Supply Chain Now
Episode 325

Episode Summary

On this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott broadcasts live from DMSCA, and welcomes Latia Thomas and Aaron Peterson to the Supply Chain Now booth.

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] All right. Good afternoon, Scott Luton here with you, Liveline Supply chain. Now, welcome back to the show. We’re not broadcasting from Atlanta G-A today. We’re broadcasting from Scottsdale, Arizona, home to the Dembski Annual Conference, where it’s all about supplier diversity, supplier development and supplier success. If the Dembski conference is not on your radar yet, check them out. DMM, SCA, DOT U.S. before we get started. Two quick programing note. Number one, you can find our podcast where every year podcast from including YouTube. Be sure to subscribe so you’ll miss a thing. And secondly, we’ve got we’ve got to give thanks to our sponsor for this episode and all of our coverage out here at the Dembski conference. Verusen. Verusen is powering A&D driven data harmonisation around the world with a big focus on materials. You can learn more at Verusen dot com s USC in. OK, we’ve got a special UPS. So here today we’ve been we’ve been talking with thought leaders from across the conference, across sectors, manufacturers, supply chain folks, you name it. And today we’re going to kind of change a game and pull a bit. We’re gonna talk with two thought leaders that are still in college at one of the leading Supply chain schools around the country. Morgan State University in here with me. We’ve got Aaron Peterson to my far right sophomore at Morgan State University and Latoyia Thomas, senior at Morgan State. But also a latte is president of the Apex chapter at Morgan State.

 

[00:01:58] So we are sitting here with senior executives already. So Lahti and Aaron Heyo doing. Oh. Oh, how are you? Great experience. I’m doing fantastic. Really enjoy my time out here. My first time to Arizona. Right. I wish we had more time to kind of smell the roses and get out and see. But if we can’t do that, I’d rather spend my time with with bright young minds, like we like both folks we have here. And I’m really looking forward to picking your brains a bit. So for starters, I want to find out more about who we who you are. So this might feel like days of you live, but I don’t know my French it that good is it’s good civility. Where are you from? And and give us the skinny on your upbringing a little bit.

 

[00:02:39] Okay. I am from Baltimore, Maryland. Born and raised. I am from the county from Furman said he can’t middle Ryder. Okay. That’s no river. Middle River. Still Merill, Maryland, still barrel about 20 minutes away from the city. I’m a first generation college student. I’ll be the first to graduate college. I’m the first to graduate high school. And that’s an embarrassing moment for me. I can ride a bike. I can’t. I can’t ride a bike. Was trying to wheels. But it’s probably embarrassing to have training wheels. So when you were getting trained so my day, you know, he had me on the bike. He let go and I lost control, swerved. Greene box. And then I swear off the tree and fell. So, you know, Keith returned it. Sorry, you waste your money. Say that if you have any. I don’t know. But yeah.

 

[00:03:33] So never again said no back Rod in here. I Ryder. Oh, just trying to. Yeah. All right. How about a T.V.s?

 

[00:03:43] Do I have to balance my toe? I have to balance.

 

[00:03:46] If they give you some regulatory Miura flattery.

 

[00:03:50] And that’ll be cool. I don’t go to Vegas. Right. But I can go up.

 

[00:03:54] I’m scared about coming down. Okay. Now, he’s not not a helicopter. Give me some.

 

[00:03:59] So from Middle River and doesn’t do bikes and didn’t. Now let’s switch over the air and air. Tell us about where you’re from and give us a similar you know, Skilton in your closet will call. Okay.

 

[00:04:10] All right. I’m from the Podhurst area of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And a skeleton that’s in my closet. Well, I don’t even consider it Scott Luton. It’s just like whatever. But I don’t know how to swim. Okay. I would like to learn how to swim. Well, I have yet, so I’m not afraid to put my head underwater. OK. I just haven’t taken the time to. I said I was gonna sign up at my gym. They’ll teach me how to swim, but I haven’t taken the time to do. Okay. Well, there’s still plenty of time. Yeah. So much time. Right. Yeah.

 

[00:04:42] And who knows what when. As you build out a family down the road a bit, you might be Rod bikes and you might be doing the the breaststroke or Sandeep.

 

[00:04:50] I have to because I can’t have my kids learn how to swim and they’re coming to save me.

 

[00:04:54] I should be saving my kids in point. Swimming is kind of like a survival skills. You don’t have to stay with my license drive. That’s right. OK.

 

[00:05:07] So now I want to I want to talk more about Morgan State and what how y’all chose that path to go to school there. So this will start the senior that graduates in December 2020, right? Yes. December 18th, silver, 18th of 2020. So right around the corner. So why did you choose Morgan State Line?

 

[00:05:29] My mom was having me live in Maryland. In general, I had few options. Maryland tells him. I think even Marilyn would have been far. And then, you know, Morgan is in Baltimore. It’s an HBCU. So historically black college or university. So I would had a different learning experience than that in high school. I went to high school. You have to get accepted in Team one. I studied business there. And to be a product of Baltimore, to be a product of Morgan, who’s normally looked at as the underdog. And I know my work ethic and what I can bring to the table. It would just make me more proud as a woman coming out of Baltimore, coming out of Morgan. And people don’t typically expect that type of talent. They normally think of what AT&T, maybe some schools further down sell.

 

[00:06:20] At&t is engineering is really, really, really known at our school. Yes. And our business school is taken often and other majors as well. But Supply chain, it just started. OK. So, yeah. So what?

 

[00:06:34] Adt to North Carolina. And he is well. Morehouse. Yeah. Howard, people don’t really consider Morgan State. I really don’t even think we get the same type of companies that come into our career fairs that will come to Howard.

 

[00:06:51] Ipr outcomes to Supply chain. Yeah. Not yet. Right. You know. Right. And you’re out to change it. I love that. Very passionate about that.

 

[00:07:01] All right. So, Aaron, same question for you. How did some Morgan State, how did that hit your radar? All right. Especially grown up in pon her stroke. Carolina? No, Alabama. Alabama. Sarcasm was elevated upon his community. Yes. All right. All right. Because Alabama folks will be listening. Yeah, that’s right. Let’s get it right. So not Pinehurst, North Carolina is the number two course there, but it’s the it’s the Pinehurst community in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. OK. Sorry, man. There. Come out to me, too. That’s something that’s come in.

 

[00:07:34] So, yeah, I chose Morgan State. I showed my earlier story. I was I was originally going to go to Strayer and I didn’t think I wanted to go to college. I didn’t know. I was like I kind of found another way. I wouldn’t be an entrepreneur or do something else or, you know, any way I was doing receiving Four Seasons, hotels and resorts and I was like, how can I do this on a bigger scale? So I just start looking around ecologists. Like I said, I was going to Strayer. Somebody pulled me up, said, Man, what are you doing? This is a for profit college, you know, whatever. I’m not saying thing by Australia. I’m just saying I was kind of guided to go to a university. So I have a cousin that had just recently graduated a year before. And one of my managers where I worked had graduated as well or was a xylem. So I knew, OK, this is receiving this is what I’m doing. Was this a part of this? Like this is Supply chain. And then my directors were saying, well, this is you’re not going to get to foreign supply chain in hospitality because, you know, we use a lot of third parties for our supply chain. You know, you’re in the receiving department doing requisitions and purchase orders. So, you know, it’s still part of supply chain, but it’s not a deal that you want. So I looked up some universities near me and I saw telsa and I saw Morgan State. And Morgan State is just like, yeah, you got to go there. You know, not just because it’s a HBCU, but it is great that it is because they take you knowing your history much more serious, you know, and you’re still get your education as well.

 

[00:09:04] But it’s just mandatory for you to know your history. They take it very seriously. And I felt as though it was a good thing because I don’t know too much or wasn’t into. I wouldn’t say. Yeah, I mean, black history. I knew what we were taught. You know, like the Martin Luther King, stuff like that or people like that. The great people like them were way more in-depth stories like how Morgan State played a big part in the civil rights movement and things that nature and the Reed Street walk ins. I mean, sit ins and that were nearby Morgan State. And I was like, wow, this is huge and this is great. And when I see all these companies come in to show Morgan State so much respect and, you know, looking to diversify their companies, you know. Yeah, it just it was great. I mean, the lessons. And it was like supply chain. It just started there. And I was like, wow. You know, I found a university that has supply chain because I just started on YouTube just looking out. You know, supply chain supply chain that the next thing you know, I’m like, all right, let’s go. Do it really. Morgan State popped up. Came in. It was one of the first Supply chain majors I met. OK. And I heard about a PIC’s as well. And, you know, it’s a organization that, you know, kind of gives you more insight on supply chain. It’s it’s like a communication. What do you say? fretwork Melbourne. UPS lively, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s just it’s really great. And I’m glad I’m there. And here we are.

 

[00:10:28] All right. Fantastic. And your sophomore. I am. So. Yeah. Yes. Already four years where the passion is. I love that. And LLC love. You’ve already got some practical experience and a component of supply chain. So that’s the art. So let’s switch gears. Let’s talk about an errand. Really, you’ve already in many ways answered this question. OK. But we’re gonna give you a chance. Answered again, sir. So since siplon a minute, Latoyia, why supply chain management or why supply chain?

 

[00:11:00] So when you think of a company, most people say, I’ll go to college because, you know, I’ll always find a job in accounting or finance or even marketing because those help companies succeed. A lot of people don’t think that supply chain, you know, in plan context is the heartbeat of a company and it can make or break the success of it. It’s kind of the people behind the thing that determine if you’re going to make a profit overgrown to fail and be out of business. And I like that. I like being able to sit at the table and make decisions. And I have to be the front face of it to do that and to be able to make a difference. And there’s not a lot of women in Supply chain and. Wow. So I think that’ll promote the major the career and everything else.

 

[00:11:43] It is dominated by males. Yes.

 

[00:11:47] So the good news is, is s evolving, right. However, the challenge that you’re pointing out, especially so caught Shelby, 50, is a great nonprofit in Atlanta. All right. So we have the founder, l.p appraoch Gallagher own regularly elbows with one of the Fortune 100 Logistics service providers. The good news is with the proliferation of supply chain programs, both at university level, college level, technical college, you name it, there’s over 500 programs in the U.S. now. Okay. And if you look at males and females coming out of the university is really close to 50/50 choosing supply chain in terms of recent graduates. Right. However, as you go through the management tier, you start to see the disparity and you get into upper management and you see disparity and then and then your paff me with this, maybe hopefully they’re they’re teaching this in college. You get into the boardroom and tyrells point is dominated with males. I think the numbers still less than 5 percent female represented in the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies. That’s a problem. Yes. So what I love about this conversation is Latina is president of the apic Student Chapter, which at that is is what is an indication of things to come. Yes, I love that. All right. So same question, Aaron, for you. You’ve already kind of foreshadowed a little bit, but what else would you add? Why are you so passionate about Supply chain, especially as a career field?

 

[00:13:21] I’m passionate by Supply chain because it’s just the employment rate is crazy. It’s like you could how could you not have a job? You know, because there’s so many things in supply chain that you can do no matter what it is from finance, accounting, Logistics, operations, whatever. You know, you just find out when when I was first introduced to Supply chain, there was a board in front of me. And it had about I’d say well over 200 positions in the top of it, said Supply chain. And it was just everything that you can be deal somewhere about the Supply chain. So my thing was my dad drove tractor-trailers after he finished his contract in the Marines. And I just loved the trucks and the things that he moved. You had to shut the highway down for hours to get it from three exits down right where he was.

 

[00:14:14] Was he in? Was he actively Maureen? Was he active duty? Yes, he was again. Wow. Okay. And then he drove it when he was a truck driver.

 

[00:14:25] He retired or whatever. You can’t tell him he’s not a Maureen. Yes, right. Always, always. Maureen UPS right up. So he drove tractor trailers for about 30. Wow. I bet he’s got some stories. Yeah. Yeah, he had a he had a stroke and they told him he’d never drive again. And then like five years it today he started Trident Tech Sheer proved wrong. And so they that’s how I got into supply chain just my dad. As far as transportation and Logistics, I used to be in the trucks with them in the summers and it just the things we had. You know, it was just Iwao to stuff is. Huge. And it just interest in me, I play with a little talk at toys and stuff when I was growing up. So that was pretty much it. I mean, and salary is cool. I was just like, you got to make sure it’s something that if it can’t make you smile, you know, you’ve got to get excited about. You know, because you’re about to spend most of your life doing it in the things that you love doing the most. You’ll do them when you’re off the clock as well.

 

[00:15:22] We’ll put her in. All right. So let’s switch gears, talk about the ape, the student, a PIC’s chapter at Morgan State University. All right. So, for starters, what does it do? Madam President?

 

[00:15:35] So we serve as a gap between employers and the students. We bring them together for information sessions, resumé critiquing mock interviews to prepare students to get ready for the career fairs at any other one campus interviews that we may have. It’s companies that pay people an army tour don’t even hear about or know about because as we mentioned earlier, a lot of Supply chain professionals don’t do not come to the career fairs at Morgan State. It gives them internship opportunities, full time opportunities if they are into entrepreneurship, giving them the outlets for that as well. Just to hear from those that are entrepreneurs. So we want to be able to promote and uplift the students that we have class with. Every day in our programs are open to all majors. So predominantly they come just talk about supply chain professions. But if you’re an information systems major, you know, even though they’re not coming for that, they have it at their company. So you can still network. And that’s what it’s all about, networking because nobody’s in a handful a job after college.

 

[00:16:39] And that’s right. We recorded a number of events we make sure we put open to all majors because we’re in the business school and it’s just like you guys are involved with the supply chain, whether you know it or not, in some form matter, you know.

 

[00:16:50] That’s a good point. All right. So what about the apic student chapter? Do you. What? Out of everything you just listed in terms of what it does and how it serves and how it’s people connected. What’s your favorite element of being involved?

 

[00:17:06] Empowering, empowering the students that we see everyday, those students in whole and Morgan State. We all have to grow together. It’s enough. Resources and jobs are here for us all. And we all can win if we can beat that gap and bridge that gap. Should I say to help students and not just be selfish and help ourselves with those apar our club, that makes it all worth it.

 

[00:17:31] Yeah, definitely. OK. And it gives you access to a lot of networking opportunities, too. They have all types of things on their Web site. You know, like the CPI and the certification certification, major, you know, just to prepare you for your career afterwards in companies will even come to Morgan State before they, you know, have like we have the school fair, the business fairs or job fairs, and they’ll come before the job fair and do resumes critiquing and prepping. So, you know, when we come back here, make sure you’re ready for this. Make sure you can answer this question. That’s really nice. You know, that’s that’s a company saying, you know, we want you we know you may be nervous or you might not have this answer, but hey, let’s do this now. We’ll do info session and critique resumes. And then when we come back, when all the jobs are here, you’re gonna see us again. You might see someone else from our company Button. You should be able to answer this question better.

 

[00:18:23] You know, until the first thing is two parts to. Right. You get to meet sometimes is the same person. So you get to meet this person on a one to one type of environment instead of being a five minute spell in a career fair. And then we bring out real talent acquisition specialist recruiters. So what they’re telling you is what all recruiters are looking for in four full time opportunities. So it’s really putting students in a position to gain a job after college Gates. We can only imagine how hard it can be. I don’t think it has to be.

 

[00:18:56] You know you know, I’ll tell you from the feedback we’ve gotten from the Morgan State, you know, from all the votes we’ve interviewed, it’s in a sidebar conversations we’ve had. Yeah. The group here has been very impressed with the delegation from Morgan State University. So you might by all accounts, we’ll have less of a harder time finding a job.

 

[00:19:13] Yeah, we got really good enough. Yeah. RAFANELLI I guess you can never have more than know what that is. We’ve got a lot to learn on that.

 

[00:19:21] You really garnered a lot of attention here based on your interaction and your involvement and some and yet very much like how you how you present yourselves in terms of digesting the content, asking the questions, getting involved. Yeah, I mean that you’ve done really well. So I’ve appreciate y’all’s approach. So I want to ask you before we talk, Dembski. And why this is so important to be here. As you start to evaluate opportunities, Niekro. So let’s say December or really? I’m sure you’ll be you’ll be interviewing one now and then let’s hear what is one thing that you really are looking for in your employer and the opportunity or the employer or the culture. What’s one thing that is on your list of of priorities?

 

[00:20:09] Oh, definitely room to grow. I know a lot of companies say you have room to grow, but what’s the typical timeframe that you get from position ait’s a, position B? Who makes those decisions in their company? And what’s the sex of those people that make those decisions? And how are opinions of those at a lower level regarded? Diversity and inclusion is a big aspect to me. All people should be accepted wherever you go. So that’s a big deal breaker for me. And in the interview process, I love the ability to be able to come shadow the company or the position that I’m looking for just to see the everyday operations, because you never really know if you will adapt to a company’s culture or even agree with the company’s culture until you there. Anybody can sell something. Is being there and seeing how it operates. And you can read off of Vibe to see if this is the everyday way of things or people are just all. But that’s big to me. So the women, should I say, that’s in charge of diversity, inclusion and those that are not management. How heavy are those words to an after?

 

[00:21:17] Very nice. We got a top five list. Our Aaron, same question.

 

[00:21:22] What I’m looking for afterwards would be from an employee or would be ability, as latte’s said, to grow, you know, and also how much a company invests into their employees.

 

[00:21:36] You know, some people they’ll just some companies, they can just they can be lip service. Yeah. You know, and be like, hey, this is your job, you know? But how I want to grow in my position and I don’t wanna spend too much time here. You know, I want to work from the lowest point, if that’s a possibility and work my way up and through so I can know my company through and through if I’m going to be here, invest in me. You know, a lot of companies that do like tuition reimbursement, you know, when you finish your bachelor’s, some people want you to get some experience before you go into your master’s and they’ll pay for that. But, you know, like certifications and things of that nature, you know, help me be a better me for our company. You know, it’s not me working for you as much as you think, you know, we’re all working together. You know, I’m saying you gave me the opportunity. Let me do what’s best so we can all be a team and be a great team at that. You know what I’m saying? It’s a difference between like if I’m working in hospitality and I’m just coming in here helping chefs like I’m a steward or something, you know, helping chefs move food from here to here. Right. But helped me become serve safe certified, you know. So I know that I’m handling things better. And, you know, I know this is supply chain, but it’s just, you know, like like CPR and all other types of sort of operations. You know, I can I do this job. I’m a supply chain professional, but I’m very well at doing this. And I’m certified in this area, you know, and that increases your stock and your value. And, you know, people know when they have a of this, you know, area `have he certified in that, you know what you want, you go speak to him, you know?

 

[00:23:05] I like it. Him or her. Right. Him like that even more. Yeah. So what are some of what I heard you say there? Aaron, it is wanting to be well-rounded. BRYANT Definitely, because the current definition and probably for years to come of supply chain has changed so much from how folks interpreted that in the 80s. Right. You know, when it was really more about and more define more or less generally speaking, you know, transportation Logistics versus now you were thinking of it. What’s been prevalent for fifteen years and I’m preaching to the choir here. I know, but in the end, we’re moving into kind of that that circular. Right, because you get sustainability as such a backdrop for all things supply chain these days. Okay. So let’s talk about Demps. Come now. All right. So this is my first time here as a child’s birth. The first time. So my understanding is the genesis for y’all’s involvement here is you had Mr. David Burton come out and speak to your class.

 

[00:24:06] Yes. The last semester I had a procurement class and Mr. Burton came out to talk about Numskull. And throughout his presentation, he mentioned the conference and we were all lykken. And of course, we took our phones, computers and looked it. And then we thought the price.

 

[00:24:22] And then like you oh, be nice if we could go to is a good value for folks already in the astrobee for students first. It’s all been there.

 

[00:24:30] It was steep. And then you have to get plane tickets and then I’d be nice if we could go. And so our professor said the same thing. Maybe we can get some students out there. And Mr. Burton said we can make that happen. And what, a couple months ago or a month? Fairgoers all we received email from our chairperson saying we were coming to Arizona for the Dan Solla conference and I took some of those prices, weren’t they?

 

[00:24:53] They were pretty yeah, pretty steep. But I know why they were steep. Yeah. If you’re here, the people that you were meeting, if you had a thing you wanted to outweigh, you always had access to. All these are top people agree. They’re doing great and you have access and you sit down and talk and engage and that costs.

 

[00:25:11] The great thing about this conference, I haven’t been to a conference. Iren has been found out, but it’s.

 

[00:25:21] Not intimidating, so to speak. Maybe from this, if you’re not a student, that’s all spoken. It can be intimidating, but it’s a select few individuals here. So you’re not just someone on the wall. You can really go up to have conversation. And I think that’s with anybody, suppliers, the companies, they can have conversation and really talk one on one versus having to feel like you had a quick. And so I stop wasting their time and let them do what they have to do. You can. It’s nice and compact and everybody and not everybody feel so much knowledge into see real-world principles and things happen. We’re learning in school. Kinda like, oh, wow.

 

[00:26:05] Yeah. And to hear them talking about how the feature is going to be to people with the most experience can they can definitely let you know what’s what’s coming, you know, in being able to, you know, prepare yourself for what these leaders are saying. You know, everybody doesn’t know about, you know, how to prepare yourself. Like me, I’m just coming into Supply chain. I’ve got to do a lot of reading. I got to speak to a lot of people involved, because even though I have a track of what I want to do, you know, things may change. I might be doing something else and supply chain, you know. So either way, you’ve got to be a team player. You know, that’s what we want. That’s what anyone wants, you know?

 

[00:26:41] Ok. So and again, to our audience, you can learn more about Dembski DMB SICAD that U.S. is diverse manufacturing supply chain alliance. Our great conference here. And you know, they do programing Year-Round and there’s membership in you name it. OK. So now I want to wrap up the conversation with one and both of you all have spoken in some of these trends. Yeah, but Latino, we’ll start with you when you can’t survey the global end in Supply chain community.

 

[00:27:09] What’s one topic or development or innovation? You name it, that that you find really compelling and just getting into it and learning about it.

 

[00:27:20] But I think blockchain is a big concept, an aspect that all companies should put their foot forward of it to be prepared, because it’s not a means of when or if it’s gonna happen, but when it’s going to happen. I think we all can agree the value of the United States dollars diminishing in low Alloa and blockchain. It’s going to be the basis of transactions that’s going to still be people that want to come out to, do, you know, customer service transactions to get that customer service experience. But pretty soon it’s going to be king. You perform this transaction, the blockchain. Can you support blockchain or the financial technology aspect of it, the transparency and the traceability, all that the blockchain offers? Yeah, especially on the supplier level. Can you keep up with this or what do you talk to me for?

 

[00:28:09] Interesting. Okay. So Erin, blockchain, which is is required in any supply chain conversation in 2020, by the way. Definitely. Erin, about you.

 

[00:28:19] I would say management of the materials involved in production, for example, how say you have a manufacturer, right. And we’re moving all this product and there’s parts involved. Everybody knows or there’s someone involved that knows where this product is coming from, where it has to go. You know, how needs to be packaged or, you know, whatever. And. Everyone is starting to well, mostly like get until like the IAPT thing more. I mean, I wouldn’t say they’re just starting, but it’s just starting to advance. It’s like better metrics and all that and being able to check on the parts involved with moving everything in production, you know, because. Having an issue with, you know, your production equipment could be drastic, as you heard yesterday. You know, 10 seconds of downtime in an a protect and production facility can cost a company $10000 easily, just 10 seconds. And they were speaking on how there is like how do you say information systems that can monitor these parts and and can let you know when production or like the performance of that part is starting to change. And then they can go figure it out. And when like say, for example, what has 11000 hours on it? And the data will show that, hey, around 20000 hours, you’re going to start having issues with this part. So at that point, we can put in a a work order to have that part changed out before the fact, because they said in the past people couldn’t, you know, monitor the parts. So they would wait.

 

[00:30:09] They would do like six months. They would just change things anyway, just so wouldn’t happen. It could’ve been something I wasted this on. It could be definitely a waste than that. They bring down to do it.

 

[00:30:19] This is more accurate and more proactive. You’re right. Sorry. Kids that are not predictive analytics. Right.

 

[00:30:26] Okay. Well, gosh, I’m not sure what we didn’t cover here. Really appreciate your how engaged the whole delegation has been here. Yeah. It’s great to hear the feedback you offered, for that matter. I think a lot of folks that while employers and hiring managers I think will benefit from a lot of feedback, help shared it. And what’s so as you fly back? Well, I’ll let you stick around for a while. Yeah, but Latoyia, as you fly back this afternoon to Middle River. Right. One last Chehab. What can be one of your last key takeaways from the experience here?

 

[00:31:06] I was a relation knowing that what I’m learning in school is not wasteful. It’s definitely relatable to Real-World things going on from quality to data analytics, whether it’s predictive or not. But being able to know that my teachers aren’t just teaching me anything. Right.

 

[00:31:26] It’s what’s taking place. Yeah, Aaron. Same question.

 

[00:31:29] Definitely. My take aways is the knowledge of knowing what’s coming in supply chain. And I need to do more reading. And then like she said, it’s not a waste, you know, and everything you’re being taught and in school and then coming to speak to the professionals who done it and how it just goes, you know, well with each other. You know, once you start getting the experience and they’re like, oh, man, this is this is great. I heard about this. We talked about this. Right. You know, and then you take like how we were speaking on blockchain. And he also spoke of what was the it was Ed Ed Carr speaking on a car and things of that nature. So, you know, you go get books and he’s talked to them and they say, hey, hey, what’s a good read? What’s a good read? You know, give me some knowledge, you know, or what do you think would be best in this area? You know, you can get a whole bunch of feedback because these people, they’ve been doing it. And so it’s just a wealth of knowledge. So I’d say I’m leaving with a lot of knowledge and a good path on, you know, that I can keep following.

 

[00:32:32] So you’ll be back here in a few years, probably presenting keynotes, right, as soon as the cycle goes. Yeah. Good. Okay. Well, really appreciate both of your time. Aaron Peterson, sophomore, Morgan State University. Letitia Thomas, not only a senior soon graduate at Morgan State, but president of the Apex Student Chapter there. Really appreciate your time. Thanks for having me. And looking forward to reconnecting. Yes, absolutely. Thank you. OK. So to our audience as we wrap up this latest episode here, we’re we’re we’re covering the Dembski event here in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona. Stay tuned and make sure Dembski Guinn’s on your radar. The M SCA dot U.S.. Also, check out what we’ve got coming up. We’ve got in-person and digital events with partners around the world at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com. Check out our events or webinar tabs if t rorters events. The Automotive Industry Action Group Resilience 360 Mode X much more. You can learn more at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com. Big thanks again to our guests. Big thanks to Jim. SCAA hosts our sponsor Verusen. Check him out at various cnn.com v.r u s e in on behalf the entire team here. Scott Luton. Wish you a wonderful week ahead and we’ll see you next time on supply chain. And thanks everybody.

Would you rather watch the show in action?

Watch Scott as he welcomes Latia Thomas and Aaron Peterson to the Supply Chain Now booth at the DMSCA Conference.

Featured Guests

Latia Thomas is currently studying services and supply chain management She aspires to begin my career as a procurement specialist. She is currently serving as the APICS President for the Morgan State Student Chapter.

Aaron Peterson has been a receiving clerk for four seasons hotels and resorts for 7 years. He decided to pursue his current career on a bigger level. He is currently a sophomore double major at Morgan State University. His majors are Supply chain management and transportation systems.

Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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