En este episodio de Supply Chain Now en Español, los presentadores Enrique Álvarez y el presentador invitado José Miguel dan la bienvenida a Pamela Navia al programa. Escuche mientras Pamela comparte sobre su pasión por los viajes y cómo evolucionó hasta convertirse en una carrera exitosa en logística y un viaje empresarial.
[00:00:37] Muy buenos días y bienvenidos a otro episodio de su Play Now en español. El día de hoy tengo el gusto de compartir esta muy muy interesante entrevista con un buen amigo José Miguel Larrazabal. También mi socio comercial en Chile. Jose Miguel. Que tal? Buenos días. Cómo estás?
[00:00:54] Muy bien, gracias. Enrique. Cómo está todo por allá en Atlanta?
[00:00:58] Frío. Por acá. Sé que por allá es verano. Acá es invierno y acá está frío. En Atlanta nevó, de hecho, el fin de semana pasado.
[00:01:06] Sí. Aquí hay un día esplendoroso en la playa, en la costa, en cerca de Santiago de Chile.
[00:01:13] Me imagino.
[00:01:15] Espectacular. Para, para, para echar más de una entrevista fascinante.
[00:01:21] Con algo de envidia entonces. Sí. Bueno, sin más preámbulos, déjenme les presento a Pamela Navia. Pamela ahora es una emprendedora de la logística, pero tiene una carrera profesional sumamente exitosa. Tiene una trayectoria en este rubro desde hace 24 años. Comenzó con British Airways World Cargo, luego Swiss Cargo, Latam Cargo y bueno dentro del departamento tanto de exportaciones como importaciones de estas compañías, después de 12 años trata nuevos desafíos, se va la parte del Freight Forward y trabaja también como Business Developer en Debby Singer y en Alpina. Entonces, al final de cuentas, Pamela, conoces la industria de adentro hacia afuera, al revés de cabeza? Estoy en frente. Muchísimas gracias por estar aquí con nosotros. Es un placer tenerte alguien tan exitoso en esta industria, tan complicada y sobre todo la parte aérea también. Gracias.
[00:02:13] Muchas gracias. Hola, Enrique. Hola, José Miguel. Muchas gracias por esta tremenda presentación. Primero que todo, y gracias a ustedes por invitarme.
[00:02:22] Gracias por estar aquí. Nos encanta tener emprendedores y gente con tanta experiencia en logística. Y bueno, también cabe destacar que no hay muchas mujeres tampoco. Entonces eres no solo una pionera en la parte de de las importaciones y exportaciones, sino también nos va a encantar escuchar un poco más de cómo llegaste a a a donde estás ahora.
[00:02:46] Mira, llevo 24 años en el rubro. Efectivamente, en ambos lados del escritorio empecé haciendo mi práctica profesional en British Airways. Empecé, ahí estuve yo, en realidad estudié secretaría ejecutiva bilingüe, llegué a hacer mi práctica de la compañía aérea, estuve seis meses trabajando y luego fui promovida todo lo que es el área de exportaciones. Aprendí en seis meses muchísimo. Fui supervisora de importaciones un par de años. Y como periodista estaba representado en Chile por LAN, por Latam. En ese tiempo era parte del holding, también Swiss Cargo. Entonces, cuando Swiss Cargo llegó a Chile, pasé a hacerme cargo de todo el área de importación de esa compañía aérea.
[00:03:30] Oye, pues muy, muy interesante. Y de hecho, antes de que sigamos arrancando en tu carrera profesional y antes de eso, nos encantaría escuchar un poco más de ti, cuando un poco de tu infancia que te gustaba dónde naciste. Cuéntanos un poco la historia que después te lleva a entrar en logística.
[00:03:50] Mira, somos dos hermanas. Vivimos y nacimos siempre en Santiago. Toda mi vida estaba en Santiago. Siempre quise, por esas cosas de la vida trabajar en el aeropuerto. Desde chica me encanta que lejos de la ciudad, pero ese mundo aeronáutico me encantaba. Ya. Qué más les cuento de mí?
[00:04:13] Qué es lo que te gustaba? Fue alguien? Fue algún amigo de alguno de tus padres? Por qué te llamaba tanto la atención? Los. Los aviones y los aeropuertos.
[00:04:22] La verdad es que mi familia materna. Toda mi familia materna vive en Estados Unidos. Entonces yo siempre viví cuando chica este movimiento del viaje, de la logística. Exacto. Los viajes a me llamaba la atención. Estaba hablando de cuando era chica, diez años y siempre dije yo muero por trabajar en el aeropuerto. Me encantaba la logística, me gustaba el tema de trabajar. 24 siete este sistema que no para nunca. Lo encontraba bien, interesante.
[00:04:49] Qué bien.
[00:04:50] Y entonces Pamela. Te tocó viajar? Bastante. Cuando llegué a Estados Unidos.
[00:04:57] Cuando chicas, casi me tocó viajar. No bastante, pero sí un par de veces. Creo que viajé más cuando empecé a trabajar ahí porque viajaba a Estados Unidos. Mi familia vivía cerca de Boston, entonces llegábamos a Boston. Pero después, cuando yo entré a trabajar, que entré a trabajar bastante chica, a los 20 años tuve harta posibilidad de viajar a varias partes por trabajo, por especializaciones, por conocimiento, por. Aparte de lo que por vacaciones.
[00:05:26] Por viajar, siempre ha sido tu pasión, digamos.
[00:05:29] Tú. Sí, siempre fue. Siempre fue. Desde chica.
[00:05:34] Bueno, ahora sí. Volviendo a tu trayectoria profesional. Disculpa que te haya interrumpido la entrada.
[00:05:40] Como que es interesante saber alguna experiencia que tuviste, que te impulsó a llegar a a, digamos, a lo de la logística.
[00:05:49] Y bueno, cuando yo estudiaba nos preguntaron en qué lugar nos gustaría trabajar, pero algo también bastante ficticio, y yo dije que a mi me encantaría trabajar en el aeropuerto cuando yo estudiaba. Entonces cuando terminé de estudiar me preguntaron Hay una posibilidad de que te presenten en el aeropuerto a una entrevista? Pero van a ir cinco niñas de las cinco van a elegir a una. Yo fui feliz. Me levanté a las 06:00. Llegué como a las siete al aeropuerto. Como no calculaba bien los tiempos, esperé toda la entrevista y me fue. Me fue bien, me llamaron y a la semana siguiente ya estaba empezando a hacer mi práctica profesional en British Airways. Estoy en el aeropuerto en el área de carga. Nunca me preocupé mucho si era en el área de pasajero o en el área de carga. Me gustaba más la conectividad de la gente, el movimiento. Cuando me llamaron al aeropuerto, yo obviamente feliz y ahí estoy. Estuve en el aeropuerto trabajando hasta el año 2010, así que harto tiempo trabajando el aeropuerto. Conozco todo lo que desde el año de donde el aeropuerto era así, chiquitito, hasta todo lo que creció hasta el día de hoy.
[00:07:01] Con la nueva ampliación del aeropuerto. Ahora he tenido la oportunidad de volar un par de veces a través del aeropuerto y han cambiado radicalmente. Me imagino, desde que te tocó a ti estar en el aeropuerto.
[00:07:13] Por supuesto. Todo está completamente nuevo. Nuevo, muy chiquitito. Y logísticamente, en el área de carga no teníamos prácticamente bodega. Era todo pequeño. La seguridad en el aeropuerto era muy diferente a lo que pasó después del 2001 con el tema de las Torres Gemelas en el aeropuerto. Antes de eso era otro, otro rubro al que sucedió después de eso. En tema de seguridad, por ejemplo, el aeropuerto de nosotros en Chile era fácil entrar a la losa sin ser trabajador. No habían muchas barreras de seguridad, mucho control, nada que ver con lo que es actualmente.
[00:07:52] Y crees que ha sido para bien o ciertas cosas que pudieran haberse hecho mejor. Cuál ha sido tu perspectiva desde que iniciaste la primera vez que fuiste al aeropuerto? Digamos a las últimas semanas o la última vez que fuiste? Qué ha sido esta evolución para ti? Un poco. Cuéntanos para que la gente que no es de Chile o no conozca bien, pueda también tener un poco de contexto y.
[00:08:18] Yo he pensado en toda esta perspectiva desde que entré a trabajar y creo que la tecnología ha ayudado un montón a todos en todo este proceso, optimizando tiempos y optimizando más el, el, el, el saber y el controlar todo lo que es el tema, la logística. Porque antes era a pulso prácticamente las cajas, etiquetaba a mano la caja. Me refiero a todo lo que era la importación y la exportación. Era todo manual. Las guías aéreas se hacían, no se cortaban. Estoy tratando de que todo el mundo lo entienda también con máquina de escribir. Ahora es todo digitalizado. Nos demoramos media hora en hacer una guía, una guía que tiene un número asignado, que si tu te equivocas en escribir esa guía era fatal porque tenías que cambiar toda la documentación de exportación, entonces.
[00:09:12] No podías usar esos cómo se llamaban los que la máquina de escribir que le podías borrar.
[00:09:18] Ahí o de Liquid Paper.
[00:09:20] Pero sabes lo que pasa? La guía aérea en ese tiempo era una guía aérea física que tenía alrededor de cuatro o cinco copias, uno para el recibidor, otra línea aérea, otro para el freno, otro para el consignatario o para el empacador. Entonces tú te equivocas en uno. Y el campo marcaba las seis o siete copias. Eso era fatal. Eran 24 horas de atraso por la carga, ese tipo de cosas. La verdad es que ha ayudado muchísimo en que toda esta logística sea cada vez más rápida, que el transporte aéreo ya no sea quizás de 12 horas, sea de seis. Y eso. Eso lo he visto que ha sido todo. Si. Bien. El transporte aéreo es veloz y rápido y es rápido en el sentido de que el cliente siempre lo quiere rápido. Siempre. Todo lo que se vuela es para ayer. Es un concepto bastante diferente. Entonces eso ha ayudado a que todo este proceso sea mucho más rápido y optimizando tiempos, tiempos y visibilidad de la carga que uno está transportando. Y muchas cosas más. La calidad de cómo se transporta y se mantiene actualmente la carga. Antes uno mandaba fruta, por ejemplo, a cierto país y el país no tenía bodegas para poder mantener a cierta temperatura cierto producto, como los medicamentos, la fruta, ciertos comodities que necesitan algunas, algunos requerimientos especiales como temperatura, mantención. Salir más rápido al aeropuerto, que son más bien productos más bien que tal ocurrir de la carga está. Todo este proceso que tienen diferentes prioridades para salir del aeropuerto. Eso antes no existía.
[00:11:07] Me imagino que la logística juega un rol, un rol esencial en eso. Y este proceso, quizás para dar un poco más de contexto de de crecimiento en el aeropuerto Santiago, sucedió dos veces. No cuando la primera, la primera concesión a mediados de los 90 y después ahora a mediados de los del 2015 2013, cuando se licitó. Qué interesante la particularidad de la logística aérea. Cuál es? Cuáles son los mayores desafíos que tú, Pamela hoy día de la industria?
[00:11:48] Qué es? Es complejo. Yo creo que en este minuto todo lo que es la logística, ella está viviendo una transición nuevamente, no tanto lo operativo, sino también en lo comercial. Porque después de este tema, el CUIT. Nada. Ha sido tan estable como era antes. Como un vuelo pasajero. El vuelo pasajero. Antes, bajo ninguna circunstancia de la vida era cancelado. Ahora son todos cancelada porque muchas veces hay tripulaciones completas que están contagiados. Entonces, cuál es el problema? Que yo creo que se han visto involucradas? Muchísima presa en estas alturas. Es el personal, yo creo, es la gente que trabaja, porque últimamente ha habido una cancelación enorme de vuelo. Efectivamente, a veces hay problemas climáticos que en Estados Unidos bastante problemas climáticos por el tema de la nieve, pero además hay problemas con las tripulaciones y las tripulaciones se basan en gente y cuando no hay gente las cosas no funcionan. Y yo creo que eso ha influido bastante en este minuto y es un desafío enorme que se está viviendo a nivel mundial en este momento.
[00:12:59] Me imagino que eso se ve reflejado también en los precios y en el problema que estamos teniendo disponibilidad de equipo y precios elevados y este simple y sencillamente lo confiables que antes eran como dices, y ahora algo que antes era muy confiable, ahora no es tan confiable y eso me causa estrés en todas las cadenas de suministro.
[00:13:20] Exactamente. Exactamente. Los precios. Los precios están carísimos. Cuesta muchísimo lograr obtener el espacio. Y ese espacio también está sujeto a si el avión viene, si no hay problemas con las tripulaciones, es todo bastante incierto. Pero también ese es el lado negativo de una parte. Pero el lado bueno también es que todos hemos aprendido a flexibilizar el negocio, porque antes era necesito llegar el tres, el tres y no había absolutamente ninguna posibilidad de llegar en otra fecha porque simplemente o el negocio no se hacía o el cliente era poco confiable. El cliente, en este caso, el vendedor actualmente no ahora. Yo creo que todo el mundo se ha vuelto un poco más consciente de que muchas veces no va a recibir las cosas con la inmediatez que es necesario.
[00:14:12] Se ha sido un poco de educación, algo, algo de educación por parte de todos nosotros, los que estamos metidos en la logística, pasando un poco a tu. A tu carrera nuevamente. Y bueno, a lo que has vivido con Brexit, Suiza y Latam. Cuál ha sido uno de los retos más difíciles que has tenido o algún problema que tú hayas tenido que resolver dentro de tu carrera profesional? Este que te acuerdes. Y bueno, y qué aprendiste de eso?
[00:14:41] Bueno, en este rubro todos los días hay cosas nuevas que aprender. Claro, eso son problemas que resolver. Pero hay algo que me acuerda mucho y que en realidad fue una experiencia de vida. Me tocó hacer un curso, asistir a un curso en Londres por una semana, si bien era un curso donde íbamos aproximadamente 25 personas alrededor del mundo, entonces teníamos diferentes culturas y éramos cinco latinos. Todos hablaba inglés, pero nadie era extremadamente bilingüe. Nadie hablaba español más que nosotros. Cinco Y el primer día era de ocho a 18:00 de la tarde, de lunes a viernes. El primer día eran las 15:00 de la tarde y ya nadie entendía nada. Nos mirábamos, no entendíamos nada, no entendíamos nada y. Y las profesoras se dieron cuenta de que ya habíamos hecho un blackout y ya no entendíamos nada. Entonces entre ellas se comentaron atento con los latinos porque al parecer no están entendiendo nada. Entonces nosotros nos dimos cuenta y nos juntamos el mismo lunes en la noche después de terminar clase, nos pusimos a estudiar y estudiábamos y estudiaba y estudiábamos para no parecer los que no entendíamos nada y que no era así, estábamos cansados, ya no entendíamos nada y estudiábamos. Y el otro día hubo una interrogación. Una cosa, ya vamos a ponernos al día con todo lo que hemos visto y la información que pasamos. Y la verdad es que nosotros salimos destacados los latinos en haber aprendido mejor que todo el resto de los que estábamos ahí y que me quedó claro y que es lo que puedo compartir que. Que esforzándose un poquitito más. No hablo de sacrificio, hablo de un esfuerzo adicional. Todo es posible y gratificante, en realidad.
[00:16:22] Muy buena historia, muy buena idea.
[00:16:24] Fue el día martes, miércoles, jueves y ya no sabía si hablaba o pensaba en inglés. No tenía idea. Podía ver películas normalmente, pero sí, estaba muy nervioso. Estaba muy preocupada. Pero resultó todo perfecto.
[00:16:36] Esa una buena, buena lección de vida, porque es verdad lo que tú dices. Cuando uno le pone un poco un esfuerzo adicional a las cosas, es la manera en que salen de la manera correcta.
[00:16:47] Así es, y eso ha sido una experiencia de vida profesional. Porque hay algo que. Que también es bueno comentarlo. Uno siempre habla de la vida laboral y la vida profesional. Cierto, uno siempre tiene. Pero a mí me cuesta separar esas cosas. Me cuesta porque tengo que hacer calzar mi vida personal con la profesional, porque tengo una sola vida y mi hijo sabe que la mamá trabaja en esto. Y con la gente que yo trabajo también sabe que tengo dos hijos. Entonces trato de hacer esto más fácil.
[00:17:19] Entonces no soy una persona que tiene nada que hacer.
[00:17:23] La misma persona que tengo que hacer todo. Y a veces tengo como esto funciona. 24, siete o alguna vez a las 02:00 estoy con el teléfono trabajando y eso lo entiende mi familia. Y eso a mí eso me gusta. Por eso siempre digo soy 24 siete, mamá y trabajadora. No, no separo, no son las cinco. Y digo Me tengo que ir. Se acabó el día.
[00:17:46] No debo.
[00:17:47] Hacer nada.
[00:17:49] No se puede. Realmente la vida es mucho más importante que el trabajo y la vida, y normalmente queremos tratar de balancearlo. Pero al final de cuentas todos somos humanos, todos tenemos otras responsabilidades y lo importante para todos es tener ese balance que tú mencionas. Eso es otra muy buena experiencia. Y bueno, cuéntanos un poco regresando de British a dónde te fuiste? Cómo fue después tu trayectoria de lograste tu sueño de llegar al aeropuerto? Trabajaras en el aeropuerto? Estuviste con British luego? Qué más? Qué pasó en tu carrera profesional.
[00:18:20] Cuando British Airways dejó de volar a Chile? Que esto fue como en el 2012? Si no me equivoco decidí y me ofrecieron desarrollarme en este lado de en el otro lado del escritorio. Como comentaba con los free forward para mi nuevo también algo, algo totalmente nuevo, porque transportar carga aérea y ser free forward es totalmente diferente. Estuve tres meses sentada en la oficina de la empresa analizando. Cómo es que había que hacer realizar una tarifa desde China y cerrar un negocio? Y eso puede. Puede sintetizarlo y subirlo al sistema. Estaba, decía pero cómo se hace un negocio así? Me costó, me costó entenderlo. Tres meses entendiendo cómo hacerlo. Le pude tomar la mano, pude entender. Ahí pude entender que era negocio ser más globales de lo que uno se imagina. No es solamente llevar los de acá a de Chile a Estados Unidos o de Estados Unidos a China. No todos los negocios están globalizados. Las personas todas trabajan en lo mismo. Está la voz de la nadie en Chile, en México, en Estados Unidos había una Babel en cualquier parte del mundo y eso lo aprendí en los forwards. Ese trabajo en equipo, en las compañías aéreas también, pero en los Jaguares es mucho más, es más grande y tiene que ser mucho más afianzado, porque son los negocios los que se hacen en con diferentes culturas, con diferentes lenguas. Muchas veces entonces. Me fueron. Fue un tiempo de tres meses. Y aun puede adaptarme a esto?
[00:20:04] Es que es verdad. Primero entraste con.
[00:20:08] Eso. Fue para Alpina.
[00:20:10] Alpina?
[00:20:10] Primero Alpina. Qué bien. Ya aprendí todo esto y tuve la. La. No sé si decir la suerte o la fortuna de poder adaptarme, porque no es fácil adaptarse a una línea y de trabajar un trecho. Entonces me pude adaptar y me pude reinventar en eso que me había decidido dedicar, que era probar, porque me parecía un negocio bastante interesante, quizás con 1,1 campo mucho más extenso que lo que es la línea aérea en un tema de aprendizaje, en un tema de de desarrollo profesional. Y la verdad es que fue súper enriquecedor. Pudimos e pudimos hacer como departamento Diego porque era yo con toda la gente del aeropuerto. Pudimos desarrollar y crear la mentalidad del producto chileno de de. De que para el Pina también existía en Chile en lo que es el área de exportación, porque tanto para el Pina como como Tinker son empresas multinacionales, son enormes, son monstruosamente grandes. Sin embargo, en el área de exportaciones y puntualmente en Chile, no eran participantes absolutamente de ningún negocio. Entonces logramos visibilizar en ambas empresas la exportación. Logramos comunicar al mundo que Chile existía, lo que era exportación y con los commodities que tenía. Y eso creo que ha sido un logro tremendo. Creo que las compañías aéreas, como trabajé en ese ambiente y ahí es donde yo conocí. Logramos posesionar a estas empresas en el ámbito nacional y de negocios.
[00:21:59] Qué orgullo!
[00:22:01] Sí, yo me siento contenta por eso. Y I y especialista además en el tema de los porque las empresas multinacionales un foco bien grande son tener los comodities de cada país. Obviamente tienen uno de los commodities más grandes que tiene son los precios. Qué es el salmón, la fruta y el otro son las cargas, que es toda la minería y el vino y todo el resto de los de los productos que tiene de exportación. Pero el Chile es complejo, es complejo entrar en Chile, pero lo hicimos y eso es la verdad. Es un tremendo logro que que me siento súper orgullosa de haberlo hecho y sobre todo en esa tremendas empresas.
[00:22:41] No, esta industria es muy, muy demandante, pero a su vez maravillosa desde tu punto de vista, Pamela. Qué es lo que más te apasiona?
[00:22:50] Es que lo que me apasiona en este rubro.
[00:22:53] Tú como persona qué te apasiona?
[00:22:57] Hay como tres puntos que los que me apasionan. Primero, siento que todo las personas que trabajan en este rubro tienen un proyecto y me encanta apoyar. Me encanta apoyar. Me encanta persuadir y ayudar a la. A la. A la empresa que está tomando la decisión de hacer este proyecto en tomar las mejores decisiones informadas. Porque creo que la información es lo que hace que tomar buenas decisiones. Me encanta ayudar. No sé si la palabra es ayudar, pero me encanta enseñar a estas empresas a poder desarrollar su negocio en lo que yo sé que es el transporte y la logística. Me apasiona que. Todo lo que yo hago acá se refleja en cualquier otra parte del mundo. Porque todo el esfuerzo que uno tiene se refleja en destino, se refleja. Alguien siempre te está mirando y mirando. En qué sentido? De que este lápiz tiene que llegar bien aquí, aquí y acá. Y para este lápiz está involucrado un montón de países, un montón de ingenieros, un montón de gente y eso me fascina, la conectividad y poder conocer. Me apasiona conocer el negocio del lápiz. Me apasiona conocer que por qué la puntita de este lápiz fue creado en China y por qué la compraron. Y cuántas personas trabajaron para esto? Y por qué redondito? Eso me encanta, me apasiona, me apasiona y también lo puedo dejar como en el súper linda experiencia cuando cuando desarrollé el tema del salmón en Chile. Cuando dice sí, salmón, sacar el salmón del agua y que estén 200 mujeres con un alicate sacándole las espinas al salmón para que después lo puedan exportar. Lo encontré maravilloso. Entonces puedo entender cuando me dicen necesito urgente sacar cinco toneladas de salmón a China. Entiendo todo el trabajo que existe para poder hacer todo ese procedimiento. Eso me encanta. Entonces puedo entender y querer el negocio de las personas.
[00:25:05] Si tienes un poco más de esta parte de desarrollar el salmón, eso creo que es no solo algo de mucho orgullo, sino algo increíble que hiciste, lograste desarrollar. Esto es cuando estabas. Con quién? Con pan alpino?
[00:25:17] Con quién estabas?
[00:25:18] Con qué parte? El salmón, me imagino, se ha estado exportando de Chile durante muchos años. Qué parte fue la que lograste cambiar y desarrollar o qué parte? Cuéntanos un poco más de ese proyecto que se oye muy interesante.
[00:25:33] Bueno, el salmón es uno de los commodities más grandes. Hace unos años atrás tuvo un problema con los virus, porque constantemente hay que estar dale el antibiótico y se desarrollan nuevas infecciones. Bueno, hace unos años atrás hubo un problema enorme, no hubo ningún tipo de exportación y empezó de nuevo a crecer paulatinamente el negocio y la exportación del salmón, cosa que era un producto apetecido por todos los freight for water. Justo me tocó pasar a este lado del escritorio y me dijeron. Sé que necesita mover salmón mar. Yo empecé a mirar los reportes, mirar dónde podíamos entrar, qué destinos podíamos tener y cómo podíamos presentarnos a una licitación. Porque fue a través de una licitación. Y fui muchas veces a Puerto Montt a hablar con las personas encargadas, muchas veces a Rancagua, porque era esto es parte. El cliente se llama Los Fiordos y está súper agro súper. Está en Rancagua y Los Fiordo, está en Puerto Montt y también está en Chiloé. Fui muchas partes a ver cómo se producía. No presentamos la licitación y ganamos en ese tiempo en una licitación y ganamos primero. Ganamos todo lo que era Sudamérica. Mandábamos carga Bogotá a Perú, claro, bastante bien. Y luego también ganamos una licitación a China. También nos ganamos otra licitación a China.
[00:27:06] Y cómo es el mercado? Es un programa. Es un mercado bien, bien estructurado, porque el salmón, para que tenga cierto calibre y ciertos detalles para poder venderlo, se requieren años. Entonces, hoy día saben lo que pueden vender para tres años más? Entonces es bien estructurado. Al menos que pase algo inesperado. Pero. Pero la programación es. Y así funciona. Creo que Agro Super con con Agro Super es una de las empresas que más exporta productos alimenticios materia prima para. Para el ser humano. Entonces. Creo que. Es un negocio donde tiene mucho potencial y yo creo que los salmones chilenos van a seguir creciendo. O sea, antiguamente en todo lo que es el transporte aéreo habían PIC de estaciones, que era de septiembre a diciembre, donde se volaba todo lo que era. Antiguamente volaban mucho espárragos, luego los carozo y luego todo lo que es berries y eran tres o cuatro meses a full y el resto del año no había que subir a los aviones. No había nada, no había nada, no había nada. Hoy día está todo el año lleno. Todos los vuelos tanto de pasajeros como los de carga llenos de salmón. Por eso tan complejo. Actualmente era la temporada de fruta.
[00:28:39] Pero el salmón ahora está entorpeciendo un poco la competencia entre el salmón y la fruta. La fruta ahora estable quizá.
[00:28:46] Que bien. Por supuesto, es el año completo. Entonces tiene bloqueado todos los espacios. Entonces cada vez la fruta se vuelve en la fruta y las semillas en Chile se vuelven un competidor tremendo para el salmón y el salmón pagado paga el flete aéreo prácticamente la mitad o mucho menos de la mitad de lo que paga la fruta.
[00:29:07] Qué interesante cómo van cambiando los mercados y dependiendo cómo se desarrolla uno, cómo está la temporalidad en el otro? Pamela en bloque. Lo que has logrado. Esto obviamente. Uno de las cosas importantes en tu trayectoria profesional. Este también me doy cuenta de que ahora cuando pasaste a De Alpina Spanker, cuando pasaste a ser fast forward, estás un poco más en el área comercial también. No solo antes era un poco, a lo mejor más enfocado a la operación. Ahora en el área comercial te gusta vender, te gusta la parte comercial de toda, la de toda la industria también? O cómo? Cómo es tu mezcla entre operación y venta?
[00:29:48] Creo que me apasiona. Área comercial. Pero no se puede hacer. Yo no lo puedo hacer si no es con operativa porque. Porque lo conozco y. Para. Para yo poder persuadirte. Tengo que estar yo convencida. Eso creo que es lo principal. Y para estar convencido del procedimiento, yo de la A a la Z, porque me desarrollé en el área comercial, porque yo tengo cabeza más bien operativa, por decirlo alguna vez. Ojalá se entienda lo que digo, porque las estructuras de estas empresas grandes donde trabajé era al revés. Son estructuras muy grandes, comerciales, pero no tienen la especialización en lo operativo del aéreo. Entonces eso ayudó a que mi experticia en el aéreo pudiera aumentar la venta que existe en la empresa con esta área, que es el aéreo, el transporte aéreo. Y eso le sacamos mucho provecho porque aprendí un fondo a ver las necesidades del cliente.
[00:31:04] Que no es algo que todo el mundo debería de hacer. Creo que es una lección de vida para cualquier empresa que nos esté escuchando, para cualquier persona que esté ahí. Creo que un buen vendedor. Si bien tienes una mentalidad operativa y conoces la operación, creo que puedes llegar a ser un mucho mejor vendedor. Creo que eso es algo que hay, que es claro y está cambiando. Y bueno, tú también fuiste de las primeras en verlo, al menos en la parte de Chile y en el aéreo. Cómo ves José Miguel?
[00:31:35] Súper interesante Pamela, tu experiencia y tu y tu mirada. Quizás si puedas compartirnos alguna alguna lección de vida, ya sea profesional o personal, que pueda ser enriquecedora para. Para la gente que nos escucha.
[00:31:50] Y. Una elección de día importante. O sea, más que una elección es que todo se puede. Yo creo que partimos esta conversación hablando de eso, de que con esfuerzo todo se puede. La elección. Uno se va abriendo los caminos. Uno. Uno. Uno tiene la suerte de elegir y y la elección de días que yo siempre he elegido y me encanta. A pesar de todos los inconvenientes, las presiones que tiene este negocio, que es tremendamente demandante, es estar ahí y solucionarlo y y eso ayuda a dar el siguiente paso. Yo les digo que hay que ser tremendamente comprometido con todo. No sabría dar una lección de vida puntual, pero creo que cada paso que uno da es tremendamente importante. Creo que el camino A es mucho más interesante que la meta. Y ahí va.
[00:32:46] Esa creo que es una gran pamela.
[00:32:49] Yo. Yo. La verdad es que por eso digo yo no digo que es fuerte, pero tampoco soy partidaria de ese sacrificio que hace la gente. No, yo creo que que una decisión bien tomada e informada hace tremendos cambios absolutamente en todo ámbito de la vida, tanto en el negocio y en lo personal, que para mí es parte de la vida cotidiana. Me cuesta separar lo personal con lo laboral.
[00:33:14] Excelente, sí, excelente reflexión. Incluso creo que al final de cuentas, una vez que te tomas la decisión de tienes que comprometer con la decisión para que luego puedas sentir algo de este tengas fruto y puedas sentirte relevante también. Es muy bueno. Muy bueno. Debby Jenks. Cuéntanos un poco más. Ya nos contaste un poco de la parte de de British Airways. Luego fuiste a Alpina. Debe Tinker. Caíste un poco más en la parte comercial. Desarrollaste lo del salmón. Qué otra cosa aprendiste en tu etapa? Por Tibby Singer? Las dos increíbles empresas sumamente exitosas.
[00:33:54] Eh? Bueno, él dice que ambas empresas son empresas tremendamente estructuradas. Son empresas que tienen unos reglamentos internos, que son gigantescos, que hay que respetarlos. Aprendí que ahí también aprendí que cada departamento tiene su área y. Y esas áreas tienen que estar todas interrelacionadas entre una y otras para que a la empresa en general le vaya bien. Porque muchas veces el área operativa no se entiende con el área comercial. Que eso pasa en muchas empresas y ahí ellos empiezan a ver cómo puede encajar todo esto en Recursos Humanos y con el área de finanzas, porque se hace los negocios finanzas de una manera, la operativa hace otra cosa, pero yo doy toda la información. Entonces eso, trabajar en equipo. Aprendí en estas empresas grandes el trabajo en equipo. La verdad es que supera cualquier cosa. Es buenísimo tener la camiseta puesta por la empresa que uno trabaja. Yo aprendí un montón de Tinker e un montón. Operativamente creo que ellos o. Operativamente de mi negocio. Creo que ellos aprendieron más de mí que yo de ellos. Pero yo entendí mucho lo que es trabajar en equipo.
[00:35:21] Qué bien, qué bien. Bueno, llegamos a un poco el siguiente paso en tu. En tu carrera, que es. Te vuelves emprendedora en algún momento. Y sabes que si yo lo he hecho durante muchos años, por qué no hacerlo yo? Este ya no es un poco este. Y a la gente que nos está escuchando. Qué pasó por tu cabeza en ese momento? Tenías ya la exitosa? Fuiste exitosa alpina? Fuiste exitosa spanker? Los ayudaste a desarrollar la parte del salmón? O sea, me imagino que estás en un punto en tu carrera bastante grande, elevado, exitosa. No tenías a lo mejores. Es un poco más difícil tomar decisiones en ese momento y decir bueno, se lo voy a hacer emprendedor, voy a hacer algo yo por mi misma. Cuéntanos cómo? Cómo funcionó? Cómo te fue a ti con esa parte?
[00:36:07] Bueno, esa ha sido una de las decisiones más difícil que me tocó tomar en algún minuto de la vida, porque no es fácil decir ahora voy sola. No, para mí no fue fácil. Sin embargo, he. Me. Me planifiqué de tal manera de yo poder salir de Tinker tranquila, hablar con ellos. Y tomé la decisión de ser emprendedora, básicamente por un tema de quería compatibilizar más la maternidad. Quería y ese es el tema, sé. Yo quería estar más con mis hijos, pero también quería trabajar. Y también entiendo que esa mentalidad no la tienen todas las empresas. Por ende, yo antes de la pandemia tuve que salir del sistema por un tema opcional y dije me la voy a jugar, me la juego y me la juego, me la juego. Hablé con mis clientes, con los que he trabajado toda la vida y les conté este proyecto que tenía y me dijeron Bueno, si tú vas, yo te apoyo. Y los clientes. Tengo alrededor de cuatro clientes de carga seca, que la verdad es que me han seguido todos estos años de carga permisible y un par de carga seca. Y ellos la verdad es que han sido súper incondicionales conmigo, pero incondicionales porque saben cómo yo los trato como trato su embarque, como para mí todos los de una aventura todos los días. Cada embarque es una aventura. Todo puede ser un negocio cerrado. No dice así está todo cerrado, pero cada embarque es realmente una aventura.
[00:37:41] Entonces, yo creo que la confianza que han tenido las personas y las empresas en el trabajo que les he brindado durante tantos años, han hecho que yo hoy día pueda decir que soy una persona emprendedora. Ahora tengo otros proyectos, obviamente que lo estoy intentando cerrar ahora, pero siempre con la idea de poder aumentar un poco esto y no que sea tan cítrico como la fruta y mantenerme durante el año. Con un commodity mucho más parejo o estable durante el año. Pero. Pero ha una decisión. Una decisión es más difícil que me ha tocado tener que tomar. Pero no estoy arrepentida bajo ningún punto de vista. Creo que ha sido una tremenda decepción. Además que lo bueno, lo bueno debe ser bueno. Y qué les voy a decir yo a ustedes? Que de eso y de toda la gente. Pero lo bueno es que uno trabaja y todos trabajamos por lo mismo, por lo mismo, pero trabajar con la gente que uno quiere y hacer de que el trabajo sea parte interesante, la vida es impagable, el poder escoger con que uno quiere trabajar, con quién quieres tener de cliente, cómo desarrollar bien algo de que si bien todos trabajamos por lo mismo, insisto, pero tener ese puntito un poquito más allá que es con cariño, yo creo que hace la diferencia y eso a mí me encanta y trabajo con la gente que tiene exactamente los mismos principios míos.
[00:39:16] Super interesante. Otra lección de vida de la pamela que nos da.
[00:39:22] Sí, ojalá que. Ojalá que. Que haya defendido los mensajes que cree que el trabajo es para mi. El trabajo es. El placer no es una obligación.
[00:39:37] Claro, es parte. Parte de tu vida. Parte de.
[00:39:40] Puerto Rico. Me gusta trabajar. Sí.
[00:39:45] Yo creo que. Yo creo que también está en el ADN. El emprendedor es ser bueno, ser apasionado con con la actividad que uno desarrolla. Entonces y de esa manera no es que para ti sea un trabajo, sino que parte de tu vida y le dedicas todo el tiempo que sea necesario y está dispuesto a dar ese esfuerzo adicional que hablábamos para que las cosas salgan bien. Súper interesante. Si tuviera Pamela que volver en el tiempo y darle un consejo a la pamela de hace 20 años atrás. Qué le diría?
[00:40:21] Eh? Un consejo. Yo más que consejos y te voy a te voy a cambiar quizás un poco la pregunta. Yo le diría que que gracias, porque en realidad esa mujer de 20 años es que hoy día la mujer la que tiene 44 sea tremenda mujer, tremendamente feliz y que. Que. Que gracias a ella en el fondo estamos como estamos y que creo que ha sido tremendamente. No sé si decir la palabra inteligente, pero fue sabia el tomar las decisiones que tomó en ese tiempo, así que me tocaría nada más que felicitarlo, más que darle un consejo, que confíe en ella, pero totalmente la confianza. Que siga confiando en ella.
[00:41:04] Muy bien. Eso es importante. Confianza?
[00:41:08] Sí.
[00:41:10] Y creo que es el reflejo. No solo el que se hace emprendedora y el que los clientes confiarán en ti, sino, bueno, creo que cierras con broche de oro. Es el reflejo de de decisiones bien tomadas. Una una vida bien vivida y simple y sencillamente sin. Sin ningún. Sin muchas cosas que pudieras haber cambiado. Entonces. Muchas gracias por compartir esto. Creo que. Creo que ha sido un placer platicar contigo. Es un gusto que te esté yendo bien. Sabes que cuentas con todo el apoyo de Supply Chain Now en español y de todos los que nos están escuchando. La gente que quisiera saber un poco más de ti o realmente contactarse contigo donde? Cómo pueden hacerlo?
[00:41:55] Básicamente, y honestamente, a través de mi teléfono, que no sé si ustedes lo pueden compartir. Ustedes no.
[00:42:00] Lo ponemos. Si quieres lo ponemos.
[00:42:02] En.
[00:42:02] Las notas de la conversación. Y bueno, me dijeron LinkedIn también podía ser una buena forma de contactarte. Cierto?
[00:42:09] Exactamente.
[00:42:12] Pues muchísimas gracias a todos José Miguel como siempre un gusto platicar contigo y bueno Pamela nuevamente muchísimas gracias. Esto ha sido una plática sumamente interesante a todos los que nos escuchan nuevamente. Mi nombre es Enrique Álvarez para su película en español y si les gustan escuchar conversaciones tan interesantes como la que tuvimos el día de hoy con Pamela, por favor no duden en meterse a nuestra página a buscarnos en cualquier lugar donde tengan sus podcast, subscribirse al podcast y darnos like y compartirnos con sus amigos nuevamente. Muchas gracias José Miguel Pamela, muchísimo gusto. Muchas gracias. Que tengan una buena semana. Hasta luego.
[00:42:52] Gracias. Gracias.
In this episode of Supply Chain Now en Espanol, hosts Enrique Alvarez and guest host Jose Miguel welcome Pamela Navia to the show. Listen as Pamela shares about her passion for travel and how it evolved into a successful logistics career and entrepreneurial journey.
[00:00:37] Good morning and welcome to another episode of your Play Now in Spanish. Today I am pleased to share this very interesting interview with a good friend José Miguel Larrazabal. Also my business partner in Chile. Jose Miguel. How are you doing? Good morning. How are you doing?
[00:00:54] Very well, thank you. Enrique. How is everything there in Atlanta?
[00:00:58] Cold. This way. I know it’s summer over there. Here it is winter and here it is cold. In Atlanta it actually snowed last weekend.
[00:01:06] Yes. Here is a splendid day at the beach, on the coast, near Santiago de Chile.
[00:01:13] I can imagine.
[00:01:15] Spectacular. Stop, stop, stop for more than one fascinating interview.
[00:01:21] With some envy then. Yes. Well, without further ado, let me introduce Pamela Navia. Pamela is now a logistics entrepreneur, but has a highly successful professional career. He has been in this field for 24 years. He started with British Airways World Cargo, then Swiss Cargo, Latam Cargo and well within the export and import department of these companies, after 12 years he deals with new challenges, he leaves the Freight Forward part and also works as Business Developer in Debby Singer and Alpina. So, at the end of the day, Pamela, you know the industry inside out, backwards from the head? I am in front. Thank you very much for being here with us. It is a pleasure to have someone so successful in this industry, so complicated and especially the aerial part as well. Thank you.
[00:02:13] Thank you very much. Hello, Enrique. Hello, José Miguel. Thank you very much for this tremendous presentation. First of all, and thanks to you for inviting me.
[00:02:22] Thank you for being here. We love having entrepreneurs and people with so much experience in logistics. And well, it’s also worth noting that there aren’t many women either. So not only are you a pioneer in the import/export side of things, but we’d love to hear a little more about how you got to where you are now.
[00:02:46] Look, I’ve been in the business for 24 years. Indeed, on both sides of the desk I started my internship at British Airways. I started, I was there, I actually studied bilingual executive secretary, I got to do my internship with the airline company, I worked for six months and then I was promoted to the export area. I learned a lot in six months. I was an import supervisor for a couple of years. And as a journalist I was represented in Chile by LAN, by Latam. At that time it was part of the holding company, also Swiss Cargo. Then, when Swiss Cargo arrived in Chile, I took over the entire import area of that airline.
[00:03:30] Hey, very, very interesting. And actually, before we go on to bootstrap your professional career and before that, we’d love to hear a little bit more about you, when a little bit about your childhood that you liked where you were born. Tell us a little bit about the story that then leads you to enter logistics.
[00:03:50] Look, we are two sisters. We have always lived and been born in Santiago. My whole life was in Santiago. I always wanted to work at the airport. Since I was a child I love that far away from the city, but I loved the aeronautical world. Already. What else can I tell you about myself?
[00:04:13] What did you like? Was it someone? Was it a friend of one of your parents? Why did it catch your attention so much? Los. Airplanes and airports.
[00:04:22] The truth is that my maternal family. My entire maternal family lives in the United States. So I always lived this movement of travel, of logistics, when I was a child. Exactly. The trips to called my attention. I was talking about when I was a kid, ten years old, and I always said I was dying to work at the airport. I loved the logistics, I loved the working thing. 24 seven this system that never stops. I found it good, interesting.
[00:04:49] How nice.
[00:04:50] And then Pamela. Did you have to travel? Quite a lot. When I came to the United States.
[00:04:57] As girls, I almost had to travel. Not quite enough, but a couple of times. I think I traveled more when I started working there because I was traveling to the United States. My family lived near Boston, so we would come to Boston. But later, when I started working, when I was quite young, at the age of 20 I had plenty of opportunities to travel to various places for work, for specializations, for knowledge. Apart from what for vacations.
[00:05:26] For traveling, it has always been your passion, let’s say.
[00:05:29] You. Yes, it always was. It was always. Since I was a child.
[00:05:34] Well, now it is. Back to your career path. Sorry for interrupting your entry.
[00:05:40] It’s kind of interesting to know what experience you had, what pushed you to get into, let’s say, logistics.
[00:05:49] And well, when I was a student they asked us where we would like to work, but also something quite fictitious, and I said that I would love to work at the airport when I was a student. Then when I finished studying I was asked “Is there a chance that you will be presented at the airport for an interview? But five girls are going to go and out of the five they will choose one. I was happy. I got up at 06:00. I arrived at the airport at about seven o’clock. Since I didn’t time it right, I waited the whole interview and left. It went well, I got a call and the following week I was starting my internship at British Airways. I am at the airport in the cargo area. I never cared much whether it was in the passenger area or in the cargo area. I liked more the connectivity of the people, the movement. When I was called to the airport, I was obviously happy and there I am. I was at the airport working until 2010, so I spent a lot of time working at the airport. I know everything from the year when the airport was like this, tiny, to everything that has grown up to the present day.
[00:07:01] With the new airport expansion. I have now had the opportunity to fly a couple of times through the airport and they have changed dramatically. I imagine, since it was your turn to be at the airport.
[00:07:13] Of course. Everything is brand new. New, very small. And logistically, in the cargo area we had practically no warehousing. It was all small. Airport security was very different from what happened after 2001 with the Twin Towers issue at the airport. Before that it was another, another category to what happened after that. In terms of security, for example, at our airport in Chile it was easy to enter the slab without being a worker. There were not many security barriers, a lot of control, nothing to do with what it is today.
[00:07:52] And do you think it has been for the better or certain things that could have been done better. What has been your perspective since you started the first time you went to the airport? Let’s say the last few weeks or the last time you went? What has this evolution been for you? A little bit. Tell us about it so that people who are not from Chile or do not know it well, can also have some context.
[00:08:18] I have thought about this whole perspective since I started working and I believe that technology has helped everyone a lot in this process, optimizing times and optimizing more the, the, the, the, the, the knowledge and the control of everything that is the subject, the logistics. Because before it was practically by hand, I labeled the boxes by hand. I am referring to everything that was import and export. It was all manual. The air waybills were made, not cut. I am trying to make everyone understand it also with typewriter. Now it’s all digitized. It took us half an hour to make a guide, a guide that has an assigned number, and if you made a mistake in writing that guide it was fatal because you had to change all the export documentation.
[00:09:12] You couldn’t use those what’s-his-name typewriters that you could erase.
[00:09:18] There or from Liquid Paper.
[00:09:20] But you know what happens? The air waybill at that time was a physical air waybill that had about four or five copies, one for the receiver, one for the airline, one for the brake, one for the consignee or packer. Then you are wrong on one. And the field marked six or seven copies. That was fatal. It was 24 hours behind schedule because of cargo, that sort of thing. The truth is that it has helped a lot in that all these logistics are becoming faster and faster, that air transport is no longer perhaps 12 hours, but six. And that. That’s all I’ve seen. Yes. Good. Air freight is fast and fast and it is fast in the sense that the customer always wants it fast. Always. Everything that flies is for yesterday. It is quite a different concept. So that has helped this whole process to be much faster and optimizing times, times and visibility of the cargo that one is transporting. And much more. The quality of how cargo is currently transported and maintained. Before, for example, we used to send fruit to a certain country and the country did not have warehouses to keep certain products at a certain temperature, such as medicines, fruit, certain commodities that need some special requirements such as temperature and maintenance. Exit faster to the airport, which are rather products rather than such occurrence of cargo is. All this process they have different priorities to leave the airport. This did not exist before.
[00:11:07] I imagine that logistics plays a role, an essential role in that. And this process, perhaps to give a little more context of growth at the Santiago airport, happened twice. Not when the first one, the first concession in the mid 90’s and then now in the mid 2015 2013, when it was tendered. How interesting the particularity of air logistics. What is it? What are the biggest challenges you, Pamela, face in the industry today?
[00:11:48] What is it? It is complex. I believe that at the moment everything related to logistics is undergoing a new transition, not so much in the operational area, but also in the commercial area. Because after this issue, the CUIT. Nothing. It has been as stable as it was before. Like a passing flight. The passenger flight. Previously, under no circumstances in life was it cancelled. Now they are all cancelled because many times there are entire crews that are infected. So, what’s the problem? That I believe they have been involved? A lot of prey at this point. It’s the staff, I think, it’s the people who work, because lately there has been a huge flight cancellation. Indeed, sometimes there are weather problems, as in the United States there are quite a few weather problems due to snow, but there are also problems with crews and crews are based on people and when there are no people, things don’t work. And I believe that this has had a great influence at the moment and it is an enormous challenge that is being experienced worldwide at this time.
[00:12:59] I imagine that this is also reflected in the prices and in the problem that we are having with the availability of equipment and high prices and this simply and simply how reliable they used to be as you say, and now something that used to be very reliable, now is not so reliable and that causes me stress in all the supply chains.
[00:13:20] Exactly. Exactly. Prices. Prices are very expensive. It takes a lot of work to get the space. And that space is also subject to whether the plane is coming, whether there are no problems with the crews, it’s all quite uncertain. But that is also the negative side of one part. But the good side is also that we have all learned to make the business more flexible, because before it was necessary to arrive on the third, on the third and there was absolutely no possibility of arriving on another date, because either the business was simply not done or the client was unreliable. The customer, in this case, the seller is currently not now. I think everyone has become a little more aware that many times they are not going to receive things with the immediacy that is necessary.
[00:14:12] It’s been a little bit of education, some, some education on the part of all of us who are involved in logistics, passing a little bit to tu. To your career again. And well, to what you have experienced with Brexit, Switzerland and Latam. What has been one of the most difficult challenges you have had or a problem you have had to solve in your professional career? This one you remember. So, what did you learn from that?
[00:14:41] Well, in this field there are new things to learn every day. Of course, these are problems to solve. But there is something that reminds me a lot and it was actually a life experience. I attended a course in London for a week, although it was a course where we were about 25 people from around the world, so we had different cultures and we were five Latinos. Everyone spoke English, but no one was extremely bilingual. No one spoke Spanish more than we did. Five And the first day was from eight to 18:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The first day it was 15:00 in the afternoon and nobody understood anything. We looked at each other, we didn’t understand anything, we didn’t understand anything and. And the teachers realized that we had already blacked out and didn’t understand anything. Then they commented to each other attentively with the Latinos because apparently they are not understanding anything. So we realized and we got together the same Monday night after finishing class, we started to study and we studied and studied and studied and studied so as not to look like we did not understand anything and that was not the case, we were tired, we did not understand anything and we studied. And the other day there was an interrogation. One thing, we are already going to catch up with everything we have seen and the information we passed on. And the truth is that we Latinos came out outstanding in having learned better than all the rest of those who were there and that it was clear to me and that is what I can share with you. That by making a little more effort. I’m not talking about sacrifice, I’m talking about an extra effort. Anything is possible and rewarding, really.
[00:16:22] Very good story, very good idea.
[00:16:24] It was Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and I no longer knew whether I was speaking or thinking in English. I had no idea. I could watch movies normally, but yes, I was very nervous. I was very worried. But everything turned out perfectly.
[00:16:36] That’s a good, good life lesson, because it’s true what you say. When you put a little extra effort into things, that’s the way they come out the right way.
[00:16:47] That’s right, and that has been a professional life experience. Because there is something that. It is also good to comment on it. One always talks about work life and professional life. True, one always has. But I have a hard time separating those things. It’s hard for me because I have to make my personal life fit with my professional life, because I have only one life and my son knows that his mother works in this. And the people I work with also know that I have two children. So I try to make this easier.
[00:17:19] So I’m not a person who has anything to do.
[00:17:23] The same person I have to do everything. And sometimes I have how this works. 24, seven or sometime at 02:00 I am on the phone working and my family understands that. And I like that. That’s why I always say I am 24 seven, a mom and a worker. No, I do not separate, it is not five o’clock. And I say I have to go. The day is over.
[00:17:46] I should not.
[00:17:47] Do nothing.
[00:17:49] It is not possible. Actually life is much more important than work and life, and we usually want to try to balance it. But at the end of the day we are all human, we all have other responsibilities and the important thing for everyone is to have that balance that you mention. That’s another very good experience. So, tell us a little bit about where did you go back from British? How was your trajectory after you achieved your dream of reaching the airport? Will you be working at the airport? Were you with British afterwards? What else? What happened in your professional career.
[00:18:20] When did British Airways stop flying to Chile? That this was like in 2012? If I am not mistaken I decided and was offered to develop on this side of the desk. As I said with the free forwarders, for me it is also something new, something totally new, because transporting air cargo and being a free forwarder is totally different. I spent three months sitting in the company’s office analyzing. How did you have to make a tariff from China and close a deal? And that can. You can synthesize it and upload it to the system. I was,” he said, “but how do you do business like that? I had a hard time, a hard time understanding it. Three months understanding how to do it. I could hold his hand, I could understand. There I could understand that it was business to be more global than one imagines. It’s not just taking those from here to Chile to the United States or from the United States to China. Not all businesses are globalized. People all work on the same thing. There is the voice of no one in Chile, in Mexico, in the United States, there was a Babel anywhere in the world and I learned that in the forwards. This teamwork, in the airlines as well, but in the Jaguars it is much more, it is bigger and it has to be much more consolidated, because business is done in different cultures, with different languages. Many times then. They left me. It was a three-month period. And can I still adapt to this?
[00:20:04] It is true. First you entered with.
[00:20:08] That. It was for Alpina.
[00:20:10] Alpina?
[00:20:10] Alpina first. How nice. I learned all this and I had the. La. I don’t know if I should say I was lucky or fortunate to be able to adapt, because it is not easy to adapt to a line and to work a long way. So I was able to adapt and reinvent myself in what I had decided to do, which was to try it out, because it seemed to me to be a very interesting business, perhaps with a much wider field than the airline in terms of learning, in terms of professional development. And the truth is that it was very enriching. We were able to do it as Diego’s apartment because it was me and all the people at the airport. We were able to develop and create the Chilean product mentality. That for Pina also existed in Chile in the export area, because both Pina and Tinker are multinational companies, they are huge, they are monstrously large. However, in the export area and specifically in Chile, they were not involved in any business at all. We were then able to make exporting visible in both companies. We were able to communicate to the world that Chile existed, what it was exporting and with the commodities it had. And that I think has been a tremendous achievement. I think the airlines, as I worked in that environment and that’s where I met. We were able to position these companies at the national and business level.
[00:21:59] What a pride!
[00:22:01] Yes, I am happy about that. And I and specialist also in the subject of the because multinational companies a very big focus is to have the commodities of each country. Obviously they have one of the biggest commodities they have is pricing. Which is salmon, fruit and the other is cargo, which is all the mining and wine and all the rest of the products that are exported. But Chile is complex, it is complex to enter Chile, but we did it and that is the truth. It is a tremendous achievement that I feel very proud to have done, especially in these tremendous companies.
[00:22:41] No, this industry is very, very demanding, but at the same time wonderful from your point of view, Pamela. What are you most passionate about?
[00:22:50] It is that what I am passionate about in this area.
[00:22:53] What are you passionate about as a person?
[00:22:57] There are about three points that I am passionate about. First, I feel that all the people who work in this field have a project and I love to support it. I love to support. I love to persuade and help the. A la. To the company that is making the decision to do this project in making the best informed decisions. Because I believe that information is what makes good decisions. I love to help. I don’t know if the word is helping, but I love teaching these companies to be able to develop their business in what I know is transportation and logistics. I am passionate about that. Everything I do here is reflected elsewhere in the world. Because all the effort that one has is reflected in destiny, it is reflected. Someone is always watching you and looking at you. In what sense? That this pencil has to get here, here and here. And for this pencil is involved a lot of countries, a lot of engineers, a lot of people and that fascinates me, the connectivity and being able to know. I am passionate about the pencil business. I am passionate about why the tip of this pencil was created in China and why they bought it. And how many people worked for this? And why round? I love it, I am passionate about it, I am passionate about it, and I can also leave it as in the super nice experience when I developed the salmon issue in Chile. When he says yes, salmon, take the salmon out of the water and 200 women with pliers take the bones out of the salmon so that they can export it later. I found it wonderful. So I can understand when they tell me I urgently need to get five tons of salmon to China. I understand all the work that goes into this procedure. I love that. Then I can understand and want people’s business.
[00:25:05] If you have a little bit more of this part of developing salmon, that I think is not only something to be very proud of, but something incredible that you did, you managed to develop. This is when you were. With whom? With alpine bread?
[00:25:17] Who were you with?
[00:25:18] With which part? Salmon, I imagine, has been exported from Chile for many years. Which part was it that you were able to change and develop or which part? Tell us a little more about this project that sounds very interesting.
[00:25:33] Well, salmon is one of the biggest commodities. A few years ago he had a problem with viruses, because you constantly have to give him antibiotics and new infections develop. Well, a few years ago there was a huge problem, there was no export at all and the salmon business and export began to grow again gradually, which was a product that all the freight for water wanted. I just happened to be on this side of the desk and was told. I know you need to move salmon out to sea. I started looking at reports, looking at where we could get in, what destinations we could have and how we could bid. Because it was through a bidding process. And I went many times to Puerto Montt to talk to the people in charge, many times to Rancagua, because this is part of it. The client is called Los Fiordos and is super agro super. It is in Rancagua and Los Fiordo, it is in Puerto Montt and it is also in Chiloé. I went to many parts to see how it was produced. We did not bid and won at that time in a bidding process and won first. We won all of South America. We sent cargo from Bogota to Peru, of course, quite well. And then we also won a bid to China. We also won another bid to China.
[00:27:06] And what is the market like? It is a program. It is a well, well-structured market, because it takes years for salmon to have a certain caliber and certain details to be sold. So, today they know what they can sell for three more years? So it is well structured. Unless something unexpected happens. But. But the programming is. And that’s how it works. I believe that Agro Super with Agro Super is one of the companies that exports the most raw material food products for. For the human being. Then. I think. It is a business with a lot of potential and I believe that Chilean salmon will continue to grow. In other words, in the past there were seasonal PICs in the air transport sector, from September to December, where everything was flown. In the old days they used to fly a lot of asparagus, then stone fruit and then all the berries, and there were three or four months at full capacity and the rest of the year there was no need to get on the planes. There was nothing, there was nothing, there was nothing. Today it is full all year round. All passenger and cargo flights full of salmon. That is why it is so complex. It was currently the fruit season.
[00:28:39] But salmon is now hindering the competition between salmon and fruit a bit. The fruit may now be stable.
[00:28:46] How nice. Of course, it is the full year. Then you have blocked all the spaces. So every time the fruit becomes the fruit and the seeds in Chile become a tremendous competitor for salmon and the salmon paid for air freight is practically half or much less than half of what the fruit pays.
[00:29:07] How interesting how the markets are changing and depending on how one develops, how is the temporality in the other? Pamela en bloc. What you have achieved. This obviously. One of the important things in your professional career. This one I also realize that now when you moved to De Alpina Spanker, when you moved to fast forward, you are a little bit more in the commercial area as well. Not only before it was a little bit, maybe more focused on the operation. Now in the commercial area you like to sell, you like the commercial part of the whole, the whole industry as well? Or how? How is your mix between operating and selling?
[00:29:48] I think I am passionate about it. Commercial area. But it can’t be done. I can’t do it if it is not with operative because. Because I know him and. To. So that I can persuade you. I have to be convinced. I think that’s the main thing. And to be convinced of the procedure, I from A to Z, because I developed in the commercial area, because I have a rather operational head, so to speak. I hope you understand what I am saying, because the structures of these large companies where I worked were the other way around. They are very large, commercial structures, but they do not have the operational expertise of the airline. So that helped my expertise in air transport to increase the sales that exist in the company in this area, which is air transport, air transportation. And we got a lot out of that because I learned a lot about the client’s needs.
[00:31:04] Which is not something that everyone should do. I think it’s a life lesson for any company that’s listening, for anyone who’s there. I think a good salesman. While you have an operational mindset and know the operation, I believe you can become a much better salesperson. I think that is something that is there, that is clear and is changing. And well, you were also one of the first to see it, at least on the Chilean side and in the air. How do you see José Miguel?
[00:31:35] Super interesting Pamela, your experience and you and your look. Maybe if you can share with us some life lesson, either professional or personal, that could be enriching for us. For the people who listen to us.
[00:31:50] Y. An important day choice. In other words, more than a choice, anything is possible. I think we started this conversation talking about that, that with effort everything is possible. The choice. One is opening the paths. One. One. One is lucky to choose and and the choice of days I have always chosen and I love it. Despite all the inconveniences, the pressures that this business has, which is tremendously demanding, is to be there and solve it and that helps to take the next step. I tell them that you have to be tremendously committed to everything. I wouldn’t know how to give a specific life lesson, but I believe that every step you take is tremendously important. I think path A is much more interesting than the goal. And here goes.
[00:32:46] That one I think is a great pamela.
[00:32:49] Me. Me. The truth is that this is why I don’t say that it is strong, but I am not in favor of the sacrifice that people make. No, I believe that a well made and informed decision makes tremendous changes in absolutely every area of life, both in business and in personal life, which for me is part of everyday life. I find it hard to separate my personal and work life.
[00:33:14] Excellent, yes, excellent reflection. I even think that at the end of the day, once you make the decision you have to commit to the decision so that you can then feel something from it and feel relevant as well. It is very good. Very good. Debby Jenks. Tell us a little more. You already told us a little about the British Airways part. Then you went to Alpina. Must Tinker. You fell a little more on the commercial side. You developed the salmon thing. What else did you learn during your time there? By Tibby Singer? The two incredible and highly successful companies.
[00:33:54] Eh? Well, he says both companies are tremendously structured companies. These are companies that have internal regulations, which are gigantic, that must be respected. I learned that there I also learned that each department has its area and. And these areas must all be interrelated to each other in order for the overall company to do well. Because many times the operational area does not understand the commercial area. This happens in many companies and they begin to see how all this can fit in with Human Resources and with the finance area, because business finance is done in one way, the operational area does something else, but I give all the information. So that’s it, working as a team. I learned about teamwork in these large companies. The truth is that it beats anything. It is great to have the shirt on your back for the company you work for. I learned a lot from Tinker e a lot. Operationally I think they or. Operationally from my business. I think they learned more from me than I learned from them. But I understood a lot about teamwork.
[00:35:21] How nice, how nice. Well, we got to kind of the next step in your. In your career, which is. You become an entrepreneur at some point. And you know that if I have done it for many years, why not do it myself? This one is no longer a little bit this one. And to the people who are listening to us. What went through your mind at that moment? Did you already have the successful one? Were you a successful alpine? Were you a successful spanker? Did you help them develop the salmon part? I mean, I imagine you’re at a pretty big, high, successful point in your career. You didn’t have the best. It’s a little harder to make decisions at that point and say well, I’m going to make it entrepreneurial, I’m going to do something myself. Tell us how? How did it work? How did you do with that part?
[00:36:07] Well, that has been one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make at some point in my life, because it is not easy to say I am now going alone. No, it was not easy for me. However, I have. Me. I planned myself in such a way that I could leave Tinker quietly, talk to them. And I made the decision to become an entrepreneur, basically because I wanted to make motherhood more compatible. I wanted to and that’s the thing, I know. I wanted to be with my children more, but I also wanted to work. And I also understand that not all companies have that mentality. Therefore, before the pandemic, I had to leave the system due to an optional issue and I said I’m going to gamble, I’m going to gamble, I’m going to gamble, I’m going to gamble, I’m going to gamble. I talked to my clients, with whom I have worked all my life, and I told them about this project I had and they said Well, if you go, I’ll support you. And customers. I have about four dry freight customers, who have actually followed me all these years of allowable freight and a couple of dry freight. And the truth is that they have been super unconditional with me, but unconditional because they know how I treat them as I treat their boarding, as I treat everyone on an adventure every day. Every shipment is an adventure. Everything can be a closed business. It doesn’t say it’s all closed, but every boarding is really an adventure.
[00:37:41] So, I believe that the trust that people and companies have had in the work that I have given them for so many years, have made it possible for me to say that today I am an entrepreneurial person. Now I have other projects, obviously I’m trying to close it now, but always with the idea of being able to increase this a little bit and not be as citric as the fruit and maintain myself during the year. With a much more even or stable commodity during the year. But. But there is a decision. One of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make. But I have no regrets whatsoever. I think it has been a tremendous disappointment. Besides, good things must be good things. And what am I going to tell you? That of that and of all people. But the good thing is that you work and we all work for the same thing, for the same thing, but working with the people you love and making work an interesting part of life is priceless, being able to choose who you want to work with, who you want to have as a client, how to develop something that even though we all work for the same thing, I insist, but having that little bit more than that, which is with love, I think it makes the difference and I love that and I work with people who have exactly the same principles as mine.
[00:39:16] Super interesting. Another life lesson from the pamela she gives us.
[00:39:22] Yes, hopefully. Hopefully. That I have defended the messages that I believe the job is for me. The job is. Pleasure is not an obligation.
[00:39:37] Of course, it is part of it. Part of your life. Part of.
[00:39:40] Puerto Rico. I like to work. Yes.
[00:39:45] I believe that. I believe it is also in the DNA. To be an entrepreneur is to be good, to be passionate about the activity one develops. So it is not a job for you, but part of your life and you dedicate all the necessary time to it and are willing to give that extra effort we were talking about so that things go well. Super interesting. If Pamela had to go back in time and give a piece of advice to the Pamela of 20 years ago. What would you tell him?
[00:40:21] Eh? A word of advice. I’m going to change the question a little bit rather than give you advice and I’m going to change the question. I would say thank you, because in reality that woman of 20 years old is that today the woman who is 44 years old is a tremendous woman, tremendously happy and very happy. That. It is thanks to her that we are where we are and that I believe it has been tremendously. I don’t know if I would say the word smart, but she was wise to make the decisions she made at that time, so I would have to congratulate her, rather than give her advice, to trust her, but totally trust her. To continue to trust her.
[00:41:04] Very good. This is important. Confidence?
[00:41:08] Yes.
[00:41:10] And I think it is the reflection. Not just the one where you become entrepreneurial and the one where customers will trust you, but, well, I think you close with a flourish. It is a reflection of decisions well made. A life well lived and simply and simply without. Without any. Without many things you could have changed. Then. Thank you very much for sharing this. I think. I think it has been a pleasure talking to you. Glad you are doing well. You know you have the full support of Supply Chain Now en español and all those who are listening. People who would like to know a little more about you or actually contact you where? How can they do it?
[00:41:55] Basically, and honestly, through my phone, which I don’t know if you guys can share. You don’t.
[00:42:00] We put it. If you want to put it.
[00:42:02] In.
[00:42:02] The notes of the conversation. And well, I was told LinkedIn could also be a good way to contact you. Right?
[00:42:09] Exactly.
[00:42:12] Well thank you all very much José Miguel as always a pleasure to talk to you and well Pamela again thank you very much. This has been an extremely interesting talk to all who listen to us again. My name is Enrique Alvarez for your Spanish language movie and if you like to listen to interesting conversations like the one we had today with Pamela, please feel free to go to our website and look for us wherever you have your podcasts, subscribe to the podcast and like and share us with your friends again. Thank you very much José Miguel Pamela, my pleasure. Thank you very much. Have a great week. See you later.
[00:42:52] Thank you. Thank you.
Pamela Navia ha tenido una gran experiencia y trayectoria en el campo de la logística, luego de comenzar hace 24 años. Se inició en el ramo del transporte de carga aérea, en British Airways World Cargo, Swiss Cargo y Latam cargo, dentro del departamento de exportaciones e importaciones.
Luego de 12 años, tomó la decisión de asumir nuevos desafíos en el mundo de Freight Forwarding, como desarrolladora de negocios, en DB Schenker y Panalpina, desarrollando nuevas cuentas, pricing y todo lo inherente a la operación.
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Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.
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From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.
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Sofia Rivas Herrera 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 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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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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 Cisco, Microsoft, 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 University, O’Reilly Media, LinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight. Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems Engineering, Carrier 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.
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.