Supply Chain is Boring
Episode 13

Episode Summary

“That is my latest obsession. That’s my latest drive is to help companies to avoid missteps, to take the right steps that accelerate their success. There are so many things that you need not learn the hard way. And that’s what, to me, what mentorship is about. It’s about uplifting and educating and empathizing and growing people. And I do mean people, not companies, right. You know, a company is just a collection of really, really talented people.”

-Greg White, Host, TECHquila Sunrise

 

You know him as the host of TECHquila Sunrise and co-host of Supply Chain Now. But who was Greg White before he was a Supply Chain celebrity? Listen to part 2 of this interview with Mr. White as he discussed his business successes, building a team for success, who he is helping today, and what the future of supply chain management holds.

Episode Transcript

Chris Barnes (00:06):

Hey, it’s Chris, the supply chain doctor and host of supply chain is boring. Bringing insight into the history of supply chain management and exposing you to some of the industry’s thought leaders and driving forces. This is part two of the interview with supply chain now, host and industry agitator, Greg white, enjoy.

Greg White (00:25):

Cause we’re also managing to things like shelf life because we manage produce and other perishable goods. So there, there is a lot of not just optimization, but also managing to constraints and optimizing and balancing that constraint mechanism is very, very difficult. It’s something we mastered Lordy 15, 15 or so years ago and have just continued to refine over the years. So what was your role in that? Or were you the, the thought leader?

Chris Barnes (00:57):

The master replenisher

Greg White (00:59):

The motivator? So I actually read a book and learned how to write a very basic code language called VB a, which makes stuff calculate like computer code in Excel and produce models. So I built these models using what I knew and what I could find in books and at the library and that sort of thing. And then, then I hired a really talented developer and Bob, his name’s Bobby Cochran, and he knew supply chain from working at us steel in Birmingham. And before I met him in person, you want to talk about virtual, a virtual company and, and remote management before I met him in person, he and I figured out how to wire all of these Excel models together create real code code, build it on a database and create a user interface. And he built the very first beta version of it in 30 days at a condo at the beach that I rented for him.

Greg White (02:08):

He said, I can do this in 30 days, but I have to be able to get away from the house. So I rented him a condo at and Gulf shores, Gulf shores, or Destin or orange beach or something like that. And he went down there and sure enough, he built an enterprise class technology solution in 30 days. Now it wasn’t, it was first cut. It was definitely not MVP. It had all of the advancements that previous technologies had and some adaptations that we put into the technology to solve the ills of some of those older technologies, like the [inaudible] product. And we just started shopping it around because what I realized was I was trying to sell people my concept of these spreadsheets and say, if you’ll just pay me, I’ll make it into, and nobody was signing up for that. Of course. So we, we built it into a technology and we took it to a few companies and they signed up and then we were often running in this smaller industry that, that JDA and other companies had really walked away from, even if had walked away from even before they got acquired by JDA.

Greg White (03:20):

And, but shortly, what we realized was much, much bigger companies had the need as well and had the frustration with the products that existed on the marketplace. And they saw something in us. And I would say probably our biggest, I don’t want to say benefactor. We definitely earned it, but the person who person and company who really recognized that we were different was Burris logistics. It’s a three PL for produce and cold chain and their customers are BJ’s and giant Eagle and, you know, big, big chains, grocery store chains. And, and they recognize that this could change the game for them. And they had the [inaudible] product at the time and we replaced the [inaudible] product at the time. And that was the awakening moment where I realized we can really compete with the big, big guys. And so we started going after them and, and took down a few of them and spread it around the country.

Greg White (04:23):

And then around Europe and into South America as well. And a little bit into the far East, the company is still based in Atlanta. Yeah. Yeah. Darn Skippy, right. Where we are fully committed to that. Absolutely. Yeah. We, in fact, when I was still running the company, we were right across highway 75 from where the new battery is the ballpark truest park. And I watched that thing go up from a big giant hole in the ground to where it stands today from, from the corner window of my office. It’s fascinating. Is Bobby still with the organization, Bobby Cochran? He well, so we have built a few products since then. We haven’t brought them to market. We have, we have a product that we’re contemplating to white label to other companies as their underlying technology, because the need still exists. And what we see is that in the indirect materials and the direct materials and the finished goods aspect of manufacturing, supply chain, some of those principles are, they’re still a few years away for the technologies that exist in that marketplace.

Greg White (05:40):

So he has a job with a good friend of mine, Paul Noble at Verisign, and Paul and I have this agreement that Bobby can Moonlight a little bit on, on what we’re calling fulfilled, uh, which is a product that will attack that problem for manufacturers and brands and that sort of thing. So, yes, basically everywhere I’ve gone, even, even the company that I ran that was arguably supply chain, but not the same exact market as blue Ridge. I brought Bobby and immediately he’s just so gifted. It’s, it’s impossible for me to operate without him. We started out building a technology on a napkin and spreadsheets, and now we communicate so well, we don’t even need napkins. You just got food on your channel, right. We go around with food all over our chin. Right. Cause we never use napkins anymore. We use napkins for their intended purposes.

Greg White (06:36):

Now, Chris, was there another, another company in there that you, you said you, I don’t know. Is there another reference you needed to make or, yeah, so, um, so when the, the investors brought in new management at blue Ridge, I had the arguably I think a lot of people would think the best job in the world. I was a show pony. I went around and made big relationships and did speaking gigs. And they brought me in, you know, they set them up and I knocked them back. They would bring me in to talk about the vision and, and the results and the execution that the company could do. And it was fun, but I had kind of a leadership Jones, right. Cause I really didn’t have many people reporting to me and had kind of a leadership Jones. And honestly, I wasn’t looking for a job, but a good friend of mine, Steve Keaveny said, these folks are looking for a CEO for this company.

Greg White (07:31):

That’s kind of foundering that needs, needs some direction. And when I read the description that they have created for this role, it is you. So, you know, I, they sent it to me and I looked at it and I thought, okay, maybe there’s something here. I let my wife look at it. And she said, Oh my gosh, this is you. So, and you know, it was, it wasn’t that they needed me. It’s just that it was a written expression of what I think people believe my superpowers or gifts or abilities are. And it was just so spot on that it was irrefutable. So I talked to the founders and owners and investors of the company. And after a few months of talking about it, we decided it was, it was the right thing to do. So there were a lot of complications. Amazon was the biggest customer of the company.

Greg White (08:26):

There were a lot of complications. We solved a lot of those complications. We tried to take the product into the broader market and the market we were in, which is service, um, service management, making sure that your repair people or site workers or whatever one, know what their jobs are for the day or the coming week or whatever. And of course the company can monitor that and, and how to do those jobs. So step by step, how do you build a receiving station in an Amazon robotics warehouse, things like that. How do you, one of our customers was a, um, erosion control company. So how do you put down silt fence on a 20% grade, et cetera, et cetera. Right. And, you know, we started making some hay in the marketplace, but there were some huge players. And we just decided that the headwinds were too substantial and Amazon was too, too obvious, a big customer. And so we kind of pulled back and focused really on Amazon extracted some IP and the company still operates, but I believe largely owned by Amazon these days.

Chris Barnes (09:34):

What was that company or is it,

Greg White (09:36):

It was called KIRO CU or, Oh yeah. Okay. It means to care for, in Spanish.

Chris Barnes (09:42):

Well, that’s good to know to care for that’s what you want to do about your customers. Right? So this is actually part of a, a trifecta of Greg’s that I’ve interviewed in supply chain management. So started with Greg Cronin, the one that’s soon to be released with Greg Owens and now Greg white. So it’s interesting because I was speaking with Greg Owens and he was a CEO of Manugistics. Oh yeah. You know, Manugistics and I asked him wives and family after five years, why did they, why did they leave? Why did he leave? And he said, he, he realized somewhat similar to your Amazon or their CURO thing is he realized while he was winning, he was winning the battles, losing the war. Yeah. He was, he told me, cause he CEO of one of the companies that they had recently won, you know, said SAP is going to invest in, you know, a billion dollars in this product over the next five years. How much are you guys going to do? And he, he, they weren’t even a billion in revenues. So similar to what you were talking about, that takes a lot of vision.

Greg White (10:44):

Well, I guess in retrospect it seems, it, it is that at the S at the time, I think some people, I hope other people, not just me, because that would not necessarily be a good thing, but, uh, I think some people just feel it, they know when the time is right. I can tell you that. I couldn’t tell you why the time was right. Other than some macro things, right. It’s too. It was too hard to get out from under the umbrella and the burden joyful burden, but the burden of having Amazon as your largest and first customer, because who has more sway than that to say, this is how you need to develop your product. Um, and Greg likewise, uh, you know, they had, uh, there’s was a fairly crowded market, depending on where you, you know, where you looked, they had a menu, there was [inaudible], there were a number of other products, of course, SAP.

Greg White (11:40):

And of course, SAP took much, much longer than that company predicted. Sure. But, and, and the founders at that time, the founders had pulled up, right. Bill Gibson, who was one of the early founders that at Manugistics was, I don’t think, I think he was on the board. I’m not even sure he was chair of the board when Greg was there, but it’s funny how, how water sort of seeks its own level. And that is bill Gibson jr. Now has a really strong tech company called the Pasco, which you might know from your space, Chris, it’s a, it’s a WMS now fulfillment company and they are expanding their reach and doing some really great things around fulfillment. Uh, I’ve talked to bill a couple of times and, and that company is another one who they had invested in. It kind of found it a bit. They needed to find their way bill jumped in there and has really redirected that company. And I feel like they’re on a, on a good path these days. It’s been a long time coming. I can tell you because I hired one of their previous sales reps or VPs or whatever way back when, probably before 2010. So that company has been around for awhile, but they are coming on now.

Chris Barnes (13:07):

So back to your, back to your gut, feel about timing was right. Maybe that’s just a characteristic of a CEO. I dunno. Maybe that’s, you know, I enjoy studying how people get to be CEOs. I think they’re either sociopaths or they’ve just got another level of, I don’t know if it’s intelligence or feel or something, but

Greg White (13:26):

Yeah, I would, I would, I would argue that it is, there is a certain, you know, and this is, this is my personal philosophy. There is a certain amount of dysfunction that you can turn to your advantage and it, and it truly takes a certain level, hopefully a healthy level of narcissism to believe that you are the one person who can lead or solve this problem. If you look at history through time, which is the only way to look at history, isn’t it. But if you look at history, unless you’re back to the future, right? If you look at past history, um, if you look at history, you see that there was someone who either felt they could attack this moment or needed to attack this moment in order to make this change. And whether you believe you can actually do it or not, maybe isn’t even as important as the fact that you accept the challenge of being the person to do it because of your fear that if you don’t, it won’t get done.

Greg White (14:41):

And I talk about that a lot in, you know, in talking about what it takes to be a founder. I hope it’s not sociopath. I’m willing to accept narcissist because I think there is a certain healthy level of either confidence or obligation or a compulsion that forces you to obsess about certain things and to, and to attempt to solve that problem. The wisest don’t try to solve the problem themselves. And I have fallen into that trap. The wisest find teams of people who are much, much smarter than they are much, much better than they are like I have with Bobby and other talented folks that I’ve worked with. And they guide those people towards that steep and treacherous Hill and, and try to take it right. So I don’t think you’re far, I don’t think you’re far off. If you’re off at all, they’re there.

Greg White (15:39):

I don’t think anyone is smarter than anyone else. I really don’t. I think there are people that are more educated or they have a more refined knowledge of a certain topic or even of themselves or even of the world. But at Cura, one of the greatest lessons I learned was it is every bit, it is every bit as challenging to satisfy a ditch Digger. And remember we had, we had, uh, an erosion control company. So we literally had ditch diggers using the solution as it is a CEO. And it’s not because anyone is smarter than anyone else. It’s largely because when you’re talking about technology, people just want to get their job done. A ditch Digger doesn’t want to waste their time. I mean, I’ve talked to them, a ditch Digger doesn’t want to waste their time with technology to know that they need to stick a shovel in the dirt and throw the dirt out of the hole to dig a ditch, right? Just like a CEO, doesn’t want to waste their time with a bunch of analytics and metrics to know that this is the next thing I need to do. They want the technology to do that analysis for them and, and give them the answer. And that’s no small task, but it, it is universal.

Chris Barnes (16:57):

So a few minutes ago it sounded like we were diving into your tequila sunrise episode on, I don’t know, I forgot the title. I should know the title, but so, so you want to be a tech startup entrepreneur, I think, or something like that.

Greg White (17:09):

Yes. Yeah, you’re right. I don’t even remember the title, but it is basically it’s a, yeah.

Chris Barnes (17:14):

Yeah. Those are great lessons. So that’s another thing I would encourage anybody listening. If you want to know more about that, Greg fuse on that check, check out that session and I’ll, I’ll make sure I referenced that.

Greg White (17:24):

Yeah. Thank you. That, uh, you know, there are some harsh realities and I think it’s better for people to confront those upfront.

Chris Barnes (17:31):

Can you talk about in that session, you talk about having a, a leader. I’m not a leader, but a, a, a guide, a mentor, a Sensi, whatever it is. Sure. If I keep talking, I’ll make up the words, but all those are good and that’s, that’s, that’s pretty much what you are now to several, I

Greg White (17:50):

Mean, supply chain now ship Z, as you mentioned. So w what are you doing these days? Yeah, that, I mean, that is that, that is my latest compulsion. That is my latest obsession. That’s my latest drive is to help companies to avoid missteps, to take the right steps that accelerate their success. There are so many things that you need not learn the hard way. And that’s what, to me, what mentorship is about. It’s about uplifting and educating and empathizing and growing people. And I do mean people, not companies, right. You know, a company is just a collection of really, really talented people. And, um, that’s what I try to do is to help Scott and Paul and Sarah and, and others to recognize in themselves and recognize in the opportunities in the moment what the right path is. And that’s, if there’s anything that I would call a super power it’s that I can identify people’s superpowers pretty well.

Greg White (18:59):

And I can break down, I can break down situations into what needs to be done relatively well. It’s truly the blessing of being the smart ass kid in the back of the room, going that’s stupid teacher. We ought to do it this way. It’s really a manifestation of being that person of looking at things of observing things. My name actually, Greg gree, the name actually means watchful one. And I have always been a really great observer of things. And I think I’m not sure that’s a special gift that I have. I’ve just recognized it and leveraged it. But when you have the blessing of objectivity and some level of naivete or curiosity around things, you can sit back and look at situations and break them down in a way that those who are in, in it, can’t, it’s getting above the forest, right? Getting above the trees to see the forest for people.

Greg White (20:04):

And that’s why a mentor is so valuable and mentors need mentors too. By the way, I have a number of them. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing, frankly, if it weren’t for a mentor, Ken Walters, he saw my ability to do this, where I thought it would be really cool to do it, but I don’t have the juice to do it. So, and of course I’ve mentioned Steve Keaveny, I don’t do anything in regard to finance that I don’t consult Steve on. Um, he is just the master of extracting and creating value in companies. And he’s a finance genius. In fact, he and I worked together at flourish, which is another one of the companies that I advise. And he’s the fractional CFO there. And I’m thankful for it. We’re all better. All of us on the flourish team are better for it. So we just had a board meeting and I asked some questions of him and, you know, again, expressed his expertise.

Greg White (21:04):

So it, maybe isn’t even one mentor it’s find where your weak spots are and, and shore those up with people that can help you. It’s, it’s a lonely journey to try and take on founding and running a company it’s frankly, a lonely journey to do anything. I’m glad that you and I get to do this whole supply chain now thing together. Right? You and I, and Scott, and the entire team, but especially those of us who are hosting shows, we get to share ideas with one another and that’s uplifting and helpful. So yeah, that mentorship thing is, uh, it’s really important.

Chris Barnes (21:46):

You know, Fred Tolbert, you know, Fred, he’s been on a show a couple of times. Yeah. I have him in high regard. And he had mentioned just in passing conversation once, how highly you thought of you. And now, as he said, you know, I just keep thinking back about to that. The more you talk and the more you explain your view of the world. So

Greg White (22:05):

That’s a high honor. I have a lot of esteem for Fred. So Fred and I, and another person we work with often Karin bursa week, we competed against one another because they were at Logility and demand solutions. Right. And I always had a little bit of fear in my heart when I knew I was going up against. Right. So he is truly an expert and his episode with Anthony’s and pillow Z, a guy who just calls him Z self Z. Now that is cool. That episode is fascinating. Right. I mean, to think about SNOP as fascinating. It really is. It is a microcosm of the knowledge that exists in two people who have been doing it for a long, long time.

Chris Barnes (22:48):

Yeah. That’s an, uh, a scoop you guys got on me because I think that would have been a very boring topic to cover. So,

Greg White (22:55):

Well, we maybe should retitle that one. Right.

Chris Barnes (22:58):

Maybe they can put it back in the Canon, shake it up a little bit. That’s right. Or stay or phase two, perhaps. You never know. So what about Kibera? Are you still with clarity, capital and or Kubota or,

Greg White (23:09):

Yeah, so clarity, capital, uh, is, is not, it’s not a venture capital firm, so that’s Steve Keven he’s company and what they do, this is brilliant. And I never would have thought, Oh, I’m sure it’s, there are lots of companies that do it, but I never would have thought of it. But there are lots of midsize companies out there that need to prepare themselves for investment or acquisition. As you know, we’re going through one of the greatest generational transformations in the history of the planet. And, you know, companies need to position themselves, get acquired, or to get funding. And Steve being the genius that he is put together, this group of talented people, all of whom think of it like a group of superpowers, right? Who get their, get their superpowers together and help these companies get prepared. So we have CTO types, Steve, of course, is a CFO type.

Greg White (24:09):

We’re attached to an accounting firm if they need, if they need to fix the books. Because when you go through an investment or an acquisition, you better have your books in order, right? Um, we’ve got people who have law and licensing gifts and people who have been there and done that who’ve run companies who know how to create a vision or how to, for a company or a product, how to market it, or refine a messaging to, to change the game, how to insert or extract products into a company that increased the value. So that’s what clarity does. And, and the name, clarity capital partners. It sounds a little VCE, but when you listen, when you go to the URL URL, you know exactly what the purpose is, clarity, exit.com. It is all about your exit or liquidity event. That is something that I can do where I can help more companies and do that on an advisory role.

Greg White (25:11):

So I think that’s an important distinct, it’s an important distinction for me. Anyway, Chris is I work hard to advise, not consult. So if you look at my LinkedIn, or if I had a resume, if you looked at my resume, it would look a lot like my LinkedIn, if you look at my LinkedIn, I’m doing, I’m working with a number of companies, but a lot of those companies, I spend maybe five hours a month with a that’s. The other thing is it’s really, really valuable to have someone with that objective point of view, who can in moments, give you guidance that can be transformational for your company. And fortunately, I’m able to do that and work with these companies to be able to, to make that happen. And because I am very conscious of managing that time commitment and managing that advisory versus consulting role, I’m able to work with more companies.

Greg White (26:05):

I have to confess I’m reaching maximum density at this point, especially now with Kibera, because that is a venture capital firm. So I have, as many of my friends have told me, I’ve gone to the dark side. Now I am working. I think of it in as, as a service, but I am working to help seed an early stage supply chain techs, get the funding that they need to, to launch or to do early expansion and market fit analysis, and, you know, getting over the MVP and our first customer stage to next level product and finding market fit to create scalability. So that’s what we’re doing at Kibera. And we’re doing some other things I can’t announce just yet, but, you know, we want to have a much, much bigger impact than even out just our firm can have with money. We want to enable technology companies along with some key partners to be able to really launch an and grow and execute at at pace.

Greg White (27:17):

And it’s going to take a lot of partners. And so far, so far, we’ve had a good response in creating an ecosystem that helps to uplift those companies and, and surface their gifts and help them accelerate. We are passion never stops. I think the topic changes, but the passion stays there. And it’s an interesting, I, you know, it was hard for me to focus at an early stage in my career. And finally, I did focus on supply chain. I decided if I was going to be useful at something, hopefully great at something that I was going to have to focus. And when I did things changed and that’s another thing I would encourage is know your niche, find your super power and leverage that. But yeah, as I, as I have explored that more, I have discovered that my gift is making things happen, connecting people and helping them, helping them find that leverage point and, and grow from it.

Greg White (28:11):

And, uh, it’s a satisfying journey for me, frankly, and satisfying only in that, as I said before, I don’t celebrate much, but I get to sit back and see, you know, Paul Noble take tidbits of what I and other advisors have given him and turn it into something great, which is also a gift to take a sentence or a cryptic sometimes, sometimes almost cryptic discussion and turn it into something great. That is also an exceptional gift. Um, and, and great leaders like Paul and Colton and Sarah, they all have that ability to take subtleties and turn them into big change. I’ve I’ve mentioned the name a couple of times. Tequila, sunrise. Yeah. What is tequila? Sunrise? It is a celebration of supply chain tech look, as, as people have said that you said it earlier in the show, people don’t know what supply chain is. Although that group is decreasing in size every single day.

Greg White (29:13):

Right? So what tequila sunrise is meant to do is to surface and elevate supply chain technology. Because if you look at supply chain technology in the greater scheme of things, if you look at it in the public markets, they are typically kind of laggard second tier trading stocks that don’t really launch and, and don’t impact or shape the market in a way that I think supply chain could, and now is supply chains time. And now people realize the value. And let me assure you as an investor, there are a lot of people who really realize the value because evaluations are getting significant. And I feel like tequila, sunrise is a vehicle that allows us to inform and educate founders and to work at the confluence of founders and investors, and even just casual observers to make sure that they understand what tech can do in supply chain and the esteem that techs should have in the broader marketplace and how to, and there’s a little bit of how to, how to understand technology and how to understand investment and valuation, because I want, again, I want to impart that knowledge to some of these founders so that they, uh, they, they have either the confidence or the knowledge, or maybe both to really make a change, really make a difference with their company.

Chris Barnes (30:47):

Great compliment and tie into, as you said, Kibera clarity and the other things that you’re doing on an advisory level. So I encourage anybody just to check it out, even if you’re not, they don’t have a company that you want to develop or sell or grow. It’s just learning something new. That’s a fact.

Greg White (31:04):

Thank you. First of all, thank you, Chris, because, uh, I really appreciate that. It means a lot that you, you recognize and shared that with your audience and it is, it’s a service in a way. And, and the goal is to get more understanding broadly of supply chain tech, just like, you know, this, this seismic societal disruption COVID-19 has, has brought to the understanding of supply chain. And it just felt like the right time to do that. So we’re 12 episodes. We’re about to publish 13 this week. And yeah, so there’s plenty to listen to there if you want. I got to say, I’ll just confess. Sometimes it’s just the whim that hits me. We talk a lot about deals. We’re still evolving the format. Now we’re interviewing guests and I think that will make it a lot better, but we’re also tracking supply chain, tech stocks, public, and private, and the deals that are getting done.

Greg White (32:05):

And I think we’ll probably move that out of the show into the page and focus on the founders and investors, the people in it, uh, you know, in the industry. But, uh, but that’s an important aspect of it too. And I’ve gotten some great help from a fellow named Daniel, Karen at port logistics group, who reached out to me on LinkedIn, Chris, and volunteered to create a mechanism to analyze the supply chain tech stock index as an index. So weighting the stocks based on assessing how much, for instance, Amazon is one of the stocks in there. And so is Oracle and SAP, but not all of their sales come from, not all of their sales come from supply chain. So we have to weigh that based on how much of their sales come from supply chain, things like that. You know, other, other firms like Manhattan are, or Aspen tech. They are 100% supply chain. So it’s a lot easier to, to analyze their impact.

Chris Barnes (33:05):

How did you select the stocks to use?

Greg White (33:08):

Well, I went through and it was a pain staking analysis. I went through and assessed, which stocks hit the supply chain key word. And then I extracted stocks that were mostly services. These are tech oriented companies. Now Manhattan has a huge services component, but the services are rendered in order to implement the technology. So I, I felt like that was a good enough fit, but if somebody was supply chain consulting park city group is a great example. Then, then they were not included. Also if their market cap was below, I think we decided on a hundred million, then they weren’t included because the impact to the market is not significant enough. And it’s a relatively short list. I think it’s 14 or 19 stocks right now, but it stocks like Shopify and big commerce who just went public. I want to make sure that we analyze end to end supply chain. So it is those people enabling e-commerce those people enabling forecasting, planning, warehouse management, TMS, all of those things. And I have to confess, I was a little bit surprised at how few stocks we’re looking at, how few supply chain companies are public and, and of significant size can access is a great example of one really interesting company. And then, you know, just a ton more. So we’re going to start listing that and tracking the index on the, on the show site shortly.

Chris Barnes (34:43):

So maybe we will have CNBC or other investors watching us soon.

Greg White (34:47):

Maybe you never know, or, or maybe we’ll talk to some of those, wouldn’t it be cool, right. To have, have some of those folks on here. I think, I think tracking supply chain is going to be meaningful. Supply chain tech is going to be meaningful over time.

Chris Barnes (35:03):

I know tracking inventory is pretty meaningful, so yeah, it’s all related.

Greg White (35:08):

It’s hard too. Isn’t it?

Chris Barnes (35:10):

So Greg, something I always like to conclude with is getting guests perspective on the future of careers in supply chain management. Do you have any suggestions or guidance you might have for a student considering a degree in supply chain management or an experienced professional considering a career change into supply chain management? I know we talk about a lot of these things on supply chain now, but just wanted to get your, your short perspective on this.

Greg White (35:34):

Yeah, we do talk about it a lot. And we hear from a lot, um, who are trying to get into supply chain. I, you know, I think the, the best guidance I can give is understand what your, your personal gift is and find where that fits in supply chain. It makes me think Chris of Stephan Mau, who is on almost all of our live streams, he’s in the finance industry today has an exceptional guest gift for understanding finance, also understanding the dynamics of supply chain, just because of his experience and data analysis and data analytics. And he is applying that trade into, into trying to get into the industry. I’d encourage folks to figure out who they admire in the industry and attempt to get jobs or knowledge, or even just contacts there and hone your skills. I mean, Chris, you teach apex classes, right?

Greg White (36:34):

That’s a great opportunity to learn from experts and to learn the structure and foundation of supply chain through apex or even, uh, ed ex MIT X has a great supply chain set set of courses. It’s not an official certification, but it’s a great supplement to some of the things that you can get certified on and get to know people in the industry. Look, I’m the first person to tell you, you don’t earn your first job in a new industry and the old adage. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know is only about 180 degrees wrong. It’s not, it’s not who, you know, it’s who knows you. For instance, Stephan mountain knows me, but if I don’t know him, I don’t know what his gifts are, but I do know him now, and I know what his gifts are. And if somebody asks me about Stephen Mauer, they say, I need this particular gift. I can go. That guy is your guy. Or, you know, other people like Sophia Reyes Herrera, we just interviewed her. And we’re going to be releasing an episode about her, exceptionally gifted, also trying to break in to supply chain, get known, right? That that’s the thing is you’ve got to share your gifts with people and you’ve got to share your knowledge with people and it’s gotta be genuine of course, but you have to share your gifts with people to be known. So sure it is who knows you.

Chris Barnes (38:02):

And a great way to get to be known is I encourage people to attend any of the supply chain or live streams. Those are great venues that you get to see Greg and Scott collaborating, discussing bantering ideas with other experts. And then what I enjoy is the, the audience interaction people could. Yeah.

Greg White (38:20):

They’ve created their own community. I mean, we’ve got supply chain insiders and they are really interacting to get to know and uplift and share ideas and mentor one another. Yeah. It’s a great community. Yeah. Sometimes those conversations

Chris Barnes (38:36):

Take off their own own spin. I forget what you and Scott are talking about. It’s almost, I noticed that on a show, it’s almost like we’re the noise in the background while they’re having a conversation. And I’m okay with that. I really am because ultimately our goal is to provide a service to uplift and elevate this profession and to create a community that is supportive and uplifting and elevating of the people in the industry. Look, Greg, I appreciate what you’re doing for the supply chain community overall, and then specifically for supply chain now. So thanks again for investing time with me today. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. I am so honored to be on supply chain is boring. Really? I I’ve been looking forward to this. Thanks for the invite. You’re a pretty boring guy, Greg. So thank you. I was afraid I would not fit the bill.

Chris Barnes (39:28):

This concludes part two of the interview with Greg white supply chain is boring as part of the supply chain. Now network, we highlight historical events, companies and people in supply chain management and create a picture of where the industry is headed. Interested in learning more about supply chain, technology, startups, mergers, acquisitions, and how companies evolve. Take a listen to tequila, sunrise crafted by Greg white for check out this week in business history with supply chain. Now his own Scott Luton to learn more about everyday things you may take for granted and pick up short stories you can use as general conversation starters, the logistics with a purpose series puts a spotlight on neat and interesting organizations who are working toward a greater cause. If you’re interested in logistics, freight and transportation, take a listen to the logistics and beyond series with the adapt and thrive mindset, Sherpa, Jameson Alvidrez and check out the newest program tech talk hosted by industry veteran and Atlanta’s own Karin bursa bursa. We’ll discuss all things. Digital supply chain. If interested in sponsoring this show or others on supply chain. Now send a note to chris@supplychainnow.com and remember supply chain is boring.

Featured Guests

Chris Barnes is a supply chain guru, the APICS Coach, and the host of Supply Chain is Boring on Supply Chain Now.  He holds a B.S., Industrial Engineering and Economics Minor, from Bradley University, an MBA in Industrial Psychology with Honors from the University of West Florida.  He holds CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS, one of the few in the world. Barnes is a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education certificate courses. Barnes is a supply chain advocate, visionary, and frequent podcaster and blogger at www.APICS.Coach.com. Barnes has over 27 years of experience developing and managing multiple client, engineering consulting, strategic planning and operational improvement projects in supply chain management. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn and reach out to him via email at: chris@apicscoach.com.

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Greg White

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

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

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

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

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

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

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

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

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Vicki White

Controller

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

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Katherine Hintz

Creative Director, Producer, Host

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

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Kim Reuter

Host, The Freight Insider

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

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Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Mary Kate Love

VP, Marketing

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

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

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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

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

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

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host, Supply Chain Now

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

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

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

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

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

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

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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

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

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Greg White

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

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

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

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

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

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

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

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

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

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

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

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

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

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

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

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

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

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

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

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

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

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

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

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

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

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

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

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

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

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