Ted Stank

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…

As Kelly Barner, host of Dial P for Procurement here on Supply Chain Now and host of The Sourcing Hero, says, “The volume of business content being created, shared and discussed every day can feel overwhelming, especially if you are trying to stay on top of best practices and make the most of your professional network. How we choose to spend our scarce listening and watching time is an important decision, and with many (many!) options, each content creator has to find a way to bring unique perspectives and value to their community.” Our CEO, Scott Luton, was recently invited to be Kelly’s guest on The Sourcing Hero podcast, and shares why it is just as important to understand a professional’s journey as it is to listen to their point of view on their area of expertise, the role of business media in helping individuals and teams deal with the challenges they face on a daily basis, and why we all need to look for and celebrate good news as often as we can. Listen to the Podcast Episode Here.