I

Scott Luton (05:55):

Agree. So, uh, baguettes, uh, finding world class baguette baguettes will be part of your, your, maybe your next chapter, but let’s talk about your current, uh, your current chapter. Y’all been doing some really big things for quite some time at front. Uh, we were just celebrating your, one of your most recent, um, recognitions where, uh, a group, uh, named you one of the best places to work. And you were talking about that culture and, and those frontiers and how important it is for folks to look forward to those Mondays. But first, before we talk about, uh, what you’re up to now, let’s go back to the Genesis of the company. You’re one of the co-founders, how did it all start?

Mathilde Collin (06:34):

So I graduated, um, I dunno, maybe 10 years ago. Uh, and then I actually had to find a job because I had to pay for the loan that I had made to go to school. Um, so I, I wanted to start a company. I had studied entrepreneurship, which is the thing in France, but I couldn’t really afford starting company. So join a software company. I was doing a contract management software, um, and I stayed there for only a year. So I loved everything I learned. I loved the ability for softwares to change how people work at skill, but the culture of the company made me very unhappy. And I didn’t know how much of an impact the culture of a company could have. I was super fortunate afterwards to meet with my co-founder and our first investors who agreed to fund the company pre-product. So that was very fortunate.

Mathilde Collin (07:24):

And so I started the company a year after I graduated. So I don’t have a lot of work experience for, to France. The reason I started France was because I felt like email was the tool that knowledge workers were using the most to get work done. And yet hadn’t evolved in the past 25 years. And I thought every single software in the world is, uh, literally becoming better except for the one that people use the most. Um, and I think that goes back to the impact I wanted to have. And I felt like if, you know, the product was, uh, good, then it could have a meaningful impact on people’s lives at work. Um, and then on the competitive nature of myself, like the, the market is so big. Um, and I enjoyed that. So that’s how it all got started in France in, uh, we launched eight years ago, um, four days ago.

Scott Luton (08:14):

Okay. Well, okay. Big anniversary then just four days ago. Yes. Um, so if I heard you correctly, you saw email as, as, uh, still the powerful vehicle that it has been, but you saw it kind of having stagnated a bit going back for a couple decades. Right. So how did, if I, so if I heard you, how do we reinvent email to really maximize art of the possible that, uh, it poses, right?

Mathilde Collin (08:39):

Yes. A hundred percent. So I, I was thinking like, what is, um, what are the main characteristics or of how work gets done today? Um, and how is email different from what people expect and how they work? And the way I felt was, so first of all, today you must always work as a team and email makes information very siloed. Like it’s your in your inbox, no one has access to it. Right. Um, and so the first thing I thought was, well, if it was collaborative and you could easily, you know, collaborate on a draft, add internal notes about an email and start an internal discussion, assign something to someone to make sure that, you know, who is accountable for replying to someone that would be a wonderful improvement. And then I thought there’s so many manual tasks that you’re doing every day. There are so repetitive, you archive you for CC BCC, like everything inside, right?

Mathilde Collin (09:36):

Like if you could automate some of these repetitive tasks. So for example, you know, you could say if an email contents, this sentence, then make sure that you assign it to this person. If it’s in French, then put it in this inbox. If, um, it hasn’t been replied in three hours, add a flag. Like you want to make sure that you’re replying less than three hours. So automation and the last piece was, um, analytics. Like every software in the world pretty much gives you data, uh, how you work and email is the tool you use the most and gives you zero data because it’s siloed. So I think like very early on, this was, um, how I envisioned it. It should be collaborative, it should be automated. Um, and it, it should give you the right insights later on, we added a fourth piece, which is, it should be integrated with the other tools you’re using. You’re gonna use many other tools. Let’s make sure that we bring the context so that when you are looking at an email, you know, everything about your customer or your shipments, or like whatever matters to you so that you give the best answer possible in the fastest way.

Scott Luton (10:39):

Uh, man making emails so much more powerful, making it so much more functional, uh, reinventing it in many ways. Uh, also using it as a, as a better, uh, platform for gathering data and insights and analytics. Um, man, what a, what an incredible, uh, adventure now, eight years and four days later. So now that we know kind of the Genesis and some of the main aspects of front that led to you, uh, you know, starting the business, tell us about front today and build on what build on those key, uh, aspects of, of the platform and tell us where does the company stand today?

Mathilde Collin (11:17):

Of course. So I think there are many things we’ve learned over the past eight years when you tackle a very big problem. Like the one I described, I think it is amazing because of the scale, the impact you can have, but the challenge is you want to make sure that you also focus on like specific pain points, industries, teams to make sure that you’re really doing something amazing for them versus something good for a little bit of everyone. So I think what we learned,

Scott Luton (11:46):

So like special specialization, a little bit of customization is what I’m hearing there. Mattel is that right? E

Mathilde Collin (11:50):

E exactly. And, and I think that, yeah, I’ll, I’ll talk more about this. Um, email still has these wonderful things that it can be used by lots of different teams and industries, but it doesn’t mean all teams, all industries, independent of size, et C. Right? So the thing we realized is where the stakes are the highest, when you think about communication is for a lot of businesses on customer communication. So at the end of the day, why a business exists is to serve their customers. And so if you screw up on your communication with potential customers or customers, you put your business at risk,

Scott Luton (12:26):

Bad things happen, right? Yeah. Bad things happen.

Mathilde Collin (12:29):

Exactly. And the reason why today we talk about front as a customer communication hub is because what we realize is the most value that we people were getting were when they were talking to potential customers and customers. So that’s, um, a change from how we talked about it eight years ago. And today, then we also understood that some industries have a really strong fit with front and specifically the teams are industries that need to do an exceptional job at communicating with their, uh, whatever customers mean for them, right? Who are operationally more complex and so need more coordination like these industries. And so supply chain logistics, and I’m sure we’ll get back to it, but these are examples of industries where the stakes are high. If they do a good job, their business can be meaningfully better and different. They can retain their customers better, they can save more money.

Mathilde Collin (13:31):

And so we started over the years, talking more to these industries and making sure we understood them deeply and built the product that was aimed at delivering the most value for them. So today we’re, uh, you know, we have offices in four different, um, cities, Paris, Dublin, Chicago, and San Francisco, um, as well as a remote team, um, we have 450 employees, um, over 8,000 customers, uh, across a hundred different countries. So we’ve been growing quite a while. Just the same time last year, I think we were 250 people. So, you know, we’ve grown fast. Um, wow. But it’s been, it’s been very exciting.

Scott Luton (14:12):

Well, uh, congrats on all the growth and, and all the, uh, recognition and, and by outside parties, I wanna go back to on the front end, we were talking about, you know, celebrating those wins and how it can be a little more challenging in the business world. I think, uh, I don’t know about you Mattel, but I think, cause there’s so many things, right. You never wanna stop. There’s never a finish line there really isn’t and it’s tougher for leaders to, to really zero in and be in the moment. Right. And celebrate with your team. What’s one of your favorite ways you, you and your team and your, your frontiers have celebrated your growth over the last, uh, eight years and four days.

Mathilde Collin (14:51):

Such an interesting question. So I, we have this thing at front, it’s very specific to front, but, um, since the very early days we’ve been building Legos, um, and every time there is a new person that they join front, they get to pick the Legos set they want, oh,

Scott Luton (15:09):

Love

Mathilde Collin (15:10):

It. Um, and then we get to build it all together. It’s just a great way, um, to, to meet people over a Lego set and we’ve managed to build custom Legos, so custom mini figures. And so to, to celebrate a milestone, um, or a project, like whatever it is, we will create a <inaudible> that’s custom made for each employee and, and give it to them. And so now people on their desk have a few different MiFis based on their accomplishments and the projects they were a part of. So that’s been a, I’ve loved doing that.

Scott Luton (15:45):

Okay. I’ve gotta get some pictures. We’re gonna have to compare notes after they show. I love that idea cause who doesn’t love Legos and, you know, beyond the fun factor, uh, I love kind of what it implies because every, everybody plays a role in the big picture and, and that bigger thing that you’re building. Right. So I love kind of how that reiterates that, um, you know, successes or some of those tougher days, right. Where everyone, everyone kinda pulls together, you digs deeper in the trenches and, and just powers through, uh, those tougher days that are part of any journey. Um, alright. So I wanna shift gears over, um, cause the broader thing we’re talking about here, uh, one, one of the broader things that, uh, platforms like front, uh, are, uh, are, uh, helping organizations get better and more effective with is customer experience. Now I would argue the notion of customer experience has been around a long time, but now here in, in recent years there’s been a rise of kind of a formal CX or course, uh, customer experience, um, methodology. So, you know, when it comes to, uh, optimizing, uh, and really implementing a successful customer ex experience program from your point of view Mattel, and kind of even beyond front a little bit from your point of view, what’s a couple things that our listeners that wanna optimize CX should really know.

Mathilde Collin (17:04):

So I think, uh, maybe at the highest level, and then I’ll, I’ll go one level deeper, but it needs to be a focus. Like I think, um, over time every industry becomes commoditized and every business will have to differentiate on customer experience. Also, I think in the past few years, and especially during the pandemic, but it’s become more and more of an expectation that a company will deliver amazing experience. So the first thing they should do is make it a priority, hire people that take it seriously, want to invest. And I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is to a company’s success. Everything else would be a short term optimization midterm long term. You’ll have to be excellent at it if you want to win. Mm. Um, so now going like how do you do this? Cause, you know, great to say this right. <laugh> um, so, so I think, how do you do this is one, one of my belief is what people want is they want communication to feel very personal.

Mathilde Collin (18:09):

Uh, they want to feel like they’re talking to a human being and they don’t want to, you know, receive like your ticket number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, reply above this line. You’ll be like, what happens behind the scenes is your problem, right? Like this is your company, the person that’s reaching out to you, shouldn’t be exposed to whatever is happening behind the scenes. Um, and so I think companies need to invest in technology because that’s the only way you can scale and not just put more humans at the prime, the more humans you put at the prime, the more complicated your processes become. And the more time you’re gonna spend on processes versus actually getting back to your customers, um, so invest in technology, but making sure that the technology you use puts the human at the forefront of this experience. That that to me is what I deeply believe in and where the world is going.

Scott Luton (19:02):

I, I love that. Um, you know, digital transformations, another phrase we’re hearing so much about, but, uh, as, as Kevin L. Jackson and many of our other hosts and guests have, have, uh, really reiterated time and time again, it’s really human transformation. Right. And, and we can’t lose side to fact of what you just shared. Yeah. Uh, um, go out and find the right technology that that’s deeply relevant to what you’re trying to do, but do it with your team and, and never make sure we center on what they’re doing after, after to your earlier point, your first point, making sure we hire folks that have those common values and want to be, um, you’re talking about being a happy, happy child in your early days, you know, wanna make others happy, right? If you wanna really be focused on, on, uh, you know, customer service and, and customer experience, it’s a big part of the DNA on your team is one beyond the technology, the DNA on the team that you hire. Right.

Mathilde Collin (19:59):

Hundred percent. I like, I couldn’t agree more with everything you said.

Scott Luton (20:03):

So, uh, you know what my kids are telling me, ma tilt, uh, we’ve got three kids here, um, uh, Brantley Gracie and Ben, and they’ve been telling me that the short abbreviation for a hundred percent, these days is honey P have you heard that yet? In the lexicon? Okay.

Mathilde Collin (20:19):

I havent I’m, I’m too old.

Scott Luton (20:22):

<laugh> well, be on the lookout, be on the lookout, uh, honey P okay. Someone switch gears, uh, again, congrats on all, uh, that the front team and, and all your frontiers have been doing love, celebrating, uh, uh, startup and entrepreneurial, uh, growth. Uh, you’re building quite a capable team, uh, globally. So we’ll have to get a check in we’ll to check back in with you maybe at the end of the year or beginning next year, but you also clearly much like we do here at supply chain. Now we, we, uh, you know, um, do good give forward and be the change, right? That’s a core mantra along with deeds, not words, right. You, uh, ma till and, uh, mentor, aspiring entrepreneurs through, uh, several different programs as part of what I understand to be part of your, you know, give forward, uh, all raises female founders, office hours is one of the groups that you mentor groups with, uh, fellow entrepreneurs, or wanna be founders with along those lines, Mattel what’s one or two pieces of advice that you would share with potential founders in our audience.

Mathilde Collin (21:27):

So, so many of them maybe I’ll start with one that’s very controversial, which is don’t, don’t listen to most advice and act any advice. I think your responsibility is to gather a, a lot of them, but I think human beings have a willingness to tell you, like, this is what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and you are the best person to know what you should do, and shouldn’t do so. Just take them as inputs and data points, uh, but just be aware of the fact that you will always know your customers, your market, your team, everything better than anyone else. So with that being said, I’ll still do the opposite of what I just said and give some advice. <laugh>. Um, I think, uh, maybe two that are completely different. The first one would be about, uh, mental health. I think founders have an insanely hard job.

Mathilde Collin (22:16):

Like it was true five years ago. When you think about what they’re going through right now, I mean, you, the pandemic changed everything. The macro environment is changing in the supply chain world. There is a crisis, like there is way more disruption. There has been way more disruption in the past two and a half years that there than there’s been in the past, like 10 years. And so it is more important than ever to take care of yourself. You’ll only be a good leader if you’re a happy, balanced, human being. And so there are many things you can do for this. Like, you can make sure that you take some time off, you can make sure that you don’t check your emails right before going to bed. And first thing, when you get up in the morning, like many things, um, but I would say, just make sure that you invest in yourself.

Mathilde Collin (23:03):

This is a good investment for your company as well. The second thing is I’m a huge believer. There is an article I wrote a few years ago, um, about discipline. I’m a huge believer that discipline drives a ton of the success of your company. More so than for example, the vision you have, which you know, is important, but in my opinion, not the most important thing. And this is part of the reason why I think I started France. And, you know, when people use France, they use it many hours day. This is a way to make sure that you are on top of everything. Like, you know, exactly who’s in Ling. What, and I think this discipline, this rigor is absolutely critical in order to succeed. Like so many stars need to align in order for you to succeed. It’s insane. So when you’re have a business that’s growing like first be super proud of yourself and then make sure that you keep investing in this discipline, which, you know, has, I could talk for hours about what it means, right? Uh, between the goals, the processes, the team, and, um, everything. But these would be my two pieces of advice.

Scott Luton (24:11):

I appreciate that. You know, if I’m hearing you correctly, you know, uh, whether you are a, uh, a team member and maybe you’re clocking in and out and putting in your, for each week or, or if you’re, um, a founder, your, um, uh, founder and putting in, <laugh> no telling the amount of hours. One, one of the things I’m hearing you say is, is making the best use most efficient use of those hours. And if you can, you know, if you can, um, engage with, with tools and platforms like front or other things out there that, um, you know, allows you to save time and touch something, just once I, I think that’s some of the advice I’m hearing you say, and then the other, uh, which I think is so universal and so human and, and certainly one. And I’m, I’m about to ask you one of your key Eureka moments, but one of mine over the last couple years was your first piece of advice.

Scott Luton (24:59):

No, not the don’t listen to advice, although that, that there’s a lot of value there about invest taking care of yourself, investing in yourself. You know, I’ve heard it put as simply, there was a very successful business person in the Atlanta area that was deeply, um, sign, uh, significant for many folks. And they said when they were, uh, when they were tired, they slept when they were hungry, they ate when they were ready to work, they worked. And it’s so simple, but oftentimes we don’t listen to that inner voice. You know, we don’t shut down email, like what, like you were saying and take time to take care of ourselves. Right.

Mathilde Collin (25:39):

I hundred percent. I mean, my, I mean, I’ve had a few European moments, but one of the things that seems like a sad story turned out to be a great story is my co-founder who’s the CTO of the company was diagnosed with cancer and of 2017. And then my entire world collapsed because my entire balanced fell apart, um, is healthy now. And, um, I’m a way happier human being today, but it forced me. I, I think I pushed so hard on making sure that the company was doing well, that he was doing well, that I forgot about myself. And then, you know, one day I just woke up and couldn’t go to work. And that forced me to change a bunch of things in the culture we have at front in how I operate on a day to day basis still today, you know, many years later, five years later, um, I meditate every morning. I just take 10 minutes and it just gives me the head space that I need in order to be the best version of myself. Mm. Professionally and personally. So I agree with what you said.

Scott Luton (26:36):

I, I love that Mattel. Thank you for sharing. Uh, thank you for that transparent share about one of the, the tougher times. And it’s good to hear that your fellow co-founder, uh, sounds like they beat cancer. Yes. That is wonderful. That’s amazing. It really is. Uh, and, and how, even through the darkest times in our journey, you know, there’s lessons to be learned and applied and, and that’s one of, one things you shared with us. Um, alright. So we’re gonna ask you in a, in a second, how folks can connect with you and learn more about front. If, uh, I can see a lot of application for making email more powerful, uh, to using platforms like front, uh, in global supply chain, you know, cause it’s all about those customer relationships. That’s the name of the game? That’s the core of everything, as you’ve mentioned on the front end. Um, but beyond what you just shared, if you look back the last couple years, you know, we’re big on Eureka moments, some days have 27 Eureka moments, others, others, thankfully have just a couple, but anything else that really has stuck with you in terms of a Eureka moment in, in recent years?

Mathilde Collin (27:41):

Um, I think maybe, uh, so on a, on a completely different topic, um, I feel like the more your company grows, uh, the more, um, the better you are at managing your team, the more impact it’s gonna have, like at the end of the day, my impact, you know, with like just what I do every day becomes, um, not as important as how I can empower the people that work with me. And maybe the biggest learning I’ll tell you. The biggest learning from last year is I have an executive team at France. Um, they’re wonderful. Uh, and in order to build trust within a team, it takes so much deliberate effort and you can never take it for granted. Mm. And you constantly need to invest in it. Once you have this, it just multiplies the impact of everyone by so much. And so I used to believe that, you know, we can do enough site every other in every half year and it’s gonna be great. But the reality is when you get to work in fast changing environment, there are so many decisions you need to make so many new people that join so many new parameters. You need to take into account that in my opinion, constantly investing in the trust that a team has, will never, ever be a waste of time. So I’ll just share this one from the past year.

Scott Luton (29:01):

Oh, ma till that is, that is, um, you gotta preach out loud to the folks in the back, cuz trust without trust, you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing. Uh, and with it, you can truly, and I know this sounds cliche, but you can truly move mountains, you know, and, and, uh, it’s challenging to build, but gosh, if you build it and then you lose it, you’ve truly lost everything. So thank you. That, that’s a great high point to wrap our conversation, uh, here today. Okay. So Matt, till, uh, Colin, uh, whether folks are interested in kicking the tires on front, whether they want to maybe, uh, I don’t know if you do a bunch of keynotes, I think you’d be a brilliant speaker and an inspirational speaker, or if they just wanna learn more, how can folks connect with you and front?

Mathilde Collin (29:47):

Well, so front, our website is very simple front.com. Okay. <laugh> um, and yeah, I mean, so, so they should go on the website. Um, if they want to learn more about France, like in this place specifically, we work with amazing companies like, you know, SS freight for wording and Flexport and convoy and Prairie.

Scott Luton (30:10):

Okay. Wow.

Mathilde Collin (30:11):

And like, we have so many companies, you know, we didn’t spend a lot of time on, on this, but I think for this industry, at this specific moment in time, investing in being operationally stronger and retaining your customers better is absolutely critical. So first can go on the website, they can ask for a demo of our product and I’ll make sure that there is a wonderful frontier. That’s gonna explain to them how front can make this experience better and deeply understand their business as well, to make sure there is a fit. I personally, um, spend some time, but not too much time on Twitter. Um, so Colin Mattel. So my last name then first name. Yeah. Um, and I reply to, uh, direct messages. I reply to tweets. Um, there are pros and cons of this social media platform, but the good thing is you can get in touch and you can hear what people have to say. Um, I post there, um, I write a medium or LinkedIn or like on fronts blog. Um, and if I’m gonna do a talk or a keynote, like this is usually where I will post that this is gonna happen. So these two ways,

Scott Luton (31:23):

I love that. Uh, and you know, Twitter sometimes can get a bad rap, but I, I find it to be a fascinating channel. Uh, it’s been interesting as the world’s opened back up, some of the folks I’ve been, uh, I call it Twitter friends with, or digital friends with, I’ve had a chance to meet him person at different conferences and cups of coffee. And it’s just been a great, um, you know, great relationship building device, which of course I know you value because, uh, uh, what you’ve been doing day in, day out front that’s what front does. Yes. Um, and then one of the quick comment and folks we’re gonna have you, you’re gonna be one click away, check out all of the ways that you can connect with ma till and front. On the episode page, you’ll see links there. Uh, you know, here at the end of the conversation, you mentioned some of the, uh, well known organizations, active members, uh, part of global supply chain that you’re working with. So maybe next time we have you back on, we we’ll, we’ll dive deeper into, uh, some, some of ways that supply chain leaders are using, uh, front, but nevertheless, um, ma till really had a wonderful time, learning more from your journey here today. It’s been a long time coming. Uh, I appreciate your time and, uh, folks, you gotta connect with, uh, Matilde Colin and front. Thank you very much for your time here today. Ma till

Mathilde Collin (32:34):

Thank you so much for having me. I also had a great time.

Scott Luton (32:37):

So folks, hopefully you’ve enjoyed this conversation so much as I have, uh, just really Frank, uh, transparent experiences from, uh, company on the move and from, uh, one of the co-founders and fearless leaders behind the company. So check out front connect with Matt till be like me. I’m gonna connect with her on, on follow her on whatever very soon. Uh, but whatever you do, whatever you tune, I I’ve got about 18 pages of notes from ma till to here today. Uh, on behalf of our entire team, Scott Luton, challenging you, Hey, be like ma till do good, give forward, be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we see next time, right back here. That’s Apache now. Thanks everybody.

Intro/Outro (33:15):

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.

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Featured Guests

Mathilde Collin is the co-founder and CEO of Front, a communications hub for building strong customer relationships. Front serves more than 7,500 businesses and has raised $138 million in venture funding from Sequoia Capital, Threshold Ventures and Uncork Capital, as well as executives from Atlassian, Okta, Qualtrics, and Zoom. Mathilde is known for her values-driven leadership style and for championing top-down radical transparency. Before founding Front and moving to San Francisco for Y Combinator in 2014, she received a Master’s degree at HEC School of Management. Mathilde mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through All Raise’s Female Founders Office Hours and the Pioneer Fund. She has been recognized in Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startups, Inc. Female Founders and Forbes 30 Under 30: Enterprise Tech. Based in San Francisco, Mathilde is from Paris, where she earned her Masters in Entrepreneurship from the HEC School of Management in 2012. Connect with Mathilde on LinkedIn.

Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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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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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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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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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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Adrian Purtill

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.

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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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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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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 CiscoMicrosoft, 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 UniversityO’Reilly MediaLinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight.  Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems EngineeringCarrier 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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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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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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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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