Matt Marshall

At MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, Scott Luton sat down with Dr. Stephanie Thomas, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Arkansas and Founder & Executive Director of WISE, for a wide-ranging conversation about supply chain talent, AI, and the future of workforce development. One thing becomes immediately clear from the discussion: while technology may dominate the headlines, the future of supply chain still depends on people. Of course, that makes the ability for organizations to more effectively engage the new generations entering the workforce all that more critical.   The Industry’s Biggest Question Mark: AI and Talent When asked about the biggest priorities facing supply chain leaders today, Thomas doesn’t hesitate: AI is at the top of nearly every conversation. “Everybody’s trying to unpack what is it going to do? How is it going to change things?” she explains. Organizations are wrestling not only with how to adopt emerging technologies, but also with how to prepare their workforce for the transformation ahead. From upskilling current employees to redesigning workflows, the talent implications of AI are massive. At the same time, the broader business environment remains highly dynamic. Geopolitical shifts, ongoing disruption, and rapid technological change are forcing organizations to…

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now. On Monday, we released 2 new episodes! On this episode of Digital Transformers, produced in partnership with TNS, host Kevin L. Jackson welcomes Praveen Rao, Managing Director with IBM, to the podcast. On This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton relates true stories marking notable anniversary dates this week, including the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, the first Chevy Corvette to be produced in 1953, & more! On Tuesday, we released an episode of TEK TOK! In this episode, host Karin Bursa dives into 6 strategies that supply chain innovators are doing now to become more resilient. On Wednesday’s episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and Kelly Barner, Host of Dial P for Procurement, dive into the friction between North Face and the oil and gas industry – an industry that supplies the substance and materials North Face needs to make its products. Despite this, North Face is concerned with protecting their brand from the potential damage of publicly associating with oil and gas, leaving them in a tough spot with regard to their supply…