Supply Chain Now
Episode 1247

Drone technology, when used as an additional mode of transportation, a fit-for-purpose mode of transportation, provides an opportunity to optimize the supply chain system, making it more effective, reliable, agile and resilient. All in all, resulting in an increase of the health workers efficiency and in more equitable healthcare access.

-Olivier Defawe

Episode Summary

Our Supply Chain Leadership Across Africa series continues in earnest with a fascinating discussion around the proposition of using drone technology for social good.

In this episode, hosts Scott Luton welcomes Prashant Yadav to the show, a globally recognized expert in healthcare supply chains and affiliate professor at global business school INSEAD, where he leads the Africa Initiative. Prashant is something of a media virtuoso, having appeared in prominent publications such as The Economist and Financial Times to share his expertise.

Sitting alongside Prashant is Olivier Defawe of VillageReach, a global nonprofit that transforms healthcare delivery to reach everyone by working with partners to build responsive primary healthcare systems that deliver health products and services to the most under-reached.

A key priority for both guests centers around realizing the immense potential for drones to unlock healthcare access, supply chain optimization, and socioeconomic development across the African continent.

During the discussion, they touch on a number of pertinent questions:

  • What are the major challenges to scaling and sustaining drone transport operations in Africa?
  • How can we ultimately ensure drone transport is more cost-effective for public health supply chains?
  • What can stakeholders do on the supply and demand side to increase adoption of drone transport across sectors, beyond just public health?

To hear Prashant and Olivier’s thoughts on these issues, and much more, tune into the podcast now.

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 (00:31):

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you are. Scott Luton here with you on Supply Chain Now. Welcome to today’s show. I got an outstanding show here today. We’re continuing our popular Supply Chain Leadership Across Africa series. We’ve been conducting this series for several years now. We’ve gotten feedback from around the globe from our global audience and family. All this is focused on innovation and leadership and sheer brilliance that can be found throughout all the countries across the continent of Africa. And we’re pleased to conduct today’s episode in partnership with Village Reach, a powerful nonprofit that’s truly transforming healthcare delivery to reach everyone. In fact, their critical work enables access to quality healthcare, get this, for over 70 million people. Learn more at villagereach.org.

Scott Luton (00:17):

It’s outstanding show here today, folks. If you love drones and all things drones, you’re in the right place. We’re going to dive into a discussion about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed as we’re working together across communities, across sectors, across industries, really across the globe to realize that are the possible when it comes to globe and other innovative cutting-edge technologies.

Scott Luton (01:38):

So with that said, I want to briefly introduce our distinguished guests here today. I’m really excited to learn from our panel. Our first guest is a globally recognized scholar in the area of healthcare supply chains, as well as supply chains for products with social benefits. He is a distinguished professor, author, researcher, board member that’s appeared in a variety of prominent print and broadcast media to include the BBC and the Financial Times, amongst many others. Please join me in welcoming the affiliate professor of technology and operations management and the academic director at INSEAD Africa Initiative, Prashant Yadav. Prashant, how you doing, sir?

Prashant Yadav (02:17):

I’m doing very well, Scott. Thanks for having me. I’m looking forward to the show.

Scott Luton (02:21):

We are, too. So nice to have you here. I’ve been doing some homework on your journey and all that you do and lead and I’m looking forward to sharing all that with our audience here today. So, welcome, Prashant. Now, our second guest is a repeat guest. I had a great time with him back in — last June in South Africa, and I’ll tell you I know firsthand he’s developed quite the reputation as a global health innovation development expert and he holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Liège in Belgium. He has spent over 16 years working in Africa alone, but he’s also held leadership roles in a variety of operations around the world. Please join me in welcoming the director private sector engagement partnerships lead, the drones for health solution lead, and the founder and facilitator for UAV, the unmanned aerial vehicle for payload delivery working group, Olivier Defawe. Olivier, how you doing?

Olivier Defawe (03:15):

Hey, Scott, very well. Thank you.

Scott Luton (03:18):

It’s so great to have you back and you’ve got quite the title, but as we talked about months ago, you like to get in about two hours of sleep at night, I think, and you’d love changing the world in a variety of ways. Is that right?

Olivier Defawe (03:31):

Yeah, that’s would be a fair assumption. Yeah.

Scott Luton (03:34):

So great to have you back. I’m looking forward to diving into all the cool things you and Prashant are up to. So, this is where we want to start. Let’s get to know both of y’all a little better. Prashant, you were sharing in the pre-show about some of your commutes from the east coast of the U.S. to France and back and forth, and you could probably write a book about some of that travel and some of those travel experiences. But I want to ask you about something a little bit different here today. You’ve worked in a variety of sectors when it comes to supply chain, but you’ve got a love for ham radio communications which you discovered as a youngster. How did that early on technical hobby or passion impact your journey forward?

Prashant Yadav (04:10):

Interesting you bring that up, Scott. So, when I was a teenager, I was very excited about building electronic circuits and one of the things that popped my attention was the ability to communicate with people around the world using ham radio, amateur radio. So, very early I built my own little handset. We used to use it to do a variety of things, not just communicate with people who had set up the first Antarctica station but also provide emergency relief communication services when there was need or sometimes more casual things like help a car rally, car rally get to manage its logistics. So, anyway, so that was my starting point. But somewhere along that journey, I studied engineering, I came out, and I worked for a consulting firm which was doing a project in Bangladesh and my task as a young engineer there was to look at how to schedule barges to offload ocean vessels from the high sea to the Port of Chittagong, which was not a place where the larger vessels could come in. And so, my journey in supply chain and logistics actually started with trying to build a barge scheduling algorithm to offload larger vessels. That taught me hands-on logistics. And from there, I started using it across a variety of things and I now do it largely for healthcare and healthcare supply chains in Africa.

Scott Luton (05:28):

Prashant, I love that story and I love the intersection of many things, but as I’ll kind of follow along from planning, solving problems, logistics, tech, but also the universal value of communications, whether it’s technology driven or otherwise. So, I look forward to learning a lot more about your journey and expertise, especially about all things drone and supply chains in Africa here today. Olivier, again, great to meet you in person. Really enjoyed our conversation in South Africa a few months back, and as I’ve shared a little as I was introducing you, you’ve had a fascinating and eclectic, very eclectic career. So when you think back on that, what has that taught you about the value of diversified perspective and experiences?

Olivier Defawe (06:09):

First being a marine biologist in Europe to ultimately becoming, I guess, a drone transport specialist working in Africa, having acquired a PhD in Biomedical Sciences with six years working with clinical researcher, yes, I would say that it had brought me a lot of different perspective. But the interesting career path has brought me really also a wealth of partnership acumen. Over the years, I’ve interacted and worked with a wide variety of colleagues in many professional areas, biologists, environmental scientists, medical scientists, researcher from all over the world, and finally working with young and bright entrepreneur and technological innovation. And all these experiences have taught me the importance of bringing diverse expertise into your professional entourage to achieve a meaningful outcome. Also, bringing your origin from Belgium and work around Europe, across the Europe, then having spent the last 20 years in the U.S. and working in Africa for the last 15 years really gave me the ability to learn from and embrace various [inaudible] which has really enhanced my professional life.

Scott Luton (07:25):

Going back to your first point, Olivier, and kind of the whole theme of your response there, I think one of my favorite parts about global supply chain is working with folks from all walks of life, whether it’s the technical expertise or just part of the world or part of the role they play in the overall bigger picture, bringing all those folks into a conversation and learning and feeling in the blind spots that we all have and doing big things together. I think that’s one of my favorite parts. It really reminds me of my time in the military because there’s a lot of that at place there when I was in the Air Force and there’s certainly that by the truckload in global supply chain. So, thanks both of y’all for kind of calling that out. Okay. I got a lot to get to here today and I don’t know about y’all, but I’m a big believer in the immense value of context, so I want to offer our audience a little bit of that here, a little more of that on the front end. And I want to stay with you for a minute here, Olivier. Of course, some of our listeners will know about Village Reach, but for the handful that may not, based on some of our past episodes, if you’d tell us in a nutshell what Village Reach does and a little bit more about your role there.

Olivier Defawe (08:26):

Village Reach is a not-for-profit international NGO with the mission to transform healthcare delivery to reach everyone. So, each person has the healthcare needed to try, and to do so we co-develop with governments and private sectors partners solution, solution that improve equity and access to primary healthcare and this includes making sure that products, health products, are available when and where they are needed, which is why back in 2015 Village Reach — at Village Reach we started exploring the use of drone technology as a transformative solution to overcome infrastructure and logistic challenges in Africa. So, over the last eight years I’ve been leading a team that provides technical assistance to test and evaluate and even in some cases scale and sustain outsourced drone transport services. And these last three years, we’ve been supporting ongoing drone transport networks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Malawi and Mozambique. And finally, more recently we started looking at market dynamics and exploring opportunities to accelerate the adoption of drone transport by both the public and the private sector for health and non-health application and make this mode of transportation more cost-effective for the public health supply chain. So, this is basically summary of what does Village Reach do and why we started exploring the use of drone.

Scott Luton (10:06):

I love it. What a noble mission, an incredible mission. So many different ways. You mentioned the opportunities a couple of times in your response, so much opportunity. And kind of where you started, I bet all of us, I know I can, leverage lots of external technical expertise because I’m not your resident technologist and there’s a lot of big need for out there so we can accelerate helping others accelerate transforming industry and accelerate moving the world together forward and leaving no one behind. So, I really appreciate what y’all do here, big fan. Prashant, similar question as we’re offering some context on the front end, tell us briefly about the INSEAD Africa Initiative and your role there.

Prashant Yadav (10:43):

Yeah. So, INSEAD is a global business school. We have campuses in Fontainebleau, France; in Singapore; hubs in Abu Dhabi and San Francisco. And we like to think that business both today and in the future requires business leaders to be able to work across geographies, across cultures. So, in that sense we believe business leadership is a lot about expanding your horizons, looking at the world with a wider-angle lens, not just focusing on a select geography. So, the business school has been in the teaching and research area for over 50 years now. But INSEAD Africa Initiative, which I lead, is an attempt by INSEAD to deepen our engagement in Africa with governments, with private companies, with startups, and with NGOs, and academic institutions, to develop joint research programs. So, across all of those four sectors, I think we are on a journey to figure out what can INSEAD’s knowledge, our alumni network, our faculty research capabilities bring to these organizations. And an example of such a partnership is work we are starting to do with Village Reach.

Scott Luton (11:53):

I love that. I love the very practical bridge building, which is a big part of your mission there, Prashant. So, we can really develop stronger leaders. They can do more global things and scale the great things they’re doing in their backyards, but scale it globally. Thank you, Prashant and Olivier, for both that valuable context on the front end. Olivier, now we’re getting into the conversation, we’re talking drones a lot today, right? And I really appreciate your expertise and what you’ve been doing, not talking about but doing in past years. So a lot of us probably have assumptions about what the value proposition is and a lot of our listeners may have heard and seen drones and actions. It’s really cool to see some of the innovations in recent years. But when I pose to you what is the value proposition for using drones for social good in Africa, what comes to your mind?

Olivier Defawe (12:38):

Yeah. So, today thanks to donor catalytic support and the work done by lots of governments and the partner in Africa, it’s clear that drone transport is a game changer in healthcare, from reducing vaccine and health product delivery time, especially during emergencies, improving the availability of health product in remote and hard-to-reach area, reducing lab sample turnaround time, and therefore helping to accelerate disease diagnostic processes, reducing stockout, improving product quality and reducing wastage, even reducing missed opportunity for vaccination. Overall, it’s well accepted now and well demonstrated. A drone technology, when used as an additional mode of transportation, a fit for purpose mode of transportation, provides an opportunity to optimize the supply chain system, making it more effective, reliable, agile and resilient, all in all resulting in an increase of the health workers efficiency and in more equitable healthcare access. And this is really why Village Reach is continuing the mission of developing in the drone transport sector because we really see those value proposition so important.

Scott Luton (14:01):

To make things happen, drive outcomes, right? Yeah. Olivier, I really appreciate — that is a very robust value proposition, very holistic value proposition. Prashant, what would you add to that? What do you think maybe out of that holistic value proposition is most important for our listeners to really understand?

Prashant Yadav (14:18):

So, first of all, Scott, I would say that seeing is believing. I used to be somewhat of a drone skeptic 10 years ago when people had first started drone programs for delivering medicines and health products, and any amount of evidence data modeling wasn’t necessarily convincing me. What convinces anyone is seeing it yourself, seeing it yourself when you see a drone deliver lifesaving medicines to a clinic and being a part of the entire cycle from receiving an order, filling it, dispatching it, and being able to hear that the medicine has now been not only received but administered to a patient all in a matter of an hour and a half or some amount of time like that. So, that changes the way we think about value proposition. It becomes less abstract and it starts to become much more real. If you, anybody, any of your listeners get a chance to visit Zipline’s work, Olivier’s work in Malawi, in DRC, Zipline in Rwanda, in Nigeria and Ghana, you will then get a chance of what actually this value proposition is and how important it is for people.

Prashant Yadav (15:21):

You’ll also come across — when you go to these distribution centers to visit, you also come across people whose lives have been impacted very directly. So, a mother who says, “I would’ve died if it wasn’t for a drone to bring me blood components when I had postpartum hemorrhage when I was giving birth to my child, so I wanted this child to see what this magical transport mechanism is.” That is value proposition. But at the same time, when you go back and put yourself into the shoes of a Ministry of Health or a minister of health, they ask the question, well, drone projects are risky. They are risky to launch. They may fail and they have failed in the past many times because this is still a technology that has only matured in the last few years. I mean, in the early ascent of this, there were projects that were failing. So that’s their first concern. Will I put my own public and political capital at stake by saying let’s start a big drone project in my country? So that’s their first concern. I think repeated evidence that is now coming out is demonstrating that is not a concern. We have good technology now that can guarantee us robust deliveries and it is failproof in that sense.

Prashant Yadav (16:37):

The second question they ask about the value proposition that Olivier pointed out was, well, I understand drones may be useful to reach some far-flung areas, some mountainous regions where my road network doesn’t necessarily get, or sometimes in emergency settings they don’t see that as mainstream transport yet. And then, you dig deeper and ask the question, why don’t you see this as mainstream transport? Why do you think this is only for the far-flung areas, mountainous regions? And the answer is, well, they’re expensive, right? And now are they expensive gets to the question of with what lens do you measure something to be expensive or affordable? If you measure it with a narrow angle lens, a lot of things appear expensive. If you measure something with a wide angle lens both in terms of time and different use cases, then things start looking more economically viable. So, that’s where we are in this journey of mainstreaming the use of drones in the health sector and presumably in areas around the health sector.

Scott Luton (17:40):

Prashant, I love how you couched that perspective that you were a former skeptic because if you were a former skeptic based on everything else you shared, you’ve completely converted and your eyes are open to the possibilities, the very practical, powerful possibilities, really backing up. Because it’s not just about possibilities, it’s what’s being done now. You paint a picture of the mother and other human examples of how drones are already saving lives and changing lives and, gosh, where we can go from here is really, really inspiring. Okay. So, we’re going to keep moving where as we dive more into the just drone conversation really and the things it’s doing and where we’re going across Africa. Y’all both already point out what’s already been happening today and how drones have been utilized for transport across Africa. Olivier, you go back to a quote I grabbed from you earlier, you called it a game changer, how are you leveraging drones. And I tend to agree with you. It’s been going on for now on a decade already, but still there are few drone networks truly operating at scale and operating in sustainable fashion. What we want to do next is eliminate some myths in terms of why this is the case. So, Olivier, let’s start with it’s not the regulatory environment, is that right?

Olivier Defawe (18:48):

Yeah, I would agree with that. While over half of the African countries do not have any regulation and rules or guidance, today there is actually no outright bans on drone operation in Africa. Therefore, the regulatory environment is not a primary reason for not having scaled and ongoing sustainable drone network across Africa. Of course, having a right regulatory environment is important, especially when you start scaling your operation. But in Africa the local civil aviation authorities are willing to take reasonable risk and really work with partners and contribute to the development of this transformative technology. We must remind ourself that the use of drone for non-military uses really started in Africa. They are the pioneers. And the civil aviation, the local civil aviation authorities and the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport and so on and so on really believe that drone technology can really improve the quality of life in this setting.

Scott Luton (19:58):

Undoubtedly, and I go back — y’all probably both have lots of examples of your interactions with humans where it’s truly impacted their lives and changed their lives. And that’s the most important thing I think for a lot of our listeners to take away from this. This isn’t just cool new technology or cool technology in supply chain moving stuff, it’s really powering the human factor and taking care of families and saving lives. Let’s talk about another myth, Olivier, because it’s not that the technology is not fit for purpose, that’s not hindering. Your thoughts there, Olivier.

Olivier Defawe (20:30):

Ten years ago, yes, technology was behind, but today I would say it’s correct. For almost a decade, technology has been rapidly evolving and the variety of drone technology is growing really every day from the small cargo that are made for delivering small cargo over short distances. Like in urban setting, you have the Matternet, the Wing, the Skydrops, and just to name a few. Then you have drone that are fit for purpose to transport medium-sized cargo, 10, 15 kilo, 15 to 50 liters of volume for about a hundred kilometer of range. That, of course, the Zipline, the [inaudible], the [inaudible], the Phoenix-Wings, and the likes. And now, you also have drone that can carry over a hundred kilo [inaudible] for 3, 4, 500 kilometer or even beyond like the Pelican Pyka Drone and the Dronamics, Elroy Air, are about to come out as well. So, the technology is there, is catching up. So, today, option for performing cargo drone that are fit for purpose for many needs exist and will continue to grow real fast.

Scott Luton (21:49):

Thank you, Olivier. Prashant, I’ve got another myth I’m going to pose to Olivier in a second and we’ll talk about the root cause in a second as well, but I want to give you a chance to comment whether it’s on Olivier’s first comments around the regulatory environment or the technology and how that’s evolved. Your quick comment there, Prashant.

Prashant Yadav (22:05):

So, regulatory I don’t claim to know as well as Olivier does, but I would agree with him that is not a barrier for expanding drone use, in particular for applications such as the ones that we’ve talked about in the health sector, for humanitarian purposes, for other products that have social benefits. As the technology gets to become more commercial, yes regulatory agencies within the countries will start asking how do we manage this. But at present that’s not a barrier. So I would agree with that. On technology maturity, I think yes, we have come to a point where the technology is mature today. We are at a juncture where there are — I mean, we’re going to try to put yourself in the shoes of how somebody thinks about a fleet of transport vehicles that we have an option of many different sizes of trucks and other transport vehicles, but we then eventually converge and settle on two or three types because industry also cares about standardization because my truck and my trailer should be interoperable with others, et cetera. So, I think we are converging towards something like that where like Olivier pointed out, I mean we think of technology for a short range, small payload technology for a medium range, medium payload and technology for longer range, higher payload. And I think as we converge and start to see some standardization, people’s acceptance of the idea that we have stable working and mature technology will increase.

Olivier Defawe (23:26):

I need to emphasize about the regulatory environment. I’m talking about on the African continent. The situation in the U.S., the situation in Europe is very different. So, we are here focusing on the African continent and its use of drone.

Scott Luton (23:43):

Olivier, that’s a great call out because there are, as y’all both know, major differences in those environments where you go in the world. And I just want to add one more thing, kind of back to your last point there, Prashant. It’s amazing the adoption and how we’re going to get used to these things really across the globe as we see drones carry things here in the states or in Africa, and, Olivier, the sizes — I can’t do a quick pounds to kilogram conversion in my mind, I’ll save that to the smart folks like y’all do. But we’re talking the sheer capability and capacity of these things is also scaling tremendously. We’re not talking about taking a toothbrush here and there. We’re talking about some major freight and cargo there. So, that’s a really important thing for our listeners to pick up on. Okay. Back to myth busting, Olivier and Prashant. We’ve talked a little bit about the regulatory environment, we’ve talked a little bit about the technology maturity as Prashant put it, and that evolution as Olivier was talking about. Now, Olivier, it’s certainly not that end users and patients don’t want drone technology, that’s not it. Prashant has already blown that up. Your thoughts there, Olivier?

Olivier Defawe (24:45):

Yeah, I mean, for sure. We’ve been implementing drone transport in Africa for the last eight years and I can tell you that the communities see the benefits. The healthcare worker, they realize, they see the benefits, they help them do their work better. And as more and more evidence documenting these benefits becomes available, we have seen a surge of governments and private sector interest in adopting this technology and an exponential growth of its application in the health sector but also beyond health sector.

Scott Luton (25:20):

I completely agree. As a father of three kids when I think about my folks or my other loved ones, whatever it takes to get them the medicine and the treatment and the diagnoses, you name it, that will make them feel better or save their lives, I’m sure that that sentiment is probably a global one. Okay. So, now that we’ve busted up those myths, I want to get to the root cause and I’m going to pose this to both of you. So, what is, in your view, the root cause when it comes to what’s preventing truly scaling a drone network and really getting out there and despite all the wonderful outcomes and the opportunities that we’re driving today, results we’re driving today, what else is holding us back from really taking this thing and putting it on steroids? Olivier, your thoughts.

Olivier Defawe (26:02):

In simple words, I would say cost and cost effectiveness. So, today, while the evidence of the benefit of the benefits of drone transport exists, drone transport is expensive when limited to the public health sector, and I insist on this, when limited to the public health sector. The price people are willing to pay and the cost of drone transport just doesn’t line up. The problem is about economies of scale. Today, drone transport in Africa is primary a single sector market with one type of customer, governments and the donors, who are the sole payers and has to cover all the costs from the starting costs, the recurring costs and so on. And because of this drone transport providers only have mostly one pricing strategy. And really, this is why drone transport for social benefits right now is not financially sustainable in Africa.

Scott Luton (27:03):

And as with anything else in this world, when we can give industry a financial incentive to build something out, oftentimes that’s exactly what happens, at least in my thoughts. Prashant, what would you add? What’s the root cause? What’s holding us back here?

Prashant Yadav (27:17):

I think, Scott, what’s holding us back is a combination of people’s mental models and some real questions about cost effectiveness like Olivier pointed out. So, the reason I think it’s also mental models is if you try to establish the cost effectiveness of a platform technology, something that can be used across a wide number of use cases and you say, I will pick one use case and assess whether this technology is cost effective or not, the answer is no. Right? So, if you were to only ask is it cost effective for delivering blood? Maybe. If you ask, is it cost effective for delivering one type of medicine? Maybe. But if you start asking the question with a wider-angle lens, so not only economies of scale but economies of scope, that’s when the cost effectiveness question gets us a different answer. So, people’s mental model and the way the architecture for financing health around the world in Africa typically functions are we think about my job is to think about malaria and I’m going to see if the drone is cost effective in getting malaria medicines to people or not.

Prashant Yadav (28:20):

And if it’s not, I don’t think I’m going to put money into it, irrespective of whether the frontline health worker, the person who manages a clinic or deliveries in a clinic, that person, whether it’s a nurse or a medical officer or other carers of healthcare workers, they don’t think of it as this is for malaria. They have to face a patient every day and their lives are improved when things come to them reliable, quick, and that’s the lens of cost effectiveness that we’ve got to start applying. So, if you say what is the root cause? The root cause is our mental models of thinking about a delivery mode that is new, that is a platform technology, we’ll have to expand in terms of number of use cases, and we may also not know all of the use cases that this technology lends itself till today. We didn’t know four years ago that we will be using drones to transport PPE or touch-free PPE to rural clinics in Ghana. Who was talking about PPE at that time? We were all talking about can we get essential medicines. So, use cases in the future may come up and we have to give some weightage to the idea that something in the future will help this platform technology become even more valuable than it is today. If that’s the mental model you start with, suddenly a lot of value unlocks and capital starts to unlock.

Scott Luton (29:40):

Well said, Prashant. And one of the points you made I think is really important in terms of the human impact. So far in this conversation, I’ve been really speaking and the picture in my mind has been on the end users and the patients, but you make a great point because it also enables and empowers the workforce across the globe that’s in the healthcare industry that’s trying to reach and treat and see as many folks as they can. It changes their day to day and it makes their days hopefully more successful and allows them to focus more on areas that require that human touch. Right? That’s a great, great grand enabler. Quick follow-up question, Prashant, since you really focused your last response around cost effectiveness. You mentioned some things that we should consider and leaders should consider, especially those mental models that a very eloquent way of suggesting we got to think about it different, right? Any other considerations you want to suggest to our audience in terms of that cost effectiveness to a better drone approach? Any other thoughts there, Prashant?

Prashant Yadav (30:36):

Yeah. So, I think we have to start by accepting that the fixed costs are high and the variable costs are relatively low in setting up new drone networks because just the fixed cost of setting things up is high. So, the more we can get out of a drone network that we establish, the better it is in a marginal cost sense. So, the more things we can do and the more volume we can flow through a drone network, the lower will be the marginal cost for that next clinic that wants to start getting things delivered using drones, right, so how do we add more volume and more types of products. Now, that requires thinking with an ecosystem lens. That requires asking the question, which and many of us in the logistics industry say, what are adjacent revenue pools? I have my core revenue pool that comes from asking donors and ministries of health for health products, but are there adjacent revenue pools that I can make a case pull from, and that way I can amortize my fixed cost over a much larger volume base and therefore it starts to become cost effective for more and more end customers. That’s where I think we need to start focusing, and that’s where Olivier and I have been having discussions on this topic.

Scott Luton (31:51):

Prashant, that’s a great segue and I really appreciate that. Of course, the use of the term ecosystem has been so much more prevalent in recent years and thankfully I’m really grateful about that, instead of being so fixated on a single node in the overall supply chain or a single customer or a single product. It’s truly ecosystems that really help us realize the art of the possible almost no matter what industry or heart of global business you’re talking about. So that’s a great segue into, Olivier, when we think of an optimized multi-sectoral approach for multi-sectoral development. When you think of potential opportunities for doing that better, which then will lead back to growing and scaling up these drone networks, what are some thoughts that come to your mind? And first, Olivier, if you would, when we talk about multi-sector, would you define that first and then talk about things we need to be doing better?

Olivier Defawe (32:40):

Yeah. So, by multi-sectoral market development, what we know is the public health. Going beyond the public health, it’s like including the private health application but also going beyond health, looking at other sector, agricultural sector, energy sector, environment sector and so on and so on. So, this is what we really are talking about when we are thinking about promoting multi-sectoral development of the drone transport. We have to remember that cargo drone is agnostic to the cargo it’s transporting. Therefore, the same drone transport provider used for a public health application, transporting blood for example, could be used to transport veterinarian products or to transport seeds for client in agricultures or carry equipment per part to all platform offshore or to remote construction sites in hard-to-reach area. So, for example, in the energy sector, an equipment that fails often means a huge loss, sometimes to the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. That’s a real incentive to use cargo drone to speed up the supply chain of spare parts. So, once the type of cargo transported by drone becomes more versatile, the use cases are literally endless. And actually, a recent cargo-drone market report estimates today’s market at 0.6 billion U.S. dollar in its forecast to reach 9.4 billion U.S. dollar by 2030, compound annual growth rate of 39% between now and 2030. But these number are only possible and can be reached only if cargo drone industry grows across vertical sectors.

Scott Luton (34:40):

Well said. And that kind of goes back, Olivier, to what Prashant was talking about earlier. We leverage these ecosystems to have the conversations we need so we can develop new opportunities, those adjacent revenue goals as Prashant was talking about so we can really maybe fly past that 9.4 billion projection for you said 2030, is that right?

Olivier Defawe (35:01):

Correct. And I’m only talking about cargo drone market, not drone in general, just the use of drone for transporting goods.

Scott Luton (35:11):

Wow! What a tremendous opportunity. And really, my favorite part about that is beyond companies doing it because it needs to be done for our fellow citizens around the globe because it’s the right thing to do. What my favorite part about that is I know when there’s business opportunities to do all of that, a lot of times that’s what makes the growth and make the decisions happen to do just that. So, thank you for sharing, both of y’all, on cost effectiveness and some of the market dynamics out there. Let’s shift gears a bit. I want to talk about the private sector and what different private sector stakeholders need to do to make this work beyond the potential revenue opportunities, perhaps. Olivier, from a supply perspective, how do we involve more private logistics in transport companies?

Olivier Defawe (35:59):

Yeah. So, if you look at the trend of the new technologies, most providers are now original equipment manufacturer, OEM. So in other words, the drone technology providers do not operate their own technology. The business model like the Matternet, the [inaudible] or even the Zipline, where a provider not only developed, produced their own technology, their own drone technology, but they also operate its technology for their customer. That business model is slowly fading away. And today we have two main private sector categories of provider. You have the drone technology provider like an OEM, and you have the drone transport service provider like the Skyports, like the DroneUp and [inaudible], who have fleets of various type of drone that they either lease or purchase from OEM and operate them as a service to the customer. So, this differentiation of role between technology provider and service provider is a really good thing, but we need more drone service provider to promote cost competitive pricing.

Olivier Defawe (37:15):

So, there are two ways to get there. We either need more drone transport service provider that only use drone platform to move cargo, so we call them also a drone airline, or we need to leverage existing logistic and supply chain firms that start and they start offering drone transport services. Those are the Polar Air, the Freight In Time. I’m focusing on Africa here. So, today, there is an area where we want to work more and more, to assisting drone airline in entering the African market or helping existing transport companies explore, help them integrate and add drone transport in their service offerings.

Scott Luton (38:04):

So much opportunity, Olivier, and I bet — we’re going to make sure our listeners know how to connect with both of y’all in a minute. But, Olivier, I’m sure you welcome any conversation for companies out there to explore some of those things you’re mentioning. Is that right?

Olivier Defawe (38:17):

Correct. Correct.

Scott Luton (38:18):

Okay. So, Prashant, from the demand side, what are some of your thoughts in terms of how we can create more aggregate demand for public and private sector companies and organizations to get involved and help us reach the art of the possible here?

Prashant Yadav (38:31):

Yeah, Scott, so before I talk about the demand side, just one additional point on what Olivier said. So, I think — let’s think of it as technologies mature, there is a clear end customer demand which may not be translating into purchase orders for actually doing transport. So we have two sides clear. Now, what business model will be best suited to make these two things come together? It’s still a little bit unclear, right? One business model is fully integrated. The OEM provides the full service. The other business model is that the OEM sells technology and the equivalent of 3PLs, third-party logistics companies, either existing ones or drone-specific ones emerge and they provide a drone as a service to the end customers. Now, I mean, I’ve seen many new technologies evolve and business models come around them. I think initially there will be multiple business models. We won’t be able to say here is the only one that everybody will converge on. And over time, we will see some succeed, some not succeed. So where we land is unclear, but I think we should try with different ways of looking at this.

Scott Luton (39:38):

I’m very practical optimist to how you finish your response there. I feel really good about making a ton more real progress and powering a lot more outcomes based on the wonderful work both of you and your respective organizations and all the sectors out there that Olivier was talking about earlier. The need is too great and the ability, frankly, to commercialize it and to create revenue is tremendous as well. So, hopefully, that powerful intersection power a lot of progress years ahead. So, back to demand then, Prashant, yeah, your thoughts.

Prashant Yadav (40:10):

If you look at end customer demand, a simple way of separating two categories of demand, one is demand that cares a lot about efficiency and doesn’t care about responsiveness. The other is a type of demand that cares intrinsically a lot more about responsiveness. So, I think we will have to start our journey by first aggregating the demand, which cares more about responsiveness. Olivier brought up the example of spare parts. If I need a 1Z, 2Z of something and I need it quickly, even if it’s 5%, 10% more expensive than my current mode of transport, I’ll go for it because I have reliability of lead time and I have quick responsibility. There are many, many applications where responsiveness matters and I’m not talking about because of responsiveness, pricing something extremely high, but I’m talking a small premium for a new technology coming in which may come at a 15% or some price like that. That we can aggregate quickly and that will bring us both economies of scale and scope together.

Prashant Yadav (41:07):

Then, it’ll set us on a pathway to start addressing the efficiency side of the demand, people and end customers who care mostly about getting the lowest price on their transport cost. As we increase on their responsiveness demand aggregation, we will then equip ourselves to be able to address the efficiency side. And that’s a trajectory which I get excited about. I chat with Olivier and say, “Can we do something to accelerate that?” It’ll happen organically over time, but our job is can we accelerate that? Can we use new models of risk sharing, of bringing global capital, of convincing people who are on the demand side of the supply side to think about this differently so that we can go faster on this curve?

Scott Luton (41:49):

I love how you both think. And to that end, before we make sure our audience knows how to connect with both of you and your respective organizations, I want to bring in a bonus question. One of my favorite parts of our conversation here today is going back to what Prashant was talking about. He held his hand and said, yes, I was a former skeptic, and I love leaders that can be transparent about that because we all can’t get a hundred percent of the things right all the time. And, Prashant, that’s a very powerful thing to share and communicate with folks. So, the last question beyond getting our audience connected with y’all, I want to get both of you to speak to, is Prashant and Olivier, if y’all think about some of the skeptics that are out there that may be are listening or watching this conversation and if you had one thing to share with them or challenge them on, just one simple thing, not to poke people in the eye, but just maybe to get them thinking a little bit differently, getting them to change that mental model or their assumptions they may have, what would that one thing be? And, Prashant, let’s start with you.

Prashant Yadav (42:45):

I would ask people to exercise some empathy and put yourself in the shoes of the frontline health worker in a clinic, not what happens in between, not all the technicalities of 3PL company, logistics company, how it works. Just put yourself in the shoes of a frontline health worker and ask the question, is their life and their ability to treat patients getting better if they can get their supplies timely, reliable, fastly time and just reliability of this transport model? And then with that as a starting point, ask the question if it does, how can I make it happen so that it’s also sustainable versus asking the question, is it sustainable? So, I think starting from the bottom up is my plea to people.

Scott Luton (43:28):

Yeah, well said, Prashant. And it may sound simple to some people out there, but the power of empathy can truly move mountains. Olivier, same question, if you had to challenge the skeptics out there with just one thing, what would that be?

Olivier Defawe (43:39):

I would say do your research. Get up to date on where the drone transport technology is at. I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and a lot of investigation across the various sector because we are trying to push the agenda across various sector and one realization is like people are still thinking drone transport is something of the future. The mindset is still like what it was 10 years ago, even in the country where you have ongoing drone transport operation. Like in the DRC, you have stakeholders, very high stakeholders from various ministries who have no idea that the largest bidirectional drone transport network in the world is in the DRC. So, my call is that wake up, be curious, catch up, and get on the train because we are moving.

Scott Luton (44:37):

I love it. I love it, Olivier. That is awesome. I’m so glad we got both of y’all to speak to those skeptics out there. And, folks, hey, I’m going to add to the challenge that you heard so well from Prashant and Olivier here. To our audience out there, no matter where you are, hey, if you’re in position to contribute resources to the critical mission that Village Reach is on, we invite you to do just that. As we mentioned on the front end, man, their efforts enable access to quality healthcare to over 70 million people, and there is a lot more work to be done. So, join in the mission — whatever that means to you, join in the mission in some way, shape or form, and you can learn more at villagereach.org.

Scott Luton (45:11):

Okay, Prashant, Olivier, you are quite the one-two punch. You’re going to have to have a roadshow. Maybe the Rolling Stones can open for y’all because, I mean, I really appreciated the different ways and the similar ways y’all approach today’s conversation and the need for real action. So, let’s make sure folks know how to connect with you both. Prashant Yadav with INSEAD Africa Initiative, really have enjoyed meeting you here today. I’ve seen y’all both out there getting interviewed and speaking and doing keynotes about the things that we need to do together and challenging leadership to take that critical action because it’s all about deeds, not words. Prashant, how can folks connect with you and your organization?

Prashant Yadav (45:47):

Email, LinkedIn, X or what used to be called Twitter, all of those channels. Feel free to reach out.

Scott Luton (45:54):

Well, we appreciate that. We’re going to drop many of those links in the episode notes, so hopefully folks are one click away from connecting with you. Thanks for being here. Olivier Defawe, so nice to reconnect with you, really enjoyed our time together months ago. Hopefully, we can do it again here maybe in December 2024. But regardless, really appreciate your action and results-driven work. How can folks connect with you and Village Reach?

Olivier Defawe (46:17):

It’s a team effort. There is a lot of people at Village Reach who’s spending a lot of time doing this work and making it work. So, I would say just go on our website at villagerich.org. There is a page specifically on the outsource drone transport, or you can find me on LinkedIn. Thank you, Scott.

Scott Luton (46:36):

Thank you both. Thank you both for what you’re doing. The world needs a lot more Prashant and Olivier and your respective teams. So, I really appreciate y’all’s noble mission. Okay. To our listeners out there, to our viewers out there, to our audience tuned in from around the globe, hey, I’m challenging you, just take one thing, at least one thing that Prashant and Olivier said here today. Put it into action. Share it with your teams. It’s not about lip service leadership. It’s about deeds, not words. So, with that in mind, be sure to check out villagereach.org. Jump into their mission if you can. But whatever you do, Scott Luton, challenging you to do good, to give forward, and to be the change that’s needed. And with that in mind, we’ll see next time right back here at Supply Chain Now. Thanks, everybody.

Intro/Outro (47:18):

Thanks for being a part of our Supply Chain Now Community. Check out all of our programming at supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain Now anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain Now.

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Featured Guests

Olivier Defawe, Ph. D. As a global health and innovation development expert, Olivier leads a portfolio of innovations to improve healthcare access at the last mile in low/middle-income countries. Olivier’s 17+ years of experience working in Africa makes him savvy in navigating local challenges and influencing strategic partnerships to achieve sustainable health outcomes. As a director in VillageReach private sector engagement group, Olivier develops and manages strategic partnerships with the private sector. He also leads the Outsourced Drone Transport programs in Mozambique, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic. Before joining VillageReach, Olivier has managed health information and laboratory systems implementations in Haiti and West Africa, and served as Operations Manager of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Endpoints Laboratory at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Olivier holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Liège in Belgium. Connect with Olivier on LinkedIn. 

Prashant Yadav is a globally recognized scholar in the area of healthcare supply chains and supply chains for products with social benefits. He is an Affiliate Professor of Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD and Academic Director of the INSEAD Africa Initiative. In addition to his role at INSEAD, Prashant is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development and a Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of many peer reviewed scientific publications and his work has been featured in prominent print and broadcast media including The Economist, The Financial Times, Nature, and BBC. Yadav’s research has received best paper awards from the Production and Operations Management Society, INFORMS, and other scientific bodies. Before coming to INSEAD Prashant was Strategy Leader-Supply Chain at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He serves on the boards of many global organizations and social enterprises. Connect with Prashant on LinkedIn.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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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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Kim Reuter

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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

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

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

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Billy Taylor

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

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

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

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

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host

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

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

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

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

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Marty Parker

Host

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

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

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Laura Lopez

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Jake Barr

Host

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

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Marcia Williams

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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