Supply Chain Now Radio
Episode 181

Episode Summary

On the latest episode of SCNR, Scott and Greg welcomed Rob Cook, Nick Stylianou, and Asif Naqbi to the SCNR studio at Vector Global Logistics.

Episode Transcript

[00:00:05] It’s time for Supply Chain Now Radio. Broadcasting live from the Supply chain capital of the country, Atlanta, Georgia. Supply Chain Now Radio spotlights the best in all things supply chain the people, the technology’s the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.

 

[00:00:29] Good morning. Scott Luton here with you, Lavern Supply Chain Now Radio. Welcome back to the show. On today’s show, we’re going to be discussing a recent report from EFT. The State of Logistics Technology Report. Maroulis offering key takeaways and analysis from a variety of angles. And for those of you that may be new to EFT if supply chain and Logistics intelligence is the global leader in business, intelligence and sea level networking for the transport, Logistics and Supply chain industry, you can learn more at e._m._t dot com. We’re proud to be partners with the great group over there. So quick programming note. Like all of our series on Supply Chain Now Radio, you can find our replays on a variety of channels Apple podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, wherever else you find your podcast. As always, we’d love to have you subscribe. Missing thing. One last programming note Supply Chain Now Radio has also brought to you by a variety of sponsors, including the Effective syndicate Supplychainrealestate.com, Barazan ProPurchaser, ProPurchaser.com and several leading organizations. Be sure to check out the show notes to learn more about our valuable sponsors. Okay. Let’s welcome in our co-host today. Greg White, one of our regular co-hosts here at Supply Chain Now Radio Serial Supply chain tech entrepreneur and trusted advisor. Greg, how you doing? Hey, I’m doing great. I’m looking forward to talking to the folks today. We are to this. This report is chock full of a broad variety of takeaways. And with no further ado, let’s welcome in our featured guest today. First off, Rob Cook, chief technology officer at Sheer, Rob. How you doing? We are doing fantastic. Looking forward to getting your insights and perspective on today’s podcast as if not me. Head of partnerships at EFT. Supply chain and Logistics Intelligence. Awesome. Hey, you do it very well.

 

[00:02:16] Good morning. Good to talk to you guys again.

 

[00:02:19] Absolutely. And Assaf’s colleague, Nick Stylianou, project director also at E.F. Supply chain and Logistics Intelligence. Nick, how you doing? Doing great. How are you guys doing today? We are doing fantastic. So we’ve got quite a panel convened here. So as I mentioned today, we’re gonna be discussing this this relatively new report out called the State of Logistics Technology Report. It’s been compiled with insights from business leaders across really intense Potchen world. But Nick, let’s talk about the background, the report. What who do we seek out to to to clean all this information from?

 

[00:02:56] So in a nutshell, I for transport has a global database of around 60 thousand senior SUPPLY CHAIN executives and we regularly release industry white papers and their specific white papers are State of Logistics technology reports. So we sent our survey to a technology focus community and we got survey responses from over 500 industry professionals, 236 Logistics service providers, 101 retailers, manufacturers, 165 solution providers. And then we did that in with our executive insights from faustine guests from Road Runner, Global, Trounstine, Hoba noodly and that formed State of Logistics segment report, which we’ll be discussing today.

 

[00:03:41] Outstanding. First off, we wanna talk about before you go into takeaways and start kind of chopping up what is in the report that has been pulled away, as Nick’s suggested, from over 500 industry professionals. Rob, first off list, let’s learn a little more about you and what Sheer does.

 

[00:04:00] Yeah, certainly up again. Rob Cook. And on the CTO of Sheer Logistics somewhere, a third party, Logistics Froome located in St. Lu is obviously being a three P.l. We offer a variety of freight solutions brokerage, freight paid, manage transportation, you name it, we offer it. I think what differentiates us out in the marketplace in the mid-market that we play in is the fact that we do have a very strong technology bet. I personally, I have over twenty five years of experience in the industry. I started out as a consultant to begin with. The Big Six worked with various transportation management companies and wound up with Sheer, been with them for six, seven years now and very happy with the position we’re at right now.

 

[00:04:45] Outstanding. Well, really appreciate you taking time with us to share your insights, perspective on this information in this report. So with that as a backdrop about you and Sheer, what were some of your key takeaways from this report?

 

[00:05:00] Oh, yes. I mean, it’s just an excellent report. You know, we’ve been partners with AI for transport. Subscribe to their services for quite some time now. Obviously, they’ve got a good name in the industry as well. So what we see with this report is a lot of validation with what we’re also seeing out there as well. You know, I mean, when you look at all in the three p.m. space and the transportation Logistics supply chain, what one of the things that kind of stands out is the lack of technology innovation that has occurred, say, in the past 10 to 15 years up until the past three years. And then there’s been a significant sea change where there’s now been kind of a technology over low to a certain extent. It’s almost to kind of a quote, a colloquialism. You’re kind of drinking from the fire hose, if you will. And what we see out here is just kind of a validation of what we see in the technologies where we need to be planning for the next 12 months, next 36 months, maybe even the next, even a shorter timeframe with that. And obviously, when you look at the record, especially when you see where others are going to be invested and over the next 12 months or so, it does validate where we’re going to be propagating our investments satis as well.

 

[00:06:12] You know, when you talking about Sheer and tournament differentiation, one of the things that stood out is when you look at one of the data nuggets that report Sheer, 70 percent of firms are increasing their A-T spend and twenty, twenty, nineteen. And the biggest reason, especially for Logistics service providers, is it’s about differentiation. And that’s that’s what you’re seeing as well, Rob. Absolutely.

 

[00:06:36] And especially in certain key areas out there. And one of the things you have to do is really kind of look at some of the innovation is coming down the pipe and make sure that you recognize what is going to be out there over the next 12 months and what might be out there over the next 36 months or so as an example.

 

[00:06:55] Blockchain is, as my friends and I for transport know, I settled on a committee or on a panel discussion last year with the discussion around blockchain. At that point, there was a lot of hype around it. I think we’re we’re at the top of the hype chart and now we’re probably seeing that’s more of a thirty six, maybe forty eight mark timeframe for a certainly there’s going to be a lot of use cases coming down the pipe. We’re still exploring use cases out there, but we’d probably put something that on the back burner.

 

[00:07:25] Whereas when you look at some of the other things out there around business intelligence visibility and especially from our perspective on the data interchange, we’re maybe investing heavily in those areas.

 

[00:07:35] You know, I think about some of the drivers of the heavy tech influence on the Logistics service provider industry. And to me, it is from what we’ve seen from consumers that demand to know where and when goods are and the need for immediacy that’s been generated in the you know, in this in this commerce environment has really required what we’re seeing in in the Logistics industry in terms of a greater in greater influence of technology and the greater use of technology in some cases to assure that visibility through the supply chain, in some cases to increase efficiency in the supply chain. Is that consistent with what you guys are seeing out there?

 

[00:08:25] One hundred percent. I mean, you know, it’s an overused term, but I’m going to go ahead and throw it out. There is the Amazon effect. Absolutely. I mean, you know, you can sit there and look on an app and know where your package is. That’s five pounds, but you don’t know where your 500 pound package is in real time. And so is driving this. That’s really that’s a huge disconnect with that. But more importantly, what we’re doing with that as well as you can to educate the audience. I mean, visibility carries a lot more with it than just the value proposition. We’ll know more about packages if it drives on our or why if properly used as an example. You know, if you look at safety stocks, inst. and things associated with inventory planning and true supply chain, then you can start seeing if you have a great accuracy of visibility when the goods are coming in, especially on international shipments or things. There are three to five days out into the future. You can start driving home a real time true r a y by lowering your safety stock. So visibility has both a soft dollars save and say where’s my 500 pal package? And when you look at it from a supply chain perspective, it also drives Lorelai.

 

[00:09:33] It also helps with responsive responsiveness in supply chain. Look, we can plan all we want. Right. My most of my technology companies have been around supply chain planning. You can plan all you want, but when the goods are in motion, that’s when the rubber meets the road.

 

[00:09:46] And and to be able to effectively and rapidly respond requires the visibility that you’re talking about.

 

[00:09:53] Absolutely. So we do see that as a very key. And when you look at that, the visibility pieces and the data that drives into it fits into the business intelligence piece out there that eft

 

[00:10:05] Identified and also a lot of the predictive analytics as well. One of the things I like I mean, as you guys probably know, it’s probably preaching to the audience on this is the E.O.D. Man mandate has made available a plethora or usfor, but when use in a way a plethora of data out there for all these E.O.D. Providers. And so now you’re able to tap in all of that this Billiken piece. But you’re also got to keep a bit what you seen in a true dynamic, EDTA. I mean, obviously, e.t.’s have always been around, but now with with some of the higher end pieces, all the visibility being able to see weather related events, traffic congestion, seeing a true EDTA piece of when this driver is going to arrive is is going to also have an hour away in terms of demerged attention.

 

[00:10:58] You know, dottore schedule planning, all sorts of things out there. And as we drive that data, furtherest start tapping into hours of service. So you to get a true picture of when that those goods are actually in can arrive versus in theory, when when they could arrive.

 

[00:11:15] Let’s bring ossoff into the conversation. Also, what from the EFT side and your personal perspective, what are some your key takeaways?

 

[00:11:22] It’s interesting, actually, to him rather than it’s pretty fair to say you probably summed up better than we could. It’s the different types of technologies. The way to look at these things is, is he got business intelligence. It’s a really big generic word. But like Ruppe is making reference to the l_d_a_ devices as some days. Right. But a lot of the conversations I’m exposed to when you have a different technical understanding within a Logistics company. What do you do with that data? What does it actually mean? So data is good. Is data good for data sake?

 

[00:12:00] But is it actionable data that can help you make good, insightful business decisions? So my mind playing devil’s advocate to some extent, to some extent to give me. And technology is is great. You see lots of industries going through how well I’ve already gone through this way. But we’re also going in parallel to this wave that sometimes technology can overtake the user. And that can be a concern. Sometimes we have too much data mean anything, you know. And I think I don’t want us to get caught up too much in the hype of technology, hype of digitization. These things, I believe, need to be measured totally.

 

[00:12:44] Look, I think of it. I think of technology and even data as tools. Right. And even if you’ve got even if you’ve got 10 hammers, you can only drive one nail at a time. So, you know, it is possibly possible, as you said, to overwhelm a user with so much data that it doesn’t create it doesn’t create additional capability to make a decision. It actually creates a hindrance to making a decision. And I think what a lot of companies are consciously doing today is they are using that data, more of that data to solve and or recommend and predict. Privett Present. So present recommendations rather than just present data for, you know, a human decision making.

 

[00:13:30] I couldn’t agree more with that. And I think that’s one of the things that we’re finding is a challenge in our industry right now. You’ve got all these different tech. ologies coming out there where there is visibility, data interchange, Internet of Things, predictive analytics, all of these things are coming about and definitely have had a focus in the past three, maybe five years, but maybe some past three years in it. When you look at a survey and see the percentage you or Fortune 500 based companies are still managing or supply chain transportation Logistics on Excel spreadsheets. Yeah, you’re having to have an A. You can certainly overwhelm the people out. There is a data just for data seg or to what S.F. said. Is it actually actionable data out there? Some of this is noise and some of it is actionable.

 

[00:14:24] So let’s shift gears a little here, because a big part of the report deals with talent and we all know the air that we’re living in. Rob of it definitely Amazon Air and the Amazon age, but also the war for talent is alive and well in one of the neat things. One, the questions that the report posed to over 500 supply chain professionals and leaders, how are you attracting top technology talent to your organization? And the number one response was a collaborative work environment. So, Rob, one of poses question to you. What does that mean? First off, is that one of the things that your firm can validate? And number two, what does that mean to you?

 

[00:15:05] Yeah, it is collaboration. Absolutely. I think the one things I took out of there in terms of the talent piece that kind of stood out. And I think one of the things we do very well, the collaboration is not only internally, but it’s externally as well. I think when I saw some of the statistics in there in terms of the percentage of I.T. professionals who do not collaborate with the end customer, it was really a concern. And we do just the opposite. I mean, my team, our group are definitely collaborate with the customer, both our internal customers and also our external customers regularly. So they have a very good understanding that the business side of it.

 

[00:15:47] The other thing, the challenge with us also in terms of recruiting talent is to be successful. You got to live in both worlds. There’s an I.T. world out there that’s, you know, bits and bytes and coding and Python and Java and and obviously highly technical pieces out there. But she also had to have a business focus. So we were recruiting talent. You do have to have that business focus and some expertise and supply chain to the Logistics and coupling up with the technology piece as well.

 

[00:16:20] Interesting. OSRF, love for you, Nick, to weigh in on your key takeaways related to the talent findings here.

 

[00:16:28] Talent’s an interesting one because there’s a bit of clashing cultures to some extent when you have, you know, historically reactive industry like Logistics Lu margins.

 

[00:16:40] It’s very operational in nature. But then when you have the technology wave, you’re attracting a different mindset. It’s very much one can argue a West Coast jeans and T-shirts start up LLC into our industry and that provides interesting insight and also provide some challenges to a clash of cultures to some extent. You’ve seen this in markets like automotive, where automotive was an industry of mechanical engineers. Now it’s an industry software engineers and try and get software guys to educate mechanical guys. It’s it’s difficult in our world. It’s the software guys educating the operational guys. And it’s that comes with challenges. And I think that will need to be smooth. And to some extent, ultimately, like we’ve always seen in many markets, technology always wins. So this is a inevitable sea change, which is going to have lasting effect. But I think it’s good news is you seeing a lot of help. That collaborative mindset is working culture. That office is now, let’s say, the big guys anyway. Miura in social media companies with deck chairs.

 

[00:17:57] An unbelievable kitchen with light sufferings everywhere and snacks.

 

[00:18:01] It’s some that it attracts a different type of place. You have to speak employees language, otherwise you won’t progress.

 

[00:18:09] We’ll put you, I think if you if you think about it, not not only in this in this area where we’re really trying to attract a very limited talent pool. I mean, there at least in the US, I don’t know what you see in the UK, but at least in the US, there are millions and millions of jobs that are going unfulfilled because we don’t have enough people to fill them in. And in addition to that, you add the you know, the advent of technology in some industries, or at least the expansion of technology in some industries and the notion that technology always wins. I think one of the things that we are very conscious of in this day and age is that the technology needs to do those things that either humans don’t do very well or those things that aren’t terribly satisfying or sometimes even safe for for humans to do.

 

[00:19:07] And if we position technology like that, then not only does technology win, but everyone wins. Human beings get to do what they’re best at and most satisfied in doing. And technology creates the efficiency, the stability and the repeatability of performance in those things that can be hindered by emotion or, you know, variable execution. So, you know, it’s accretive to the benefit of this limited talent pool. And it also creates an environment for a company that makes them attractive to this limited talent pool.

 

[00:19:44] So I want to wrap up the analysis of the report here today on cybersecurity. But before we leave talent Robb or Orsa for Nick. Any any final thoughts on the talent portion?

 

[00:19:59] Ok, we are going to move right along. So there it goes without saying the threat of that. That in in supply chain faces from folks that are that are using a wide variety of technology gaps to gain access and gain information and put what we’ve got to do moving stuff, the right time, the right price, right places all at risk to rob with that backdrop. What? You hear some cyber security and siplon supply chain and Logistics and transportation. What are some of your initial thoughts, especially with this report?

 

[00:20:38] Yeah, it certainly with a lot of the customers we deal with, especially the Fortune 500 arena. We do deal with a chief information security officer. So we’re always having to validate the software we’re using. The thing that kind of complicates it quite a bit is that now everything is going to the cloud. As we all know, those was migrating off its servers into the cloud. You see things out there with host to team esses, the rise of snowflake on big data, certainly as you’re a W.S. I go on and on and on. And so in a lot of cases, we’re always having to vet and validate the decisions we make in terms of vendors to a chief security officer making sure we do our due diligence. Obviously, it can be a pain sometimes, but at the sink, when I had to understand the position these folks are in and certainly our folks are in as well, too. If there’s ever a hack that it’s going to be their jobs. And so obviously it’s going to be very incumbent on all of us to do the due diligence if I’m going to add a little bit more into that. I do think over the next 36 to 48 months, this could be a role that maybe blockchain could potentially play in. I do set on the standards committee of a blockchain here in the US. And I do see as we start to go out into the Internet of Things, Iot devices, especially around like E.O.D. And also sensors like refrigeration is like a reefers and refrigerated trucks or chip control. There’s a lot of data floating all around the place. And so there could be an opportunity for a blockchain to fill to fulfill that kind of blockchain is how it is distributed ledger ledger technology that could fill in there. And I’ve seen some actionable standards being developed around that.

 

[00:22:19] So you mentioned the chief information security officer a couple of times in your your comments there. I found it telling in this report that given all of the, you know, the hacks, especially that you think about all the retail stores we’ve seen the last few years for some 43 percent, according to a survey of all shippers have that that CISO in place.

 

[00:22:43] But when it when you look at the Logistics service providers, only 21 percent of those surveyed believe they needed one in place. That I thought was pretty interesting. Greg White, your thoughts?

 

[00:22:57] Yeah. Well, I mean, I think it’s well established that the Logistics service provider community lags the the applicability of of technology. You know, it goes back to what Rob was just talking about. But I think what’s stark and concerning about that is that and we were just in Charleston at the AIG conference and we heard from a cybersecurity, a supply chain cybersecurity expert. And, you know, the thing that that he said is people when people think about cybersecurity issues, they think about their credit card being hacked or or something like that. But in truth, the real risk is, is IP intellectual property. And and for Logistics service provider, that is the data on on the shipment’s that is the data of their customers. That is, you know, the data as regards their assets and things like that. And for retailers, technology providers, it’s it’s data that is highly competitive or or highly critical or even the core of a company’s business. And that’s why those companies have have led that, first of all, that technology is highly more and more widely accepted in technology. Obviously, technology industries, but also in retail, arguably shippers being retail, CPG brands and the like. And they’ve had that risk for a long time. The risk is now just becoming apparent to the Logistics service provider industry and I think it’s a bit of an awakening and I think it’s going to take an awakening like it did in other industries for somebody to really get hit hard. And then the rest of the industry wakes up and and recognizes that. I don’t know. That’s my thought. Rob, what do you think?

 

[00:24:51] No, I agree. And you know, the the other thing with that is amazing. Even in the shipper community, how you have to educate them as well.

 

[00:25:00] I mean, we deal with all sorts of shippers, Fortune 500 beyond Fortune 500 and even IBSA in the Fortune 500 arena. We do run across some out there that don’t even have what I call a any type anything associated with being a security officer out there or anything where security is even a mandate within the organization. So it is going to be a wakeup call. It’s going to be a wake up call in the Elza LSP market.

 

[00:25:27] Obviously, those are very stark statistics you have out there, but the shipper community is still got a ways to go as well.

 

[00:25:36] Ok. I wish we had several hours to dedicate to this report. A lot of great information in here. And it it really it upholds that that standard of EFP is set. Right. Bring in the insights and perspective from the folks that are doing it and leading it to our fingertips. So with that said, Joseph and Nic, let’s talk about the Logistics CEO forum in Austin, Texas. That’s coming up in November. Supply Chain Now Radio is really excited to be there and broadcasting live throughout the two day event. But if you’re if you’re speaking to the market, if you’re speaking to folks across India and Supply chain, why come out to that event? It’s a really good question.

 

[00:26:20] If you’re speaking to us to some extent by our reporters covered, it’s. The report is a good representation of where our industry is right now. The event isn’t equal to that, meaning that the CEOs that NEC has very good relationships with who are attending this event.

 

[00:26:38] They’re the guys who hold Birgit. They are the guys with a very, very specific business needs right around 80. So if one is, let’s say you know it clout. If one is in cybersecurity. One is doing back end ERP. This is a fantastic opportunity to position one service offerings to, you know, a hungry industry right now, which is busy integrating this type of tech into the into their processes.

 

[00:27:07] And so beyond the perspective and the keynotes which you’ve got. Yeah, he’s one of the great keynotes. You also get a lot of what we’ve experienced in the networking, the especially the executive level networking, the sit down and compare notes and exchanges and and best practices and also some of the challenges. Right. That that’s a big benefit of coming out to these types of events, right?

 

[00:27:31] Yeah, definitely. I feel like what we found, especially with what the CEOs are attending, is they are very collaborative that these organizations are all competitors, are very happy not just to exchange ideas and ultimately move this industry forward. That’s what’s nice about this event is it’s so exclusive and intimate and it allows these these senior executives to exchange nights, such as you mentioned in Ray, talk about their challenges that day to day issues that they’re facing and provide a blueprint that they can take them to their office, whether that’s in some Lewis or Atlanta or San Francisco or Austin to to solve some of that day. State of Logistics.

 

[00:28:13] So Lu really looking forward to being at the Logistics CEO forum in Austin. Registration is still open and also for net.

 

[00:28:24] What’s the best way to direct folks to learn more about the event and register will be the event information as it is on f_f_t_ dot com will also provide a link that you can put in the description of this podcast that allow people to access the web site and see all the relevant information to Ryder System.

 

[00:28:42] Ok. Fantastic. Well, thanks to to each of you all for joining in on this panel as we drove into the state of Logistics technology report, which you can find more information and probably acquire that. IFTIKHAR Right, guys?

 

[00:28:58] Yep, that’s right.

 

[00:28:59] Thus you get all the information, the big thanks to Rob Cook, chief technology officer at Sheer. Rod we hope to see in Austin. I’ll definitely be there. OK. We’re going to we’re going to sit back down with you. Yes, that’s right. We’ll dive into not just this report, all things we’ve talked about, but we’ll talk more about all the neat things that Sheer is up to and get your take on a wide range of things from innovation to talent technology. Looking forward to it. Also, if not V and Nick Stylianou, both with EFT Thank you to each of you all and your organization for what you do for bringing this information in a very digestible format to industry.

 

[00:29:40] Thank you. Thank you very much. What’s the meeting you see in Austin and tastic?

 

[00:29:46] Well, hey, Greg, we’re gonna wrap it real quick on a couple of events that we’re gonna be at. And you know, we encourage all of our audience. Come check us out in person. Well, we love to sit down with the movers and shakers across and then supply chain and get them to weigh in or just like we’ve done today. Yeah, you heard from Rob who who is leading an organization leading especially from a technology standpoint. Right.

 

[00:30:06] Clearly with a with a sound technology. Right. I mean, you have to acknowledge that there probably are probably one of the leaders in regard to that. I mean, first of all, being on the blockchain committee for the country is that’s a pretty impressive position in the market.

 

[00:30:21] And it’s important for entry know establishing those standards. And then hopefully what follows establishing the standards is creating certifications for the wide range of consultants that are out there that are consulting on blockchain, right? Yeah. When I think industry and organizations need to know, they’re talking with folks that can do what they say they can do. Yeah, right. No doubt. So we’ll see. It’s exciting time to be in Supply chain certainly from a technology standpoint. But first off, we’re going to show a couple events here. You can learn more on the events tab at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com if you can’t find what you’re looking for on anything that we talked about today. You can shoot us note to connect at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com and we’ll help you out. So, Greg, our next big event, October night right here in Atlanta, the Georgia Manufacturing Summit.

 

[00:31:08] What’s going on? So that’s brought to you by the Georgia manufacturing alliance. Right. And October 9th at the Cop Galleria Center, about a thousand people from the some of the 10000 manufacturers in Georgia and the companies that do business with them. By the way, if you want to attend, you don’t have to be a company from Georgia, but maybe even just interested in doing business in Georgia. We have a couple of panel sessions. Scott would never toot his own horn, but he’s leading a panel session of industry leaders. And Bo Gruver from the Effective syndicate also leading a panel session. And then we are gonna be broadcasting live a couple of supply surprise, foreign trade ministers, some of our neighbors.

 

[00:31:52] Yeah, hot topic, trade, tariffs and keynotes from PMG and Kia Motors there October 9th. You can learn more at Georgia manufacturing alliance WSJ.com. They will be back in Charleston October 23rd at the South Carolina. Just ticks. Tech talk. Yeah, you can learn more about that event, which is put on by the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. SC Competes dot org. We’ve talked about the Austin. We’re looking forward to the trip in Austin. We really have enjoyed the programming of EAFE puts on. We may or may not have an EMT tattoo on our right arms. We’re we’re big fans, big fans and had a great time in June here in Atlanta with their event here.

 

[00:32:35] We’re going to help you, F.T. Keep Austin weird. That’s right. Also, good to be in the south in November in the US to keep it warm as well.

 

[00:32:44] November 7th and 8th. Twenty nineteen. Right. A few weeks for Thanksgiving here. Looking forward to that. And then flip the calendar. We’ll be in Vegas with the reverse Logistics Association in February. Twenty, twenty. And then, of course, Madox back here in Atlanta in March. Scott Luton and thirty five thousand of his closest friends begin biotech’s. Well, look at looking for. We’ll be broadcasting throughout those four days or hosting our 2020 Atlanta Supply chain awards. And we recently secured our keynote for this Atlanta Supply chain Awards. Kristen Fisher, Christian Fisher, president and CEO at Georgia Pacific. Appreciate their support. And looking forward to his insights there you can learn more about mutex at mutex show dot com. Once again, a big thanks to our guest today. Really enjoyed the conversation. Rob Cook CTO was Sheer ossoff not be head of partnerships at EFT Supply chain and Logistics Intelligence and his colleague Nick Stylianou is a project director at f_f_t_ and big. Thanks my Greg White. Well, thanks to you. None of this happens without you. So we sidestepped all the Murphy’s Law challenges and tried to have a show just about what it took to get this show on the air today. Well, big thanks. A great conversation. We’ll look forward to having everybody back. I’ll be sure to check out other upcoming events, replays, our interviews, other resources at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com financial Gnatpole podcast. Wherever else you find your podcast. Be sure to subscribe to LLC thing on behalf of the entire Supply Chain Now Radio team. This is Scott Luton. Wish you a wonderful week ahead and we will see you next time on Supply Chain Now Radio.

Featured Guests

Rob Cook serves as Chief Technology Officer for Sheer. Rob brings more than 25 years of logistics and supply chain management expertise to the Sheer Logistics team. Prior to joining Sheer, his leadership experience included serving in VP roles at Mercury Gate and Arzoon TMS. Known for his customer-focused, value-driven approach, Rob applies solution design skills on both the business and technical side of logistics to every opportunity that comes his way. Learn more about Sheer: https://sheerlogistics.com

Nick Stylianou (Project Director) and Asif Naqvi (Head of Partnerships) work for eft (eyefortransport,) a global leader in business intelligence and C-level networking for the transport, logistics and supply chain industry. eft specializes in connecting senior industry executives with their industry peers, and with the crucial information they need to excel in their work. Follow eft on Twitter and learn more here: https://www.eft.com/

Hosts

Greg White

Principal & Host

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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