Logistics with Purpose
Episode 65

I think micromanagement comes through a lack of trust. And if you have the right employees, you should trust them. And we have to give those opportunities to do that.

-Christopher Hussaini

Episode Summary

Meet Christopher Hussaini, one of the many bold logistics leaders in the United States taking action through logistics to support Ukrainians with necessary relief. In this episode, he sits down with Enrique Alvarez and Maureen Woolshlager to tell his story and tell us more about Hapag-Lloyd’s humanitarian efforts. From early entrepreneurial ambition to pandemic pivots, charitable partnerships and professional guidance, there’s something for everyone in Christopher’s fascinating life story and professional trajectory.

Episode Transcript

Intro/Outro (00:02):

Welcome to Logistics with Purpose presented by Vector Global Logistics in partnership with Supply Chain. Now we spotlight and celebrate organizations who are dedicated to creating a positive impact. Join us for this behind the scenes glimpse of the origin stories change, making progress, and future plans of organizations who are actively making a difference. Our goal isn’t just to entertain you, but to inspire you to go out and change the world. And now here’s today’s episode of Logistics with Purpose.

Enrique Alvarez (00:34):

Good Day. My name’s Enrique Alvarez. I’m the host of Logistics with Purpose. Today we have a very, very special guest with us. And of course, I have a, a really, really good cohost with me as well. Maureen, how are you doing? Good,

Maureen Woolshlager (00:46):

How are you?

Enrique Alvarez (00:47):

I’m doing great. So, um, I guess without further I do, um, have you had a good week so far?

Maureen Woolshlager (00:53):

I have. We had a little bit of hurricane clean up from, uh, hurricane I barreling through, not like anything like Florida, but put my kids to work yesterday, um, picking up pine cones and branches. So I think we’re, we’re all good so far.

Enrique Alvarez (01:07):

It was a terrible storm. So yes, hearts and prayers to everyone in Florida. Um, and today, again, we have a really good friend, uh, really, really amazing guest, working with a great company and, uh, really pleasure to have him here. So, Christopher Husseini, Senior Manager sales at Pac Lloyd. Chris, how you doing today? Good morning.

Christopher Hussaini (01:30):

Good morning. I’m doing well. Thank you Enrique and Maureen for even hav having me. I’m humbled and I, uh, really like the partnership we have with Vector going on at PAC Lloyd. And, and really great to see you in this venue. Again,

Enrique Alvarez (01:44):

We, we love working with, uh, with your team. You guys have a very, very strong team and, uh, we appreciate everything you guys do and we’ll get a little bit more into that throughout this interview. But I just wanna make sure that, uh, to thank you, uh, up for everything that, that you guys, uh, do. Thank you so much. Uh, yeah. And thanks for being here.

Christopher Hussaini (02:03):

Thank you for having me.

Maureen Woolshlager (02:04):

Well, Kristen, break the ice a little and start us off. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, where you grew up, um, your childhood, any fun stories you’d like to share?

Christopher Hussaini (02:14):

Yeah, Okay. I, I’m originally, I’m from Miami, Miami, Florida. And born and raised. I went to high school there and I even went to University of Miami for my undergraduate degree. Uh, I had a good childhood. My father worked for the government, uh, the local government in it and so forth. And my mom was a nurse and, uh, my father’s half, well, he passed one, uh, one about 12 years ago actually. But he was per Persian. He was from Iran, came in the early seventies. And my mom’s American and Miami is a very, uh, culturally eclectic place. And a lot of people think it’s mainly Hispanic, but it’s a lot more diverse than that. So I have really, all my friends are from everywhere in the world and we’re all kind of hybrids or, or whatnot of everything. And I’d say the childhood was good.

Christopher Hussaini (03:02):

Miami’s changed a lot. And I was living there from the, I was born in the late seventies. So from that time to what it is now, it’s obviously evolved, uh, in many ways. Uh, and I was probably one thing that stands out, probably one of the most indelible memories is you’re speaking about hurricanes. I was 15 when Hurricane Andrew wow. Hit us. And I was living in a house. We had moved in maybe within six months and it was, I thought it was some brave kid and I’m gonna sleep in my room. And my mom was crying saying, No, we all have to sleep in the hall. We didn’t know what a hurricane was or what it would be like cuz it was the first in our lifetime. And they convinced me to sleep in the hall. And it was a good thing because the roof in my room collapsed and I probably would not have made it.

Christopher Hussaini (03:48):

And then, you know, during the storm we had to run across cuz the windows broke and the rain in the wind and it was insane. We went into my parents’ bedroom, uh, master closet and we were all, except for my dad crying like babies. And my dad wanted to cry, saw it in his eyes, and it was kind of like torture. It felt like, uh, I don’t know what wars, like I’ve never been in it, but it was four hours and we had the eye come over and then like another four hours. And I lived in a hotel for like three months. And, uh, it was a really, really interesting experience. And it was a one I remember, uh, in, in quite some detail. So I’d say that’s kind of on the, the negative side, but I think with the positive that comes out of it, you realize how kind of fortunate we are. We always take things, uh, for granted, at least from my perspective, it’s human nature and just, uh, I, I think that experience and some others going through it and growing up in Miami, it, it was good. And I miss home a little bit, quite candidly.

Maureen Woolshlager (04:47):

So Chris, when you were growing up, did you, uh, your family ever go back and visit where your dad was from?

Christopher Hussaini (04:53):

No, I, ironically, I recently got, uh, a passport from Iran, but uh, it’s due inheritance and all of that, but I’ve never been there, uh, for a number of reasons, you know, with the government, with all of that going on. And even though I don’t speak far c I’m an American, I’ve never spoke, uh, I am considered a citizen and could go to military and all of that. And I would like, I like history, history,

Maureen Woolshlager (05:18):

Citizenship. Is that how Iran works? Is it dual citizenship they allow you to have because of

Christopher Hussaini (05:23):

They don’t recognize the us Oh God. It goes off the blood of the father, so. Got it. Okay. Unfortunately it’s a little archaic or maybe a lot.

Maureen Woolshlager (05:32):

Well I think Brazil does that, but with the mother I believe. Oh, interesting. Yeah, a friend of mine, her kids are like Brazilian. She is a Brazilian passport because her mom is from Brazil but she’s from the US

Christopher Hussaini (05:45):

Interesting. Her

Maureen Woolshlager (05:45):

Kids as well. So I think every country has a different thing. But I was just curious cuz it’s, you know, like said Miami has a really, you know, culturally eclectic place, which would be very interesting to grow up there because you’re just exposed to so many different things when Yeah, I think it opens your eyes up at an early age, which, um, I would, I would argue we need a lot more of that. And uh, but travel, I’m sure anywhere is, is pretty expensive. So I wasn’t sure if you were able to make it back there if

Christopher Hussaini (06:13):

You’re Yeah, I had never been there. I wasn’t born there. I was born in Miami, so I’ve never, I’ve never been there, but at some point if things get better I like to go. I like history, There’s a great history and the people are good people. There’s good food and all of that, uh, you know, uh, the government, not so much from my perspective of this, so.

Enrique Alvarez (06:29):

Right. But that’s, well that’s, uh, that’s an incredible story. And uh, I was just going to ask you for, for a story that shaped who you are. I don’t know if that one is one that actually, um, shaped who you are and what you have become now, but if there’s any other that you might remember, like growing up early days in Miami with your parents and um, your family. Is there anything else that started pushing you towards uh,

Christopher Hussaini (06:53):

Yeah, you know, there’s a probably a couple things. You know, one I don’t often talk about, most people don’t know about me. I was a really late bloomer. So when I was in high school, I looked like I was probably eight, nine years old. I was, I’m not kidding. At first, before I went to private school, I went to a public school for a year and a half and I was the third shortest kid at a 4,000 people 4,000.

Enrique Alvarez (07:19):

Well, and I laugh because I was that kid too, by the way. So I really remind me of my upbringing as well. Rick use any flashbacks there. Yes, that’s what, that’s what I laugh. You just starting

Christopher Hussaini (07:30):

To swear here.

Christopher Hussaini (07:33):

So I’d say that kind of had an effect on me. So it was a kind of thing the girls were, pinch my cheeks that I’m a little kid. Maybe I didn’t really get so much bullied, but I, what I think in retrospect, I really was forced to develop my personality of how to engage owners, how to realize that a lot of people getting the know, you know, almost the saying that you get to know more people in uh, two months that by being genuinely interested in them by then, by trying to get them interested in you. And I think that whole psychological element allowed me later in life to connect better with people and maybe make it a little bit, if there is some degree of a natural in, in sales and business, in the human relationship aspect. I think it, it’s that if I go back to that. So I, I think that has some shape in it in my life. Um, I was in show con karate for nine years and my Oh,

Enrique Alvarez (08:22):

Nice.

Christopher Hussaini (08:23):

Yeah, my best friend, his father was, uh, one of the highest rank, he was Mr. Japan twice is, uh, still alive. Wow. And she, on sugimoto, he taught Schwarzenegger for total recall, did the Miami Vice fight quarter. Wow. Anyway, but very tough. And you know, part of the reason I guess I was small and I got stuck here so I to get picked on. Right, right. And I think the discipline on that was really, really good cuz it helped school and university to a high degree because it’s like, oh, this is nothing, I have to do this. Right, Right. And then I’d say kind of, uh, in a difficult one was I, I I mentioned my father, he died when he was young, 61. Wow. And that was a very, very difficult thing cause he was my best friend. But I’d say the gift he gave me when he passed away was the fact that probably not many days are gonna be as bad. So that was my bottom right. That’s how I felt the bottom was. So everything, no matter what a bad day would a hard challenge or whatever, it’s all relative. And uh, it’s not that big a deal. I’m able to recover it. I, I’ve noticed that, uh, many times in life off different things, sometimes difficult things. Right.

Enrique Alvarez (09:28):

Wow. Right. But it puts things into perspective for sure. Right. Yeah,

Christopher Hussaini (09:32):

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it does.

Maureen Woolshlager (09:34):

Well if you could turn back time and talk to your 21 year old self, what would you tell

Christopher Hussaini (09:39):

Him? Well, uh, probably a lot. There’s a lot. I would definitely tell him it’s

Maureen Woolshlager (09:44):

Your top three

Christopher Hussaini (09:46):

<laugh>. The top three. Okay. I’d say one of them, obviously knowing what I know now, which I didn’t in terms of even spending more time with my father, I was the kind of guy, particularly in university every winter, every summer I was traveling Europe, maybe when kids are spending money on their car, the rims, I was like, Forget it, I’m going to Europe. I love to travel. I I love that. So I was doing that a lot and I was away a lot of those times. So maybe I wanna scale that back a little bit. Uh, I think also probably telling myself that time goes by quick and the older I get, the quicker it goes by. So I think probably I would’ve invested in a lot of different ways, knowing what I know, uh, and knowing that it’ll get there. I’d say that in terms of the kind of investment and then I think in the professional, I’d probably tell myself, and it took me a little bit later in, in life, probably my early mid thirties, to really realize, sadly it doesn’t even matter, at least in a large corporation, from my perspective, being effective is very important, but your brand also matters.

Christopher Hussaini (10:48):

Yeah. Right. So making sure I remember when I had first started, uh, in this industry, I was young, mid twenties, I, I was good in my job, but there was a few times even on a tonight, on Friday, like I was, uh, uh, you know, not sleeping really well and those kind of things could affect one’s image even though the effect is there. Right. And that’s something I learned a little bit later that it, it’s right or wrong, perception, uh, perception is viewed as important. Right,

Enrique Alvarez (11:16):

Absolutely. Yeah. And, um, I couldn’t agree with you more, right? Effectiveness is definitely critical, but everyone has its own personal brand and then companies have their brands as well and they’re getting more important I think. Uh, uh, and I think they’ll be critical, uh, going forward. Now, if we switch gears a little bit and just tell us a little bit more about your professional journey and, and we’ll talk a little bit more about Pac Lloyd and, and your career path with them. But before that, tell us a little bit more how you kind of started looking to logistics as a, as a potential career path.

Christopher Hussaini (11:49):

Yeah, it’s a good question. And it’s probably not the traditional one. I’d love to say it, it was planned and it was all, that’s not how it

Enrique Alvarez (11:55):

Happened. So no, no one gets into logistics like that, I

Christopher Hussaini (11:58):

Don’t think. Yeah, yeah. Uh,

Maureen Woolshlager (11:59):

But then you never wanna get out of it. That’s the thing. That’s true. Get go by accident, but then you don’t wanna leave it.

Christopher Hussaini (12:04):

It’s kind of like the Godfather three. They, you try to get out, they pull you back in. Right. Think that’s the, So I would say, you know, after I graduated University of Miami, as I mentioned, and I also mentioned, I love to travel. So I found a really interesting way to get my father’s approval to be in Europe. But under a good thing. I got into a really good school in, in England for my masters. But you know, the main, and it was in computer science, something disparate for my study, but it was good. It was highly ranked. I went to University of York there in York, nice, uh, United Kingdom and uh, and it was only a year. So the sell is, hey, it’s a good school. I’m continuing my educational, I have a masters, it’s one year. And then of course I loved, I got to also travel to Europe and it was a phenomenal experience.

Christopher Hussaini (12:47):

I have friends from all over the world, super multicultural friends to this day from all over. And then I came back and I, you know, probably not unlike a lot of people, I thought I was gonna light the world on fire and I went to start this company that the idea was good and it was basically, without exaggerating, it was the precursor, the Airbnb. But 10 years before, cuz again, me traveling would always stay in rentals, apartment rentals, wherever in Europe. Cuz I always liked the space, the flexibility, all of these things. How could we have the renters and, and the host and assign them. And there was a series of misfortunes that occurred and then it didn’t work out right. I’d say one is funding development. Uh, we had a developer, unfortunately he was a 47 year old vegetarian that died of a heart attack. But I’d also, if I’m putting blame also myself, I’d say I probably didn’t really fully have the grit that was needed to stay of the course. So it didn’t work out. And probably after six months partying on South Beach, my father’s like, you have a master’s son, you need to get a job.

Enrique Alvarez (13:55):

And that’s right.

Christopher Hussaini (13:55):

So I, I started off in Evergreen. I didn’t know, uh, really think about probably like most people out of the industry, how does our clothes, how does really most commodities get from here to there? They didn’t really put a lot of thought to it. And that’s kind of how I fell into it.

Enrique Alvarez (14:09):

Wow. That’s a, that’s you’re right. Not a very common, uh, path though. Where’s logistics? So we’re just really, we’re looking for a job. Evergreen offered it and that was it.

Maureen Woolshlager (14:19):

But isn’t it weird now that like you, you know, you started with Evergreen, you weren’t thinking about like, how did things get from A to B? Right? But now that’s all you think about. You’re like, Oh, I wonder how that got there. Or, you know, it’s like, how did I not think of that before? And now I always feel I get caught up in that sometimes.

Christopher Hussaini (14:39):

Yeah, it’s really interesting, like how much, I guess in anything, whether it’s how much of it relies on kind of timing and locked and how much is that intersection? It’s interesting point.

Maureen Woolshlager (14:49):

Yeah, I agree.

Enrique Alvarez (14:50):

Chris, you still have that kind of, uh, entrepreneurship bo in you, I mean, it seems like you’ve been very entrepreneurial. Um, and, and I guess, hey, Airbnb, that’s a, that’s a well

Christopher Hussaini (15:00):

Didn’t work out. They, they, they made it happen. But yeah, uh,

Enrique Alvarez (15:03):

It was a great idea though. I mean, super validating the fact that, uh, someone else ran with it.

Christopher Hussaini (15:08):

But it goes to show that it’s not just the idea and it’s other. Right. Yeah, I’d say I do. But one thing I’ve certainly learned, and, and I guess I also learned the hard way, it’s probably better not to put all your eggs in one basket, do something so you’re secure and then you, you know, if something takes off then you can make that decision later. That’s probably how I, I, I would view, but I’d say that’s the drive I have. I’d stayed in the business side and in, in Hapag and all of that. And uh, you know, I, I, the foray is into that and to channel that, the hunger, the fun, the winning. I love that aspect. I,

Maureen Woolshlager (15:42):

So is that how when you were at Evergreen and then later when, when you were at Hapag or still are at Hapag mm-hmm. <affirmative>, how did you get into the sales aspect of it is?

Christopher Hussaini (15:51):

Yeah, it’s a good question. So I started off actually in sales. I started off in, uh, I was in inside sales for a little bit less than a year. And uh, I remember there was a senior rep that left and I got my opportunity. Um, and you know, I guess I was doing well and they put trust in me and I remember, and a lot of things come back to my father. I, you know, I was a young kind of somewhat a young kid there. And I remember even asked my dad, Should I go ahead and take it, I guess on the confidence? And he basically says, Chris, you’re, you’re a hardworking guy in life. It’s always better to say yes. And if you don’t like it, you could always go back. Sometimes you don’t get the chance again. And I think that was very good advice and it did that and further build confidence in successes and kind of put it like, Hey, you know what, now I’m on this, I need to perform at a higher level. And I think that with maybe kind of the back and a good foundation, it, it really was a good message that if sometimes if we don’t push ourselves or go to the kind of the next level, we don’t really know what we could do. Right. Absolutely. And if you play it safe, you’re uh, you know, it’s easy to play it safe, but you’re never gonna know if you don’t push yourself. From my perspective.

Enrique Alvarez (16:57):

No, you’re, do you

Maureen Woolshlager (16:58):

Ever think you’d be in sales? Yeah.

Christopher Hussaini (17:00):

Yeah. I think it comes natural. It’s something I also like, because I think there’s a lot of psychology in sales as well. If you’re doing consultative selling, really of getting to know the customer’s needs get and finding a solution of that and not trying to sell a precan thing, but what are your needs? What and what are those, How could we have a solution that we could find something creative? Because I think there are sometimes out the box creative solutions to things, particularly in this industry, Right? Yeah. Which is very difficult.

Enrique Alvarez (17:25):

Well, sounds like your dad was a very, very smart individual as well. What was his name? Chris?

Christopher Hussaini (17:30):

My dad’s name was Masu Husan. Masu

Enrique Alvarez (17:34):

Masu, Yeah. Very, very good. Uh, piece of advice there. And you took it, you ran with it, and then you’ve made a whole career out of, out of that. So, uh, congratulations to you. Um, there’s a lot of sales reps and people in the commercial area that are listening to us. Is there like any kind of secret to what you would think, especially in this industry, especially now that’s getting kind of tougher and tougher and, and in Miami that I know it’s a very competitive market when you started?

Christopher Hussaini (17:59):

Yeah, I mean, uh, it has changed. I know we’re getting it probably into the pandemic part of the conversation the past two years. I don’t think anybody who has been in this industry, whether it’s five years, 30 years, has seen this. And so I don’t think there was a blueprint for it. So I would, and there have been a lot of, unfortunately a lot of pain associated with it in terms of operational and, and, and all of that. So I think in terms of the sales, it just, it comes down to a few basic things that it makes it sound it easier by being basic, uh, than what they really are. Cuz it’s really hard to do with the discipline. I think it’s, first of all, it’s knowing your products for the solutions and knowing your customers. I think it’s also asking a lot of open ended questions and trying to be consultative selling for our customers to try to sometimes find those creative solutions. And a lot of sales on the carrier from my perspective is the internal sales, right? It’s all these internal stakeholders. How do you help on behalf of the customer to help the comp the customer navigate the company, Particularly as you’re a global company with a lot of offices, a lot of moving parts and help with that. And it’s the constantly being in between. It’s true account management from my perspective.

Enrique Alvarez (19:14):

Absolutely. Yeah. And especially with, um, yeah, the scope of global supply chain, right? It’s tons, tons of moving parts. Is there, um, in your career or since you’ve started in logistics or supply chain, is there like, uh, specific or a key moment that, that you thought this was very strategic or, or, or a moment that you were mostly proud of since, since you started? What, what were you most proud of since, since you started this

Christopher Hussaini (19:39):

Industry? Yeah, Yeah, it’s really interesting. I really liked when I was a sales rep and I was that for quite a while and I really got it. I felt I had good relationships and was able to be successful in that. But I would say really, and I didn’t think so at the time when I got the opportunity to move into management where it was less about me and more about the team and finding the strategy, the st the cohesion, building the culture of the team, helping mentor and, and have maybe some of the more junior in their career or less experience in the industry, not have to go through the same mistakes I have and and teach them the shortcuts and empowering and engaging them. And the reward from that, from my perspective is something that I really can’t place that I, I, I didn’t realize I would find so much joy out of it. And it’s something I really, really, really like. It’s the role of a coach, right? And uh, and I’d say that I’m pretty proud of that and I’d like to believe, and hopefully my team will say the same, that we have a great culture, we all get along, we work well collaboratively, no sharp elbows, this kind of stuff. And, and we could all win for people to win. Others don’t have to fail.

Enrique Alvarez (20:50):

I like that.

Maureen Woolshlager (20:52):

Yeah. And you know, Chris, we love it at Vector. We love working with you. So it’s, it’s a pleasure to have you on here to talk about, give you the opportunity to talk about your culture, your work environment, things like that. Can you tell us anything more about how Hapag is different or unique within the steamship line or transportation industry?

Christopher Hussaini (21:11):

Yeah, yeah. I would say obviously we’re a very large organization with over 14,000 employees, hundreds of offices all over the world. Uh, and I do think that there’s a, I I would say what really separates us is our culture. And we have really, particularly locally, we have really, really great leadership and it’s really, the culture is what’s the glue that keeps us together. So I’d say in terms of the culture, uh, it’s really strong in terms of coaching and coaching and development in terms of, uh, commitment to excellence in terms of open communication and trust. Uh, and it creates a really, really good environment and particularly that we empower, engage and not micromanage and give the tools and say, Hey, here’s the goal, here’s how we wanna get there. Of course there’s coaching, development, how to do it, but not to necessarily micromanage. Cuz usually I think micromanagement comes through a lack of trust.

Christopher Hussaini (22:05):

And if you have the right employees and, and, and, and, and you, you should trust them. And we have to give those opportunities to do that. So I’d say that’s a big thing. And another thing I’d say that is really good on the tool side, we have really great visibility into our costs. Our, uh, there’s empowerment on the sales team in order to make decisions. Of course there’s certain things checked by our trade management on the sales side and to go after different businesses and be agile. So I’d say there’s that compared to some of my, uh, experience with some other heritage.

Enrique Alvarez (22:37):

No, that makes, uh, sense. And hey, um, and you can tell, I mean I’m sure that people that are listening to this interview and people that have had the pleasure working with, uh, not only Pac but some of the other steamship lines, you can start to kind of pinpoint what, uh, the culture of each organization is. And, and you’re, I think, uh, very, very, uh, I guess on point when it says, uh, coaching and trusting and very open and visibility and excellence. And I think you’re right and probably, uh, that’s why, uh, I think a lot of companies like working with you guys because of that culture that you have. You have been, uh, developing and you continue to develop. So thank you so much.

Christopher Hussaini (23:16):

No, I mean, it’s a process. We’re not where we’d like to be and you know, one of our, our our goals is to be number one for quality and we’re not there, right? It’s been, it’s, it’s difficult, but we we’re determined to get there and there’s, you know, other stuff we’re doing in order to uh, put us on that, on that map to, to get there.

Enrique Alvarez (23:34):

So you briefly talked a little about the pandemic and, and of course we’re gonna bring it up, uh, cuz it was, uh, as you said, very unexpected. No one was ready, one of those, uh, incredible worldwide historic events, I would say. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, what were some of the biggest challenges and how did you, your team and, and hap haak kind of overcame it?

Christopher Hussaini (23:55):

Yeah. Uh, so what I would say is, and, and some of what I’m gonna say is my perspective. So it’s not necessarily official hap act one, so that’s fine. Disclaimer. I’d say in the beginning, I think most thought that in the very beginning, non expected is that we’re all gonna take an insane hit. There’s gonna be maybe companies going out of business we didn’t know. So there was probably some degree of that kind of a stance and initially there was a dip. And then overall, and again, here’s my perspective, I follow different economist. I’m not an economist or I follow on Larry Summers, stuff like that. It does seem to me, just looking back, the response to the pandemic, right or wrong, not making a judgment. And I know where we had to do it with everything closing down, funneled all the demand, really one mainstream of purchasing, which is online in retail, and then you throw in extra stimulus for needed reasons.

Christopher Hussaini (24:53):

And there was a huge surge in demand probably in adjust in time infrastructure in the US in terms of that. And it, it has led to a lot of obviously operational challenges and demand surges and spikes in areas that one wouldn’t expected. And then the need to accommodate that. And then with the vessel, you know, the vessels not being, uh, lingering out because of that demand not coming in. It’s creating shortages, rates are going up. So it’s been very, very challenging. And I, I, I’d say obviously on the good side there was a lot of revenue associated with it, which is good for security, but on the same time there’s a lot of pain for our customers, a lot of on the, you know, we get to know our customers such as you and, and, and we take it as also personal and it doesn’t always feel good. Hey, there could be revenue, but there’s a lot of pain, there’s a lot of extra work. There was a lot of, uh, un un unsatisfied customers for a lot of reasons. And uh, and that part is, is not ideal, but I do hope and think just almost going off the analogy of a hurricane, that sometimes what could come good after a tragedy is that you stress tested and you build something. So if there’s another one going in the future, the reaction to it and there’s a learning lesson.

Maureen Woolshlager (26:13):

Yeah, that’s a good point. I mean if you think about when, when you talked about joining Evergreen, um, and then later Hapag thinking about where things come from and how they get there. If there’s a moment or period of time where so many eyes worldwide we’re focused, like where’s my stuff? The pandemic really put more eyes on an environment that was really stretched to its max with capacity. So like you hapag and your customers like us, we had to have a lot more conversations to understand why things were the way they were, but then we also had to have them with our customers who didn’t really understand. They were even further removed from the how, how things work process. So it was definitely of the learning process I would argue for, for everybody within the supply chain. Um, and hopefully I think now people are a little bit more aware of the process, so mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you never wanna feel like you’re making excuses, but there were just some things where I think it was harder to explain to everybody where that domino fell and, you know, we ended up,

Enrique Alvarez (27:16):

I agree. I think in general people are more aware of supply chain logistics, social shipping and everything that has to do with, uh, moving products from one point, uh, to the other. So I think that that’s another benefit, I guess, or or silver lining from such a horrible pandemic, right? People are just more aware of what it entails to ship products around.

Christopher Hussaini (27:36):

Yeah. I guess one could have argued before, hey, you know what, now that everybody knows it was probably for the wrong reasons, right? For challenge, it’s kind of like the silent unsung hero before, right?

Enrique Alvarez (27:48):

It’s absolutely,

Maureen Woolshlager (27:49):

Yeah. I will say there’s less people’s eyes that glaze over when they ask you like, what do you do now versus before the pandemic? Cuz you’re like, I work in transportation, logistics or supply chain. Before they were like, and how about that baseball game or something. Whereas I feel like now they’re like, Oh, you know, a light bulb goes off. So, um, you know, I think it’s, it’s a definite shift, but, you know, one of the ways that, that we’ve worked closer with you and your team is working to help the, the people of Ukraine, um, in the past, you know, six, seven months, I would love for you to talk to our listeners and tell them a little bit about kind of what you guys are doing kind of maybe internally, but also what you have done as part of our initiative, um,

Christopher Hussaini (28:37):

To help Yeah. On the region. Yeah, it’s a great question. I mean this initiative on the personal levels really, really near and dear to my heart. I met my, my wife as Ukrainian, we met in Keve while I was working in Hamburg. And my in-laws are still there. They’re in a city called OME there. Wow. Which is about 85 miles west of Keve. So they’re still there. And I have a lot of friends there as well and I’ve been there many times. So there’s also kind of that, uh, element to it. But what, in terms of what we’re doing, first of all, obviously a lot of credit and kudos to Vector with the purpose driven, uh, organization that you are and what you’ve done for Ukraine and sending the relief shipments and us partnering up locally with you on, on a few of those shipments.

Christopher Hussaini (29:21):

First of all, it was really personally rewarding and we’re really happy for that. So there’s of course what we’ve done with you, we’ve done internal drives in just America in terms of company matches for all the money being, uh, being sent there. We have our, for our personal colleagues, we had an office in Odessa, relocated them and their families to any of our offices anywhere, uh, in Europe or different areas they like to go. Obviously took care of everything to set them up. We also have done a lot of, not only fundraising, but relief with our colleagues at the border, uh, you know, with supplies and, and that stuff’s ongoing and there’s obviously, and sometimes it’s also hard to see the full scope because we’re such a big organization. We’ll see different articles of other stuff being done, but I only only have a small view of it. But, uh, we’ve been, you know, a strong supporter of that and, uh, and as well as many other, uh, I’d say initiatives.

Enrique Alvarez (30:19):

Right. Well, are they, um, speaking of additional initiatives, we know that Haak has a very purpose driven organization and of course a great culture as you mentioned. Are there any other particular charitable organizations that, that you’d like to share or any other, I guess, purpose driven initiatives as you mentioned, uh, that you, that you guys actively participate in right now? Yeah.

Christopher Hussaini (30:39):

Yeah, it’s a good question. I mean, there are a lot, and quite candidly, I only have visibility to some of them because a lot of ’em are in, I mean, there’s stuff globally in the stuff we’re doing in North America, in North America, but besides that, of course there’s definitely feeding the homeless, there’s different stuff for mentoring the youth, uh, obvi in, in Hamburg, there’s a lot of stuff also for a lot of, uh, uh, a lot of migrants who come over, not only from Ukraine, from anywhere of doing that initiatives for women to help them in the workforce, giving different trainings, uh, and and and so forth. Diversity and inclusion is a huge part of us, uh, part of our organization to, to purposely go and outreach where traditionally may, maybe just like, for example, me, I randomly fell into the logistic industry. How do we go ahead and penetrate into different communities that maybe would be isolated from it? So there’s a lot of these different things going on and, and uh, and, and again, I have a, even a very small visibility to all of them just because of our, our, our scale

Enrique Alvarez (31:40):

At big push for sustainability as well, I’ve heard. Right. I mean, there’s a huge, huge kind of, uh, initiative for

Christopher Hussaini (31:46):

How that’s one of our major pillars. Yeah. Sustainability is really, really important. How do we be green? How do you be more efficient? How do you, uh, how do we save the environment? Which, you know, some may argue it’s a, it, it’s a race to do so. Right. So that’s a huge part. We actually, a lot of our new vessels, new builds coming out are, uh, are really environmentally friendly with the latest technology.

Maureen Woolshlager (32:10):

Well, so we covered kind of the whiplash effect of the pandemic and how that really was a stress test for the logistics industry and how it affected, um, Hapag specifically. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and factor two we talked about. Um, and a little bit about Ukraine. Kinda switching gears a little, uh, you know, the, the industry and there’s trends and things are changing. What, what are you seeing on your side? What do you see the next quarter, next year? Any words of wisdom, insight, you know, from an insider that you might be able to share with us in our audience?

Christopher Hussaini (32:42):

Yeah, absolutely. Uh, I would say it’s probably not a surprise when we hear all the doom and gloom about economic news and so forth about stocks being full. Uh, in terms of, uh, and in terms of ordering, we are starting to see a deterioration in certain, uh, in certain capacity and all of that on, particularly on tp, but on some other tp westbound, import trade and some other trades. So we’re starting to see, uh, some more space. We’re seeing stuff open up, we’re seeing more competition, uh, in, in terms of lanes and, and certain market we’re having to adjust to the market. I would say, uh, obviously it’s, you know, in terms of what we could expect, I think on the financial side will end, uh, quite well still because it’s still elevated from a year ago. But I think things will start to eventually normalize and there, there are starting, uh, probably already, uh, timeline, anyone knows anything could happen. A black swan event right, could come out. But it does seem like now, uh, things are shifting quite a bit and hopefully with that comes stability as well though. And that’s the good, would be the good part for the customer. And then, then the supply chain and all of that. So

Enrique Alvarez (33:55):

Hopefully, hopefully we’ll get some, um, stability. Um, and, and I totally agree with what you said. Uh, we’re running a little bit out of time. It’s been an amazing conversation with you. Uh, quick question, uh, also for the, uh, people that are trying to come into logistics, for the younger people that are graduating and also trying to join supply chain or logistics, what would be a good advice, uh, from you to, to try to succeed in this, uh, industry?

Christopher Hussaini (34:22):

Well, I would say I think a really good thing, let’s say they’re either still in college or early in their career, I think it’s good to start to get your foot in, uh, in the door in the industry, whether it’s with, uh, you know, whatever logistics company, whether it’s a carrier or, or, uh, nvo or bco, maybe through an internship to see if it’s something you like. I think one thing that’s really good in, uh, our educational system in the US we have electives. So you can see, hey, maybe I thought I like it, but maybe I do. Maybe you find out you love it and you go that way. And I think that’s a probably a, a good way to do that. And then I would say also to find a mentor, find somebody that you trust with experience in that and to give it to you straight. And I think that’ll really speed up once progression and, and, and knowledge.

Enrique Alvarez (35:03):

Good advice. Thank you so much.

Maureen Woolshlager (35:05):

How can our listeners connect with you, learn more about Hapag, reach out to you?

Christopher Hussaini (35:10):

Yeah, okay. I’d say there’s a few ways. I’d say LinkedIn is really good. I’m on LinkedIn, Christopher Huan and also Hapag Lloyd, uh, is on LinkedIn and I post a lot of different things on there as well. So I think that’s a great way to keep up the date to keep on a lot of the initiatives we talk, whether they’re charitable, whether they’re, uh, environmental or whatnot. And obviously our website, hapag, uh, dash lloyd.com. You could see all our services and uh, and, and learn more about us. And feel free to reach out to me and say hello,

Enrique Alvarez (35:40):

Chris. Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you once again for taking the time and, uh, talking to us today. We have really, uh, enjoyed this conversation and for everyone else out there listening to, uh, Logistics with Purpose, if you like conversations like the one we had today with Chris, don’t forget to subscribe. Thank you so much for listening and I’ll see you on the next episode of Logistics with Purpose.

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Featured Guests

Christopher Hussaini is the Senior Sales Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the maritime industry. He is skilled in negotiation, people management, operations management, freight sales, and digitalization for the ocean carrier industry. He holds a Masters of Science from the University of York, United Kingdom, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Miami. Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn.

Maureen Woolshlager started her career at McMaster-Carr’s Management Development Program working in sales, marketing, distribution operations, finance and accounting. After McMaster-Carr, she spent a year managing operations in one of Target Corporation’s warehouses before finding a role within a small management consulting company in Denver, Colorado. She worked on large projects for international food and restaurant companies and advised on account management, business development, operations management, warehouse operations, continuous improvement and distribution center operations, and procurement/supplier/inventory optimization. She has spent the last 9 years living in Belgium & Germany where her husband has been stationed as a US Army officer. Maureen has her B.A. from Emory University. She earned a certificate in Management & Marketing from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania & her M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. Learn more about Vector Global Logistics here: https://vectorgl.com/

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Enrique Alvarez

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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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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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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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

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

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

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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Marty Parker

Host

Marty Parker serves as both the CEO & Founder of Adæpt Advising and an award-winning Senior Lecturer (Teaching Professor) in Supply Chain and Operations Management at the University of Georgia. He has 30 years of experience as a COO, CMO, CSO (Chief Strategy Officer), VP of Operations, VP of Marketing and Process Engineer. He founded and leads UGA’s Supply Chain Advisory Board, serves as the Academic Director of UGA’s Leaders Academy, and serves on multiple company advisory boards including the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, Zion Solutions Group and Carlton Creative Company.

Marty enjoys helping people and companies be successful. Through UGA, Marty is passionate about his students, helping them network and find internships and jobs. He does this through several hundred one-on-one zoom meetings each year with his students and former students. Through Adæpt Advising, Marty has organized an excellent team of affiliates that he works with to help companies grow and succeed. He does this by helping c-suite executives improve their skills, develop better leaders, engage their workforce, improve processes, and develop strategic plans with detailed action steps and financial targets. Marty believes that excellence in supply chain management comes from the understanding the intersection of leadership, culture, and technology, working across all parts of the organization to meet customer needs, maximize profit and minimize costs.

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Laura Lopez

Marketing Coordinator

Laura Lopez serves as our Supply Chain Now Marketing Coordinator. She graduated from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Mexico with a degree in marketing. Laura loves everything digital because she sees the potential it holds for companies in the marketing industry. Her passion for creativity and thinking outside the box led her to pursue a career in marketing. With experience in fields like accounting, digital marketing, and restaurants, she clearly enjoys taking on challenges. Laura lives the best of both worlds - you'll either catch her hanging out with her friends soaking up the sun in Mexico or flying out to visit her family in California!

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Jake Barr

Host

An acknowledged industry leader, Jake Barr now serves as CEO for BlueWorld Supply Chain Consulting, providing support to a cross section of Fortune 500 companies such as Cargill, Caterpillar, Colgate, Dow/Dupont, Firmenich, 3M, Merck, Bayer/Monsanto, Newell Brands, Kimberly Clark, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Sanofi, Estee Lauder and Coty among others. He's also devoted time to engagements in public health sector work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At P&G, he managed the breakthrough delivery of an E2E (End to End) Planning Transformation effort, creating control towers which now manage the daily business globally. He is recognized as the architect for P&G’s demand driven supply chain strategy – referenced as a “Consumer Driven Supply Chain” transformation. Jake began his career with P&G in Finance in Risk Analysis and then moved into Operations. He has experience in building supply network capability globally through leadership assignments in Asia, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. He currently serves as a Research Associate for MIT; a member of Supply Chain Industry Advisory Council; Member of Gartner’s Supply Chain Think Tank; Consumer Goods “League of Leaders“; and a recipient of the 2015 - 2021 Supply Chain “Pro’s to Know” Award. He has been recognized as a University of Kentucky Fellow.

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Marcia Williams

Host

Marcia Williams, Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain, has 18 years of experience in Supply Chain, with expertise in optimizing Supply Chain-Finance Planning (S&OP/ IBP) at Large Fast-Growing CPGs for greater profitability and improved cash flows. Marcia has helped mid-sized and large companies including Lindt Chocolates, Hershey, and Coty. She holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a degree in Accounting from Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay (South America). Marcia is also a Forbes Council Contributor based out of New York, and author of the book series Supply Chains with Maria in storytelling style. A recent speaker’s engagement is Marcia TEDx Talk: TEDxMSU - How Supply Chain Impacts You: A Transformational Journey.

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Luisa Garcia

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Luisa Garcia is a passionate Marketer from Lagos de Moreno based in Aguascalientes. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico. She specializes in brand development at any stage, believing that a brand is more than just a name or image—it’s an unforgettable experience. Her expertise helps brands achieve their dreams and aspirations, making a lasting impact. Currently working at Vector Global Logistics in the Marketing team and as podcast coordinator of Logistics With Purpose®. Luisa believes that purpose-driven decisions will impact results that make a difference in the world.

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Astrid Aubert

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Astrid Aubert was born in Guadalajara, she is 39 years old and has had the opportunity to live in many places. She studied communication and her professional career has been in Trade Marketing for global companies such as Pepsico and Mars. She currently works as Marketing Director Mexico for Vector Global Logistics. She is responsible for internal communications and marketing strategy development for the logistics industry. She is a mother of two girls, married and lives in Monterrey. She defines herself as a creative and innovative person, and enjoys traveling and cooking a lot.

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Sofia Rivas

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Sofia self-identifies as Supply Chain Ambassador, her mission is to advocate for the field and inspire young generations from diverse backgrounds and cultures to join the industry so that thought diversity is increased and change accelerated. Recognized as Linkedin Top Voice and Linkedin Community Top Voice in Supply Chain Management, as well as Emerging Leader in Supply Chain by CSCMP 2024, Top Women in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Executive 2023, and Coup de Coeur Global Women Leaders in Supply Chain by B2G Consulting in 2021

Public speaker at multiple international events from keynotes and panels, to webinars and guest lectures for bachelor's and master's degrees, discussing topics such as sustainability, women in the industry, technology and innovation. Writer at different online magazines on logistics, supply chain and technology. Podcast host and guest on different recognized programs in the industry. Sofia has more than 5 years of experience from academic research and field studies to warehouse operations, demand planning and network design. She has worked in manufacturing, airport operations, e-commerce retail, and technology hardware across Latin America, North America and Europe

Currently working as Supply Chain Network Design and Optimization Manager at HP within their Global Supply Chain and Logistics team

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Karin Bursa

Host

Karin Bursa is the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year and the Host of the TEKTOK Digital Supply Chain Podcast powered by Supply Chain Now. With more than 25 years of supply chain and technology expertise (and the scars to prove it), Karin has the heart of a teacher and has helped nearly 1,000 customers transform their businesses and share their success stories. Today, she helps B2B technology companies introduce new products, capture customer success and grow global revenue, market share and profitability. In addition to her recognition as the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year, Karin has also been recognized as a 2019 and 2018 Supply Chain Pro to Know, 2009 Technology Marketing Executive of the Year and a 2008 Women in Technology Finalist. 

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Vin Vashishta

Host

Vin Vashishta is the author of ‘From Data To Profit’ (Wiley 2023). It’s the playbook for monetizing data and AI. Vin is the Founder of V-Squared and built the business from client 1 to one of the world’s oldest data and AI consulting firms. His background combines nearly 30 years in strategy, leadership, software engineering, and applied machine learning.

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Tevon Taylor

Host

Tevon Taylor is a dynamic leader at Pegasus Logistics, where he has made significant contributions to the company’s growth and innovation in the logistics industry. With a background in supply chain management and operations, Tevon combines strategic thinking with hands-on experience to streamline processes and enhance efficiency.  Since joining Pegasus Logistics, Tevon has been instrumental in implementing cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, driving the company toward a more eco-friendly approach. His leadership style fosters collaboration and empowers teams to excel, making him a respected figure among colleagues and industry peers.  Outside of work, Tevon is passionate about mentorship and actively engages in community initiatives, sharing his expertise to inspire the next generation of logistics professionals. His commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has positioned him as a key player in shaping the future of logistics at Pegasus.

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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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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 & Host

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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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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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 seasoned production and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience across diverse industries, including retail, healthcare, and digital marketing. Throughout her career, she has worked with notable organizations such as Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Currently, Amanda manages, produces, and develops digital content for Supply Chain Now and its clients, delivering modern, engaging solutions for a wide range of audiences.

A former Vice President of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, Amanda also founded and led Magnolia Marketing Group, a successful digital marketing firm. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her 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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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

Director, Customer Experience

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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Mary Kate Love

Chief of Staff & Host

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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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

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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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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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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