Supply Chain Now
Episode 837

We live in a world with finite resources, and we need to find a way to better utilize those resources. In the case of Yamaha, their products are made well enough to have a secondary or tertiary life. Let's find a way to put those products into the hands of someone that values them.

-Eric Aparicio, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing at Yamaha Corporation of America

Episode Summary

This episode was recorded at the 18th annual Reverse Logistics Association Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, the center returns management, reverse logistics, and more.

Host Scott Luton was joined by Eric Aparicio, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing at Yamaha Corporation of America, the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the world. Even though reverse logistics is not part of his formal role, Yamaha allows team members the flexibility to invest time in things that are of interest to them – and for Eric that is circularity and reusing products.

Eric shares his perspective on:

  • How the pandemic affected the labor force and downstream production
  • The significant and unsustainable costs associated with poor management of returns
  • The value that exists in returned goods if companies can find the right way to repurpose them

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 entities Stay tuned to hear from those making global business happen right here on supply chain now.

Scott Luton (00:32):

Hey, good morning, everybody. Scott Luton with supply chain now welcome to today’s show. We are continuing our coverage of the 18th annual reverse logistics Associa conference and expo right here in Vegas, which is, is the center of, uh, all things center of the universe for all things, returns management, reverse logistics and more, uh, right here. Uh, this week in Vegas, I’m joined by my newest best friend when welcome in Eric Aparicio senior director for strategic market at Yamaha corporation of America. Eric, how you doing?

Eric Aparicio (01:05):

Thank you, Scott. I’m doing great. Very happy to be here.

Scott Luton (01:07):

Great to have you here. I tell you we should have started rolling earlier, cuz I just love the story you shared a second ago. Sure. About what, what this makes, why this field, this, this aspect of industry is a passion. Your so we’ll touch on that again here. All right. You got it just a moment. But before we get there, Eric, let’s get to know you a little better. All right. So I wanna start with where you grew up. So tell us, give us some context on where you grew up.

Eric Aparicio (01:30):

Well, I am California born and raised. I’ve uh, lived in California all my life. And so by default, that means that I’m a Dodger fan, no matter what. And uh, if you’re a Dodger fan, you cannot like San Cisco teams.

Scott Luton (01:46):

So what part of California?

Eric Aparicio (01:48):

Um, Southern California. I spec I come from a little town, little working class town called ENT there in LA county.

Scott Luton (01:55):

And so you had to be a Dodgers fan growing up.

Eric Aparicio (01:57):

You had to be a Dodge fan grow.

Scott Luton (01:58):

Now don’t hate me. Don’t hate me born and raised a Braze fan Atlanta bras. I that’s. Okay. And we finally, Hey, we finally had a little, a moment in the sun first time since 1995. Yep. And we had to go through title town, which LA Dodgers. Um, I was there for game six.

Eric Aparicio (02:14):

That was a crushing defeat

Scott Luton (02:16):

Man. It was well, it hurt. I’m very humble. So I don’t mean, I don’t mean to bring it up to, uh, no it’s okay. Or salt and wounds, but I was there with my wife, a man and my three kids. I was very fortunate. A buddy of mine had tickets. Yep. And it’s one of those moments I got on, on, on my phone. It’s one of those moments that, you know, our family were a member cause we were all there together. Absolutely. For a long that’s the beauty of sports, especially in this pandemic environment right

Eric Aparicio (02:39):

Now. Right. Yep. And it was great that you could share that with your family cuz they’ll all remember that. Right, right. Share family memory.

Scott Luton (02:45):

And also don’t, I’m not too, uh, shy. I bring it up cause gosh, Dodgers have been so good for so long and lots of titles and you’ll, you’ll be right back there, you know, in the playoffs I’m sure.

Eric Aparicio (02:55):

Well, let’s hope so.

Scott Luton (02:56):

If we see baseball in 2022, let’s get these discussions done and lift the lock up and, and get to people what they want. Right. That’s

Eric Aparicio (03:04):

Right. That’s right. My, uh, friend to talk my brother into joining me for opening day, but his wife’s a bit of a germophobe and so I’m not sure

Scott Luton (03:12):

Again. Oh, okay. So she’s got, she might have a little longer of a return. Yeah.

Eric Aparicio (03:15):

That’s

Scott Luton (03:15):

Right to normal. Okay. Well let’s shift gears kinda sounds like. So Dodgers have, have been one of your favorite sports teams of all time. That’s right. What else? Any, any other team you can mention?

Eric Aparicio (03:28):

Well, you know, I used to be more actively involved in sports, but when my kids were young, it was soccer and baseball and I coached teams and then really they, uh, they got a high school band and so I was a band dad. Right. You know, moving, moving gear around

Scott Luton (03:44):

Logistics

Eric Aparicio (03:45):

Constantly. Yes. And uh, and so, and I did, and I did that continuously for literally about a decade. And so afterwards not really being around sports as much, my attention gravitated to different different hobbies.

Scott Luton (03:59):

That’s important. You flex that’s that’s right. You flex and evolve. That’s right. So what sport, one more follow up question on sports. What sport was your favorite to coach?

Eric Aparicio (04:08):

To coach? I would say soccer.

Scott Luton (04:11):

Soccer. Yes. Uh, did you play as a kid?

Eric Aparicio (04:14):

I did not play as a kid. I was never really exposed to soccer, but my daughter loved soccer. We, she, she was a little girl. We started her one season in softball and one season in soccer, ASO, and she gravitated towards the soccer. So I learned about soccer became a ref, became a coach.

Scott Luton (04:31):

Love it. Yeah. That’s all it. That’s all it takes. Right. The kids take an interest and we’re gonna support

Eric Aparicio (04:35):

That’s right. I’m not a soccer fan. I’m a Gracie fan.

Scott Luton (04:39):

All right. Final question. We’re getting to know Eric Aparicio, favorite movie or book. Give us one.

Eric Aparicio (04:45):

I have favorite movies by genre. And so I, I chose to focus on, on a book and it’s not my favorite book, but it’s the book that I just finished reading. It’s called the QBQ by John Miller. Okay. The QBQ. Yeah. The QB Q stands for question beyond the question. And it’s a book about personal accountability, both personally and professionally. And, uh, the QBQ stands for the question beyond the question. And, uh, part of the book talks about how oftentimes we ask the wrong questions, right? So it talks about often questions to start with when and why are you usually the wrong questions and questions that begin with how and what are you usually better questions. So as an example, you know, the question is when are they gonna hire more people? So I don’t have to work so much. That’s kind of the wrong question, right? The right question is what can I do to help my organization be more successful so that we can hire more folks

Scott Luton (05:45):

Love that. It sounds like a, are you embracing the right mindset?

Eric Aparicio (05:48):

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Scott Luton (05:50):

Yeah. I love that. Okay. So new one for me, the question beyond the question. Yes. Right?

Eric Aparicio (05:55):

It’s a, it’s a short, easy read. It’s written very well.

Scott Luton (05:58):

Okay. All right. We’re gonna check that out. Okay. So let’s shift gears over to the year that continues teaching us all. And that’s 2021, right? Of course last couple years have taught us plenty. But when you think of key Eureka moments from last year, what’s one that comes mind.

Eric Aparicio (06:15):

I’d have to say connect activity. I think most folks didn’t really give a second thought to supply chain, right? Or give a second thought to pandemics that they had heard about happening elsewhere in the world. And the fact that a virus that originated someplace else infected the entire world and in that process, as it affected our supply chain and people didn’t understand, Hey, when the labor force for this particular manufacturing organization, when that labor force is affected and it affects production, there’s this ripple effect that goes downstream. And I, I think the big Eureka Mo moment is just about connection and that the world’s a pretty small place. And uh, whether we like it or not, we’re all in it together. Yeah.

Scott Luton (07:02):

I love that. The power of, of connectivity.

Eric Aparicio (07:04):

That’s right.

Scott Luton (07:05):

So let’s talk about, you know, everyone is familiar with Yamaha. They may, you know, everyone may not be familiar, but all the different products and all different aspects of the business. Tell us a little more about Yamaha and then your role Eric.

Eric Aparicio (07:16):

All right. Well, Yamaha is, is a really great place to work. They’re the, uh, largest musical instrument manufacturer in the world they make about everything that you can think of if you go to a concert. Yep. Whether it’s a guitar, a drum, a keyboard, a synthesizer, a digital mixer, the PA that’s hanging from the trust. They make it all. And um, yeah, they’re the largest music manufacture in the world and they’re a good, great place to work for. Yeah.

Scott Luton (07:43):

How long have you been with them?

Eric Aparicio (07:44):

I’ve been with them for just a little upwards of 25 years. Really? 25 years. Yes.

Scott Luton (07:48):

Holy cow. Was it your first job outta school?

Eric Aparicio (07:50):

No, it wasn’t. I worked for a small retailer in orange county when I first started in that company. It, it was small and I value it because it’s where I cut my teeth. But, um, they didn’t really have a mission and vision and company values and Yamaha really does.

Scott Luton (08:10):

So congratulations on almost 25 years of service to the largest, amongst other things, the largest musical instrument company manufacturing in the world. That’s right. I’ve forgotten that side of the business. And I, and I share with you, I think pre-show, I worked for a great, uh, organization learned a lot of things in, in the middle stamping industry. Right. Ages. It feels like ages ago. It’s probably like 10 years ago. Uh, but Yamaha’s one of the companies we dealt with. You’re new and Georgia facility. Yep.

Eric Aparicio (08:37):

That’s Yaha motors,

Scott Luton (08:37):

Uh, Janet and the rest of the team down there. Great people. I think the new facility, uh, as I can recall, watercraft golf carts, I believe. And, and some other and some ATV products, perhaps. Yes. But, uh, what you’re speaking to in terms of a great place to work, we saw a lot of that, uh, in our interaction with them. Right. So it seems like a pretty strong culture there at Yamaha.

Eric Aparicio (08:59):

It is, it’s a great culture. They’re, uh, very employee centric. And, um, I like there because I like working there because it resonates with me. We don’t make products that hurt people that hurt the environment. We make musical instruments so that other people can make music, which enriches everybody’s life.

Scott Luton (09:18):

Do you play any musical

Eric Aparicio (09:19):

Instruments? I don’t, no, I don’t.

Scott Luton (09:22):

There’s still time,

Eric Aparicio (09:24):

Time. There’s still time. That’s right.

Scott Luton (09:25):

All right. Let’s shift gears. Let’s get to kind of the, uh, super of the day, the topics of the day. And before we ask you about, you know, some of the things you’re focused on when it comes to returns management, reverse logistics, as, as you were just approaching the stage here, we’re getting, y’all set up. You mentioned how this is not formally part. I, I think that’s right. Formally part of your, your role, but you’re real passionate about this field. So, so let’s start there. Why are you so passionate?

Eric Aparicio (09:50):

Well, I’m so passionate about it because I grew up in a lower or middle class household and, uh, we didn’t waste anything and, uh, it just wasn’t an option. And so I grew up with that mindset and our, our president, Tom Sumner, he used to be the general manager of a mass market division. And, um, he was my manager and our division was losing money. It was losing money is we didn’t have a good solution for returns. And we were just simply liquidating them and it was an unsustainable practice. And so Tom gave me the task of trying to figure out a better way and working with a bunch of people, way smarter than me, we figured out a way to basically out the really great product that was resellable, that was B and C stock. And for the stuff that really wasn’t sellable, we found a, uh, qualified, responsible recycler to do their best with it.

Scott Luton (10:49):

I love that. So going back to the culture of the company, sounds like leadership empowers you to kind of pursue where you can, uh, add more to the equation, even outside of your formal job description.

Eric Aparicio (11:01):

That would be a correct description of Yamaha.

Scott Luton (11:03):

Okay. All right. So then let’s get to, you know, again here at the RLA conference, NPO, the center of the universe for all things returns, right? Returns management, reverse logistics. What’s a couple things that you’re tracking in this space and focused on more than others right now,

Eric Aparicio (11:20):

Right now, for me, it’s the message of circularity and the circular economy. And I think that that’s, that’s a message that cannot get enough attention. The idea that we live in a world with finite resources, and we need to find a way to better utilize those resources. And so in the case of Yamaha, their products are made well enough to have a secondary tertiary life. And so let’s find a way to put that, put those products back into the hands of someone else that values having that product. And so I love that message of circularity.

Scott Luton (11:55):

Yeah. Agreed. And there’s so much more we can do when it comes to circularity, especially as you move it upstream into, I think, as you mentioned it, uh, product design. Yes. You know, and how can we really design products so that, you know, recycling and, and getting them reused into the next product that’s right. There can be more there. We can avoid the landfall altogether that’s landfill altogether. Right. Absolutely. All right. Anything else before we get into a big, bold prediction and I, I’m looking forward to your answer there, uh, to our based on our pre-show conversation, anything else when, when it comes to this space and how you’re benchmarking and you’re, you’re gathering data, sounds like you’re having a lot of interesting conversations with other that, you know, are, are, are finding new ways of doing things like you are anything else really stick out in your mind,

Eric Aparicio (12:39):

You know, for anybody else that is thinking about reverse logistics and helping to take your company into that next stage. You know, it’s really important to understand, and to identify the cost of reverse logistics, because it’s not, it’s not as visible to your C-suite executives as other elements of the P and L might be, right. So for, for a P and L you know, right away what your margin is, it’s right there, front and center. But, uh, the concept of, you know, what are my reverse logistics costing me and what is my asset recovery? It’s, it’s, it’s much further down that you really have to dig to find it

Scott Luton (13:22):

Excellent point. And we all know if you can’t see it, it becomes really tough to manage you.

Eric Aparicio (13:27):

Right. That’s that’s right.

Scott Luton (13:28):

Okay. On that note, skip to big, bad, bold prediction mode with Eric, uh, Aparicio. So talk to us any, any bold prediction you wanna make for the rest of 2022, what we’re gonna see?

Eric Aparicio (13:42):

Well, I like to preface this by saying I’m driven by data, so I’m not given to big, bold predictions, but, uh, just for this one time, I really think that with the, this will awareness of supply chain that COVID has created and this sense of connectivity that we all have now, I really think that the idea of circularity and the idea of reusing products, it, to me, it, it used to seem like kind of a fundamental, fundamental American value. And maybe that’s gotten lost because we’ve become a, a culture of disposal. You know, you know, let’s not fix the TV anymore. Let’s go buy a new one. It’s complacent. Yes. And I really think that the idea of circularity is gonna come roaring back and people are gonna understand it and see it for what it is.

Scott Luton (14:33):

I love that answer, Eric. So thank you for indulging the us.

Eric Aparicio (14:36):

Thank you very much. All

Scott Luton (14:37):

Right. So how can Vos connect with you in Yamaha? Eric?

Eric Aparicio (14:40):

You can reach me at, um, my profile on LinkedIn under my name, Eric Opio, or you can reach me at, uh, E aparicio@yamaha.com.

Scott Luton (14:52):

Okay. It’s just that easy. And of course, easy. We’ll have that in the, uh, show notes of the episode page. So I, we encourage y’all to connect with Eric. I love your passion. I love your, your fact finding and your data, uh, centric disposition. That’s important these days. Isn’t it? Absolutely.

Eric Aparicio (15:08):

Absolutely. Let’s make that’s how we make good decisions. That’s

Scott Luton (15:10):

Right. Uh, good decisions fast. All right. Big, thanks to, uh, joining us today. Eric, Ricio senior director of strategic marketing at Yamaha corporation of America. Hey, folks, stay tuned as we continue our coverage here in Vegas at the 20 C 2022 reverse logistics association conference and expo the 18th annual event, where folks are they’re on the move, trying to find better solutions to old and new problems. Absolutely. So, Hey, signing off for our supply chain now team, this is Scott Luton, challenging you do good. Give forward, be the change that’s needed on that note. We see next time, right back here at supply chain now. Thanks everybody.

Intro/Outro (15:50):

Thanks for being 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.

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Featured Guests

Eric Aparicio is the Senior Director of Strategic Marketing for Yamaha Corporation of America. Eric has been a marketing professional in the music industry for over 25 years. Eric is passionate about music and happy to work at a company like Yamaha, whose vision is a world filled with music lovers inspired to make music to enrich the lives of people around the world. Eric is also freakishly passionate about the environment and sustainability. He believes that a strong reverse logistics strategy is the backbone of sustainability and presents a unique marketing opportunity. The Reverse Logistics Association is a fantastic organization that truly understands the value of the circular economy. Eric has been a member of the RLA for many years. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn.

Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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

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

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

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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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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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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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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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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Greg White

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

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

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

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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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