Supply Chain Now
Episode 1158

You need champions who understand the benefits of data-driven transformation and are prepared to advocate strongly for it; you need those leaders, those champions, to bring everyone else along.

- Kevin L. Jackson, Host of Digital Transformers

Episode Summary

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!

This week’s edition of The Buzz was a Digital Transformers edition, and it featured hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson. In addition to discussing recent news stories, Scott and Kevin shared their favorite business books, including “Chip War” by Chris Miller and “Quitless: The Power of Persistence in Business and Life,” an anthology of insights from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world – including Kevin L. Jackson!

In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott and Kevin discussed:

• Why business leaders in the food industry are leaning on digital transformation to enable them to increase accountability, traceability, and visibility in the supply chain

• How supply chain managers are investing in digital transformation to help them reduce risk

• Why it is important to give as much thought to the information in a company’s value chain as the physical goods in its material supply chain

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, wherever you’re Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson with you here on Supply Chain now, Kevin, how you doing today?

Kevin L. Jackson (00:39):

Hello? Hello. It’s a grand Monday morning. You know, I, I looked out and it was fricking August. I know, I know. It’s August 14th. It’s been like almost two weeks of August, but it just happened, man. Didn’t, it just happened. Where did the summer go? People in school? I mean, you guys have been in school for two weeks. Uh, I think I here up in Virginia. It just starts, uh, this week. Yeah, it’s amazing.

Scott Luton (01:05):

It is. Well, if y’all lost Summer and can’t, don’t know where it went, we caught it down here for you because it is hot. <laugh> hot, hot. And hey, if, if y’all can’t tell, it’s raring to go. I didn’t even get a chance to welcome everybody to today’s live stream. As y’all can tell, it’s a special edition of the Supply Chain Buzz. It’s the Digital Transformers edition of the Buzz today. Kevin, this is one of our favorite conversations, uh, on the second Monday of each month, right?

Kevin L. Jackson (01:32):

Yes, absolutely. I can’t wait. I mean, I, it’s on my calendar every month, man. <laugh>, I gotta do this more often.

Scott Luton (01:39):

We got, we go through your agent every month to make sure <laugh>, uh, you’re back from your world tour. But hey, folks, we’re gonna be discussing a variety of news and developments here across global business and with an extra helping of all things technologies today. For sure. Uh, we wanna hear from you though, so give us your take in the comments throughout the show. We’ll be sharing those and commenting on those. And, hey, if you’re listening to the podcast, replay y’all to consider joining us live on LinkedIn or YouTube, or some other social media channel of your choosing. We’re live every Monday at 12 noon Eastern time, which Kevin, I think right now mm-hmm. <affirmative> is 6:00 PM Central European time. Does that sound right?

Kevin L. Jackson (02:17):

Uh, yes. That’s, that’s, that’s right. But wait a second. I think that it didn’t have daylight savings in Central two. Ah,

Scott Luton (02:25):

Well, you know what? So it may

Kevin L. Jackson (02:26):

Be five.

Scott Luton (02:28):

Okay. Well, let’s ask the experts. So I met

Kevin L. Jackson (02:31):

<laugh>, we got people in Europe on the line, don’t we? That’s

Scott Luton (02:34):

Right. Uh, I met Kia, uh, in Cape Town at the Saex Conference. Great to see ya. And she says she is ready to shed off <laugh> for the Winter <laugh>. Uh, and so, uh, I’ll

Kevin L. Jackson (02:46):

Try <laugh> some people in winter right now, don’t they? <laugh>

Scott Luton (02:50):

Evan’s confirming a force via YouTube. So yes, it’s, uh, just after 6:00 PM Central European standard time. And Evan is in, uh, Germany. How do you say that? Rootling? Kevin, do you see that? Rootling?

Kevin L. Jackson (03:04):

Uh, yeah, I saw Root. Yeah. Rootling, I guess. Okay.

Scott Luton (03:08):

Well, welcome, welcome, Evan, uh, Vishnu from India and Sole from Jordan. Great to see you all via LinkedIn, except Evan is on YouTube. I

Kevin L. Jackson (03:16):

Really love, I really love this international, uh, flavor. Our audience. I mean, it is, this is awesome. Thank you.

Scott Luton (03:24):

Definitely the brightest, the brightest audience in all the, the globe, I should say. I almost said the Land <laugh>, but it’s, it’s the globe <laugh>. It’s bigger, it’s the globe than the land. Um, hey, and our, our dear friend Alan Jacques from Canada is back with us here today. Great to see you, Alan. Looking forward to collaborating with you again soon. And Greg is back from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Kevin L. Jackson (03:47):

Oh, not the country. Wisconsin. <laugh>.

Scott Luton (03:49):

Kevin, you’ve been to, uh, Milwaukee. Oh, I

Kevin L. Jackson (03:53):

Had been to Milwaukee. Yeah. I’ve, uh, you know, uh, home of the Brewers, right?

Scott Luton (03:58):

That’s right. Home of the former home of the Atlanta, uh, of the Braves franchise. Of course, the Braves were in Boston, and then Milwaukee, and then Atlanta, and still the Braves were the only franchise to win a World Series in three different cities. How about that? Kevin

Kevin L. Jackson (04:13):

<laugh>. That’s amazing. You kind of, you, you, I, I, I see the transition. I see the transit. Don’t go there.

Scott Luton (04:20):

So, <laugh> with that said, perfect segue with that said folks, Kevin and I, and really the whole team here at Digital Transformers and supply chain. Now we’re here to offer up resources to help you in your journey ahead. And Kevin, I want to, uh, share mm-hmm. My screen here. And we’re gonna talk about, um, the, with that said digital newsletter that we dropped over the weekend. Now, Kevin, are you as big of a manufacturing fan as I am?

Kevin L. Jackson (04:48):

You know, you gotta, in order to buy stuff, someone has to manufacture it. You know, I like buying <laugh>, of course. <laugh>.

Scott Luton (04:58):

Well, I’m a big, uh, big manufacturing fan. In fact, I wish I had discovered it much earlier in life. I, I made it all through high school and college, Uhhuh, <affirmative>, and outta the Air Force before I ever set foot in a manufacturing plant, Kevin. And had that been different, I believe had I, uh, uh, gotten a student tour back when I was a middle school or high school, I think my whole career path would’ve been different. I love the manufacturing industry. So Kevin did, you know, and we’ll talk about it more on with that said, but manufacturing day manufacturing, which a, they set aside for probably the last 10 or 11 years to really lift up and amplify what goes on the manufacturing industry. That is October 6th every year. Did you know that?

Kevin L. Jackson (05:38):

No, no. That’s coming up here. Soon. We gotta go out and manufacture something. Oh, maybe what we should do is dress up like, uh, a manufacturing line, right? <laugh>, <laugh>,

Scott Luton (05:48):

Absolutely. Let’s do it all. Let’s do it all.

Kevin L. Jackson (05:50):

That’s your favorite product. Yeah,

Scott Luton (05:52):

<laugh>. But the cool thing is, we want to give folks lots of lead time to get prepared. First off, to become aware of manufacturing day and all the, I mean, there’s slew, there’s a slew events, uh, really probably across the globe, but certainly across the country here in the us. And so y’all check out. With that said, we dive into that, some manufacturing factoids and some other things. So check that out and be ready, Kevin, for all of you out there, be ready to, to strike up the band, the parades, whatever it takes to really celebrate all the wonderful people that make up the manufacturing industry. Kevin, your last word here, and we’re gonna move on.

Kevin L. Jackson (06:28):

Yeah. My last word is on manufacturing day. All the assembly lines shut down. That’s a problem.

Scott Luton (06:35):

<laugh>. That’s an excellent, that is an excellent question. Uh, well, kidding aside, what I do know happens, and one of the reasons they’ve gotta keep those lines going is they have hundreds of plant tours. Hmm. Uh, in fact, our dear friend, Allison Creche Giddens, who is a, a special co-host here and who leads a, uh, manufacturing operation in metro Atlanta, she loves bringing students in and get, get a, uh, uh, uh, put their eyes and ears on what a production environment is like. That’s, we need to do more of that, don’t we, Kevin?

Kevin L. Jackson (07:04):

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I think, you know, uh, bringing the, uh, students, you know, college, high school, even elementary and, and to the, uh, uh, environment, real life environment, so they can actually envision what they can do in this world, how they can contribute to society. All that is critical. I was so happy when they do the, you know, uh, bring your child to Workday. Yes. Uh, I think, you know, a lot of children really don’t know what their parents do or, uh, how, um, uh, they, they, they don’t see how their parents link to the rest of society. I think that’s all, that’s all critical. It’s part of the learning.

Scott Luton (07:47):

Absolutely. Kevin. And you know what, it’s been proven time and time again, anecdotally and through research that the, uh, younger generations, they want to see the system level, where they fit in, where they contribute, where they can move the needle, and how it all rolls up into the greater, um, strategy and the, the greater system. Um, absolutely. So, excellent point, Kevin. Uh, so folks, we dropped the link again to, with that said, uh, check it out. If you haven’t subscribed, uh, be sure to do that. We release, uh, this newsletter, uh, usually, uh, every weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, because we like flexibility. Kevin, our team loves, yeah. <laugh> flexibility. Alright, speaking of resources, one more thing to share with y’all. Wednesday, 12 noon Eastern time, which is 6:00 PM Central European time. See that Kevin? We learn and apply <laugh>, learn and apply. That’s

Kevin L. Jackson (08:36):

Good.

Scott Luton (08:37):

<laugh>. We’re gonna be diving into T C U Texas Christian Universities working capital report. So Dr. Morgan Swank is gonna join us. Uh, Dan Reeve has been doing big things in the technology space, especially in supply chain, uh, with our friends at Esker is gonna join us, and we’re gonna offer up the data and the research and the to-dos that you’ve got to take away the actionable insights you gotta take away from the research. Kevin. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uh, have you got your working capital in a headlock?

Kevin L. Jackson (09:05):

No, it got me in a headlock. <laugh>. I mean, <laugh>.

Scott Luton (09:10):

I don’t believe that.

Kevin L. Jackson (09:11):

Sorry. You know, here I’m doing, uh, airing my dirty laundry. You know, <laugh> capital is a good thing, except when you don’t have it. <laugh>

Scott Luton (09:19):

<laugh>. That is right. That is right. Uh, and you know what? It’s loosening. It’s loosening. I read the other day, Kevin, kidding aside, that after a, a plethora mm-hmm. <affirmative> of investments and deal making, especially in the supply chain startup space that, you know, there was a tightening going on. But, uh, we’re starting to see some signs that that tightening is loosening a little bit. So lots more deals, lots more working capital out there. And, uh, Kevin, I’m sure you’ll have yours in the headlock, uh, very, very soon.

Kevin L. Jackson (09:48):

I’m gonna be on that, uh, webinar that at that live stream,

Scott Luton (09:51):

<laugh>. Okay.

Kevin L. Jackson (09:52):

We’re learning something. Hopefully

Scott Luton (09:53):

All of y’all will be, it’s, it’s, I promise you it, it’ll be a, a, a well spent investment of an hour on Wednesday, and we drop the link here. Y’all can check out the easy link to, uh, to sign up and register so you don’t miss it. Hey, T Squared is holding down to Fort Force on YouTube, and he says, Kevin, a tour of a plant is a great ground zero to seeing how it’s made. I love the pun there. Yes.

Kevin L. Jackson (10:17):

Yes.

Scott Luton (10:18):

That’s an excellent show too. Kevin. Have you ever seen how it’s made?

Kevin L. Jackson (10:21):

Oh, I look at it all the time. I tell you learn so much.

Scott Luton (10:24):

And you know what? It really, it time I see, I, I was just watching over the weekend and they were bending steel and, and, uh, I, I forgot what they were making, but there is as much artistry in the manufacturing space as there is engineering and, and technical know-how. It’s just amazing what folks in the global manufacturing industry have can figure out day in and day out, huh?

Kevin L. Jackson (10:47):

Yeah, I was looking at a show, it wasn’t, uh, how things are made, but it was a, uh, how, um, how food changed the world or something like that. Okay. It was, well, it wasn’t food or, yeah, it was talking about how the, uh, shave, um, shaving blades were, uh, created in a battle between Gillette and Chick <laugh>.

Scott Luton (11:10):

Interesting. You know, every time I hear Gillette, I think about the, uh, razor and razor blade Yep. Uh, business model. You know, it’s really interesting. Uh, y’all look that up and, uh, yeah,

Kevin L. Jackson (11:23):

We’re talking about how it took him 10 years to figure out how to get a blade thin enough so that it could be disposable. Because think about it, this was a manufacturing thing, right? Uh, it had to be cheap enough so you can throw it away. And it had to be thin enough so you could actually shaved because they wanted to get rid of, uh, the time it took to actually sharpen the blades every time. That’s right. And that, that balance, uh, between costs low enough so you can throw it away and thin enough. So you didn’t have enough, didn’t use enough material. Yeah. You had less material so it could be usable. Those are fascinating, you know, balances of business.

Scott Luton (12:07):

It is fascinating. And these days you gotta a razor with like seven or eight blades on it, <laugh>, so, you

Kevin L. Jackson (12:12):

Know. Right. Exactly. Wonder. Uh,

Scott Luton (12:14):

But really quick, and Kevin, I know you can relate to this to some degree, although you were an officer and I was enlisted, uh, in basic training when I first arrived in San Antonio, really hot San Antonio back in 1994. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, the first thing they let it, they told us to do, you know, put your stuff down and get in that bathroom and take off every hair off your face, <laugh>. And they were, you know, they were breathing the NTI were breathing down our, our neck and all. And so I had a, I had a, uh, Gillette sensor, I think a little two blade thing, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I was, I was trying to rush really quick, and the, the, uh, the razor came off the handle, right. And it just broke <laugh>. And I had to, uh, finish my razor, my, my shave, holding the two blades. And Kevin, I’m ashamed to say I took off a corner of my lip, but I was

Kevin L. Jackson (12:59):

Not <laugh>.

Scott Luton (13:00):

I was not gonna let those, uh, training instructors down. So as I jumped back in formation, I had blood coming down my mouth. Glad

Kevin L. Jackson (13:07):

Blood. You sucking your own blood, right?

Scott Luton (13:09):

Yes. I’m glad to know social media was around back then, but, alright.

Kevin L. Jackson (13:13):

Hey, before you go, you were yelling, doing that shoutout to people. I wanna do a shout out, uh, to, uh, Morne, uh, sushi in Morocco. Okay. Because you had hot, and that reminded me of the time I was in, uh, Rabat, uh, Morocco. I was on a, uh, I did a, uh, century ride on a, on a bicycle, okay. In the middle of the summer, <laugh> Oh. In Morocco. But, uh, I just wanted throw a shout out. I, it was a beautiful ride. I really enjoyed it. I’m jealous. And it’s been a while since I’ve been back to Morocco. But it’s great to see someone from Morocco 1 0 1.

Scott Luton (13:48):

Uh, I completely agree. And one more shout out. Hey, rah, Jose, the one and only look at that Hollywood GQ headshot there. Uh, <laugh> Rah says, you guys are the best. If you don’t know how it’s made, you can’t sell it. And you definitely can’t build a supply chain to make it. Man. Shakespearean well said Co. Rob, I’m looking forward to your, uh, that top 10 list that you and I were, were chatting about on LinkedIn earlier. Okay. So, Kevin, we got to get to work. We’re having way too much fun. Yes. And I wanna start with this first story here today, uh, from our friends over at Food Safety Magazine. Now, more and more business leaders in the food industry are leaning on digital transformation to enable more accountability, traceability, and visibility, all the abilities in the food supply chain. Kevin, tell us more.

Kevin L. Jackson (14:32):

Well, first of all, I’d like to highlight the fact that I use food every day. <laugh>,

Scott Luton (14:37):

True expert

Kevin L. Jackson (14:38):

<laugh>, I dunno about you, but I’m food and uh, and food safety in supply chain is the u And as food products change hands from raw material to finished product, it goes through several touch points like production, transportation, storage, packaging, and, and this really increases the risk of contamination Mm. And fraudulent activities, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And the more complex the supply chain, the higher the probability of such risk. And we don’t just get our food from our garden in our backyard, right? Or from the town or the farmer in our local, you know, region. This is an international, um, this international supply chain of food. And to enable higher accountability and traceability in the food supply chain, do not US Food and Drug Administration enacted the foreign Supplier verification program via the Food Safety and Modernization Act. This was way back in 2016, <laugh> not that long ago. <laugh>

Scott Luton (15:52):

Feels like an attorney that goes, doesn’t

Kevin L. Jackson (15:53):

It? Yeah. But through the, um, uh, F S V P requirements, food and importers are liable for their foreign based suppliers. So if you’re in food supply chain, you, you need to really leverage Level up in digital transf, uh, digital transformation, because the key technologies that are being used to digitize the food supply chain include blockchains, which allow for improved visibility and traceability across supply chains, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Uh, they use models to help make sense of these large data streams by helping identify patterns, highlighting critical information and pinpointing data inaccuracies and duplications. Also, c r m, customer relationship management and automation software that integrates several information channels to enable effective follow up on potential leads by profiling customers and suppliers. And finally, robotic process automation or R P A, which automates data entry that humans typically do. But these record keeping requirements include data on supplier audits, supplier performance, inventory levels, warehouse temperatures. You gotta keep that ice cream cool. <laugh> and all the incoming material details. So digital transformation is critical to compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. Well

Scott Luton (17:41):

Said. Uh, a couple quick comments there. Um, you mentioned all the data entry mm-hmm. <affirmative> I saw the other day. I think our, our friends at Rate Link shared this research with us on a webinar. That research shows that there’s one error generated for every nine entry inputs by humans. That’s percent in data entry. Wow. Geez. That is something. Um, so, so really we gotta lean on the op massive opportunities. It’s nothing new No. But has existed for years, uh, to get the, the traceability and visibility we need in the food industry. And as you point out, the government governments really across the world, are holding, uh, food supply chain leaders more and more accountable for their entire ecosystem. I wanna share one other. Uh, so folks, uh, check out this, uh, great article, food Safety magazine that Kevin pointed out and brought to us. So y’all check that out. I want to share a little personal example, Kevin, and look at this. I, I’m gonna make you, you said you use food every day, <laugh>. Yes. So we can all relate, we’ll try

Kevin L. Jackson (18:40):

<laugh>, but

Scott Luton (18:41):

I, I’ve heard one kit Katt a day keeps a doctor away, <laugh>. So I wanna share that <laugh>.

Scott Luton (18:46):

So, uh, long story short, Amanda and I were in Cape Town, uh, back in June mm-hmm. At the SAEX Conference, I think I mentioned on the front end. And the kid, our kids wanted us to gather them all sorts of, of local snacks and candy so they could try it when we got home. So we were in the local World Wars, uh, there in Cape Town, and I saw this Kit Katt, which of course we’ve got in the States, but I noticed this a hundred percent sustainably sourced cocoa labeled up there in the right hand corner. And I was intrigued. Wow. So, Kevin, I, me and Amanda grabbed a couple of them, and not only were they absolutely more delicious than the US cousin, uh, counterpart of what have you, <laugh>, but they have been leveraging, uh, blockchain and other technologies, uh, for years as part of their cocoa plan, right.

Scott Luton (19:29):

Aptly named. Yeah. ’cause I think by 2025, Kevin, lemme make sure I got this data right. Uh, by 2025, the company wants a hundred percent of its cocoa worldwide sustainably sourced. That when I think of future proofing, when I think of really answering the demands and the expectations of the, what I’ll call the modern day consumer, you know, they don’t want, uh, modern day slavery or child labor or mm-hmm. <affirmative> or, uh, nons sustainably produced, uh, um, uh, food products and whatnot. That is a company that gets it. So, hats off to the, our our friends over at Nestle. And again, Kevin, if you get a chance, if you’re ever in Cape Town and who knows <laugh>, it’s probably bigger than that <laugh>. But certainly in Cape Town, you see a Kit Katt, you better grab it and you better get two or three because you’re gonna have some, some instant friends right away. Kevin, your thoughts

Kevin L. Jackson (20:20):

That highlights the importance of digital transformation to sustainability. Mm. Right. So, uh, that, that, that was a, that was a great shout out there. Right? I’m gonna get some Kit Katt. <laugh> <laugh>.

Scott Luton (20:33):

Well, I’m hoping once, once 2025 rolls around. Hopefully we see that in Kit Kats in every single market around the corner. Yeah. And it’s really cool too. One last comment here, and sorry, I’m, I’m nerding out a little bit here, but, um, how cool is it that the outstanding leadership supply chain leadership in particular at Nestle, you know, and, and the outcomes they’re getting there with this big commitment, all of a sudden it gives sales and marketing outstanding fodder, right? Mm-hmm. To move more product as if Kit Katt needed extra fodder to move product. But I think that’s really just a cool example. Um, alright, so let’s see here. Hey, Mark Preston tuned in from Peachtree City of Georgia. Kevin, I gotta get you and Mark connected. Mark, uh, okay. You’re, we were talking earlier about the manufacturing industry. Mark is a manufacturing guru, in particular, a lean guru, and he’s done some big things with, uh, you ever heard of a company called Acuity Brands? Kevin? Uh,

Kevin L. Jackson (21:26):

Actually I have, yeah. Okay. Pretty

Scott Luton (21:28):

Interesting. Mark moved mountains there for quite some time and, wow. Um, all right. So Kevin, we’ve got to move to our next story here and look at, check out this graphic. I saw this graphic and I was like, okay, I’m on with, uh, Kevin, a former national mission, uh, <laugh> expert and <laugh>. That’s what reminded me. So in the second story from our friends over at Supply and Demand Chain Executive, you guessed it, more digital transformation now, but this read Kevin talks about why many businesses waited for years to kick off their own digitization journey as the markets were, let’s call it a good bit more predictable and stable over the last few decades. But, Kevin, tell us more.

Kevin L. Jackson (22:10):

Well, you know, um, if you are a supply chain manager, you realize that your environment has a huge emphasis on increased risk management, regulatory changes, and economic, societal and geopolitical shocks. You know, change is constant and change is accelerating in everyone’s job, especially if you’re in supply chain. As a result, the global supply chain networks continue to undergo digital transformation in order to overcome these new challenges. They’re implementing asset tracking solutions and adopting Industry 4.0 technology, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and internet of things. A, a core central element on this ongoing effort is to embed digital capabilities throughout the supply chain. And this is asset tracking, or how a company tracks physical, also, digital assets by equipping them with, um, uh, technology solutions like G p s trackers, barcode scanners, ready, and RFIDs. Uh, these asset tracking solutions installed, installed inside trucks, shipping containers, or the asset itself.

Kevin L. Jackson (23:38):

They give the managers greater supply chain VI visibility, and at the same time, they are implementing, um, ai, uh, machine learning and iot enabled asset tracking solutions and into the supply chain to help the enterprises reduce cost. Research from McKenzie found that these early adopters who have successfully implemented AI enabled supply chain management saw improved inventory cost of 35%, and their logistics cost reduced by 15%. Hmm. AI is also a key enabler of automation, which can help minimize errors and delays, getting rid of that 10% error in, in data entry, allowing organizations to decrease costs associated with loss supply. So this is, this is critical. And, and I don’t know a ju but we have one of those, um, uh, new, you know, walk-in stores that, that no people in, and they just scan everything, right? You put it into your basket and you just walk out without going through a cashier. I mean, it’s scary. <laugh>, you wonder what they’re charging, but <laugh>, you know, that’s, that’s, uh, AI ml check price check. Yeah. Price check. <laugh> <laugh>.

Scott Luton (25:04):

Well, I thought you’re, when you were saying, uh, we’ve got this new, and I thought you were gonna share with us, Kevin, you had one of these powerful satellite dishes in your background, <laugh>. And let’s be clear, of course, that <laugh>, this, this massive satellite has nothing to do with asset tracking. But Kevin, I thought the image was really cool, and, uh, it’s amazing. It really is amazing, uh, what digital transformation is empowering. You know

Kevin L. Jackson (25:29):

What, tho those satellites are important to asset tracking because how you think you’re gonna be tracking those trucks going down the interstate globally?

Scott Luton (25:37):

Excellent point.

Kevin L. Jackson (25:38):

Excellent. That’s on the internet, right? And that’s right. Those, uh, satellites, that’s what those disc, uh, dishes are used for.

Scott Luton (25:46):

That’s right. Uh, and hey, playing up on your mention of AI and generative ai, which is all three rage, of course, every conversation <laugh>, mark says, AI is the latest poke yoke technology or, or, uh, mistake proofing, uh, technology. Excellent point mark. And love the lean terminology. We know we need to use

Kevin L. Jackson (26:05):

Pookey. Yes. <laugh>. Yep.

Scott Luton (26:07):

Good stuff there, mark. Um, okay, Kevin, uh, we wanna share a quick blurb with our friends across the globe. Before we continue on, folks, we encourage you join the Now community. So if you like shows like the buzz, if you like series, like digital Transformers, if you like, uh, webinars and live streams and, and newsletters, you name, name it, that make you smarter and bring opportunities and resources to you and your journey and your teams, your organizations. Hey, join the Now community. It’s easy. Our team’s gonna drop the link here. Big thanks to Amanda and Catherine behind the scenes to help make everything happen. And Kevin, there’s like three pieces of information that is all we require. And, you know, so Kevin mm-hmm. <affirmative>, three pieces instead of 10 pieces. <laugh>, I would expect that, uh, that error rate comes down <laugh> quite a bit, right? So we’re gonna,

Kevin L. Jackson (26:55):

We just got data entry <laugh>,

Scott Luton (26:57):

Right? But, uh, Kevin, I don’t know about you, but sometimes when, uh, you know, add myself to a, a newsletter or a different resource, right? Right. It’s like I’m getting audited. It’s like 37 pieces of information. They won’t know my firstborn and my

Kevin L. Jackson (27:11):

First car, and it’s all mandatory, right? Right.

Scott Luton (27:14):

<laugh>, this is our global community. Our global fam has spoken. They wanna make it easy and simple. So y’all check it out here, one click away and, uh, don’t miss, uh, some of the great resources and shows that we roll out.

Kevin L. Jackson (27:28):

Yeah. One of the things that, you know, as, as change is constant and change is accelerating, as I said earlier, that’s why you need to be part of the noun networks. So That’s right. You know now when things are changing, you know now what you need to be successful, uh, in your career and in your business. Oh. So join the noun, <laugh>, uh, community now. Right now.

Scott Luton (27:52):

You did it so much better than me. What was I trying? Kevin? <laugh>. You’re just a natural. I’ll tell you what, uh, so y’all check it out. We’d love to have y’all be a part of some of the things you may just be missing out on. Okay, Kevin, we’ve got a couple other things we’re, we’re gonna walk through here today. I wanna start with our next, um, uh, article here. And this is from our friends over at dataiku. So we’re talking about digital value chains and some of the challenges that business leaders are, are facing there. But Kevin, before you kind of unpack it here. Yep. Uh, I wanna level set just a bit with our listeners in terms of supply chains and value chains. Now, I’m gonna try to do this just in a minute or two, but in a small nutshell, the supply chain focuses more on the processes and the logistics to get stuff right.

Scott Luton (28:40):

And its most basic components. Think of, you know, plan, source, make, deliver, and koro. If you’re still with us, I know that your top 10 list in events can go way well past that <laugh>. But in a similar sense, uh, supply chains could be considered a component of the value chain, which is a term that was introduced by Michael Porter back in the eighties. Now that focuses value chain’s focus on all the different ways that a company creates value and competitive advantage to deliver a product and service. Mm-hmm. Kevin, the value chain includes areas such as human resources, customer service, sales and marketing, product design, everything. Again, that creates value and competitive advantage. Now, sometimes folks use supply chain and value chain interchangeably, and there’s certainly some similarities, but there are really distinct differences. And I thought that would be helpful context as we move into this next story. So, Kevin, tell us more here.

Kevin L. Jackson (29:31):

Well, first of all, I want to, uh, thank you for that, uh, little information. But it’s also important to understand that this is, doesn’t apply only, only, it does not only apply to physical, um, assets. You have to really think about your information assets as well. Okay? There is an information supply chain, and that information supply chain provides value to you and your customers are clients. So, but getting back to, to the story supply chain, uh, volatility, the macro economics and, and regulatory pressures. Hey, we, you got a theme here, right? <laugh> are creating challenges for just about every organization. Hmm. Uh, this is uncertainty that must be managed, and the risks need to be mitigated with an end-to-end view of manufacturing operations and, and the supply chain. Uh, that is why many organizations are investing in digital control towers and digitizing their supply chains.

Kevin L. Jackson (30:38):

Uh, even when data is digitized, however, it often resides in a variety of systems, not all of them connected. And this could make it very difficult for the managers to understand. And, you know, at any organization, digitization requires people, you know what I always say? If it wasn’t for the people, this would be easy, but <laugh>, but you really, you really need people. You need champions who understand the benefits of data-driven transformation and are prepared to advocate strongly for it, because you need those, those leaders, those champions to bring everyone else along to teach us, just like you have just did. Hmm. About the importance of value chains and supply chains. The problem, of course, is that the right people aren’t always around, uh, or they’re otherwise not in the right position to push for change. Uh, so even when a champion exists, the environment may not be supportive of the digital transformation effort and culture is the most often cited reason for digital transformation failures. Wow. So the enterprises that will be best off are those that can develop agility and adapt to the changing external conditions on the fly. Hmm. Uh, the flow of information is rapid in our modern world, so it moves faster and faster every year. So to mitigate supply chain risk, uh, you need to have both a short term and long, long-term horizon planning every delay in improving a procurement or logistic process in perils resiliency, and, and incurs even more risk, the risk of doing nothing. Yep.

Scott Luton (32:44):

Well said. Kevin. A couple of follow up thoughts there, and I don’t know if this is a true anecdote, and I’m probably gonna botch just a little bit, but when you talked about how culture is often cited as one of the biggest culprits of, of failure, uh, it reminded me of the old anecdote that you and I probably both heard lots of times where during the Apollo program as the story goes, president Lyndon, uh, baes Johnson was, uh, at a NASA facility, and he stopped by, uh, custodian had gotten his attention, and he, and he tapped this, uh, person on the shoulder and said, Hey, what do you do here? And he goes, mm-hmm. My job is to get an astronaut on that moon <laugh>. And you know that, I don’t know if that’s true or not, right? But I think the power, it’s like a, um, even if it’s not true, the power behind it, it’s kinda like a parable, right? Yeah. The power behind it, where every person in the organization, no matter their functional, where they are in, in, in whatever functional capacity, where they are on the, on the leadership structure, it doesn’t matter. They all know the mission of what they’re, they’re after and what they’re gonna do. That speaks that, that is one of my favorite anecdotes, and it really displays Kevin, the power of culture. Your thoughts.

Kevin L. Jackson (33:56):

Yeah. I mean, this is the importance of leadership from the top, change from the top. And you have to infuse that into the entire organization. Everybody has to know what the goals are and how what they do every day contribute to that goal. And you, you, you, you can’t be successful unless you have a, a management layer and an executive layer that work together to make sure that that information, that data, uh, flows easily, and that you don’t have these data silos that, that, uh, separate, uh, people within the organization. So that, that, that’s critical. And it, it, that is culture. It is culture.

Scott Luton (34:44):

Well said. And I’ll tell you, I would argue, Kevin, I’ll see if you agree with me here, that silos have always not been good for business, right? Mm-hmm. Right. But silos, in terms of their dangerous, um, um, the danger they pose to organizations these days, I think that danger’s getting bigger and bigger. Your thoughts, Kevin, on, on the danger of silos,

Kevin L. Jackson (35:07):

Right? Now, you’re talking about having to integrate or interact from a global perspective and with a global perspective. Uh, any industry is inherently global today because of the internet, right? Uh, you can, you know, you can go on the, uh, a browser, look for any type of product, get it sourced from anywhere in the world, and it’s on your, you know, know, uh, at your front door the next day, if not the next two days. I mean, that is normal <laugh> today, right? So you are competing against everyone no matter what, what you are doing. And the, the business, uh, models are also dramatically changing. Hmm. Everything is going towards, uh, uh, information manipulation model. Okay? If those that have more information about the product and the service and the consumers that wanted that product and service are going to be ahead. Uh, I saw a show yesterday.

Kevin L. Jackson (36:22):

Yeah. Uh, actually on C n n, uh, we talked, Bobby FLA was interviewing different, um, uh, restaurant owners Okay. About how they survived the pandemic. And all of them were talking about how they had to pivot every 10 minutes. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> <laugh>, they had to understand not only how the marketplace was changing, how their customers were changing, how regulations were changing Mm. But how that affected their own internal processes and their own employees. And, uh, all of them really changed their business model, um, on the fly. ’cause they had to, uh, I think it’s said 150,000 restaurants failed. Wow. And just, just in the United States o over that, uh, two year period. Hmm. Because they couldn’t adapt, because they couldn’t change,

Scott Luton (37:28):

Put future proofing aside for a second. They were trying to present proof and then make it <laugh>,

Kevin L. Jackson (37:33):

You know? Right, right, right. But

Scott Luton (37:35):

What a fascinating time. Uh, you’re gonna have to share that with me later, because I think, you know, if I think of all the industries that were really hit and double hit and triple hit during the pandemic, the restaurant industry mm-hmm. <affirmative> and other services industries we’re really at the top of the list. That would be a fascinating interview to, to learn from those that were on the front lines and had to drive those, those, those instant pivots just to survive, Kevin. So I’m gonna check that out. Uh, ’cause we could probably all learn a lot regardless of, uh, what your role is and what sector you’re in. We could learn a lot from the, the restaurants that that was able to persevere through. Right?

Kevin L. Jackson (38:10):

Yeah. One particular restaurant was in Louisville, Kentucky, and it, it, it launched as a full service restaurant just before the pandemic hit. Um, and there, uh, uh, you know, like three days into the pandemic, their normally crowded, um, restaurant was down to zero. Mm-hmm. Uh, and, and they quickly, uh, shifted to, uh, DoorDash, so that that was their initial savior in order to get their meals, uh, to, um, their customers. They actually partnered with a sort of like a Meals on Wheels organization. Hmm. And they were making the meals in their restaurant, and people were ordering online through the Meals on Wheels Hmm. To get them, get it delivered. And then they shifted to a, um, sort of outdoors, the, the, the city, uh, finally let people eat outdoors. So they went down to, um, home Depot and bought a lot of picnic tables, set them up really outside. Yeah.

Scott Luton (39:26):

Love it.

Kevin L. Jackson (39:27):

And people just loved the, the picnic tables, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and then they still weren’t getting back the revenue they needed. So they opened up a bodega <laugh> really, to, to, to buy, you know, uh, pe uh, food stuffs, uh, from local farmers. Hmm. So it was like, uh, so that people can come and get local fruits and local vegetables. Love it. So they could take home and make it themselves. Right.

Scott Luton (39:59):

And those farmers, of course, needed those distribution avenues because a lot of them, you know, were, were shelved for a while.

Kevin L. Jackson (40:06):

But the thing about it is that after the pandemic, all four of those new business models grew <laugh>, and they still exist.

Scott Luton (40:19):

All right. So you’re gonna have to share that show. That is so fascinating. We’re, uh, there’s so much, you know, one of the silver linings here, and we’ve talked about it time and time again, Kevin, uh, um, not taking anything away from the suffering and, and, and all the, the bad terrible things that the pandemic brought. But if you, there’s always good news if you go looking for it. And, and the lessons that we, that we have learned and continue to learn from the pandemic as we study that and look for, for ways of, of it goes far beyond resiliency. It really goes back to future proofing organization, reinventing business models, you name it. And I love the story you shared there. So, Kevin, we went all the way, uh, around the block and then some <laugh>, uh, you know, but that’s what makes a great show. I gotta catch up on a few folks here, uh, Debra, great to have you. Join us here, Dave, via LinkedIn. Let us know where you’re tuned in from and yeah. Hey, digital transformation. That is Kevin’s, uh, that’s his calling card. That’s, that’s what, that’s what World World knows him for. That’s right. So you can expect a lot more of this. Uh, hey mom, Lee Lutton from Aiken, South Carolina. You are late today. That’s okay. No demerits right? Kevin <laugh> no de merits

Kevin L. Jackson (41:23):

Mom ne gets the merits we started when she gets here.

Scott Luton (41:27):

That is right. Uh, big show. Bob Bova going back to Silo Boen, uh, busting, uh, Bob, great to see you. It’s been too, too long. He says, today’s silos can be seen as specific areas of expertise in particular disciplines. The overarching digital transformation needs to have a management layer that can identify the best practices that can be shared in the various areas of their companies. That’s right, Bob. No islands of excellence, which is so, uh, an important, really important comment there. All right. So Kevin, we are going,

Kevin L. Jackson (41:56):

Before you go, I just wanna highlight one thing. This is a live audience. Yes. They’re interacting with us in, in real time. We’re giving them information in real time. So I’m, I’m, I’m not, you know, downplaying the importance of On Demand. Okay. And I really appreciate you if you’re here listening to us on demand, but, you know, live is better. Baby <laugh>, just saying,

Scott Luton (42:24):

Just saying. I love it. Just saying that is s a y I N, trophe

Kevin L. Jackson (42:28):

<laugh>.

Scott Luton (42:29):

Um, great point. All right, Kevin, let’s see here. I’ve got one. We’ve got one more topic we wanna broach here today. It’s, it’s, uh, as we, okay. As we’re starting to come down home stretch, um, and what that is, so we have imposing questions in front of, uh, an, uh, oh, hang on a sec. Cora says, is a deep fake ai Kevin <laugh>. Man, we gotta put some, some safeguards in place that, that would be dangerous. The, the world only needs one Korah Kase, uh, you’re

Kevin L. Jackson (42:58):

Right about that one. <laugh>, but <laugh>.

Scott Luton (43:01):

So what we have been doing as we get into this last topic here today is we’ve been pulsing, uh, our global community followers listeners, uh, mom, dad, you name it, right? And, and really trying to understand a variety of different things between their ears, including Kevin. One fun, simple question that, uh, I always en uh, enjoy hearing back from people is what are some of the books that, uh, that not just that they’re reading, that’s not good enough? What are some of the books that have had a profound impact on their journey? So, Kevin, I wanna share a couple of here that we’ve gathered, okay. Over the last month or so of, of conducting some very simple, uh, research and that, uh, these are four here. Chip War by Chris Miller probably was told back to us the most that probably had the most votes. So, of course, as you might imagine, uh, it’s all about, uh, the fight for the world’s most critical technology and semiconductor. So y’all check that out. Good to Great. Which has been around for 20 something years, if I’m not mistaken. I, I, I probably read it 20 years ago.

Kevin L. Jackson (44:03):

Oh, yeah. That’s some great, great information and add good to Great.

Scott Luton (44:08):

Agreed, no pun intended. And I, by the way, I like good to Great, much better than Built To Last, which is another popular read amongst others from Jim Collins. Y’all check that out. Shoe Dog. Have Not Read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. If you, have you seen that, Kevin?

Kevin L. Jackson (44:21):

No, I haven’t read that one. No. I’ve heard of it, but I haven’t read it.

Scott Luton (44:25):

So all of these got had multiple responses and Ship War was number one again. And then finally this, uh, getting to Yes, yes. Negotiating agreement, <laugh> negotiating agreement without giving in. Don’t give in, Kevin, don’t get in. That had lots of votes. So those four were the books that we heard, um, from our global family. How about you, Kevin? Uh, of course, you, you’re a published, you’re a well-published and successful author. And, and we’ll touch on maybe a couple of those, but what are a couple books you wanna point out, Kevin?

Kevin L. Jackson (44:55):

Well, well, first of all, you know, I’ve been doing a lot in cloud computing, and one of the biggest issues about, uh, companies that, uh, decide to transition to cloud cloud computing now is not a way of doing technology. It’s the way of doing information technology. So, but what they failed to do is link their, um, it to their economics. Um, so one of the biggest issues that companies have to deal with is Cloud Fin finops financial operations. So this is a book called from O’Reilly called Cloud finops that helps you understand how to modify change and update, uh, your C F O when they’re dealing and operating in a cloud environment. If you don’t know how to do this, you’re going to fail and your transition to cloud, and you’re gonna fail in your digital transformation. <laugh>, just a, just a little hint there. <laugh>,

Scott Luton (45:56):

Take Kevin’s word to the bank, uh, on that. He is a, he is the cloud guru. And also, Kevin, quick aside, you had me with the bird on the front cover, as you know, I’m a big

Kevin L. Jackson (46:06):

Bird nerd. <laugh>. Yeah. <laugh>, you know, yeah. They always had these, these, uh, animals on the front of his oly books, you know,

Scott Luton (46:13):

For suckers like me. Alright, so Cloud finops is one. I think you’ve got a second one, right?

Kevin L. Jackson (46:18):

Yes. So this was actually a, a, a project I participated in, and it’s a u s A today in Wall Street Journal. Best seller. Mm-hmm. It’s called Quit List. Alright? The power of persistence in Business and Life. It’s a anthology of some of the most successful, diehard, tirelessly working entrepreneurs in the world. They, this, this book actually gives a compelling narrative about the, the, uh, crucial aspect of learning what’s important to pick yourself up when you have a quote failure. Mm-hmm. Uh, you need to dust yourself off and get back into the game. Okay? So these are, each chapter is from a different entrepreneur about their entrepreneurial life, what they learned in business, not only in business, but how it affected their personal life. And I did a chapter in this as well. So if you’re an artist or a teacher or programmer or entrepreneur, okay, this really will set you up for a continued success, loveless.

Scott Luton (47:34):

Love it. And of course, you gotta be quit less to make it in global supply chain as well. Yes. So, <laugh> practitioners out there pick up that book. We dropped a link to that book as well there in the chat. Y’all check it out. Let’s see here. Catherine said, uh, never split the difference that she read it as a family book club. I love that. Catherine, uh, Vanessa says, upstream by Dan Heath is a great, uh, is great for quick stories of improvements across industries. That sounds, that’s right up my alley. That sounds like a very practical read. Vanessa, thank you for sharing. I’m gonna share a couple. So, uh, I’ve got a lot of books behind me. I’ve read. I’m just gonna say I read all of them. Wink, wink, <laugh> and Kevin <laugh>. So Kevin, you read the

Kevin L. Jackson (48:15):

Type, you’re at the cover of all of them. Yes, that’s

Scott Luton (48:17):

Right. That’s right. <laugh>, you’re too quick for me. Uh, got some of Kevin’s, but I wanna point out two others. Uh, you know, our dear friend Theodore Lau Kevin, she’s joining us

Kevin L. Jackson (48:27):

Oh yeah. Theodore in October.

Scott Luton (48:28):

This is a great read. Uh, it’s her and Bradley Lemer, uh, beyond Good, how Technology is Leading a Purpose-Driven Business Revolution. Y’all check that out. And Kevin, our dear friend here that we’ve collaborated with Billy Ray Taylor. Yes.

Kevin L. Jackson (48:42):

Billy Ray, yes. The Winning

Scott Luton (48:44):

Link. The Winning Link.

Kevin L. Jackson (48:45):

That’s a good book. That’s a great book.

Scott Luton (48:46):

It is a great book. And it really, you know, as I mentioned a minute ago, I’m a very practical person. I love really good practical books with examples and outcomes and, and great stories. And I’ll tell you in particular the winning link. Uh, if Billy Ray does anything, it’s tell outstanding stories that have morals. Mm-hmm. A lot of ’em have his mother, which I love. Uh, but y’all check out the winning link that it really documents his his journey of doing big things, uh, for Good Year. Um, alright. So Kevin, thanks. We have Man run the gamut here today. Uh, really quick, I wanna make sure, and folks, we’d love to get the rest of y’all’s. Uh, any other recommendations? Uh, I wanna recap the four books we, we talked about a second ago. Chip War. Good to great Shoe Dog, getting to Yes. And then Kevin, if you’d, uh, share those two titles that you just, I know Quit List was one. What was that first title? Yes.

Kevin L. Jackson (49:37):

Cloud finops. Cloud finops. And Quit

Scott Luton (49:42):

Lists. Quit Lists. Quit Lists. Yes. And take that, especially on that first one. Take that from the, uh, leader that wrote the book on all things cloud. Uh, one, one of your most popular, uh, uh, books that you wrote, Kevin, speaking of Yes. Books that you wrote, I think <laugh>, we can let a little birdie out right of the, a little, um, a little secret out here. ’cause you’re working on your next, uh, book already. Can you share anything that it might touch on?

Kevin L. Jackson (50:08):

Yes, absolutely. I’m, uh, actually doing a, uh, study guide. It’s kind, maybe kind of boring to some of you, but the Certified Cloud security professional is the number one uhor specific, uh, cloud certification in the world. Um, I was, uh, uh, lucky enough to be part of the team, uh, over at I S C Square to put that certification together. And, uh, I am now, uh, working on a study guide for those that want to get the C C SS P certification to move yourself up, um, in your professional career. It’s been referred to as, uh, the, um, graduate level cloud computing training. Mm-hmm. Uh, is, is that CC SS P certification? That, so I expect that to be out, um, by spring of next year.

Scott Luton (51:04):

Okay, awesome. Uh, hey, that’s above my pay grade though, so don’t gimme any quizzes, <laugh> on certified cloud technology. But, uh, kidding aside, it’s man, it’s where we are. Yes. Uh, and, and really, I’m not gonna say we’re just getting started, but, um, but there’s a lot more but to come. So you, uh, learn from the best and the true experts and practitioners, and Kevin certainly fits all of that, Kevin. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. We have a really, uh, full episode of the Buzz here today, A special digital Transformers edition of the supply chain buzz here today. We’ve done a lot. We have really, I mean, uh, from some of the stories and some of the developments out there, there’s some great books and, and resources for folks. Um, before we call it a day here mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, let’s make sure folks know, of course they can find digital transformers with Kevin L. Jackson, wherever they get their podcast from. You can check them on social media and you name it. But Kevin,

Kevin L. Jackson (51:58):

Yeah, well, you’re talking about that. I’ll show that we’re gonna be releasing later this month. And then we’re talking about food today. Um, how many of you have heard of PI Brands?

Scott Luton (52:08):

Okay, I think

Kevin L. Jackson (52:09):

I have PI Brands. You familiar? So some of the, uh, some of the brands from, uh, PIM Brands includes the, uh, uh, Welch’s, ah, juice rolls and fruit rolls. How about the slice? Uh, that’s from Pran, the drink, the original, uh, no, it was candy.

Scott Luton (52:30):

Oh, okay.

Kevin L. Jackson (52:31):

Slice the candy. The original gummy fun mix. So you like gummies, <laugh>, sun made, we were talking a little bit about chocolate earlier. Yeah. Sun made chocolate raisins. Love them. Come from pem, brandand, sour Jacks, uh, <laugh> come from Bran.

Scott Luton (52:50):

I’m sure my kids know those. <laugh>, no

Kevin L. Jackson (52:52):

Doubt. Tuxedos Milk chocolate almonds. So I’m gonna have on the show, uh, the head of marketing for PIM Brands, and he is gonna tell us how they use SS a p to, to manage, uh, their resources across the entire company globally. So, uh, you can check that out. Uh, we released that on the last Monday of the month.

Scott Luton (53:18):

Well, hey, sign me up, Kevin. But more importantly, or at least equally as importantly, <laugh>, do we get samples of all, all those delicious snacks

Kevin L. Jackson (53:26):

Samples?

Scott Luton (53:27):

We demand samples? Yes,

Kevin L. Jackson (53:28):

Absolutely. We collect all the information, the downloads <laugh>. Love it. When we run, we run a, uh, we run a contest. <laugh> <laugh>.

Scott Luton (53:36):

Seriously, the winner gets all the chocolate covered raisins. They can, they can, uh, stand to eat over the, the rest of the year. Yes. Um, all right. Kevin L. Jackson, as, as, hey, as, as Korah says here, great insights and one buzz to remember. Great job. Kevin L. Jackson. Yay. And Scott Lee,

Kevin L. Jackson (53:55):

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Scott Luton (53:56):

Yeah, Korah, appreciate what you’re doing. And folks, check out Korah cross LinkedIn. He’s putting on some great audio live, live. ’cause as Kevin says, live is better. Great audio is better, babe. Interactive, uh, inclusive conversations on the state of global supply chain and T-Square throws in two second advantage by vivic. Uh, ADE, uh, is a good one. Mm-hmm. I bet I’m gonna check that out. We’ll add that to the list T squared. Great to have you here as always. Okay, Kevin, uh, thank you for being here today. Really appreciate, uh, all the light bulbs that you’re causing, the digital light bulbs that you’re causing to go on as you continue your, uh, mission to educate and inspire and help folks innovate and, and find real opportunities here in, uh, the cloud era. Right, Kevin? No,

Kevin L. Jackson (54:45):

This is fun. I really enjoyed it and, and the feedback I keep getting is, is tremendous. Thank, thank you very much. I, I really enjoy interacting and responding. So, uh, you can catch me on, uh, uh, Twitter at, uh, Kevin <inaudible> Jackson, or on LinkedIn. Um, so, uh, don’t, don’t be

Scott Luton (55:05):

Shy. Don’t be shy. And, and if y’all can’t tell, Kevin loves to share, loves to have fun while, uh, comparing notes. Uh, he, he incredibly bright, as I mentioned. Uh, I, I have a good time talking about Kevin’s Day supporting NASA missions, <laugh> that says all you need to know. So <laugh>, check him out, uh, across social and certainly digital Transformers. Hey, Steve, appreciate that feedback. Steve says thanks. Totally enjoyed the show via LinkedIn. Thank you Steve. Really appreciate and hope, hope you won’t be a stranger and you’ll see us next time speaking next time. First off, thanks of course to Kevin. Thanks to all the folks that that came out. I know we couldn’t hit all the comments and all the different questions. Big thanks to again, Catherine and Amanda behind the scenes helping to make production happen.

Kevin L. Jackson (55:46):

Yes, thank you folks.

Scott Luton (55:48):

Whatever you do, take something Kevin shared here today. Take something that was in the comments. Take something we talked about here today. Put it in action, put it in that headlock that we had a little fun with earlier today. Deeds, not words. On that note, on behalf of me and all the whole team here at Supply Chain now and Digital Transformers Skyline, challenge you to do good, to give forward and to be the change. We’ll see next time, right back here at Supply Chain now. Thanks everybody.

Intro/Outro (56:12):

Thanks 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.

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Host, Digital Transformers

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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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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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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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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host

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

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

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

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

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host

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

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

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

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

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Marty Parker

Host

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

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

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Laura Lopez

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Jake Barr

Host

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

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Marcia Williams

Host

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

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Luisa Garcia

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Astrid Aubert

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Sofia Rivas

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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

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

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Karin Bursa

Host

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

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Vin Vashishta

Host

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

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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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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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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

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

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

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

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

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

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

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

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Katherine Hintz

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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