Supply Chain Now
Episode 284

Episode Summary

“Ultimately, there is an economic model where a certain level of service is something that you can offer while still making money. Our role in that is to provide an avenue so that when a company does get returns, they’re getting as much value out of those customer returns as possible when they liquidate them. And that allows them to offer that higher level of service.”

– Eric Moriarty, Vice President at B-Stock Solutions

 

As companies alter their business and cost models to accommodate the growing consumer affinity for online shopping, both shipping and returns become a critical factor. Both represent a level of cost that has to be optimized, and both play an important role in determining the level of customer satisfaction with the buying experience.

To get more color on this issue, Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton sat down with Eric Moriarty, Vice President at B-Stock Solutions, live at the Reverse Logistics Association Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

In addition to discussing how companies can leverage the sustainability principles of the circular economy to reduce their costs and increase customer loyalty, Eric offered up the following information:

  • The average customer return rate for e-commerce purchases is approximately 30%, much higher than the rate of returns brick and mortar transactions, which average 8-10%.
  • In 2019, companies in the B-Stock Solutions network sold about 400 million pounds of inventory, product that would have been disposed of, sold for pennies on the dollar, or written off as lost value.
  • Category managers and supply chain professionals have officially reached the point where they are seeking out far more scientific solutions for their reverse logistics challenges.

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, the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.

 

[00:00:29] Hey, good afternoon, Scott Luton with Supply chain. Now welcome back to the show. We are broadcasting here today not from Atlanta, Georgia, where we typically are, but we’re in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of the reverse Logistics Association Conference and Expo, a chilly Las Vegas, Nevada, with temperatures in the 40 degrees with 80 mile per hour gale.

 

[00:00:51] That’s only a mild exaggeration.

 

[00:00:54] So for the next couple of days, this here conference here in the city is a center of universe for all things returns and reverse Logistics. A ton of supply chain thought leaders offering best practices, insights and Know-How on how to tackle what’s really becoming one of the most important components of the End to end Supply chain and the circular economy. Today’s episode is brought to you by Cap Gemini, global leader in consulting, technology, services and digital transformation. You can learn more at Cap Gemini dot com. Quick programing note. You can check out our podcast where we get your podcast from Spotify, Apple podcasts, YouTube. But be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything. You may have already heard him chime in 17 times as I just get through to pre-roll. But I’m joined here once again by Mr. Greg White, a serial supply chain technology entrepreneur, trusted advisor, Supply chain adjutant. Is that one?

 

[00:01:53] That’s a good one. I like that. Yeah, well, great troublemakers. Basically what you’re saying. How you doing? I’m doing great.

 

[00:01:59] We’ve we’re off to a fast start. You know, we get, I think, 15 or 16 interviews over the next two and half days as our team here. That’s a ton of work. But we love it because we get to sit beside people like our guests on this episode and hear from folks in the trenches making it happen in the reverse Logistics.

 

[00:02:18] And in return space for anyone who’s ever listened to us knows I’m a fan of two things. Las Vegas and Tony Sciarrotta.

 

[00:02:27] Yes. No, seriously. Yeah. Yeah. Curious what what number to be? No.

 

[00:02:33] I think, you know, I’m a particular fan of the way Tony approaches reverse Logistics in trying to prevent returns in instead of just trying to figure out what to do with returns. And he’s got a long history of that. So, by the way, we’ve done some interviews with Tony, if you want some foundation of what RLA and Tony is all about. There’s some episodes out there, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. Right. Right.

 

[00:02:58] Today, we are chatting with our featured guest, Eric Moriarity with De-stock. Eric, how you doing? Good. How are you? Great to have you here. Have you felt like you’ve been stalked a bit? No, not at all. We’ve been tracking Bienstock a little bit in the last couple of months, especially as we’ve made the connection to when your company and their support and sponsorship of the conference.

 

[00:03:20] So I ask your social marketing people if they feel strong. Yeah. Right. Right.

 

[00:03:25] So how long have you been plugging? How long have you been here and how long you been plugged in? RLA.

 

[00:03:31] So, you know, I’ve known Tony Shahadah for for a while now and I kind of heard he was gonna get involved with getting the show going again.

 

[00:03:40] Yes. And so as soon as I heard that, were you radiantly all an offer to support because he’s one of the titans of the reverse Logistics. We agree with you.

 

[00:03:53] Yeah, we’ve been yeah. We’ve been running with a reverse Logistics series on Supply chain now probably going back four or five months. And the feedback we’ve gotten even with the content and felt leadership that groups like early are putting out. Companies in Supply chain leaders just can’t get enough. Yeah, yeah. All right. Let’s switch gears for a minute. We’re all members of the Tony Sciarrotta Fan Club. His New Year’s Eve party burning of right slap off. Let’s talk about where, Eric. Before we talk shop and we talk about what B stock is doing in India. Let’s talk about where you’re from. And you’ve got to give us the goods on your own. Own your upbringing.

 

[00:04:31] Ok.

 

[00:04:33] So so my whole career, actually, I’ve been involved in a marketplace business model. ACCENT grew up in a family business where OK. My family runs an outdoor antiques and collectibles show. What part of country? In a small town called Brimfield, Massachusetts. OK. About 3000 people.

 

[00:04:52] And that’s where you were born? Raised. Yeah. So I was raised Brimfield, Massachusetts.

 

[00:04:56] So the use of the Oxford comma is important there. Is it an outdoor show or is it outdoor antiques?

 

[00:05:05] Yes, it’s a outdoor show. And the buyers and sellers are buying and selling antiques in class.

 

[00:05:11] So lots of lots of vendors come in to sell.

 

[00:05:14] There were thousands. Yeah. And there’s different you know, the town is, uh, it’s this one stretch of road where there’s different show promoters on all along the strip. And my family’s one of them. And we run one of the show. Wow. It’s not 20 different shows. And altogether, it’s one big show.

 

[00:05:29] You were literally brought up in the circular economy. Yeah. If you think about it.

 

[00:05:33] Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So. So growing up in Brimfield, Massachusetts, you know, what’s one memory that when you think about your childhood, Imedi comes mom.

 

[00:05:47] So, you know, as it pertains to my career or just personal family business, yeah, food don’t make and where you live is his Radio Flyer ranking or something like that’s occurred to us. Yeah. Well, really, it’s your career then. Yeah.

 

[00:06:02] No, I mean, you know, kind of growing up in it in this in the family business, it was really interesting and a great foundation for, you know, what I did later in life. So, you know, I’ve been involved in many online marketplaces in my career. And what I found to be really interesting is that the underlying fundamentals, whether it’s an offline marketplace of antiques and collectibles or the online marketplace like eBay or or B stock, they’re they’re the same.

 

[00:06:32] It’s the same. It’s math, economics. And actually a lot of psychology.

 

[00:06:36] It’s never been building and growing. The digital twin. Yeah. Your your family business. That’s right. That is really cool. Yeah. All right.

 

[00:06:43] So let’s before we dove into Bienstock and Greg has some questions for you there. Let’s talk about your professional journey. You kind of give us a Reader’s Digest version of that first role in the industry. You know, in kind of into your curveball.

 

[00:06:56] Yeah. So, you know, interestingly, interestingly enough, my growing up in my my parents business, I’m just lucky enough to happen to know Meg Whitman personally. OK. And she joined eBay in 1998 for at 98. And at the time they were struggling to get into the antiques business. And I was graduating business school in 1998.

 

[00:07:21] Mba Social real quick. Yeah. Meg Whitman, for some of our listeners that may not make the connection.

 

[00:07:27] Is the ex-CEO of eBay, right? Yeah.

 

[00:07:30] Yeah. She took them through their best growth phase.

 

[00:07:33] That’s right. That’s correct. That’s right. And so she called me up.

 

[00:07:38] She knew I was graduating. And I you know, my parent’s background must be kind of kind of cool.

 

[00:07:43] Yeah. Meg Whitman. Yeah. Yeah.

 

[00:07:47] And and asked me to join the company. And so that’s what I I did for four years at eBay was I. You know, we called it the category manager position. And I focused on, you know, antiques category sports, pottery, glass with, you know, a wide variety of categories. And then I’ve been involved in several other marketplaces since eBay. And then fast forward to be stock in 2010. I joined stock and I’m doing a lot of the same things that I’ve been doing my whole life, which is really kind of bringing together buyers and sellers to to transact with one another. Love it. That is very cool.

 

[00:08:23] I mean, that that history is amazing. I can’t imagine. Well, it’s probably nothing for you, family friend or whatever.

 

[00:08:30] But but it’s not like a matter of getting the call.

 

[00:08:34] Hey, we could really use you here. That’s that’s an impressive story. I love stories like that. Well, okay. So. So you get into the industry, you land at B stock. So tell us a little bit about B stock. So a little bit about what they do. Okay. And I think as important is if I’m stumbling down the hall at my business, what are the words other than profanity coming out of my mouth that indicate the B stock is the solution to the problem that I have or the pain that I feel?

 

[00:09:03] Right. So what we do is we help companies make more money or get higher prices for their excess inventory. Okay. So things like customer returns, overstock damaged goods. Okay. This is inventory that our clients used to put on a pallet or a truckload and sell off to a large liquidator or a job or a broker. Right. Maybe a discounter. And when they do it that way, they were getting, you know, very low prices, pennies on the dollar. And so it actually made companies not want to liquidate. Yeah. Such a bad experience. Right. So what we do is we provide a solution. We build an online auction marketplace. It’s B2B where the buyers are businesses. Yeah. And we drive tons of buyer business buyers to our clients marketplaces. And ultimately those buyers compete. And it makes prices go higher and our clients make more money over how they used to do it.

 

[00:09:59] So Tony told us about this whole group of people on YouTube. Tony Shroder told us, okay, where they are receiving pallets on their YouTube channel. And they are. Displaying they’re doing an unboxing of whatever they got on their pallet. Are those are some of those people, could they be using your platform to acquire those goods?

 

[00:10:21] Yeah, sure, that they would be the buyers. Right. And so these are, you know, small to medium sized businesses. But there are very ACSI, large companies that are buyers as well. Right. And, you know, that’s the other side of the coin. So on the seller side, it’s helping them make more money. On the buyer side, it’s actually giving a lot of small to medium sized businesses access to inventory right. Directly from the source that they previously did not have access to. Yeah. So it’s really kind of enabling entrepreneurship that’s also out there. There are lots of buyers that tell us that they started their business because of the solution, that we’ve we’ve tried it, too.

 

[00:10:59] Does it does the do the goods tend to stay where they were originally? Do they get transported long distance? I mean, could it get sold from a company in the states and wind up in Africa or South America or Europe or Asia?

 

[00:11:13] Yeah, and that’s another aspect of the way our solution works, is when when we build these marketplaces, we’re not asking a company to sell in our marketplace. We’re actually building them. They’re marketplace. So they all do business differently from one another. And so each marketplace that we operate for, for the client, they’re setting the terms and conditions that govern the transaction. So as an example, some clients require all inventory to be exported. Okay. That’s because that’s that particular. Otherwise it’s competitive to them maybe. Yeah, whatever. Others know that. Yeah, some companies require it only to be sold in the United States. So it’s just it’s really customized to the specific company of how they do business.

 

[00:11:54] Is it a single. I mean is it a single marketplace for the buyers? I mean, am I am I going to whatever marshall’s and getting there? overstock’s and then going to a separate marketplace to get T.J., Max or whatever? Or is is it sort of an all in one view for me if I’m a buyer or the answer is it’s both.

 

[00:12:16] So there within each marketplace is all the inventory of that particular client. And you know, when you think about what a marketplaces is, though, it’s a website site, right? Yeah. Well, we also promote that inventory in other locations. Right. Where we’re kind of aggregating them all and really leveraging the power of the network effect. Yeah.

 

[00:12:38] Love it. So we just interviewed. Sorry. I’m just thinking about Sean. We just interviewed Sean McCann from Sims Recycling Solutions. Okay. So you you are creating creating yet another opportunity for these goods to go forward through commerce before they go back. I mean, before they’re obsolete or destroyed or done away with in some other fashion.

 

[00:13:03] Yeah, there’s. You know, that’s something that we’re opening our eyes up to more and more, which is there’s a whole sustainability. Yes. Piece of that. Absolutely. And, you know, resale and reuse is a big aspect of, you know, what’s the manner in which we’re helping our clients. And as you know, you know, the younger generation, that particular they’re they’re buying with a purpose. So. Right. They’re making their buying decisions based on their sustainability practices. You know, of the particular company. Yeah. So that’s great.

 

[00:13:34] So your role. Yeah. Where do you spend your time? What was your role in the company?

 

[00:13:39] So, you know, I’ve been with the company pretty much since the beginning. So I’ve kind of worn many hats.

 

[00:13:45] You know, I’ve been involved with operating marketplaces in the in the earlier days today where I tend to spend my time is really evangelizing the solution and helping onboard new clients in into our platform.

 

[00:14:02] So you’re a preacher. Is that right? Yeah, that’s it. So a lot of a lot of travel will be stopped. This is a global. Yeah. Provider. Yeah, right. So you travel quite a bit.

 

[00:14:13] Yeah. Yeah. Quite a bit actually. So I just go into shows like this. You know, one of the great things about a show like this is you’re really, you know, kind of networking face to face with other companies in the space, whether it’s peers or potential clients, and hearing about, you know, the new trends that they’re facing as well. But yeah, it’s I’m on the road a bit.

 

[00:14:35] You’re you’re giving it given us great Segway. So thank you for that. Yeah. Yeah. So speaking of trends, we’re going to a broader. All right. So beyond be stock, beyond the reverse, just space. When you think of the global end to end supply chain, the circular economy that that is is really taking root from a conceptual standpoint in industry. What what’s one or two things? Trends, topics, developments, you name it, that are on your radar more than others right now.

 

[00:15:02] So there’s a couple of things that we see that are sort of macro economic macro trends in retail and struggled in micro macro econ.

 

[00:15:12] Yes, sir.

 

[00:15:13] Keep it Lehmann’s just macro trends.

 

[00:15:17] So, you know, the first and foremost is just the trends towards e-commerce. So more and more transactions are taking place online. Right. And within e-commerce, there is a much higher customer return ring. So typically the customer return rate for e-commerce is right around 30 percent, whereas with brick and mortar transactions, it’s in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 percent. So as more and more transactions are taking place online, what’s happening is more more returns are coming back. Right. And so when you think about the impact that that has on all the Logistics, but more importantly, what do you do with that inventory? Right. Positive correlation. Exactly right. Yeah. And so, you know, that’s one of the things that we’re seeing, which is why, you know, our clients are, you know, finding value in our service because they’re not getting killed on price. It’s actually driving prices higher. On the other one is. It’s really Amazon. They’re kind of setting the bar for it’s OK to say. Yeah, Amazon. There’s no way to talk retail. Yeah. Yeah. So they’re really setting the bar for a level of customer service. Yeah. And where that is kind of manifesting itself in our world is it’s a lot very lax or customer friendly returns policy. Right. And so companies are having to offer it’s almost a cost of doing business now. They’re having to offer a really lax customer return policy to capture the loyalty of the customer. Yeah. And in doing so, again, that’s driving returns. You go back and drive returns higher. So those are, I would say, some of the two two of the things that we’re seeing right now that are really driving behaviors of companies in our space.

 

[00:17:03] Let’s dove into latter. But real quick, that’s. This is Scott Luton and Greg White at Supply chain. Now we’re at the reverse just association and conference. We’re talking with Erik Maureen already with BBY stock. And you might hear a lot of things still getting set up as exhibition hall is close to being completed.

 

[00:17:20] And that’s really encouraging from our point of view, don’t you think? Yeah, Eric, I mean, that particular developments that are occurring there. Yes, they are. Firstly, our proxies. Yes, exactly.

 

[00:17:30] So let’s talk about it kind of through these first couple of interviews here in day zero. I think it’s called RLA. The consumer just Bacall’s were able to ask consumers to buy five pairs of shoes. Return for. Right. We’re really it’s convenient as that is creating a huge challenge for industry and for returns teams and reverse Logistics. How are we going to move the needle in this regard? Yeah.

 

[00:18:02] So I think it’s, you know, water finds a level, right? I think I think it’s a pendulum that will probably start to swing back a little bit. And ultimately, there is an economic model where a certain level of service is something that you can offer and still make money. You know, our our role in that is to provide an avenue so that when a company does get returns back there, you’re getting as much value out of those customer returns as possible when they liquidate it. And that allows them to offer that higher level of service. But at the end of the day. Right. The math has to work in terms of an income statement. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right.

 

[00:18:45] You know, what I like is just as we know that consumers like we talked about last conversation, consumers want more transparency and want to see more sustainability in the products and services of the companies that they’re buying. Clearly, I think one other encouraging sign is this niche just growing niche that B stock is in that’s enabling recycling and enabling us to re-use instead of destroy. Yeah. Yeah. It’s a space. There’s a ton of activity and growth in that. That’s a that’s a great sign.

 

[00:19:19] Yeah, I agree.

 

[00:19:20] You know, I think in our network last year, about 400 million pounds of inventory, what was sold. Right. So not to say that the companies were throwing it away before. But I think chunking that probably, you know, I don’t know. I don’t know, actually. So I will just say that we know now that they’re reselling it and it’s a good thing. And that’s a good thing. There’s there again, that the transparency that you talked about, they can try to look everyone in the eye and say, yep, we’re we’re handling this inventory in a sustainable way. And there’s, you know, it’s all online. Right. So you can kind of audit fingertips. That’s right. Usability.

 

[00:19:58] Yeah, I think it’s I think it’s changing the way. Companies bring inventory in as well, Yeah, they’re getting more mathematical and less artistic. More scientific and less artistic. Right. Because a lot of what must come to you is because of the inherent inefficiencies built into retail. Old-Time Retailers. Sure. Where you plan for markdowns. Right. You plan to have too much of certain things to make sure you have enough. Yeah. And and it’s become a bit of a crutch where plan is usually in little letters, not big letters. And companies are starting to plan in big letters now. And and that plan is much, much more precise and produces less overstock, less excess, less waste in the in the supply chain. Come on, come coming back. At least I know that there are more companies conscious of it.

 

[00:20:47] Now, I don’t know if you’ve seen that in industry yet, but I absolutely think everyone’s, you know, constantly trying to make things more efficient. Yeah. And so, you know, I think from our you know, this from our perspective, um, with with the secondary market and the transparency, the transparency that we’re we’re creating for them and the higher recovery, that math, that data. Right. Can be translated back into things like, well, accruals and the accounting system. Right. Right. And so, you know, the the transparency of the pricing in the secondary market is actually helping them make primary market decisions. Right. Right. Right. Yeah.

 

[00:21:27] Because if you Miura category manager. Right. So you may have at one time you contributed slightly. I know I have contributed slightly to this problem and I always found it difficult to reconcile in my head. I’m buying stuff I know we’re not going to sell. Right. Right. Yeah. Um. And and now with the wealth of data that’s available in the marketplace and technology advancing as quickly as it has, we can preempt that that aspect of the problem in a much greater measure than we could before.

 

[00:21:57] Yeah. And it makes it less risky. Right. So if you know that you’re not going to get killed in the liquidation price right then. Overbuying a little bit or whatever is not as much of a penalty you would if you were just getting pennies on the dollar. Yeah. All right.

 

[00:22:13] Okay. So shifting gears here, we’ve already established that we’re big fans that turn and she wrote a bit. But speak more to what is in this digital age. We live in the age of texting, instant mass messages, Facebook. We communicate more digitally than than in-person these days. Yeah, but yet trade shows such as the big show in our big show Mode X, the RLA Conference Expo Sunday shows have really tapped into, um, the sea. What’s what’s so important coming out and sitting down and having these Face-To-Face conversations and benchmarking conversations? What’s that? Yeah. You there? Well, I met you within the body.

 

[00:23:00] The question is the age or from my perspective.

 

[00:23:02] So, you know, the face to face interactions that you’re you’re getting with people and in talking to them about, you know, what they’re seeing in their world and kind of coming together and, you know, as a group collaborating line, some of the bigger issues and sharing ideas and sort of maybe collectively kind of moving the ball forward on on some of the challenges that face all that we all face.

 

[00:23:26] Right. And it’s why I travel so much, because I really think that a face to face interaction is is far more valuable than any anything over the phone or online video chat.

 

[00:23:38] It’s like, yeah. It’s amazing what you can do over a discussion by the WaterCooler. That’s right. It takes 40 emails otherwise. Totally.

 

[00:23:47] All right. So let’s make sure our listeners know how to get in touch with B stock if they need it. I’m sure as much as we’ve enjoyed hearing what you had to say on the on today’s episode. How can they finally stop? Yeah.

 

[00:24:00] So we’re obviously going to be Starcom. And there’s information there about what we do. And, you know, if you want to reach out to us, there’s there’s avenues on that site, too, to to do so. You come by our booth here, right? Right. Fifteen. And then, you know. So social media. Right. You know, there’s LinkedIn posts that we’re doing where we’re talking about upcoming shows that we’re gonna be on as well. Yeah.

 

[00:24:25] All right. Love it. Um, and are you are you speaking at the conference this week?

 

[00:24:30] No. Uh, we are speaking, but someone else is already on the panel because you’ve got to get on a plane and fly somewhere, right?

 

[00:24:37] That’s right.

 

[00:24:40] I’m so glad we had a chance as busy schedules to sit down. Yeah. As I mentioned, we’ve been we’ve been tracking B stock a little bit since A they hit our early radar. And I love the work that your company and in similar companies are doing to tackle some of these challenges is only gonna probably get tougher before we really.

 

[00:25:00] You know, ask or I haven’t reached the point yet, have we? Right. Yeah. OK. We’ve been talking with Eric Moriarity with beast. Vise President B Stock The Pride of Bramford, Massachusetts, Brimfield, Brimfield, Massachusetts and close. Sorry about that. Can I ask one more question, please? That gives me a chance to get the town, right? Yeah, that’s right.

 

[00:25:20] Get the town right. That’s right. Tom Brady.

 

[00:25:24] Yeah, we’re 30000000. Yeah, absolutely. Don’t you think? I mean, I feel I feel guilty. Doesn’t even answer. And I’m proud of.

 

[00:25:33] So we’ve been we’ve had a few down moments here and I’ve watched the Super Bowl literally watch this year’s Super Bowl four times since the game ended just to make sure we still won.

 

[00:25:43] Yeah, but now they’re talking about off season things and this is a big a big item. Personally, I don’t think you can give Tom Brady too much. Yeah. Whether the Patriot Way allows you to do that. I’d say give him a quarter of the team. If he if you can’t give him money, give him the team because they are who they are. Because he is who he is. It’s just my opinion. Well, we’re pretty biased, but you guys got a great, great. Well, we’re hope. Well, the future. I think he might well, we might be setting the bar. The Hunt family might actually keep Patrick Mahomes a piece of the team. But anyway, I was just curious where you came down on that, because a lot of people think it’s too late to pay him the money they should have already been making anyway. And he gave it up for the team. Yes. He gave up money so that he could have better players around him.

 

[00:26:27] It’s time for Tom Brady to get paid. A lot. A lot of be said. The loyalty. Yes, right. I can see that. I agree. Okay. Good stuff. We’ve enjoyed a conversation with Eric and we’re already vise president B stock the product. Brimfield, Massachusetts gave me a second shot. Yes. Thank you very much, Scott. So don’t go anywhere just yet. We’ll wrap up on an expedited event schedule we’ve got coming up. We always like to invite our listeners to come out, check us out in person lot, much like we’re here today at the reverse Logistics Association conference and expo. Correct? That is what we’re in the expo. So we bet we’d better say that. That’s a good point. Good point. Brought to you by our friends at Cap Gemini. You should have that as well. Yeah, but we’re like.

 

[00:27:10] What’s the next event on the calendar? Yeah. So the next event is motets, right? In March 9th through the 12th in Atlanta. That is at the Georgia World Congress Center and amazingly huge facility. It better be for thirty five thousand thirty five thousand of your closest friends and small warehouse distribution product materials handling facilities built in the in the show floor. So it is an amazing spectacle to watch. And of course, during that time on day 2, um, March 10th, the 2020 Atlanta Supply chain Awards.

 

[00:27:46] So if you have a bosun’s, the 2020 Atlanta Supply chain of war. Don’t say we’re we’re proud to be bringing that to the market once again. Yeah.

 

[00:27:56] You’re too. We’ve got about 60 companies have been nominated. Nominations are still open. We’re not sure when this is going to publish, but nominations close February 15th. The big requirement that we’ve got probably 12 14 award different awards ranging from Technology Impact Day and Build Award to culture, actress excellence or Class Culture Award. But regardless, all the big requirement is you have to have some company has some kind of presence or operation in the metro Atlanta area, which is how many counties? Twenty nine. Beautiful counties, very large. You could be globally headquartered in Massachusetts or Canada or Kingsport, Jamaica. As long as you have some kind of operation, though. But look, look for that. From more informational mode X, by the way, it’s free to attend mode X show dot com for more information lately. UPS Supply chain Awards. You can go to Atlanta supply chain awards dot com. That complicated. Where we get the idea for that.

 

[00:28:53] Uria For I don’t know. It was here when I got here.

 

[00:28:55] So beyond that, we are proud to be partnering with the Automotive Industry Action Group for two upcoming events, right? The first one is the Corporate Responsibility Summit in Michigan, April twenty eight and twenty nine. And the second one, Greg, is yeah, that’s so there.

 

[00:29:11] So that’s their Supply chain summit, June 9th. And that is around the Detroit Auto Show. So I will get to phone and talk about a spectacle. Yeah, we’ve been we’ve been prodding Jim Liegghio to help us get tickets to the auto shows, maybe talk to some of our favorite people. They might be named Ford or Ferrari.

 

[00:29:34] We shall see. They, too. Yeah.

 

[00:29:36] And, uh, they A-G events are saying watching the Association for Manufacturing Atlanta 20:20 Lehne Summit, which comes to Atlanta May 4th through the 7th. We’ll be there on first day about conducting Ryder interviews with folks that love manufacturing and love continuous improvement. Okay. What do we miss?

 

[00:29:55] I can’t imagine that we missed the thing. Love Bienstock. Yeah, I love what they’re doing. Yeah. It’s. A really cool concept. Well, yeah, it is. It is got to be. And love manufacturers. Let three people, all the different players that are in and in Supply chain.

 

[00:30:09] But you’ve got a noble mission kind of baked into your business model. Yeah, that’s gonna be a very rewarding, gratifying.

 

[00:30:16] Yeah, it really is. It’s great to see you. Particuarly from the buyer side. To be honest with you. Lots of sprites. Moebs size business is flourishing, as we all know.

 

[00:30:25] I mean, you’ve made a career that really I mean, the buyers at your family’s antique shows were probably taken it back to their shop. That’s correct. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Very cool, though. B stock that can talk about circular, right? Yeah.

 

[00:30:37] B, that can’t be stock that com to our listeners. Thanks for joining us once again. You can find our old podcast, older episodes, the all the events we talked about, other plenty other resources at supply chain now radio dot com. Check us out wherever you’re podcast from from Google podcast to Spotify to Apple podcasts or even YouTube. But be sure to subscribe. So messy thing. So on behalf of Greg White Scott Luton, stay tuned. As the Supply chain Now team continues its live coverage of the reverse Logistics Association conference next season.

Would you rather watch the show in action?

Watch Scott and Greg as they welcome Eric Moriarty with B-Stock from the Supply Chain Now booth at the RLA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV.

Featured Guests

Eric Moriarty serves as Vice President of B-Stock Solutions. Eric joined B-Stock in 2010 and has since grown the company’s client base by over 500%. He’s responsible for establishing and overseeing partnerships with some of B-Stock’s largest clients including Amazon, Whirlpool, Wayfair, Sears Holdings, and Lowe’s. Eric has decades of experience building successful B2B and B2C online marketplaces. Before B-Stock, Eric served as eBay’s first category manager and was a key contributor in developing and implementing category strategies, including writing the original business plan for category management. He later launched eBay’s New Business Group, incubating categories including Baby, Health & Beauty, Food & Wine, Gift Certificates and Aviation. He is responsible for some of the most expensive items ever sold on eBay, including Mark McGwire’s 70th Home Run baseball that sold for $3M, and a $4.9M business jet. After eBay, Eric founded an Internet retailing business in 2003 selling excess inventory from manufacturers on eBay and other Internet channels. In 2009, he became the CEO for Datalette, an online marketplace for data. He was a part of the founding team that launched the site, and signed up the company’s first 10 data partners; the company was sold to Bloomberg in 2010. Eric has an MBA from Babson College and a BA from Bowdoin College.

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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