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Billy Ray Taylor

Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence) , a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.

An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.

A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts “The Winning Link,” a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network . As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release “The Winning Link” book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.

A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute “The Nobel Prize of Operations” and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) ; two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning.  He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board , a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.

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book club
February 2, 2026

First Edition: Between the Lines by Supply Chain Now

At Supply Chain Now, we talk a lot about innovation, resilience, and what’s next for our industry. But behind every great conversation, great idea, and great community is something even more fundamental: curiosity. We read because we’re curious. We read to learn. We read to grow. And sometimes, we read simply because it’s fun! That’s why we created Between the Lines by Supply Chain Now, a space for our community to share what we’re reading, what’s making us think, and what we’re excited to recommend to others. This isn’t a traditional book club where everyone follows the same reading list. Instead, it’s a shared shelf, built by the Supply Chain Now team and our broader community. You’ll find business books and personal development reads alongside novels, memoirs, histories, and unexpected favorites. No required genres. No assigned chapters. Just real people sharing real recommendations. Because great books shape us in different ways. Some help us sharpen our skills. Some challenge how we see the world. Some help us slow down, escape, or recharge. And often, the most meaningful growth comes from reading something we never would have picked up on our own. With Between the Lines, our goal is to create…
May 29, 2020

This Week in Supply Chain Now: May 26th – 29th

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Have you listened to all the episodes this week? If not, we’ve got it covered! Check them all out here: We took Monday off in observation of Memorial Day, and on Tuesday we welcomed Ward Richmond with SupplyChainRealEstate.com back to Supply Chain Now, and he gave Scott and Greg a supply chain real estate industry update.   Supply Chain Now · “Industry Real Estate Update: Ward Richmond & SupplyChainRealEstate.com”   On Wednesday, Mike Wasson and Aubree Duncan with Tosca joined Scott and Greg on Wednesday to talk about food safety and a supply chain update   Supply Chain Now · “Food Safety & Supply Chain Update: Mike Wasson & Aubree Duncan with Tosca”   On Thursday we published our popular Supply Chain Buzz, and Scott and Greg welcomed Jon Davis, Chief Meteorologist with Riskpulse to the podcast, who shared a weather update and how it affects the global supply chain.   Supply Chain Now · “The Supply Chain Buzz for May 26th with Special Guest Jon Davis with Riskpulse”   And on Friday, we welcomed MIchael Darden with DFM Data Corp to Supply Chain Now.   Supply Chain Now · “Michael Darden:…