John Holly

Special Guest Blog Post written by Memory Mathema   Tackling climate change is one of the defining challenges of our lifetime. Understanding the implications of decarbonization is imperative to eliminating the risks that come with taking a complacent approach. Our responsibility lies in understanding the impact of our operations and acknowledging the escalating urgency to transition to a carbon neutral future and reduce the environmental footprint of all business undertakings. This is not only right for individual organizations but for the good of the whole society. South Africa ranks 14th globally in carbon emissions and stands as Africa’s leading polluter. The nation’s energy intense economy highlights its crucial role in spearheading efforts to reduce the continent’s carbon footprint and achieve net zero goals. Outdated energy generation methods, particularly coal reliance for 80% of energy needs, overshadow the country’s vast potential in hydrogen, solar and wind power. Both public and private sectors are recognizing the need for sustainable alternatives and are transitioning towards greener energy sources, fostering a shift towards sustainable carbon neutral supply chains. Addressing Scope 3 emissions, which constitute a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, is necessary to delivering carbon neutrality across operations. Organizations must entrench an…

At the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton met with John Lash, who leads strategy and vision at e2open, a WiseTech Global Group company. E2open is a global platform powering the entire lifecycle of making, moving, and selling goods, with capabilities spanning planning, logistics, global trade, supply management, and procurement. The platform is designed not just for enterprise visibility but for true end-to-end coordination across extended supply chain ecosystems. Lash emphasized that disruptions rarely originate within a company’s four walls. “Your sub-tiers are where most of the risk lives,” he explained. “That’s where your day-to-day operations—and your long-term strategy—are truly shaped.” It’s a lesson sharply reinforced during the pandemic, which reminded leaders worldwide that no one does supply chain alone.   Old Challenges Intensified by New Realities When Luton asked about the biggest challenges facing planning teams today, Lash pointed immediately to constraints—supply constraints, manufacturing constraints, and now, the added layer of global trade volatility. Trade policies that once shifted every few years now change weekly, daily, or even hourly. Lash offered a striking example: Brazilian coffee duties jumped from 10% to 50% this summer—before returning to 0%. “How do you plan through that?” he asked.…