Mike Skinner

Special Guest Blog Post written by Stela Jaqueta   In today’s fast-changing world, Africa’s role in global supply chains is at a tipping point. For too long, the continent has been viewed primarily as a source of raw materials rather than as a strategic partner in value creation. But what if we reimagined everything, from policies and technologies to mindsets and sustainability practices, through an Africa-centered lens? In this blog post, I explore five questions that challenge conventional supply chain thinking. From redefining Africa’s place at the global negotiation table, to elevating cultural intelligence from “soft skill” to strategic necessity, to designing climate-restorative logistics and embracing the digital revolution in a way that includes youth-led and informal businesses, each question is a call to rethink, redesign, and re-center. 1. What would a truly Africa-centered global supply chain look like? A truly Africa-centered global supply chain would shift from a model of extraction to one of empowerment and value creation. It would prioritize investment in local manufacturing, infrastructure, and knowledge transfer, ensuring that raw materials sourced from Africa are processed, packaged, and innovated on the continent. African-led businesses are seen as power players, with a voice and authority at the negotiation…

It’s time for Supply Chain Now! We’re looking back on the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams from this week right here. On Monday, we released 2 new episodes! In this episode of Digital Transformers, powered by Supply Chain Now, hosts Kevin L. Jackson and Kelly Barner welcome Gary Storr and April Harrison with Trust Your Supplier to the podcast to discuss supplier management using blockchain. On This Week in Business History, guest host Nick Roemer with Cibus21 walks us through the history of the COP: the conference of parties, as well as key milestones in actions to address sustainability. On Tuesday, we released 2 new episodes! On this episode of Supply Chain Now, Bobby Holland, Freight Data Solutions team at U.S. Bank and Drew Wilkerson, head of XPO’s transportation group in North America, share the results of the Q1 2021 report with Greg White and Scott Luton, interpreting what they may mean for the economy and the shipping industry in the short and longer term. On TECHquila Sunrise, we looked back on a Classic episode where host Greg White shared the ins and outs of what it takes to get into supply chain tech. On Wednesday, Charles Redding, CEO…