Art Seabolt

An estimated 12% of global trade worth more than $1 trillion traverses the Red Sea each year. When Houthi rebels started attacking commercial vessels in November 2023, ocean carriers began rerouting container ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Horn rather than through the Suez Canal on voyages from Asia to Europe. That greatly increased travel time and costs. As of March of this year, shipping through the Red Sea was still down 70% from before the attacks began, according to The Economist, with many ocean carriers still avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Peninsula. Maritime Industry Caught in the Crosshairs Houthi rebels launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Houthis attacked more than 100 cargo ships between November 2023 and January 2025. The attacks, with missiles and drones, sunk two vessels and killed four sailors. In late October 2024, a headline in gCaptain read, “Red Sea Is Now So Dangerous Even NATO Warships Are Avoiding It.” “The United States Navy continues to send warships through the Red Sea, but its mission to protect merchant ships – Operation Prosperity…

At the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton caught up with Justin Siefert, a familiar face in the supply chain community and a leader at John Galt Solutions, a global provider of end-to-end supply chain planning software. From demand and supply planning to inventory and S&OP, John Galt supports organizations across industries with the holistic capabilities needed to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable landscape.   A Company Investing in the Next Generation Before diving into industry trends, Siefert shared an update on one of the programs that sets John Galt apart: its supply chain scholarship program, which awards $10,000 to students pursuing supply chain degrees. This year’s cycle brought in a record number of nominations, with new winners set to be announced in January. It’s an initiative Siefert is proud of—and one that reflects John Galt’s belief in cultivating tomorrow’s leaders.   Old Problems, New Pressures: Planning in a World of Uncertainty When asked about the biggest challenges facing planners today, Siefert didn’t hesitate: uncertainty. While the forms of disruption change—pandemics, geopolitical shifts, demand shocks, evolving portfolios—the underlying challenge remains the same. Planners must anticipate what’s next and respond quickly, often in real time. “No day…