In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton sits down with two leaders shaping the future of reverse logistics from the floor to the classroom: Troy Campbell, Director of Reverse Logistics Centers at The Home Depot, and Dr. Glenn Richey, Jr., Harbert Eminent Scholar in Supply Chain Management at Auburn University. Troy opens the doors to Home Depot’s four Reverse Logistics Centers: Phoenix, Pittston (PA), McDonough (GA), and Indianapolis, showing why a people-first culture remains the operating system for returns at scale. He gets real about “automation when the box isn’t a box,” how rethinking inbound flows through 3PLs reduces touches and transportation cost, and why simple vendor conversations (like consolidating daily pallets into a single weekly load) can unlock outsized impact. His north star: make associates’ days easier, and the entire reverse network improves. Glenn zooms out to the macro shifts: the move from minimizing returns to maximizing returns within a circular economy, generative AI for scenario planning and real-time decision support, and reverse logistics as the operational backbone of sustainability. He maps the skills the next workforce will need, calls for clearer industry coding to separate reverse data from forward logistics, and outlines how universities can build…

Today we continue the Supply Chain Leadership Across Africa series as host Scott Luton and special guest host Jenny Froome are joined by Pam Steele, founder and CEO at Pamela Steele Associates, and Rebecca Alban, Senior Manager of Health Systems at VillageReach to discuss the gender imbalance in the global supply chain, particularly in the public health supply chain workforce. Listen in as Pam and Rebecca highlight the importance of achieving gender balance in the industry, not just for equity, but also for improving supply chain performance. They also discussed the barriers women face in the industry, such as cultural norms, biases, and organizational cultures, and ideas for addressing the issues. Join us for an inspiring conversation about the role women play in the healthcare workforce, and the transformational impact they can have on it.