Bart De Muynck

Supply chain management is constantly evolving. Whether you see the glass as half full or half empty, this dynamic environment brings both challenges and opportunities to the fore. The good news is that, while challenges continue to emerge, experts and thought leaders who offer insights and strategies are changing the industry, too. This article highlights three such visionaries — Searoutes Co-Founder & CEO Pierre Garreau, Noodle.ai Chief Operating Officer Michael Ciatto, and Owlery Co-Founder Travis Downs — who not only offer fresh perspectives but are also driving change through their innovative approaches. Three Voices Transforming the Supply Chain These experts have emerged with pragmatic solutions to many of today’s logistical problems, ushering in the potential for a more effective supply chain operation. True, many might consider them “new kids on the block,” but their thought leadership already resonates well across the entire industry. Pierre Garreau, Searoutes “Today’s businesses are under pressure to improve visibility over carbon emissions, as regulators and consumers alike place greater emphasis on emissions reduction. However, businesses struggle to build accurate visibility over emissions, instead turning to greenwashing and estimation as a means of signaling decarbonization efforts. Searoutes uses the physical characteristics of vessels, planes, and trucks,…

Uncertainty Is the New Baseline At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton spoke with Romain Moulin, CEO and co-founder of Exotec, to discuss how warehouse automation is evolving in an era defined by volatility. “The big trend of last year was uncertainty,” Romain said, reflecting on 2025’s tariffs, economic tensions, and shifting trade dynamics. “Anything that would be done needed to deal with uncertainty.” Rather than waiting for stability, companies are designing operations that assume change is constant. “Anything that is going on now must be projects that are able to reorganize themselves,” he explained. Warehouses must be robust, agile and flexible as to whatever the next disruption brings.   From Conveyors to Configurable Robotics Exotec is known for inventing 3D warehouse robots (Skypods) that move across the floor and climb racks up to 14 meters (46 feet) to retrieve totes and deliver them to operators. But beyond the visual wow factor, the real transformation is simplification. “The time of bespoke complex warehouses tailored to a very specific need is over,” Romain said. Customers are moving toward more generic, adaptable warehouses. Exotec replaces hardware complexity with intelligent software. “We don’t program the solution,” he noted. “We let the software find the best…