Supply Chain Now
Episode 1067

The whole supply chain is being reinvented for EV, although there is no free lunch. We don't have enough of the rare earths, much of which is being mined in really tough conditions in Africa and other places using in terrible labor conditions. We don't have enough of the lithium and cobalt to create the batteries we're going to need. Short of a breakthrough with new battery technology, it's going to be tough.

-Evan Kirstel, B2B TechFluencer

Episode Summary

In order to succeed as a ‘TechFluencer’ in today’s digital society, you have to be plugged into a lot of different trends and markets. From supply chains to consumer electronics, to community building to virtual connections, the landscape is constantly shifting and evolving.

Evan Kirstel is a B2B thought leader and technology influencer focused on B2B networking, engagement, and social selling. Rather than just establishing his own expertise and using it to guide others, he is still on a learning journey of his own – exploring new disciplines and platforms as he becomes aware of them.

In this interview, Evan and Scott discuss some of the trends affecting digital media, modern business, and consumer tech:

• The groundbreaking changes in content creation and writing made possible by a new Generative AI technology called ChatGPT

• The rise of electrification in mobility showcased at CES 2023, including multiple modes of transportation, personal and commercial vehicles

• How to build communities and network reach by expanding into new forms of content, moving from written to spoken to visuals to engage different audience members

• Places where tech and automation have met their limit, failing to overcome the human preference for authentic, trust-based relationships

Episode Transcript

Intro/Outro (00:03):

Welcome to Supply Chain. Now the voice of global supply chain supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues, the challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from those Making Global Business happen right here on supply chain now.

Scott Luton (00:32):

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Scott Luton here with you on Supply Chain. Now welcome to today’s show. What an excellent show. We have teed up today. So we’re gonna be speaking with a fellow entrepreneur, a B2B thought leader, extraordinary content creator, widely recognized industry expert, analyst, a digital guru and top technology influencer. And we’re just scratching the surface. Our guest today reaches millions of people each and every day, and is followed by a lot of big names, Michael Dale, Jim Kramer, and a lot more. So I wanna welcome in my dear friend Evan Kirstel. Evan, how you doing?

Evan Kirstel (01:07):

I’m doing great. That was a fabulous introduction. I think I’m gonna hire you just to be my, uh, <laugh> spokesman here. Thank you so much,

Scott Luton (01:15):

<laugh>. Well, Evan, we were just chatting pre-show. Uh, it is, uh, it’s great to finally kind of meet you, uh, here in the digital area, digital era. I guess this is the form of meeting after having fja and really been a big fan of, of how you create content and, and share really meaningful, purposeful content for a couple years now.

Evan Kirstel (01:35):

I’m a big fan of yours. I I like what you put out. I like the focus on good news, and you get it. You get community and positivity when there’s so much negativity and depressing news out there. There, you can still put that aside and talk about the positive, uplifting, and, uh, insightful, uh, uh, sort of educational stuff as well. So it’s not on noom and gloom out there on social media these days.

Scott Luton (02:00):

Evan, I knew we were kindred spirits already, but that, that response just further, uh, further nails that down for me. So let’s, let’s do this. I’m gonna, we’ve got the great, uh, good fortune of picking Evan Christ’s brain on a couple different areas across industry over the next, uh, uh, few minutes here. But I wanna start maybe with a question you don’t get asked as often cause I wanna get to know you a little better. Uh, what part of the world did you grow up in?

Evan Kirstel (02:26):

Well, I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, right in the city, which is, uh, a little unusual given y you know, Baltimore and its current, uh, y y you know, uh, state of affairs. But I grew up in Baltimore. I grew up loving the, uh, COLS, the Baltimore Cols. And, um, yeah, I still have connections with family in Baltimore City and, uh, love the waterfront, the inner harbor. I was a rower, so I was growing around the Patsco River and then went off to college. But, uh, yeah, Baltimore is still kind of a southern city. You know, many, many people don’t realize that <laugh>, but, um, it, it can be a fun place as well as having some struggles.

Scott Luton (03:10):

Well, um, undoubtedly and, uh, like so many cities out there in bigger cities, uh, struggling with different, different aspects of what, uh, civilization brings this, uh, where we are here in the digital era. I wanna ask you, we, uh, we heard this nickname for Baltimore, Baltimore not too long ago, because kind of even the urban city that it is, everyone knows each other in Baltimore, is that right?

Evan Kirstel (03:32):

Yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s a very friendly city. There are lots of neighborhoods and each neighborhood is like its own town or village. So I, you know, I, I spent a lot of time around Federal Hill and South Baltimore and Fells Point, and that’s kind of where, where we lived. And yeah, people from Baltimore are very friendly, very outgoing, kind of like you, Scott, you’re, you’re a southerner. You, you get it, you know, there’s always a smile and a chit chat, and, uh, I kind of miss that aspect. Boston, we’re not, you know, like New Yorkers. We’re not the most friendly people. We don’t really give a f kind of what you, who, what you are saying or doing, or, but yeah, it’s, it’s kind of that, uh, charm city, I think is what Baltimore is officially called. Okay.

Scott Luton (04:16):

All right. So, Baltimore Charm City, probably a lot more. Um, all right, so you mentioned, uh, talking sports a little bit. Um, you’re a big Colts fan, so you’re probably, that doesn’t make you a, um, who was the owner that moved the Colts to Indianapolis? Would, that wasn’t, yeah,

Evan Kirstel (04:33):

I was just a kid. But yeah, it was, uh, the sad day for Baltimore. The middle of the night they packed up the truck and moved to Indianapolis for, and I’ll never forgive them, but, you know, being in Boston for 25 years, we, we know a thing or two about sports, so, you know, we consider ourselves a bit of the hub, N f nfl, of course, baseball, n b a hockey, you name it, we got it here. So we love our sports in, uh, in Boston.

Scott Luton (04:59):

Agreed. Okay. One last thing. You mentioned you were a rower that was new. I’ve never picked up on that throughout any, any of, uh, your content for the last couple years. When I think of rowing, don’t laugh, but I think of the Sopranos, and there’s several scenes where, uh, poly walnuts kind of, of forces a rower to pay up. Are you, were you a fan of the Sopranos

Evan Kirstel (05:21):

<laugh>? I love the Sopranos. I, it was one of my favorite series. I I’ll occasionally rewatch an episode, but, you know, no, there was no funny business, uh, involvement in rowing. It’s one of those things that you can do in high school and college and kind of hard to get back in a boat as an a as an adult. But my son’s rowing now, so Okay. It’s kind of one of those, those, uh, traditions. And, you know, you got in Boston, you got lots of rowing, and Harvard and m i t and all the colleges here on the Charles, it’s a, it’s a fun sport

Scott Luton (05:53):

And rigorous and, uh, and demanding is, is my hunch.

Evan Kirstel (05:57):

Um, and so I, I definitely couldn’t do it now, <laugh>, you know, the old, uh, maybe we put a bunch of old guys in the boat and get a team together again. That might be fun.

Scott Luton (06:07):

I’ll be the guy holding the, um, uh, the, the mic on the front end. Yeah. Giving the cadence. Okay. I’ll, uh,

Evan Kirstel (06:14):

No person is usually about four 10 and weighs about 80 pounds, so I don’t think that’s gonna be your future profession.

Scott Luton (06:21):

I don’t qualify, I guess, for any aspect of rowing, but, hey, I digress. Um, alright, well, I appreciate you giving us a chance, getting you a little better before we get into some other, uh, industry related topics. I wanna start, I think, for helpful, uh, context and, and background, uh, perspective. Let’s talk about what you did prior to, um, you know, being an entrepreneur. So what, what’d you do in industry kind of coming up through the ranks?

Evan Kirstel (06:44):

Yeah, very much in the telecom and enterprise and networking space with companies like, uh, Intel and Phillips and consulting companies and startups. So, you know, 25 years in enterprise tech and telecom and sales and biz dev and alliances and that kind of thing before, gosh, eight, nine years ago, struck out as an independent, um, and so never looked back. So, although I enjoyed my, learned a lot in the corporate world, it is kind of a rat race after a while. And it, it’s nice getting away from that. Although, of course many of my clients are companies that I worked for and with in the same industry. So, go figure <laugh>, once you what’s like the mob, like you were just saying, once you’re in, you can never get out.

Scott Luton (07:30):

You really can’t a lot <laugh>. So let let me ask you this before, get into, um, uh, getting your take on a few things. What, what role was it, if you remember, and it may not have been one, you know, eureka moment, but do you remember when the, the value of meaningful and intriguing and purposeful content really struck you? Uh, you know, in that 25 years in industry?

Evan Kirstel (07:54):

What’s interesting, I, I started using LinkedIn very early, and this is when LinkedIn was about finding a job and a, and a sort of digital Rolodex. And I started sharing news on it, just sharing stories. And everyone I was connected to was like, wow, that’s pretty cool. You’re, you’re like a, a media company. You, you share all the coolest news. And I built a, an audience sort of a following when LinkedIn was, you know, really just about your, you know, finding a job. And if you fast forward, you know, 12, 15 years forward, it’s funny, most people still use LinkedIn as a Rolodex when what LinkedIn really is now is the content company. It’s a media company. It’s a way to publish, uh, to blog, to do video, live video and audio conferences and to get noticed and find customers and on and on and on and on. And yet still, people view it as the way to find a job. And they’re not utilizing, even brands not utilizing all of the capabilities that are there, after all with Microsoft, LinkedIn is now has a graph of the entire enterprise world. So it’s a tremendous, uh, platform.

Scott Luton (09:04):

Agreed. Uh, and there are, to your point, there’s a lot of folks that really take a narrow definition of what, what it can be used for. It’s a great point. Um, okay, so you mentioned eight or nine years ago you kind of struck out on your own after, after, uh, having some big roles out in the industry. A lot of tech in your background, of course. Um, tell us in a nutshell, and folks, to all of our listeners out there, we’re not gonna be able to do this justice. Uh, Evan is part of some of the initiatives and, uh, events and, and, uh, uh, um, cool projects out there. But in a nutshell, Evan, uh, how do folks work with you?

Evan Kirstel (09:40):

Well, um, you, you know, as an influencer is kind of a bad description of what I do, but I’m essentially sort of a mini media, uh, uh, one man empire that delivers educational, interesting content to a defined audience. And that audience being CXOs, CIOs, CTOs, media journalists, analysts in the B2B tech space. And I do it through, you know, content of written words, spoken word, podcasting and, and video live streaming to that audience. And I, um, obviously promote my clients, but I do it through education and analysis and providing insights and building community and covering events and on and on and on different kinds of digital and social activations. So, and there are a lot of people like me, both, you know, firms, but, uh, agencies, but even individual solo practitioners who have built a personal brand. I built an audience and can leverage that with clients. And gosh, every vertical out there, whether it’s, uh, supply chain like you’re focused on or Right, internet of things or AI or 5g, and tho those areas in which, uh, cloud why I focus

Scott Luton (10:51):

Perfect segue, uh, cause I’m gonna talk to you about AI and some other technologies, but first, very few, you’re awful gracious there, but very few are touching literally millions of people each and every day. And I love how you, as we mentioned on the front end, create that content, that sense of community, but that content is, there’s no infomercials. We all love Ron Pope, right? Uh, rest and peace Ron Pope said it and forget it, man. I’ll never forget some of those. But, you know, con you, you can reach people and move the needle without, you know, straight up selling them in a, in a tweet or a LinkedIn post or what, what have you livestream, which I really enjoyed live streams. Um, so back to some of the technology you mentioned. Um, so you can’t have a conversation in supply chain or elsewhere these days without saying the words ai, artificial intelligence, it’s all AI all the time right now. But Evan, given the technology guru that you are, what is one technology you feel that we should be talking more about, needs more visibility and, and maybe what’s one of your favorite, favorite applications of that, um, under, under, uh, respected technology?

Evan Kirstel (11:59):

Well, I’m, I’m gonna talk about something I’ve been ASEs obsessed with for, uh, 30 days, uh, 60 days. It’s, it’s, it’s within ai, but it’s, it’s something you’ve may have played with many of the listeners or viewers have probably experimented with. Let’s chat G P T, which is called Generative ai. And basically it’s a tool for creating written content, whether it’s a story, a blog, a song, a code, actually can create music, you know, musical, uh, scripts, uh, questions that you can create any kind of written questions through giving it, uh, direction and prompts and guidance and the output of chat. G p t is, is so stunned and, and just amazed a lot of us professionals and even consumers, it’s become one of the most popular sites on the internet with over a million registered users in a few weeks. Which, if you look at the history of Facebook and, and you know, Instagram, they didn’t even get that kind of reach within just a few mere weeks. And it is an amazing tool. Uh, have you played with it yet?

Scott Luton (13:03):

I haven’t. I’ve seen some of, uh, the poems, the holiday poems, I think that you used that to create. Yeah,

Evan Kirstel (13:10):

I wrote Christmas cards and, uh, it was, it was so fun and, and, and, you know, entertaining at the same time. Um, you know, an author created a children’s book in about 30 minutes using images from a, a related app called Dolly. The, the text and narrative, the story from chat, g p t put it together, published it on Amazon, and every child children’s writer out there was, was furious with that person for using this, this approach to creating content. But, you know, this is gonna work into every aspect of marketing, uh, content creation, writing writers, whether it’s copy or for advertising or for research. And you got all the kids out there, of course, who are going to use it to create their writing assignments, which is gonna just, that’s gonna be a massive issue, <laugh> on the educational side. But, um, that, that’s what I’m, I’m just obsessed with it.

Evan Kirstel (14:03):

It, you know, it may or may not have co-authored 10 of my last blogs over the past 60 days. Um, uh, I’m not even Have kidding. Um, so get out there and try it. It, it’s sort of like your personal writing, collaborative writing assistant. And for those of us who don’t really enjoy the, the, uh, process of writing you, you know, it can be, you know, uh, pretty mundane the idea of having you someone help, not just with the text, but just copy and different formulations of ideas and having some, some thing I was gonna say, someone, some thing to bounce different ideas off of in, in a, in a collaborative way, learning way is really exciting. So that’s what I’m, uh, I’ve been obsessed with, uh, recently.

Scott Luton (14:49):

Y you know, it’s interesting, um, when I was in school, uh, all the teachers were wanting to look out for Cliff notes, right. And, and

Evan Kirstel (14:57):

I love it. The yellow, the yellow books. Yes.

Scott Luton (14:59):

Right. And now it’s, it’s all about, uh, these things. They’re gonna help students complete their assignments a different way. Um, okay. So, so on a related note, technology, um, so love talking technology with a, a guru like yourself, ces, uh, big Consumer Electronics, one of the biggest shows, I think each and every year. Uh, I think it’s always in Vegas, but it just took place. Um, what, uh, last week? Is that right, Evan?

Evan Kirstel (15:24):

Yeah, it was, it was all week for the media as well, and over the, just finished yesterday, uh, or or Sunday for the general public. And, um, you know, tremendous show, tremendous event. It’s really back in person in a major way. And so many exciting things to chat about, uh, c e s. But one thing that I thought is interesting that I, I took away was the rise of mobility and, uh, you know, last mile, uh, delivery and electrification of, of kind of everything. I mean, everyone’s familiar with the electric car phenomenon and lots of Tesla fans out there, but many people don’t realize is that all kinds of communication, uh, vehicles, uh, uh, are are being electrified. So whether it’s short hop, uh, you, you know, airplanes for commuters, whether it’s, uh, boats now, there was a Tesla of the Sea kind of thing, uh, that looked like a Tesla on the sea, that that was electric powered.

Evan Kirstel (16:27):

Uh, there were, you know, uh, uh, full, uh, trucks that are electrified. There were, um, ferries now, you know, that, that were being electrified and tovi there, obviously reducing carbon footprints, but leveraging an electrification network, uh, to reduce, you know, emissions, but also fuel costs. Uh, it just, almost every modality was, was on display. So that, that’s super exciting. And of course, more EVs, uh, you know, coming to the forefront. You know, Sony and Honda launched a new ev obviously Tesla, Tesla is the 800 pound gorilla, right? But, um, you know, BMW had a new EV on display to actually change color. You know, it’s kinda a separate little cool, uh, capability using e ink, uh, technology. Um, but yeah, the electrification of everything and fast charging in particular, uh, where, you know, you can recharge your, your vehicle, your device, your scooter or your e-bike in, you know, minutes versus hours. That was really interesting to see.

Scott Luton (17:38):

So the, depending on the back on the Beamer, uh, depending on the mood you wake up in, I guess you can go green or you go blue or some days, yes, it’s very

Evan Kirstel (17:47):

Excellent for bank robberies. You know, the description of the getaway vehicle was a white bmw, and of course you change it to black and you, you get off SCO free. But, um, I don’t think they thought through that use case <laugh>. But, um, but yeah, if it’s not electrified, it’s going to be. And, um, you know, e-bikes is a big one as well here in the Boston area. We have lots of bike lanes and students can, other kinds of short commuting, commuter commuting happening. And, uh, really interesting to watch

Scott Luton (18:18):

It. It agreed. It’s, it’s, it’s, it is fascinating as a industry movement, right? And, and the course, the demand that’s there, uh, two quick comments. And

Evan Kirstel (18:26):

Also that, that short, that that sort of last mile delivery for supply chain, increasingly that will be through an electrified, you know, little robot or maybe a drone, or of course, uh, battery powered, um, y y you know, so we’re seeing lots of ways to get that, that maybe food order or that Amazon package delivered last mile in a, in a, not only a more cost effective way, but in a less, um, uh, uh, challenging way for the environment.

Scott Luton (18:56):

Agreed. You know, we gotta give a little love on the Walmart teams. Cause one of the areas that they’re actually a little bit ahead of Amazon is with drone deliveries. We were just talking recent weeks about, um, they hit 6,000 drone deliveries in the US uh, in 2022. Uh, and Amazon still after a couple, um, mishaps, they relaunch program in 2, 2, 2, uh, uh, municipal areas, uh, in December, 2022. So, but to your point, your greater points, it’s gonna be fascinating to watch how that cha, how that does shape not just a final model of mile of supply chain, but just all our, our life in journey, uh, uh, in general. Um, the other thing about that, Evan, cause you, you mentioned the supply chain behind EV is the battery industry. I saw something earlier, uh, this week that, that showed, at least in the states where the EV battery industry is really b you know, it’s, it’s, it’s blowing up right here in Georgia. We’ve landed several, uh, EV plants, uh, because of some of the automotive, uh, work that’s, that’s here. You know, we’ve got a big Kia plant in West Point, Georgia, and, and, uh, I, I think we have announced two 5,000 plus jobs tied to the ev uh, battery industry just for Georgia, like greenfield sites in the last, uh, six months or so. Um, so

Evan Kirstel (20:15):

Yeah, it’s super exciting. And the whole supply chain and tooling and manufacturing is being reinvented for ev although there is, you know, no free lunch in the world. So the downside is we don’t have enough of the rare earth. We don’t have enough of the lith, lithium, and the cobal, and that’s being mined in really, uh, tough conditions in Africa and other places, um, using in terrible labor conditions, right? So we kind of don’t have enough of these metals to create the batteries we’re gonna need. And short of a breakthrough with new battery technology, it’s gonna be tough. But, you know, again, no free lunch in life. So we have to do what we can with what we

Scott Luton (20:54):

Have. That’s right. And, and, you know, every advancement comes with challenges. I think it’s, uh, you beat me to it, shining a big light on that aspect. Uh, really, uh, that front end of, uh, global supply chain in the electric battery market, um, will be really important. Um, and, you know, rare earth mineral mining is a terribly messy and environmental damaging, uh, industry. And they’re, they’re looking to reinvent that a bit, especially to do more of it here in the states. But, you know, nothing happens overnight. So we’re gonna keep our finger on the pulse as that, uh, meat struggles to meet the demand, uh, of, of all the EV products out there. Um, all right, so our electric products out there, electric vehicles and, uh, electric products. Um, so let’s, let’s shift gears. That was a great little departure. Uh, Evan, I feel like we could talk for four or five hours, man, we’d just be scratching this stuff.

Evan Kirstel (21:45):

Let’s do it. Let’s just, let’s just completely put our audience to sleep. <laugh>. We’ll have one listener, one last listener, but no, I’m kidding. Yes.

Scott Luton (21:53):

People, one last listener that hangs on to the fifth hour. Okay. <laugh>. Um, let’s talk. So we’re we just kind of, uh, we’re talking supply chain. I wanna get your take on something. I think one of the cool things, despite all the challenges, you know, warts and all, as as old saying goes, you know, supply chains really, um, come to the forefront in many consumers’ minds. You know, things, you know, how folks can get something next day or how they can return it as easy as easily as so many products can be returned these days, you know, Ford and reverse supply chain. I think consumers are really, these savvy consumers are figuring that out, uh, more than ever before. What’s, what’s been your take? How, how have you seen folks kind of piece that puzzle together and, uh, maybe start to figure out how global supply chains work and, and why they work a certain way?

Evan Kirstel (22:40):

Well, yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s really, uh, been an eye-opener for the average consumer, or the average, you know, person like myself who really didn’t think about supply chains, probably thought it was something you buy at Home Depot. I need a supply chain <laugh> for my garage or something. You know, so it’s only when you begin to see the ships backing it up in ports and you can’t order, you know, a car, or you can’t get your favorite, uh, you know, uh, tool from, from Walmart that you begin to understand the interconnectedness of, of these supply chains and how difficult and sensitive they are to disruption and, and wars, uh, and, and other things. So that’s actually one, you know, when I started following you and your team, that supply chain now, you know, I started to like, wow, I should kind of be aware of, educate myself, uh, to some degree on what’s happening.

Evan Kirstel (23:36):

Because, you know, most of us, even, you know, in the technical world, really don’t understand the supply chain. We think, oh, yeah, that, that’s supply chain means made in China, right? That’s why, you know, right. And, uh, of course there’s a, there’s a very intricate and complex world that isn’t easily, you know, attributed to one. You know, what was that great story about how to make a pencil right? You know, that, uh, great video I think you posted, and there’s something like a million people and 80 countries required to come together to, to make a pencil, to design, manufacture, deliver a pencil, given the, the, uh, the supply chain interconnectedness. So, yeah. No, I, you’ve been educating me on this <laugh>.

Scott Luton (24:20):

Well, it is. So, you know, as humans, we all make assumptions, right? And I think, um, all of us can get lost in, uh, the modern conveniences of the, um, of the e-commerce age, right? And, and just come to really appreciate and not really think about when you click a button and you, you, you purchase that cart, you’re gonna expect it in a day or two. And, and I think one of the silver linings in the last few years, and there’s, and there’s really many civil linings if you go looking, as we both know, is, is that, um, that understanding and that education that took place, and really, as much as it, this, this is gonna sound pessimistic, but it’s not meant to be pessimistic. You kind of alluded to it earlier, really. We all found out how fragile global supply chains are. And, and that realization is gonna help us already has make changes to, to, I hate using the word resilient these days cause everybody uses it, but really make, make ’em stronger and more prepared for what’s around the corner. As long as these lessons learned that we learned painfully, truly stick, and we don’t forget ’em, you know?

Evan Kirstel (25:22):

Yeah. It’s amazing how adaptable and flexible and resilient I’ll use it, uh, humans are at the end of the day, and how we That’s right. Manages with difficulty and challenges to kind of overcome diverse, uh, you know, uh, you know, diverse set of, of roadblocks. And it’s been fascinating to watch, particularly on the semiconductor side where we’ve had such challenges, but we see some light at the end of the tunnel there.

Scott Luton (25:48):

Agreed. Agreed. And, and the human element is one of my favorite parts of not just global supply chain, but global business. Cause that is the, that’s, um, in this ever growing more technology age we’re in, it’s fascinating and intriguing the humans that make that power things forward. Uh, I love those stories. Um, all right, so let’s talk about content creation. We have the opportunity to talk here with Evan krs, who, uh, Kelle who, who, who, uh, again, touches millions of people every day with content across a variety of channels. Listeners, if you’re not following Evan on Twitter, you are missing out, let tell ya. Um, so Evan, for folks that may be trying to up their game when it comes to putting compelling content out there, or, or they wanna become the next Evan, uh, Kelle, what, what would, what one or two pieces of advice would you give him?

Evan Kirstel (26:40):

Well, I’d say don’t put your eggs in one basket. So what I mean by that is both the type of content as well as the platform, you know, don’t double down on one thing you may be more comfortable with. So if maybe you’re, you’re, you’re a good blogger and you’re comfortable writing, and you do a lot of writing on your Facebook or maybe your LinkedIn page, but you kind of, maybe you’re not into audio podcasting, you’re not into video, you’re really missing an opportunity to kind of creatively integrate the different modes of content together. So look at the spoken word podcasting. I mean, I consume podcasts like all day long, uh, and audio books, look at the video word. Some people will watch a two minute video. They would never read a 500, a thousand word blog. They’re just not a reader. And so, by looking at content across all those paradigms, you know, you’re really gonna reach a bigger audience.

Evan Kirstel (27:35):

And also don’t, you know, don’t double down on one platform. Look, I love Twitter. I have all these followers there, but I’m also equally on LinkedIn and Instagram and Reddit and Cora and other places. So these platforms inevitably change, they die, their new ones emerged. And you don’t wanna be tied, uh, professionally or even personally to one platform. And, and finally, you know, get people off of social media. This may seem weird, but you know, you know, if you’re a B2B or you’re in a working for a brand, you don’t want people, uh, just on your social platforms. You want them to visit your website. You want them to sign up to your emails, uh, newsletter. You, you want them to go to your events in person. You wanna, you know, try to capture, uh, their, their contact info, maybe their mobile phone for, for text updates. And if, if, if you’re just capturing followers and eyeballs, you’re at the whims and mercy of the platforms if what has and when changes come up. So again, get your, get them to visit your website and, and, and, and not just your Twitter page or your LinkedIn page,

Scott Luton (28:42):

Man, uh, billion dollar vice there. And I really appreciate that. And, and it, it’s not being single-threaded. Gosh, going back to lessons we learned in global supply chain, that it, as you’re mentioning, right, it applies to social media too. Um, cause being at the whims of the platforms isn’t fun a lot of times, right? Um,

Evan Kirstel (29:01):

Yeah. I mean, you, you can be, you can be hacked. You can have your contact, uh, info, you know, stolen. That way you can be dis de platformed maybe for something you said, oh, uh, or the platform can die and you miss the next big opportunity on the, the latest hot platform. So, yeah. Uh, diversity and, and mixing it up is a great idea.

Scott Luton (29:25):

Well said, well said. Um, all right. I want, I wanna shift gears here to some of the, uh, what we call it give forward, you know, uh, here at supply chain now you do a lot of it, um, mentoring, uh, from what I gather is, uh, and, and have seen is very important, something you hold near and dear to your heart, Evan. Um, you’ve been a volunteer mentor for years, I believe, right? So I want to ask you, we’re, we’re gonna pick some more, uh, get some more advice from you. What is one important piece of advice that you’d offer up to mentors that are just getting started?

Evan Kirstel (30:01):

Yeah, I, I think, um, you know, give, uh, your advice and feedback selflessly. Um, you, you know, don’t always expect something in return. Don’t look for just quid pro quo relationships. Don’t ask for anything ju just give, you know, a lot of what happens these days is so transactional. You know, you give some advice and then you hope or expect or want something in return. You want some outcome or result. And that what really isn’t what, um, mentoring is about. It’s, it’s about giving freely, uh, giving of yourself and your time without expecting you’re gonna get some payoff or payout or, you know, attention or, you know, even, uh, necessarily, you know, just tons of gratitude. Um, just give for the sake of getting is, it gets sort of a karmic kind of thing mm-hmm. <affirmative> and hope that it comes back to you in spades.

Scott Luton (31:00):

Mm. And it, it makes the whole, it it, when you give without expectations and whether you’re mentoring or doing anything else, it really makes things easier, doesn’t it?

Evan Kirstel (31:10):

Yeah. And I, I would say, not just giving in, in a mentoring concept, but even in a sales and marketing concept, everyone is asking or pitching or want something of you, uh, including on social media. Why don’t, why don’t you just give of yourself, give some advice, give a comment, a like a share without necessarily asking for something. Um, you know, I often give, uh, a lot of attention to new clients, perspective clients, and I don’t just ask for a deal. I don’t ask for a meeting before I have some kind of, uh, relationship, or I’ve given some kind of value. So, you know, I think Gary Mayer talks about give, give, give, give, ask, you know, so, uh, all those people out there sending you LinkedIn messages and dms, and they’re always pitching and selling, why don’t you just listen and engage and give first, and maybe, uh, that’s a better way to sell and market.

Scott Luton (32:08):

Mm-hmm. I love that advice. Um, I, I, I hate when folks, uh, look, we all make mistakes, right? Whether you’re early on or

Evan Kirstel (32:16):

New journey, we’re all in, you know, you know, the kids these days, you know, they don’t know, you know, they’re, it’s, uh, the hustle culture and, you know, and a number, it’s a numbers game. But, um, there is a better way to go about these things.

Scott Luton (32:30):

Agreed. Uh, and, and don’t, and one of my pet peeves, uh, is, uh, the folks that will take a snapshot of that inbound LinkedIn message and then kind of shame ’em out there across social <laugh>, don’t do that. I know, I know that we all, Hey, we’ve all done stupid things like that. And, and, you know, it, it, it can always be frustrated, but man, uh, all these folks are humans too. So most of ’em are, right? I think Evan, most of ’em at least, um,

Evan Kirstel (32:56):

And, and some are bots. So we, we can shame the box, shame

Scott Luton (32:59):

The bots.

Evan Kirstel (32:59):

There’s no, there’s nothing worse than automated sales and marketing that has no persona or person or personality behind it. And I think back to our original chat, chat about chat, g p t, you’re gonna see very human-like bots, uh, over the next weeks, months, years, that are going to, uh, surprise you on the downside. Whether it’s for, you know, cybersecurity, whether, you know, Microsoft released a, uh, deep fake, I call it deep fake. It’s really a text to speech engine. So we can sample three seconds of your voice and create your, recreate your exact voice with, uh, the tonality by background noise. And, you know, just imagine the, uh, well, the way that might be used for good, but also for bad. It’s a brave new world.

Scott Luton (33:47):

I’m thinking of lots of new, a new era of pranks. Uh, Evan, a new era of pranks, <laugh>. Um, so

Evan Kirstel (33:54):

Prank phone calls, that was my thing back in the day. I used to love those. But now it’s gonna be a deep fake, uh, AI bot that’s gonna be doing the pranking. And some of the pranks aren’t gonna be so nice <laugh>, it’s gonna be, you know, the little old lady giving her her bank password to, to someone she thinks she’s talking to her grandkids and in their voice. So yeah, there’s

Scott Luton (34:17):

Gonna definitely

Evan Kirstel (34:17):

Be a dark side of tech.

Scott Luton (34:19):

Agreed. And, and, and we’re definitely not poking fun of that. I, I see a lot of that, uh, o o on YouTube. There’s lots of professional scam fighters, I’ll call ’em that record their, you know, all the calls. And they, they really seem to educate how, you know, cuz all these, a lot of the most successful scammers have a certain methodology that’s developed over time. And, and it’s entertaining, but also it’s, uh, it’s depressing on one side cuz they do take advantage of, of a certain contingent. Um, where was I, I said prank and change my whole mindset. I, uh, I can’t remember the platform <laugh>, but if my mom is listening, uh, I found a, uh, a website a year or two ago probably, where you could program, you just punch in a number that you want one of 50 templates to call. And I punched in my, my mom and dad’s number and, um,

Evan Kirstel (35:09):

Oh yeah, nice, nice Sunday raise there, <laugh>. Wow.

Scott Luton (35:12):

Well get

Evan Kirstel (35:12):

This very nice.

Scott Luton (35:13):

Scott on the other side. It was someone saying, Hey, I’m trying to bring your $1,227 worth of pizza to your house. And I took a wrong turn <laugh>, and you can listen to, to your parents respond to that. Oh, we had a blast with it. But anyway. Um, alright, so I wanna go back to mentoring. One last thing before we make sure folks know how to connect, uh, with Evan. Um, here. Talk about, I, I know that all the, all the mentees that you’ve been, um, uh, that you’ve been part of their journey with, have benefited from all of your expertise and, and your unique, um, and intriguing view and perspective on this journey we’re on. But what’s one way that you think you’ve benefited from all of your mentoring?

Evan Kirstel (35:57):

Well, I think it’s, um, just been connecting with, with great people. I, I mean, you never know in, you know, who you’re gonna meet, whether it’s a hackathon or a digital event or an in-person event where you’re, you know, giving away some of your insights and value maybe for free. And, uh, or it’s an online, you know, Twitter chat or a podcast. You just never know who you’re gonna meet. And some of them might be best friends, they might be clients, uh, they might be collaborators. So by putting yourself out there and not just watching Netflix or hiding behind a screen, you’re, you’re sort of, um, creating opportunities that you can only imagine. I met the best people on social media in that way, including people like yourself, Scott, and so many others. Uh, but you do have to, you know, put yourself out there and to make yourself visible and, and vulnerable to some degree. Uh, but the payoff, uh, you know, can be huge.

Scott Luton (36:55):

Yeah. Well said. Love that. Um, okay. As much I knew this time would fly by and I, I, I wasn’t kidding about the five hour, we’re gonna tell

Evan Kirstel (37:03):

You back four hours. Really? We, we just, it was four hours long. It just, that’s amazing.

Scott Luton (37:08):

That last lister was saying uncle. So we better let them go. Uh,

Evan Kirstel (37:11):

<laugh>. Okay. We’ll let, we’ll let, we’ll, we’ll give up

Scott Luton (37:13):

<laugh>. So I know there’s a ton of different ways you’ve, you’ve mentioned all the, uh, some of the channels out there that folks can find Joan. But, um, well, for the debt, what’s up with tech? I love the newsletter. That was one of the things that, one of the first things that you put out there that really hit my radar. Whenever I think of your newsletter title, rightly or wrongly, I think of that skit on Saturday Night Live called,

Evan Kirstel (37:36):

Oh, that’s, that’s what it’s all about. What’s up with that? Yes. What, what’s up with that? Right? What’s, I love that guy. What’s his name? I can’t even remember his name. Oh, he’s hilarious. It really is. So yeah, I kinda co-opted that name <laugh>, and hopefully I won’t get sued.

Scott Luton (37:50):

My God.

Evan Kirstel (37:51):

Yeah, newsletters are great. You know, I mean, everyone’s talking about social media. Well, what’s old is new again. Newsletters are back, blogging is back. Having a website, all these things have, have not gone away. So marketers, I hope you’re paying attention.

Scott Luton (38:05):

Yeah, no kidding. Uh, and so what’s up with tech that comes out every week, right?

Evan Kirstel (38:11):

Every week when I get around to it. Otherwise, yeah, follow me on Twitter and, uh, we will Sure. To engage there.

Scott Luton (38:17):

Wonderful, wonderful. Um, well, Evan, a pleasure and, and I, and, and this is not, I’m not saying this for the sake of the podcast and sake of this interview, I really admire how you do things. Um, how per, you know, um, we’re talking those digital relationships, you know, on the, on the pre-show, you’re very genuine and, and it comes across digitally and it comes across in this kind of, uh, form, especially, and I appreciate that.

Evan Kirstel (38:44):

Actually. It’s all chat, e p t. It’s, it’s not me at all. It’s just complete fake <laugh>,

Scott Luton (38:49):

Man. I’m, I’m a

Evan Kirstel (38:50):

Sucker. I’m just kidding.

Scott Luton (38:51):

Well, I appreciate what you

Evan Kirstel (38:52):

Do. One day there’ll be a digital version of myself and, uh, we’ll see if I’m as likable as I am in person.

Scott Luton (38:59):

<laugh>. Well, hey, we’ll stay tuned to that. So, hey Evan, Chris Christelle. Hey, thanks so much for your time here today.

Evan Kirstel (39:08):

Thanks, Scott. Good to talk to you too. You

Scott Luton (39:11):

All right folks. Hopefully you enjoyed this conversation as much as I have. I’ll tell you, Evan, uh, I’ve been, uh, following him for a couple years now. I’ve had a great good fortune of collaborating with him for a little bit here and there. And he is someone not to miss across social media. You learn a ton no matter what industry you’re in. Um, so check him out, uh, all those places, LinkedIn, Twitter, uh, check out his LinkedIn newsletter, what’s up with Tech, you name it. And, uh, you won’t, uh, be, you’ll be very glad you did. Uh, but whatever you do, folks, uh, Scott Luton here challenging you to do good, to give forward and to be the change. And with that said, we’ll see you next time, right back here on Supply Chain now. Thanks everybody.

Scott Luton (39:53):

Thanks

Intro/Outro (39:53):

For being a part of our supply chain now, community. Check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain now, anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain. Now.

Featured Guests

Evan Kirstel is a B2B thought leader and top technology influencer who helps B2B clients grow their social media audience and leverage LinkedIn and Twitter for sales, networking, engagement, and social selling. He is also actively building a network of fellow B2B influencers to help brands with scale and thought leadership. Evan’s built an organic reach in the tens of millions in just ten years and has been named the fourth most engaging digital marketer by Brand24. He also cofounded eVira health and is a Forbes Business Council Member and Contributor. Connect with Evan on LinkedIn.

Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

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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

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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

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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

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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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