Martin Tiekle

A Shift in the Narrative for 2026 In a recent conversation, Scott Luton spoke with Mark Gilham, Vice President & Head of Global Advisory at Enable, about what supply chain and commercial leaders should expect from the year ahead. While many annual outlooks attempt to forecast the next major disruption, Gilham offered a different lens: 2026 may become the “year of no excuses.” After years defined by a global pandemic, inflationary shocks, geopolitical instability, supply shortages, and the rapid rise of AI, organizations have already endured extraordinary volatility. Businesses not only survived, but in many cases adapted and grew. According to Gilham, that reality weakens the argument that disruption alone explains underperformance. Disruption is not disappearing, he cautioned, but leaders can only lean on it for so long.   Why a Calmer Year Raises the Bar Gilham argued that if external conditions stabilize even slightly, the pressure on leadership actually increases. A less chaotic environment removes convenient explanations and shines a brighter light on internal shortcomings. Process gaps, misaligned incentives, and execution failures become harder to ignore when the world is not on fire. Rather than waiting for certainty, Gilham believes leaders should act decisively. This does not mean radical…

This week on Supply Chain Now, we released our 500th episode, gained key insight into the latest industry news, & heard from featured guests who shared their journeys into supply chain. Make sure you’re up to date on all the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams! On Saturday, Brandon Mason, a lead analyst for Eaton’s Global Market Intelligence group shares with Scott his insights into automotive industry trends, including emerging technologies & economic trends.   On Monday, the Supply Chain Now team got together to celebrate 500 episodes and look back on the journey so far.   On Tuesday’s podcast episode, Scott & Greg welcomed Hank Picken and Jeff Picken, the father-son team leading Beaumont Products. Listen up as they share what its like to be part of a family business as well as key insight into manufacturing.   For Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, we featured the Veteran Voices podcast where Scott welcomed Rear Admiral Casey W. Coane, U.S. Navy (Retired) to talk about his military service and the mission he’s on now.     On Thursday, Karin Bursa & Sofia Rivas Herrera joined Scott & Greg on the Supply Chain Buzz. Listen up as they dive into giving forward…