Supply Chain Now
Episode 405

Episode Summary

The ‘This Week in Business History’ Series on Supply Chain Now shares some of the most relevant business and global supply chain events from years past. It will shine a light on some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and even lessons learned from our collective business history.

In this episode of ‘This Week in Business History,’ Supply Chain Now Host Scott Luton shares the lasting impact of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

On July 20th, 1969, the Apollo lunar module Eagle landed on the moon, changing the trajectory of human exploration in space forever. But while this is generally regarded as a monumental moment for science, the implications for business have been significant as well, including:

· The first-ever computer guidance system

· Integrated circuits (or microchips)

· State of the art dampers and shock absorbers

Episode Transcript

Scott Luton (00:12):

Good morning, Scott Luton here with you on this edition of this week in business history. Welcome to today’s show on this program, which is part of the supply chain. Now family of programming. We take a look back at the upcoming week, and then we share some of the most relevant events and milestones from years past, of course, mostly business focused with a little dab global supply chain. And occasionally we might just throw in a good story outside of our primary realm. So I invite you to join me on this. Look back in history to identify some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and perhaps lessons learned in our collective business journey. Now let’s dive in to this week in business history.

Scott Luton (01:15):

Hello, and thanks for joining us. My name is Scott Luton and today we are focused on the week of July 20th and one historic event would take place this week, 51 years ago, that would impact business and the world for decades to come the Apollo 11 mission. And they, everyone knows the story of the moon landing, but have you uncovered the legacy, especially from a business standpoint of what many folks call the human races, greatest achievement of the 20th century. That’s what we’ll focus on today. On this week in business history, powered by our team here at supply chain. Now on July 20th, 1969, the Apollo lunar module Eagle landed on the moon, but the stage was set about seven years earlier. U S president John F. Kennedy was speaking to over 40,000 people at rice university on September 12th, 1962, when Kennedy had been sworn in the office, many Americans had a sense that the country was behind in the space race. The Soviet union had successfully launched the first artificial satellite a few years earlier, Sputnik one, which largely shaped American’s views. In fact, prior to the 1962 address, president Kennedy had challenged Congress in May, 1961, that the United States should commit to quote, landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth in quote. But that address didn’t really move the needle much, both in DC and across the country.

Scott Luton (03:05):

Warm late summer day, rice university, president Kennedy was able to indeed rally folks to see the vision he saw in a speech that is still quoted often today, the president said, quote, we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we’re willing to accept. One. We are unwilling to postpone and one we intend to win and the others too, in quote, there was also another big reason. JFK was at rice university that day. Rice is in Houston, Texas, and the school had just been, had just served as the intermediary in a deal that was critical to Kennedy’s famous challenge that he’d pose that day in his speech.

Scott Luton (04:05):

In order for NASA to have the resources to land on the moon, they would need a world class facility, perhaps a plethora of world-class facilities. Thus, the humble oil company donated the land to form the manned spacecraft center, which would later be called. Of course the Johnson space center in Houston. This massive site would become part of one of the key components of the legacy of the Apollo program. Some say a space industrial complex, big money, big corporations, lots of jobs, lots of bureaucracy. More on that in a moment, the Kennedy address at rice university was one of the moments that continued to help gain momentum for a mission to the moon. John F Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas in 1963 would also prove to be a major catalyst for the Johnson and Nixon administrations to fulfill the bold vision of a moon landing before the end of the sixties.

Scott Luton (05:14):

And on July 20th, Apollo

Scott Luton (05:17):

11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong and buzz Aldrin would land on the moon while astronaut Michael Collins remained back in the command module. Columbia, in fact, Michael Collins spent a full day in solitary confinement as Armstrong and Aldrin made history on the balloon or surface on every orbit of the moon. Collins would lose radio contact with mission control and really civilization for 48 minutes. I wonder if we all might benefit from this practice of the ultimate approach to unplugging from it all a few hours after they landed on July 21st, 1969, of course, Neil Armstrong would be the first human to step foot on the moon. And on July 24th, 1969, the command module, Columbia carrying all three national and now international heroes and really new celebrities. Well, it would splash back down in the Pacific ocean on earth, Apollo 11 mission into there, but the ultimate impact and ripple effect was just beginning. Let’s take a look at a few of the technologies that continue to shape the business world today and all that came about due to the Apollo program.

Speaker 1 (06:45):

[inaudible]

Scott Luton (06:45):

It takes an entire department at NASA to track and catalog all the innovations and technologies that space program has contributed over the years. Let’s start with a technology that would go on to make a big impact, especially in aviation. Did you know that the first pure electronic fly by wire aircraft was the Apollo lunar landing research vehicle, which first flew in 1968? Its nickname was the flying bedstead way back when the Apollo program started. Every plane in the air was essentially controlled mechanically. This meant cables and rods had connected the pilots instruments to the aircraft’s controlled surfaces. So the pilot would pull a stick or push a pedal, and that would cause the wing flap or the rudder to move in the right direction, all mechanically and or with hydraulics. But that wouldn’t cut it for landing on the moon. Check out this quote from Don owls, a computer scientist that was part of the Apollo program quote, the job of flying a spacecraft is to meth mathematical for a human to do it by the seat of their pants.

Scott Luton (08:02):

So there really is a necessity to have a computer in quote, I wonder how that legendary pilot Neil Armstrong, who flew 78 missions over Korea and was one of the most talented test pilots in the history of the us air force and NASA. I wonder just how Neil Armstrong felt about leaning on computers to fly a spacecraft NASA contract NASA contracted rather with Draper laboratory to develop a computer guidance system for the Apollo command module and lunar module. This revolutionary system would use electronic signals generated by the pilot’s actions and feed those signals into a guidance computer. Along with some of the, a lot of, a lot of other data based on these inputs, the computer then would make a decision and trigger that propulsion and navigation equipment to act accordingly. Truly remarkable. Now let’s learn a little bit more about the organization behind this development. Draper laboratory is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1932 to focus on aircraft technologies. The organization was an official part of MIT until 1973, when it became independent as a not-for-profit R and D corporation with locations in key space, industrial complex cities, such as Huntsville, Alabama, and Houston, Texas Draper laboratory continues to do big things in business and technology. With over 1700 employees, the company had revenues of about $640 million in 2019,

Scott Luton (09:48):

Following the Apollo program, NASA and many of its suppliers and contractors would work with the aviation industry to help companies learn and adapt this new digital approach, which is now of course, commonplace the Airbus. A three 20 would become the first airliner to fly with an all digital fly by wire control system in 1984. In fact, you’ll find digital fly by wire technology in other surprising places, such as courage, cruise control and antilock braking systems on your automobile. A second big innovation that stems from the Apollo program integrated circuits. Now it’s important to note that NASA and the Apollo program didn’t invent the integrated circuit, AKA the microchip. However, it’s also important to understand that there wasn’t a huge market in the 1960s for this new technology component.

Scott Luton (10:49):

[inaudible]

Scott Luton (10:50):

In fact, there was a fierce debate at NASA about whether the Apollo program would utilize the new integrated circuits provided by MIT instrumentation lab, by the way, that would later become Draper laboratory or would they stick with IBM and a circuit called the unit logic device. The new integrated circuit would win and the Apollo program would need a lot of these new microchips. In fact, the computing demands for the program hardware was so great that NASA was using about two thirds of the world’s supply of integrated circuits at the height, of course, of the manufacturing of the Apollo program equipment. Now the integrated circuit driven Apollo guidance computer never missed a beat and worked just about flawlessly. And that went a long way to assure global business that the microchip works and it’s reliable. And just like that the integrated circuit began to take root.

Scott Luton (11:55):

Of course, now it serves as a critical core that powers just about all of our tech devices we use in 2020. And here’s one other more interesting innovation that I bet you didn’t know came from the Apollo program. So we’re all familiar perhaps with the powerful Saturn five rocket and iconic component of the Apollo program, consider this. It went from concept to flight in six years, the Saturn five was 360 feet tall and remains the most powerful rocket ever built, even though it hasn’t flown since 1973, it weighed a massive 6.5 million pounds when fully fueled and own the pan, as you might expect a sound and sturdy infrastructure was paramount for operating the Saturn five, this included massive arms to stabilize the vehicle and incredibly durable launch pad that could absorb all of that powerful thrust of the world’s largest rockets. Rocket engines, NASA would need state of the art dampers and shock absorbers to ensure safe and successful launches of the Saturn five.

Scott Luton (13:16):

A lot of the research and technology in this area was applied later to safely operating the world’s largest rocket. And, and that same technology is being applied to help companies, organizations, and others mitigate the risk posed by earthquakes around the world. That’s right variations of this same NASA space program. Technology has been applied for decades to buildings and bridges and the like helping to reinforce their foundation and resilience, especially in quake prone areas. So digital fly by wire integrated circuits, damper technology, all just a small part of the Apollo program, legacy food, safety advancements, battery innovations, fireproofing technology tires. Yeah, I mean the lunar Rover really drove technology tire technology to new Heights. And that’s still just scratching the surface in terms of business impact that NASA and its army of experts have had on our world in the last 75 years or so. But no, this expect a lot more to come via current NASA programs, such as the space launch system, that’s expecting to power humans to asteroids the moon again, and perhaps even Mars Landsat nine, which builds on a successful critical legacy of satellites. The James Webb space telescope, which will be the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built. Watch out Hubble those three and many other active projects keep the NASA and greater space community owned the move, or some would call it the space industrial

Scott Luton (15:14):

Complex.

Scott Luton (15:20):

The Apollo program came to a close in 1972. It cost over 200, rather check that $24 billion adjusted for inflation that somewhere in the neighborhood of $170 billion today, NASA managed 500 contractors, several prom contractors, and over 200 subcontractors, the bureaucratic system and infrastructure can still be seen today. You know, last week on this week in business history, we dove into Boeing’s birth and iconic global brand, despite recent channels.

Scott Luton (15:59):

Yeah,

Scott Luton (16:01):

Boeing North American aviation and Douglas aircraft company would be the biggest contributors and contractors that develop the Saturn five rocket. Since that time, Boeing has acquired both both of those companies, North American aviation and Douglas aircraft company. Boeing was a big supplier for the space shuttle and the international space station. And now Boeing is the prom contractor for one of NASA’s big current projects. The one we mentioned a minute ago, the space launch system, but some question, these massive contracts and whether they push NASA forward or they have the organization clinging to the past some 0.2 longtime contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Aerojet, rocket, Don, and others, along with the long established NASA sites like Marshall space flight center in Alabama, the Stennis space center in Mississippi, and of course Johnson space center in Houston. And the question that comes to mind is this is the same infrastructure that built the Apollo program, still a good fit for NASA’s needs.

Scott Luton (17:17):

In 2020, Lori Garver, formerly served as deputy administrator of NASA under the Obama administration. She was quoted by the verge in 2019 saying, quote, we have been building to the infrastructure and centers versus building a program that is responsive to the needs of the country in current times because we had those centers and we had to use them. And same with the people. It’s almost impossible to imagine what you would do differently without that, but you wouldn’t recreate them in quote, others have found NASA’s management approach to be flawed a year long GAO assessment in May, 2018 stated quote, the cost and schedule performance of NASA’s portfolio of major projects has deteriorated. But the extent of cost performance deterioration is unknown. The G a O pointed to the lack of cost estimates as one of those chief reasons behind their finding former NASA team member, Mark syringe Willow was quoted as stating quote, people look at the technology as the only piece of the puzzle, but oftentimes it’s the way you manage the technology is the way you manage the contracting. It’s how you set up the program. Those things need to be innovative as well.

Scott Luton (18:56):

In a break from tradition NASA’s partnership with the private company space sex to send astronauts in the space could be a sign of things to come, or is it just a minor blip in the history of a government governance agency that remains inextricably chained to the suppliers and partnerships of decades past, only time shall tell. But what is for certain as this, the extraordinary Apollo program made a Mark bigger than many would have expected doubted by most when it launched in those hot July days in 1969, when the world was glued to televisions and radios, NASA delivered now over 50 years later, what will be the next big NASA game changer?

Scott Luton (19:46):

We’ll find out

Scott Luton (19:49):

That wraps up our look at the week ahead from a business history standpoint, the Zenith of the Apollo program and its impact on global business stood out to us. But what do you think there were certainly no shortage of other big stories during the week of July 20th in business history. It’d be tough to top Apollo 11 in our, in our opinion, but what stands out to you? Tell us, shoot us a note to Amanda at supply chain. Now radio.com or join our supply chain. Now inside our group own LinkedIn and share your feedback and perspective. We’re here to listen. I hope that you’ve enjoyed our latest edition of this week in business history focused on the week of July 20th. On that note, be sure to check out a wide variety of industry thought leadership. You can find that@supplychainnow.com, fondness and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from on behalf of the entire team here at this week in business history and supply chain. Now this is Scott Luton wishing all of our listeners, nothing but the best. Hey, do good give forward and be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we’ll see. Next time. Thanks for buddy.

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Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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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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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 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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Ben Harris is the Director of Supply Chain Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Ben comes to the Metro Atlanta Chamber after serving as Senior Manager, Market Development for Manhattan Associates. There, Ben was responsible for developing Manhattan’s sales pipeline and overall Americas supply chain marketing strategy. Ben oversaw market positioning, messaging and campaign execution to build awareness and drive new pipeline growth. Prior to joining Manhattan, Ben spent four years with the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Center of Innovation for Logistics where he played a key role in establishing the Center as a go-to industry resource for information, support, partnership building, and investment development. Additionally, he became a key SME for all logistics and supply chain-focused projects. Ben began his career at Page International, Inc. where he drove continuous improvement in complex global supply chain operations for a wide variety of businesses and Fortune 500 companies. An APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Ben holds an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration (EMBA) and bachelor’s degree in International Business (BBA) from the Terry College at the University of Georgia.

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Page Siplon

Host, The Freight Insider

Prior to joining TeamOne Logistics, Page Siplon served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, the State’s leading consulting resource for fueling logistics industry growth and global competitiveness. For over a decade, he directly assisted hundreds of companies to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities related to the movement of freight. During this time, Siplon was also appointed to concurrently serve the State of Georgia as Director of the larger Centers of Innovation Program, in which he provided executive leadership and vision for all six strategic industry-focused Centers. As a frequently requested keynote speaker, Siplon is called upon to address a range of audiences on unique aspects of technology, workforce, and logistics. This often includes topics of global and domestic logistics trends, supply chain visibility, collaboration, and strategic planning. He has also been quoted as an industry expert in publications such as Forbes, Journal of Commerce, Fortune, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, American Express, DC Velocity, Area Development Magazine, Site Selection Magazine, Inbound Logistics, Modern Material Handling, and is frequently a live special guest on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Radio Show. Siplon is an active industry participant, recognized by DC Velocity Magazine as a “2012 Logistics Rainmaker” which annually identifies the top-ten logistics professionals in the Nation; and named a “Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Executive Magazine in 2014. Siplon was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” for 2013, 2014, and 2015. He also serves various industry leadership roles at both the State and Federal level. Governor Nathan Deal nominated Siplon to represent Georgia on a National Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee, where he was appointed to a two-year term by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was then appointed to serve as its vice-chairman. At the State level, he was selected by then-Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as lead consultant on the Commission for New Georgia’s Freight and Logistics Task Force. In this effort, Siplon led a Private Sector Advisory Committee with invited executives from a range of private sector stakeholders including UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Siplon honorably served a combined 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. During this time, he led the integration of encryption techniques and deployed cryptographic devices for tactically secure voice and data platforms in critical ground-to-air communication systems. This service included support for all branches of the Department of Defense, multiple federal security agencies, and aiding NASA with multiple Space Shuttle launches. Originally from New York, Siplon received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering with a focus on digital signal processing from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned an associate’s degree in advanced electronic systems from the Air Force College and completed multiple military leadership academies in both the Marines and Air Force. Siplon currently lives in Cumming, Georgia (north of Atlanta), with his wife Jan, and two children Thomas (19) and Lily (15).

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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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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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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

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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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, Logistics with Purpose

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 of Dial P for Procurement

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Greg White

Principal & CMO, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain Now and TECHquila Sunrise

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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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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