Logistics with Purpose
Episode 765

Our basic philosophy for the last eight to 10 years has been to focus on basic human needs. We found that unfortunately, since the recession, there are so many people that are hurting, that can't even afford food on the table or shoes on their feet or a shelter to live in, that we could not ignore them. So we reevaluated a lot of our giving and started to focus on basic human needs,

-Michael Broidy

Episode Summary

What’s a hybrid non-profit? What’s the best way for a corporate entity to give back to the community? How does giving differ across private and public companies? What does charitable giving look like in the middle of a pandemic – and moving forward? Get all these answers and more on this latest episode with co-hosts Enrique Alvarez and Kristi Porter as they sit down with Michael Broidy, Senior Vice President of Schottenstein Stores Corporation. Hear the Columbus native trace his charitable philosophy from the example set by his father during childhood all the way to the multiple initiatives and programs that span Schottenstein Stores’ multi-billion dollar portfolio.

Episode Transcript

Intro/Outro (00:18):

[inaudible]

Enrique Alvarez (00:19):

Good morning. And welcome back to another episode of logistics with purpose. My name’s Enrique Alvarez and I’m with Kristi Porter. How are you doing today? Christie?

Kristi Porter (00:26):

I’m good. I’m excited. We have yet another great guest in conversation ahead. And just from our, uh, pre-talk I know it’s going to be a really good one. So I’m excited for everyone to hear.

Enrique Alvarez (00:38):

I know it’s going to be a very interesting conversation with a very interesting company as well. That has a huge organization and is helping a lot of people, but they’re doing it in a very special way. Um, unlike other companies or organizations out there, so it should be fun. It should be interesting. And it’s going to be super exciting for about, so I guess without further ado, let me, uh, let me bring on the call to Michael Broidy. Senior vice-president of corporate affairs of the shut-in steam stores corporation. Michael. Good morning. How are you doing today?

Michael Broidy (01:11):

I’m fine. How are

Enrique Alvarez (01:11):

You? I’m doing great. Thank you for asking and thank you so, so much for having, uh, giving us a time to be here with

Michael Broidy (01:18):

Us today. It’s really my pleasure.

Kristi Porter (01:21):

We’re thrilled to have you on, and we’re just, um, already talking about what a great conversation we’ve had before we hit recording. So, um, yeah, this is going to be another special one and we’re excited for people to hear more about, um, what you guys are up to. So before we get into what you’re currently doing, though, let’s talk a little bit about your background. So to start us off, will you please tell us a little bit more about, um, where you grew up in your childhood?

Michael Broidy (01:45):

Sure. Christie, good morning to you too. I am. I’m actually a native of Columbus. I grew up on the south side of Columbus and a half of a double living next to my grandparents. And, uh, later in life, we moved to a suburb called Bexley, which a complete opposite of where I grew up, but it was an interesting experience and I’ve stayed in Columbus for the most part my whole

Kristi Porter (02:06):

Life. Wow. What was it like growing up next to your grandparents?

Michael Broidy (02:10):

It was wonderful. It was certainly one of the things that has influenced me to be so close to family as now I’m a father and so on. Uh, it was a great way to grow up and I certainly would encourage others if they have the opportunity to have an extended family, like my siblings. And I, did

Enrique Alvarez (02:28):

You have grandkids now? Michael, as well?

Michael Broidy (02:30):

Not yet. My son has, my youngest is married, but, uh, even with little hints, they still haven’t had,

Enrique Alvarez (02:38):

What is, what is one of those things that you’ll probably do to your grandkids? Something that maybe your grandfather’s or your grandmother did to you

Michael Broidy (02:45):

Continue to spoil them as much as I possibly can and then hand them back to my son and daughter.

Enrique Alvarez (02:52):

That’s what grandparents are all about. Yes. Michael, looking back at your story and it sounds like it’s very, and you had this rich family experience that they basically kind of gave you and pass you on some of the values and culture that they had. What are some of the early year kind of experiences that you can recall that really shaped who you are now and kind of started pushing you in the direction that you’re in now? Uh, any kind of particular stories that you want?

Michael Broidy (03:20):

Well, I thought about that. The first thing that came to mind is when I was growing up, we were, I guess you consider poor, but we never thought of ourselves as poor because of the way our family active. Um, it, it was amazing when I think about it now, as, as an adult growing up with two other siblings, with two others in a, probably a 900 square foot, half of a double, I had a wonderful childhood and I, I don’t think of anything that was, that I didn’t do or could have done given our circumstance. That’s the first thing I think of that. The second thing I think about is that my father, I used to sit down with my father while he was working at home. He was a pharmacist. So it was my mom. They both were working pharmacists, but my dad would sit at his desk and write all kinds of checks.

Michael Broidy (04:08):

And one day I sat down and watched him and I asked him what he’s doing. He said he was writing checks donations, and here I am a little kid. I didn’t really think much of it, but as I go cut older, I thought about it. We didn’t have a whole lot of money, but my dad was still writing charitable checks in a small amount, but a lot of them to charities in the community. And as I got older, I asked him and he basically said to me, you know, everybody has problems worse than you. And we have a responsibility to help those, no matter what our situation is. And I think that type of philosophy, that type of life affected me in the way that now I want to help others. I’m in a part of a job that is charitable in nature and it makes me feel good that I’m continuing his philosophy of doing what I can to help others who may need the help more than we need. So that’s the thing that comes to mind when I think of my childhood.

Enrique Alvarez (05:07):

That’s a very powerful example and that’s great. Thanks for sharing it. Yeah.

Kristi Porter (05:12):

Sounds like an amazing memory. Um, and a great example to learn from. So I guess, uh, fast forwarding just a little bit, now that you’re more established in your career, which we’ll talk about in a second. Um, and then looking back on those early years as you started your professional career, if you were to look back and have a conversation, uh, with your 21 year old self, so what preferred professional or personal advice would you give yourself as far as to be along the lines of giving? It could be along the lines of career advancement, but just trying to think of how you could further shape your own life in your career. What advice would you give to your 21 year old self?

Michael Broidy (05:50):

That’s a very good question. If I was talking to my 21 year old self, I would say enjoy being, don’t be in a hurry to grow, to grow older, enjoy as many experiences as you can before you have so many responsibilities that some of those things are put on the shelf. That’s the first thing I think of number two, I would think a little more pragmatically, I’d say be financially knowledgeable, start saving at an early age because the more you start saving an early age, it will help you at an older age due to compounding. And so on. A lot of people aren’t financially literate. I would suggest that that’s a very important, maybe the third thing I would suggest is that never get tired of learning. What I’ve learned in my life is I never thought that I’d be in this position. This is not what I thought I would be doing. I’m so glad I’m doing it, but I wish I would have had more knowledge of all the opportunities that one has when they’re young to go in different directions and to learn more about so many different aspects of life. Don’t stop learning because you’ll never know when that will come. And that’s what I would suggest.

Enrique Alvarez (07:02):

Well, I’m, before we jump into your professional journey, cause everyone’s very interested in knowing what happened from the time that you were with your grandparents, do all those incredible experiences and, uh, learnings, uh, that they passed on to you to where you are now. But before I ask you that quick question, what else would you have rather done? Cause you were mentioning a little bit about some of the other options. Is there something outrageously different than what you’re doing that you would be, or

Michael Broidy (07:28):

Yeah, there there’s so many, so many interesting occupations out there. I mean, if I had my druthers, I probably would have gone into something animal related. I love animals. I would have become a vet or something like that, but I wasn’t pushed in that area. My father and mother thought we’d become pharmacists, great profession, but because they were pharmacists, I decided I didn’t want to become a pharmacist profession. Right. We don’t necessarily want to do what our parents did. I, I got a degree in business. I thought originally I was going to go into the business world, but I got sidetracked and got into the nonprofit world and ultimately got back into business world. I mean, it’s not something I would have planned for it the way I ended up in this job. But I think along the way, I learned that the more I know about a lot of things, it comes in handy. Right? Keep

Enrique Alvarez (08:17):

Learning. What’s your favorite

Michael Broidy (08:20):

Animals? Oh my gosh. I love animals. I’ve got cats. I’ve got dogs. I’ve had fish. I’ve had birds. I love elephants. I mean, that’s one of my favorite things I love. I’m just a real animal lover quite honestly. And if you put a hurt animal in front of me, I’ll take it in, in a second. If I could, if I had more room, I didn’t have a farm seriously. I could

Enrique Alvarez (08:39):

Totally relate to that. And mighty the same way similar. I’d probably not as, as much as you are, but similar. My daughter would love to be a veterinarian now she’s 12 now. And that’s one of the things that she keeps saying. So, but thank you. Uh, tell us a little bit more about your professional journey and how you mentioned a bit of business. You mentioned a little bit about all the things. How did you decide to go into business and tell us kind of how you, your professional journey transpired?

Michael Broidy (09:04):

Well, I’ll tell you the story about how I got this job. I was before this, I was doing two things. I was regional director of a hybrid nonprofit securities company that benefited the state of Israel. And as a hybrid nonprofit, I had a volunteer chairman. My chairman was J shots. And let me tell you, anytime you have a chairman as powerful and as great as Jay shot and Steve, you cannot fail. He’s that good? So we did very well in my position. We became the highest gross grossing office in the country. Uh, we met all of our goals. We were just fantastic. At the same time I was doing clinical psychotherapy. I’m a licensed psychotherapist. So I had a small family practice. I only mentioned that because after six or seven years of working in my hybrid nonprofit, we met all of our goals. So I said to Jay, one day, Jay, um, um, to a point where I need a new challenge, I’ve loved working with you, but I need to find something else that will challenge me. And he said, before you decide, think about working for me, what really? I said, what would I do? Cause I really didn’t know his business that he said, Michael, I know that if you work with me, you’ll find a way to help me and my business. That was my job description.

Michael Broidy (10:23):

So I went back to my wife and I said, really don’t know what to expect, but an opportunity like this doesn’t happen very often, really want to give it a try. And that was 25 years ago. Wow.

Kristi Porter (10:36):

A blank slate that you can create on. That’s really a lot of fun. That’s what I’ve done. And what is the hybrid? Nonprofit

Michael Broidy (10:43):

It’s run like a nonprofit, but it’s a securities agent. It’s really a very strange combination. It’s called the development corporation for Israel, better known as Israel bonds. So you have to have a series seven license and sell securities, but you have volunteers that help you in the process. Very strange combination. Isn’t

Kristi Porter (11:03):

Yeah. Well it sounds like just one of many interesting experiences you’ve had, but thank you for clarifying that.

Michael Broidy (11:09):

I mean, nobody could have a better chairman than Jay shot,

Kristi Porter (11:12):

So yes. Let’s talk about him. You’ve mentioned him, you’ve mentioned the shot and seen stores. So for those who are unfamiliar, possibly with the name, they must live outside of Columbus for one thing. But can you tell us a little bit more about the different brands as well as highlight some of the different causes that you guys supported corporate?

Michael Broidy (11:30):

Sure. I’ll give you a little history of over a hundred years ago, Jay’s grandfather and grandmother came to America from Lithuania settled on the south side of Columbus, where I live and started business with a pushcart, a pushcart selling little things that pushcart became very popular so much so that the opened a little storefront and they called it shot and see from that little storefront on the south of Columbus started the entire shot and steam legacy of stores where now we have over 1600 stores, basically public companies, American Eagle designer brands, which is the SW. We have 18 to 20 private companies, including value city furniture shot in the steam property group, SB 360, which is a liquidation asset management company. And so on that we are a multi multi-billion dollar company and it all started with a push card on the south side of Columbia.

Enrique Alvarez (12:25):

Wow. That’s, that’s amazing story. It’s incredible.

Michael Broidy (12:28):

I know it’s a great story. Now, American Eagle, I can tell you, which is now has over a thousand stores around the country. One of the great success stories of, of in, in the retail started from a liquidation that we were doing. They had one store. Jay came up with the idea with a lifestyle brand building on that one store. And that one store then became a thousand stores and a multi-billion dollar public company, DSW, which is also part of the designer brands, a public company on the stock exchange started because they provided shoes to our shot in the scenes department stores. Jay came up with the idea, well, if we have some overstock, maybe we ought to create a storefront where we sell the overstock shoes. We were open a few hours a day, a couple days a week. It became so popular that we became larger. We opened up more, more often that store, that little idea became DSW, which now has over 500 stores around the country is dominant in the off price and the value oriented shoes. All these things came out of Jay and his creativity. Wow. Amazing person to work for.

Enrique Alvarez (13:39):

Yeah. It must have been an incredible mentor and an amazing figure. And a great example. What if, if you had dude you’ve been working with him for so long in different areas and for different times of your career, if there were a couple things that you can point out as of why he’s such an amazing entrepreneur, what, why what’s the secret sauce of being so incredible to transform something into something completely different and an amazing at huge proportions besides having the right bloodline. But yeah, the push cuts on incorrect.

Michael Broidy (14:11):

I think the bloodline has something to do with it because what I’ve learned being around he and his family is that they, they talk live, breathe business. When Jay was growing up at the table, his father would talk business all the time. He would learn so much from his father just being around him. When he was young, he would be in the stores. He would learn and observe when his, when he became old enough, his father started him at the bottom where he learned everything about running a store. He wasn’t just all of a sudden becoming a manager or a precedent he learned from, from basically listening and doing. And he’s doing that with his family. So his kids learn the same way at the dinner table coming into the stores, as kids and watching and listening and learning. It becomes part of their DNA from a very young age and you can see it in their kids. And now his kids, kids, his grandkids are in the stores learning and listening. And they will be probably as sharp if not sharper than the generation before them. It’s just what they do.

Kristi Porter (15:18):

Sounds like that generational connection much like you had with, you were talking about your grandparents and your father’s giving and everything as well. So it’s also just surrounding yourself where you’re in a position to learn from

Michael Broidy (15:30):

Listening and learning and being a close family. That’s right.

Kristi Porter (15:34):

Yeah. And so you mentioned DSW, you mentioned American Eagle, you mentioned, um, I’ve been in those stores. So you mentioned yes. If you have them. So what are, I know each one has its own giving priorities as well. So do you want to share with us about some of the giving priorities that each of those brands has as well?

Michael Broidy (15:53):

Sure. First of all, you have to understand that when you’re a public company, you have different accountability than you do as a private company, Jay and his private companies can do what they want to do, obviously within certain parameters based on the needs of the family, of, uh, of the associates and so on. But in public companies, we have to be very careful about how we do our charitable giving, but even so here’s the parameters of what we look at. Look at a variety of different factors in order to make we look at what are the needs of our customers, what are their interests? We look at the needs and interests of our associates in a public company. You also have to look at the needs and interests of your shareholders and our leadership. You take all that into account. Then you have to do a strategic understanding of what’s important in the community itself and all the communities in which you have a presence.

Michael Broidy (16:41):

So you would think that giving money is a simple process. It is not. If you do it right, you have to take all of those factors into account. Before you start to think about where you want to place your money. Now, what we find is that each of our companies, American Eagle, for example, has a certain niche. Their customer is a younger customer, a younger hip cool customer, but they have certain interests that they have priority. Our DSW customer is basically women. If it wasn’t for women, men could not keep us in business women that keeps us in business.

Kristi Porter (17:14):

The Mary Small men’s section compared to the women

Michael Broidy (17:18):

To sell men’s shoes. But the turnover on shoes for women is about eight times more than what we, so I’m not surprised, but our women have certain interests. So we have to take that into account for our DSW group, for our value city furniture brand. We have a mixture, we have a very diverse customer. We have a younger, but not as young as American Eagle. So their interests are a little different also. So you can see that from a customer point of view, each of those companies have a different demographic. So we look at different interests on charitable giving that will deal with their interests. That’s just one factor though. So all those other factors have to play a role before we make a decision.

Kristi Porter (18:01):

Yes, indeed. You, um, you talked about the D so was this just audience research that you’ve done? Was it actually going out and talking to people? Uh, how did you decide to kind of narrow in, on different, um, you talked about DSW and the women’s causes and American Eagle being younger. So was that just based on your own research or did you have conversations with people or how did that come about

Michael Broidy (18:25):

It’s research? But we also do some, some studies of our clientele, so to speak, we find out what they have an interest in. We find that, that, you know, women’s issues obviously were very important to our DSW clientele. We also find out that health issues are very important at DSW health issues are also important, what was educationally and over at American Eagle and so on and so forth. So what we, what I try to do is I try to coordinate between the brands. So there’s not too much duplication. We certainly have a limited amount of resources that can be used. We want to use those in the most effective and efficient way possible. And if we duplicate that, certainly isn’t a very good idea. So part of my job is to help them understand what their needs are based on those factors, but also to make sure that they don’t do the same charitable endeavors as the other companies that come in with the shots.

Enrique Alvarez (19:16):

Well, it sounds like a, like a really fun and also very important job to have. I mean, it’s, uh, I mean, from this conversation, then also the one that we had before, it sounds like something really, really interesting. And could you tell us a little bit more about how it actually reflects into the community when it comes to, uh, Columbus and every, every other part that you guys play a major role in

Michael Broidy (19:39):

Sure. We, we strongly believe and reggae that a majority of our charitable giving should be in our hometown, not all of it, but a large share American Eagle is based in Pittsburgh. They have the same philosophy, but DSW value, city furniture or property group, a few other, our companies are based here in Columbus. So we get deeply involved in the, in the Columbus community. We are our basic philosophy for the last eight to 10 years has been to focus on basic human needs. We found that unfortunately since the recession, that there are so many people that are hurting, that can’t even afford food on the table or shoes on their feet or a shelter to live in that we could not ignore them. So we reevaluate it, a lot of our giving and starting to focus on basic human needs. And we’ve given a tremendous amount of money to what was called the Mid-Ohio food bank, which provides food all around the community to the community shelter board, which helps the homeless to make sure that they have a place to stay and other basic needs organization. That’s where our Columbus focus has been. In addition, we give to a lot of other things we give to Ohio state university for educational needs. We give to the Komen race for the cure, which is a huge organization around the country and is the largest funder of breast cancer research in the, in the nation. We believe that is something very important to our associates and to our customers. And so we have several of those organizations that we give to on a consistent basis. Wow,

Kristi Porter (21:12):

That’s incredible. Um, and you talked a little bit also about not just the shot and scene stores corporation, but, uh, the history of the companies. Um, there is an incredible history of giving back as well. Uh, both as you mentioned, locally in Columbus and around the country and around the world as well. So, um, through your job and just through the, the history of the company, there must also be some lessons learned in how to best support charitable causes, um, with so many brands. So can you tell us a little bit more about some of the things you’ve learned?

Michael Broidy (21:46):

I can tell you what our philosophy has become, and that is that I’ve learned from day one that for Jay and his family giving back is a responsibility that they take very seriously. It’s not something that we do for marketing purposes. It’s not something that we do because, you know, we want to promote it. It’s something that’s part of who they are. And so they give a lot on their own privately, but they expect the companies to also reflect that same philosophy. So what you’ll see from our company is that there are times when we’ll promote what we’re giving, because it’s important for our customers to know certain things and to, and to participate in those things. But the majority of our charitable giving is done quiet. We do it because it’s the right thing to do. We do it because we want to help the community. And we want to help make the communities in which we have a presence healthier and stronger. So for many companies, they do it for the right reasons, but they promoted a lot. We don’t promote our, our Phillipo our philanthropy as much as many others, because it’s not part of what the shot and seeing is believing. And I personally believe that’s a really good way to do what we do.

Enrique Alvarez (22:57):

It’s a very unique way of doing it as well, right. Especially now because a lot of other companies would claim that the more you promote or maybe promotes not the right word, the more you actually let others know what you’re doing, then you can also, um, rally the support of others, maybe influence others to do the same and just make the community kind of participate more. But, but it’s amazing. And it’s, it’s interesting what you guys do and it’s, it’s really, really, uh, especially at the level of special. Yeah.

Michael Broidy (23:24):

Well, there’s certainly a place for cause marketing and to let your people know what you’re doing and you’re doing the right thing, don’t get me wrong. We do that at times, we have what’s called the value city arena and at the drone shot and steam center, which is a huge arena on the campus, Ohio state. Obviously we have to promote that. And there’s certain things that we’ll, we will be doing around mental health that we will be promoting within our companies, because it’s important for people to also participate in that. But the majority of what we do, we feel we do it and we don’t want necessarily people to know about it. We just want to make a deal.

Enrique Alvarez (23:58):

That’s an incredible example for so many companies out there. Right. Cause, uh, yeah, if you over promote some point, it feels a little bit like you’re just doing it for the promotion, all aspects of it, as opposed to use really, really caring for the cost is that you’re supporting. But no, it’s a, it’s a great, great, um, example for a lot of other companies out there. And it’s, it’s great to have you here and thank you very much again for sharing all this information. It’s, it’s incredible.

Michael Broidy (24:24):

Thanks for having

Enrique Alvarez (24:25):

Me changing a little bit, the, um, changing a little bit, the, the, uh, shifting gears a little bit here, uh, the pandemic, right? Uh, it hit, everyone, hit everyone in different ways. Uh, not only businesses, but of course, organizations and charitable organizations like the one that you’re running. Could you tell us a bit more, uh, about how the pandemic was, uh, impacted your, what you do on a day-to-day basis and what you guys had to do to creatively continue to support the people that need the support the most without having, I guess, all the resources that you usually

Michael Broidy (24:58):

Well starting in March of 20, uh, our stores, all of our stores were closed and think about that over 1600 stores shut down, no income, what we were able to do, thanks to the leadership of Jay and, and our company leadership is that we were able to keep our doors open, thanks to some of the online sales that we have created, um, which, which we put a lot of time in and helping the state of Ohio and our other states where we have a presence give back to open stores by creating tremendous safety measures that we would put in our store, which we did. And we’re very proud of, of how safe our stores have become, um, during a very difficult time, charitable wise, when you don’t have any money coming in, it’s hard to give money out,

Enrique Alvarez (25:43):

Right? How do you donate, right? How

Michael Broidy (25:45):

Do you donate when you don’t have any income? And you basically want to keep your, your head above water before you sink completely. But let me tell you something, our company didn’t stop giving on the charitable level. What we did is we had to reevaluate how we did it for our associates and for our community. For example, it’s very important that our associates take part in what we’re doing, the more you think outside of yourself and get beyond your own boundaries. The more you’ll see how it is important to give back. That’s an important part of what we do, but everybody’s working from home. Our home offices are closed, the only thing open or our stores. So how do you involve your associates when they’re not around? But we found a way, and for the Coleman rates for the cure, for example, we created certain activities that would allow a small number of people over a period of time to come back and be a part of.

Michael Broidy (26:40):

So that even though 400 of our home associates, couldn’t all come together 10 or 15 at a time could, and then an hour later, 10 or 15, all behind thinking to help. So while we’re always worried about our own health, our pandemic, we wanted people to think about others and all the concerns that they have. So we became last year, the largest corporate contributor to COVID race for the cure in Ohio. And we did that well under very difficult circumstances, but we felt it was important not to forget there are others hurting, not just us. That’s an example of what we do. Could we have done more? Absolutely. But we tried to do somethings

Enrique Alvarez (27:23):

Something that sounds simple, right? Just don’t think about yourself all the time. Think about others, but, but it’s, it’s difficult and it’s been even more difficult during a pandemic and all the challenges that people have actually been going through. So

Michael Broidy (27:36):

In the, in, in December of 20, we brought our three companies together who were on this campus, DSW property group, and value city furniture. And we held in one of the coldest days, you can imagine a Turkey giveaway or the middle HIO food bank where people would drive through and we would with masks on and with distance, give them a Turkey and other food stuff so that they would have a holiday with food. And I can tell you, I had more associates and wanting to volunteer for that. And we need help. Is that

Enrique Alvarez (28:10):

Yeah. That, that validates everything you’re doing right. When you, when you really see it in the associates and the people that work for the company, just so selfishly giving back. Right. Right.

Michael Broidy (28:21):

So that’s another example.

Kristi Porter (28:22):

And outside of the pandemic with that many stores, you’ve talked about kind of how the different brands give back how with so many employees, um, nationwide, how do you guys keep the employee? How do you keep the charitable efforts in front of employees? You mentioned the Komen when, during the pandemic and the Turkey giveaway, but, um, back in the, you know, 2019, and before, how do you keep that many employees engaged in causes and informed on what you’re doing? It’s such a high level when there’s so many people,

Michael Broidy (28:54):

Uh, good question. We do it in two ways. I’m sure we can do it better, which we continue to try to try to do better, but there are some organizations that we support, like the Coleman that have a national scan. And so we try to get all of our stores on the furniture side to be involved with the Komen race for the cure. So we sell things for a dollar that people can put on the wall. We support cones. We have contests for each of our stores around Coleman. That’s one of the ways. So DSW also has ha has support or soles for souls, which is a national organization. So they get all of their stores involved in collecting shoes, which then are given away, domestically and overseas. So, number one, we try to identify organizations that have a national footprint that all of our stores can do. The second way we do it is we have, we give leeway to all of our stores to be involved locally and to get their stores and their associates involved in local needs. So if a manager of a story sharp they’ll do something that is important to that community. And those associates will be involved in a charitable endeavor in their community. So we look for national organizations and we look for local. Those are the two ways we try to keep our associates at fault. Yeah.

Kristi Porter (30:10):

Sounds good to me.

Enrique Alvarez (30:13):

No, that’s, I mean, it sounds like a really great strategy to cover both ends and then kind of push forward. And at times it

Michael Broidy (30:20):

Works at a time, so you can do better.

Enrique Alvarez (30:22):

It sounds like you’ve been doing an amazing job and it sounds like you guys do an amazing job. So we’re really privileged here being able to not only talk to you, but learn a little bit more about how incredible this, a legacy that they shouldn’t steam family has actually created without really having to promote it, uh, much, uh, which is, which is speaks to the character and culture and values that you guys have. And it’s awesome. Thanks for,

Michael Broidy (30:48):

And she knows it starts at the top and that culture and that character and those values are at the top and they’re all brought down and we all buy into it.

Enrique Alvarez (30:58):

Yeah. Is there anything that you guys will do slightly different now after the PennWell I’m not saying that we’re behind the pandemic, but hopefully it will be soon, but, uh, is there anything that you have learned from, from the, from the, from last year, anything that you will start to do slightly differently or that you’re going to adjust to, uh, going forward,

Michael Broidy (31:18):

Uh, charitable giving is a fluid process. If you do it right, you, you need to always stay in touch with the needs of the community, the needs of your customers and the needs of your associates. And those certainly aren’t fixed. They change. So will the pandemic change? Some of our priorities probably we’ll have to stay very aggressive and very proactive in staying in touch with what those are. But I can tell you that one of the areas that we’re going to be deeply involved in that has been asked exacerbated by the pandemic or mental health issue, mental health issues, when everybody’s stuck in their house, they can’t socialize. They can’t get out. It’s really hurting a lot of people. And a lot of people don’t know how to deal with things as well as maybe they can. It could, and there aren’t a lot of services available, especially if you don’t have the resources to pay for those services. So I believe that our company and our, and the family that I work for, we’re going to get deeper into mental health and supporting mental health issues. And that will be an exciting area. And I think we’ll be able to make an impact in that.

Kristi Porter (32:24):

Yeah, I have no doubt. Um, well, it sounds like you are able to see just a lot of good on a daily basis and continue to be inspired. Um, so during the last 18 months of the pandemic, I’m curious just with all the causes that you get to interact with and the sounds like an incredible family to learn from, and the team you’re surrounded by. So what has kept you hopeful and inspired during, um, what is, has been such a difficult time for so many?

Michael Broidy (32:53):

Well, first of all, how fortunate for me to be able to use the power of the shot and the steam family and the shot and steam, the 38 companies that power to do good, how many people have that opportunity? So I feel very blessed to be in a position and I will continue to take that position very seriously as we move forward, because we can make a difference in so many people’s lives. We have made a difference, but we must make sure that we continue to make a difference in helping people be healthier, feel safer and feel that the community in which they live is safer. So w I, I feel, I feel like that’s my responsibility to make sure that we use that power properly.

Kristi Porter (33:37):

Yeah. Well, thank you so much for your time today. This has been incredible to learn more about everything you guys do. And, um, I know you’re not one to promote the families, not wanting to promote all the good things that we’re doing, but we’re happy to shine a light on it. And, um, just as a consumer, I always like to know who’s giving back and which brands to support. So thank you for all the time you’ve given us today and, um, to learn more about you. So for those listening at home, how is, um, how can they connect with you? How can they, um, support the causes that you’re interested in, learn more about them? Uh, what’s the best way to create the next impact?

Michael Broidy (34:13):

Well, first of all, each of our companies have their own websites. So I would encourage people to go on those websites, learn about what the priorities are of each of those chat and see the affiliate companies. And if they have an interest, send it in, I can tell you that I get, as you can imagine, a lot of requests on my desk relating to different needs, and we’ll look at every one of them. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll fund those, but we come sometimes an idea that we aren’t aware of comes across our desk and we say, Hey, that’s something we need to look at. So that’s the main thing. If you can’t find the website for some reason, uh, look, look me up on Chatman, Steen stores, corporation, feel free to call me or email me. Uh, if you want, I’ll be happy to give my email address. You can put that out later and we’ll take a look. Uh, we’re always interested in listening and learning, uh, and then see how there are new ways that we can help support.

Enrique Alvarez (35:06):

Michael, thank you so much. This has been an incredible conversation with you. I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s great to have, uh, you and this show and people like you, and it clearly is making a possibly impact in the world. So thank you so much on behalf of me and the supply chain now, team and backdoor and everyone that I know. I mean, what you do is critical and a lot of people depend on what you’re doing. So thank you.

Michael Broidy (35:31):

Well, appreciate the, uh, the promotion, even though we don’t like to promote this case, it’s not so bad.

Enrique Alvarez (35:37):

We feel so proud about you guys. We just want to make sure that, uh, that yes, that, that we acknowledged the fact that you’re doing something that very few people are doing very few organizations kind of behave the way you’re behaving. And it’s something that it’s, it’s important and it’s different and it’s incredibly, um, it’s a good example to follow. So, um,

Michael Broidy (35:58):

They will the two at vector. I believe me, we’re not alone. I think I’m talking to someone who also understands very well, the importance of giving back. So thank you.

Enrique Alvarez (36:09):

Thank you as well. Michael Christie, thank you very much for everyone that’s listening. This was another episode of logistics with purpose, please. Uh, follow us if you’re interested in conversations, like the one that we just had today with Michael, and thank you so much, have a good week and see you next time.

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Featured Guests

Michael Broidy is Sr. Vice President of Schottenstein Stores Corporation, a privately held company based in Columbus, Ohio.  Some of the Schottenstein-affiliated companies include American Signature Inc./Value City Furniture;  DB Inc. (DSW), American Eagle Outfitters, and Schottenstein Property Group.  He also serves as the Executive Director of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Family Foundation. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a BS in Marketing and an MSW in clinical psychotherapy.  Broidy later received certification from the Gestalt Institute of Southern Ohio. Broidy has been honored by the JDRF with its “Promise Ball” Award, received the Alan Tarshish Young Leadership Award and was inducted into the Central Ohio Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.

Hosts

Enrique Alvarez

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.

He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.

A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more.  In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys.  She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.

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Vicki White

Controller

Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.

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Katherine Hintz

Creative Director, Producer, Host

Katherine Hintz, MBA is a marketing professional who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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Kim Reuter

Host, The Freight Insider

From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.

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Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.

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Mary Kate Love

VP, Marketing

Mary Kate Love is currently the VP of marketing at Supply Chain Now focused on brand strategy and audience + revenue growth. Mary Kate’s career is a testament to her versatility and innovative spirit: she has experience in start-ups, venture capital, and building innovation initiatives from the ground up: she previously helped lead the build-out of the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific and before that, MxD (Manufacturing times Digital): the Department of Defense’s digital manufacturing innovation center. Mary Kate has a passion for taking complicated ideas and turning them into reality: she was one of the first team members at MxD and the first team member at the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific.

Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics.  He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.

She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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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Tandreia Bellamy

Host, Supply Chain Now

Tandreia Bellamy retired as the Vice President of Industrial Engineering for UPS Supply Chain Solutions which included the Global Logistics, Global Freight Forwarding and UPS Freight business units. She was responsible for operations strategy and planning, asset management, forecasting, and technology tool development to optimize sustainable efficiency while driving world class service.

Tandreia held similar positions at the business unit level for Global Logistics and Global Freight forwarding. As the leader of the Global Logistics engineering function, she directed all industrial engineering activies related to distribution, service parts logistics (post-sales support), and mail innovations (low cost, light weight shipping partnership with the USPS). Between these roles Tandreia helped to establish the Advanced Technology Group which was formed to research and develop cutting edge solutions focused on reducing reliance on manual labor.

Tandreia began her career in 1986 as a part-time hourly manual package handling employee. She spent the great majority of her career in the small package business unit which is responsible for the pick-up, sort, transport and delivery of packages domestically. She held various positions in Industrial Engineering, Marketing, Inside and On-road operations in Central Florida before transferring to Atlanta for a position in Corporate Product Development and Corporate Industrial Engineering. Tandreia later held IE leadership roles in Nebraska, Minnesota and Chicago. In her final role in small package she was an IE VP responsible for all aspects of IE, technology support and quality for the 25 states on the western half of the country.
Tandreia is currently a Director for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Foundation Board and also serves on their Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Previously Tandreia served on the Executive Advisory Board for Virginia Tech’s IE Department and the Association for Supply Chain Management. She served on the Board of Trustees for ChildServ (a Chicago child and family services non-profit) and also served on the Texas A&M and Tuskegee Engineering Advisory Boards. In 2006 she was named Business Advisor of the Year by INROADS, in 2009 she was recognized as a Technology All-Star at the Women of Color in STEM conference and in 2019 she honored as a UCF Distinguished Aluma by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems.

Tandreia holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from UCF. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is being the proud mother of two college students, Ruby (24) and Anthony (22).

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.

From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.

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Greg White

Principal & CMO, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain Now and TECHquila Sunrise

When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.

Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.

Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog.  He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community.  Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include CiscoMicrosoft, Citrix and IBM.  Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane UniversityO’Reilly MediaLinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight.  Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems EngineeringCarrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.

He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.

Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.

Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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