Frank Hurst

Over the past three decades, supply chain has transformed from a back-office function focused on efficiency into one of the most strategic capabilities in business. Few leaders have witnessed (and helped shape) that evolution more closely than Mourad Tamoud, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schneider Electric. In a recent conversation with Scott Luton, Tamoud shared lessons from a career that began as a factory-floor intern and now spans global leadership. His perspective offers a compelling roadmap for organizations navigating AI, digital transformation, resilience, and the ever-changing demands of global supply chains. Supply Chain Has Become a Strategic Function Looking back on his early days at Schneider Electric, Tamoud noted just how dramatically the profession has changed. “When I started, I was coached with the understanding that supply chain was all about the ‘Just in Time’ approach and focused on cost reduction,” he said. “Today, supply chain sits at the center of business strategy. It is about supporting growth, anticipating resilience with agility.” That evolution has also reshaped leadership itself. “My biggest lesson has been that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about defining a long-term vision and building great teams, listening and helping people succeed. That’s…

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in December 2025, Scott Luton sat down with Stephen Musciano, a former practitioner turned technology leader who now helps transform supply chain organizations through Lyric—a fast-growing, math-first, AI-native platform redefining what supply chain technology can be. Musciano, who began his supply chain career at companies such as New Balance and Under Armour, brings both real-world execution experience and deep technical vision to his work. That mix is central to what makes Lyric—and its philosophy—stand apart.   Lyric: A Platform, Not a Point Solution Musciano described Lyric as fundamentally different from traditional vendors. Rather than offering a single application or fixed module suite, Lyric provides a true supply chain platform in Lyric Studio—one built from composable, no-code building blocks that allow companies to create exactly what they need. “Think Legos,” Musciano explained. “We’re not selling you a car or a house. We give you the blocks so you can build what your supply chain truly needs. We might even give you a starter kit but the configuration and molding it to fit your business and your problem is where the magic happens.” Lyric Studio is intentionally designed centered on non-technical practitioners—people like “Maria,” Lyric’s…