Supply Chain is Boring
Episode 50

Episode Summary

James R. Stock is a University of South Florida Distinguished University Professor and Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing. He has interviewed many of the greatest minds in transportation logistics, a practice area we call supply chain management today. He shared those interviewed with Chris Barnes to be republished as part of the Supply Chain is Boring program.

In this interview, Stock speaks with James L. Heskett. Heskett is the Baker Foundation Professor Emeritus at Harvard University and holds an MBA and PhD from Stanford University. Heskett is the co-author of seven books and the sole author of an eighth, with some of his most important work being about the connection between the adaptability of corporate culture and financial returns.

In the first part of this three-part series, Stock and Heskett discuss the role that family and extracurricular activities played during his formative years.

Episode Transcript

Chris Barnes (00:06):

Hey, it’s Chris. The supply chain doctor and host of supply chain is boring. Over the years. I’ve interviewed some of the brightest minds and successful leaders in the world of supply chain management. In May, 2020. I sat down with Ken Ackerman to learn more about him and collect a little supply chain management history. After our discussion, Ken told me about a similar interview he had with Dr. James stock many years prior, and the related work Dr. Stock was doing in November, 2020. I was able to catch up with Dr. James stock to learn about his work as an academic in the field of transportation logistics. And now what we call supply chain management. Jim was well connected to many of the original academic thought leaders in the space. Jim did interviews with many of these original thought leaders and shared them with me. The list includes Ken Ackerman, Don Bauer socks, James Hasket, bud Leland, John Langley, Jr. Tom Menser, Tom SP and Daniel Ren to carry on the great work started by Dr. Jim stock. I’m dusting off these interviews and bringing them to you on supply chain is boring.

James Stock (01:14):

Good morning. My name is James stock. The Frank Harvey endowed professor of marketing at the university of south Florida, Tampa. We’re here today to conduct an interview with one of the luminaries in the academic discipline of logistics and supply chain management. The purposes of this interview are several first and perhaps foremost is to get to know the personal side of one of the leading logistics and supply chain academicians, a person who’s had significant influence on the profession. We often read the person’s books and journal articles, listen to their presentations at academic and their professional meetings, and sometimes even have individual discussions with them at, uh, various events and venues. However, we rarely get to know the person beyond the professional aspects of their careers in the field of literature and art researchers often consider the what, why, how who, and when of a particular book or painting short story poem, and so forth.

James Stock (02:11):

They speculate on, on what might have motivated the writer or the artist to write the book or to paint the painting, determine the message or the story of the text art and the writer. Artist’s perception of the contributions of their work in the same way through this and, and other interviews that will be, uh, conducted of leading business scholars. Um, as Paul Harvey, uh, has said many times, we’ll attempt to get the rest of the story. These taped interviews will hopefully serve as supporting material for various university courses where the various works of these academicians will be discussed. It will be a significant impact in courses where history and theory are being examined. Since these individuals contributed extensively to that history and theory, each interview is based on a set of structured questions using an interview guide. Of course, the interviewee’s responses are spontaneous and they may lead to other, uh, questions based upon those responses.

James Stock (03:08):

However, the general format for this and other interviews will be, that will be conducted in the future will be similar. It’s hope that audiences who view these interviews will get a broader and a richer view of the people and the events that have shaped their discipline. We hope that you learn from what will be said and discussed during these interviews and be able to more fully appreciate and understand the significant contributions made by these luminaries in the field. Let’s begin by introducing our distinguished guest, Dr. James L Hesket is presently baker foundation, professor Meredith at the graduate school of business at Harvard university in Boston, Massachusetts. Although he now resides for part of the year, uh, in Sarasota, Florida. He graduated from Ohio, Iowa state teachers college in 1954 with a major in business education obtained an MBA from Stanford university in 1958. His PhD was completed in 1960 from Stanford university where he concentrated general management, transportation, marketing, and finance.

James Stock (04:13):

His dissertation was titled industrial logistics, a movement systems concept upon graduation. Jim took a position as assistant professor at the Ohio state university in Columbus. In 1960, he remained at Ohio state until 1965 being promoted to associate professor. He joined the faculty at Harvard university in 1965 later becoming the ups foundation professor, and then the baker foundation professor during a leave from the university. Jim served as founder and president of the logistics consulting firm logistics systems, Inc. A subsidiary of the Ogden corporation altogether. Jim has been a faculty member for more than 40 years teaching and conducting research in marketing logistics, service management, general management and entrepreneurial management in recognition of his professional standing. Jim has served on the board of directors for office Depot limited brands, and INEA, he has served as consultant to numerous companies in north America, Latin America and Europe during his career, Jim has received numerous awards for his achievements, including the John jury.

James Stock (05:24):

She award now called the distinguished service award, the council of supply chain management professionals for outstanding achievement in logistics and supply chain management. He received the 1992 marketing educator of the year award from the sales and marketing executives. International Jim is also one of the early members of the national council of physical distribution management, which was the 4runner of the present day CS CMP council, supply chain management professionals. He has served as a member of the editorial boards of the international journal of physical distribution and logistics management and the international journal of service industry management, and several others. He published a large number of articles in the top business and marketing journals, including the Harvard business review, the journal marketing Sloan management review, and the California management review among others he’s coauthored or authored more than a dozen books in the areas of transportation, logistics, and services marketing.

James Stock (06:22):

He was co-authored with glass Kowski and Ivy of one of the earliest textbooks on logistics titled business logistics published by Ronald press in 1962, Jim has published extensively in the marketing arena, including books such as marketing published by McMillan publishing in 1976, logistics strategy in cases, uh, published by west publishing in 1985, service breakthroughs changing the rules of the game free press 1990, the service management course also a free press, 1991 book, corporate culture and, and performance 1992 by the free press and, uh, the value profit chain. Another free press book in 2003, his most recent book is a coauthored book entitled the ownership quotient, putting the service profit chain to work for unbeatable competitive advantage, uh, published by the Harvard business press 2008. Jim has made significant contributions to his university and the profession, his contributions in the development of HBR course materials, including cases and teaching notes are extensive during his career.

James Stock (07:29):

Jim has been involved in many executive development programs at the Harvard business school, as well as many international locations at universities and elsewhere. His articles, books and teaching materials have impacted literally thousands of students and business executives in north America and around the world throughout his career. Jim has been evaluating contributor to his university, his students, the countless businesses that have interfaced with Harvard university and to scholars throughout the globe. It’s our distinct pleasure to get to know the personal side of this man and so that we may more fully appreciate his significant professional contributions and achievements, Jim, welcome to, uh, our university. And we’ll be certainly pleased to speak with you today. It’s

James Heskett (08:15):

A real pleasure to be

James Stock (08:16):

Here. Very nice. Well, let’s start with, uh, typical questions that that is asked of a person when and where were you born?

James Heskett (08:23):

Well, I was born in 1933 in Cedar falls, Iowa. Uh, a town near where I grew up, uh, on a farm, uh, something that, uh, an experience that, uh, I enjoyed, but did not want to pursue for the rest of my life. So, uh, my ambition was to go into retailing. I had an uncle, uh, who worked for SS Kresge company back in those days. And, uh, I thought he had a great job and I was, I was planning to go into retailing after I finished college.

James Stock (09:00):

Good. Is there anything, as you were growing up on that farm that, uh, significantly shaped who you are today?

James Heskett (09:10):

Well, of course, uh, one’s parents always, uh, shaped themselves. I had a father who, uh, worked on the farm in the summer and he worked in a factory in the winter, uh, hustled the little pool on the side and, uh, managed to make ends meet. Um, and he always convinced me that, uh, you, first of all, you should always pay your own way. That was one should always pay his own way. And, uh, another thing was that you should always establish good credit, even if you move to a community, take out a loan, put it in a savings account, pay it back when it’s, uh, I want it to do and, uh, not use the money so interesting. Uh, there were a number of influences to that sort,

James Stock (09:58):

Jim. Okay. Uh, can you think of, uh, a personality trait that, uh, maybe drove you to succeed as you have done in your career?

James Heskett (10:10):

Well, I’ve always, uh, <laugh>, I’ve always wanted to pay my own way and I suppose I’ve been, uh, kind of oriented in that fashion and driven to some extent, uh, to always make sure that, uh, uh, there were, uh, productive ways of spending time in the, like, uh, maybe to the, uh, detriment of, uh, entertainment or a few other things that, uh, could be involved in.

James Stock (10:38):

Okay. Very good. If we could speak to your parents today, how do you think they would have described you as a child?

James Heskett (10:49):

How would they have described me as a child? I was an only child, so therefore, uh, I suppose they might not, not have fought quite this way, but I was a prince in some respects, uh, as only children are male children. Uh, my mother was, uh, could be very nurturing at times and not so nurturing at other times. Uh, she probably would’ve described me as, uh, you know, the pride of her life. Uh, uh, my father, um, would have liked me, I think, to spend more time on the farm, uh, and would have, uh, described me as somebody having a rather independent, uh, mindset.

James Stock (11:34):

Okay. Are there any specific childhood memories that, uh, you still have, uh, after all these years

James Heskett (11:41):

<laugh>? Oh boy. Uh, there are, there are several, uh, uh, pitching hay in a hay mile in the middle of summer in a hundred degree weather with, uh, with that wonderful, uh, uh, hay, uh, down your back, um, uh, driving tractor, things of that sort. And, uh, and as I recall, my father was an amateur pilot as well. Um, some of the most nauseating, uh, flights that I’ve ever experienced in my life.

James Stock (12:19):

Okay. Interesting. Now you mentioned, um, uh, going to college, ultimately, let’s go back a little bit earlier. Tell us about your secondary school background. And did you go to school in the Iowa area? And, and so on,

James Heskett (12:32):

I started out in a one room schoolhouse and, um, we had eight grades and, uh, the little kids sat nearest the wood stove in the back in the winter. Uh, that teacher was, uh, I’ll never forget. Sarah Schreiber was, uh, an amazing person keeping all those eight grades, uh, learning, even though she didn’t teach me to read when I should have learned, uh, then attended, uh, school in, in Cedar falls. Uh, the college town went to Cedar falls, high school where, um, I do remember some of my instructors as being, uh, uh, outstanding, uh, a science teacher, a guy named htat who, uh, was incredible a, uh, a math teacher misrate who, uh, taught me probably more math than I’ve learned in the rest of my life. And, um, uh, a in general, uh, uh, high school experience that, uh, I will never forget.

James Stock (13:42):

What was your favorite subject in secondary school?

James Heskett (13:45):

Oh, I suppose math, I think, uh, uh, algebra was always a great favorite and, uh, we studied low calculus, a few things trigonometry and things like that. Loved it.

James Stock (14:00):

Okay. And did you get involved in any sports or other kinds of extracurricular activities?

James Heskett (14:06):

Well, I wrestled, uh, being a, uh, rather slight of build at that time and not having grown until I graduated from high school. I wrestled in the 95 pound category and wrestling was something you could do if you weighed 95 pounds, you couldn’t play football, but you could wrestle and, uh, enjoyed that a lot, even though I didn’t continue in college.

James Stock (14:31):

Okay. I was a famous for wrestling. Oh,

James Heskett (14:33):

Yes. Yes.

James Stock (14:35):

Um, were you involved in any kind of, uh, school clubs or organizations?

James Heskett (14:40):

Well, I like to write and, uh, so I was, uh, on the yearbook. Uh, we had a newspaper, uh, did a lot of shows, student shows, um, both in terms of writing the shows and MCing and that kind of thing, uh, loved music. And I was beginning to, uh, play professionally while I was in high school. So, um, uh, I also played in the shows, uh, uh, saxophone, clarinet, and, um, had a, uh, very, very active existence.

James Stock (15:21):

Okay. Have you continued that, uh, clarinet and saxophone?

James Heskett (15:24):

Well, I I’ve continued the interest in music. I actually worked my way through college playing in a variety of professionally in a variety of bands and the like, uh, traveled around the Midwest a bit, uh, which didn’t help my school, uh, work. Um, and, uh, but shortly thereafter went to the army and since then, I’ve never played, uh, professionally, but still carry the instrument around. And as a matter of fact, in the last year or two I’m, I’ve started for the first time taking piano lessons. Ah, so very nice. Uh, something you can do, uh, uh, in your semi-retirement.

James Stock (16:08):

Ah, very good. Did you participate in any form of the student government, uh, while you were in, uh, secondary school and high school,

James Heskett (16:15):

Especially? Uh, I, I suspect I did. I, I can’t remember accurately, but I, I was involved in the, uh, sort of the government structure.

James Stock (16:26):

Yes. Now you mentioned a few teachers science and math. Uh, was there one specific teacher that probably had the most influence on you?

James Heskett (16:37):

Well, throughout that whole time, yes. Um, certainly, uh, the, uh, teacher who taught me to read, uh, that was, that was an important thing I didn’t learn to read until I was, uh, well along. I think it was second or third grade. I don’t remember exactly. I had memorized up until that point and had, uh, managed to get by doing that. But Ms. Bartlet was a, a woman who taught me to read, uh, but in, in high school, I think, uh, my math teacher was probably as influential as any, um, in the sense that she was stern, um, not very forgiving, but she had just the right kind of discipline to teach math and, uh, and we all liked

James Stock (17:27):

Her. Good. How would you describe yourself as a student? Uh, both academically and socially?

James Heskett (17:36):

Well, um, uh, particularly in college, uh, I was involved in, uh, a variety of activities, as I say, I, I was, uh, working professionally as a musician. I got a job, uh, managing a dairy queen, which I did for one or two years all at the same time. So I was trying to hold down these two jobs, uh, wanted to, to pursue a pre-med, uh, course, um, but was unable to sustain the work, uh, particularly chemistry and, uh, that kind of activity, um, moved to math, uh, had, uh, had trouble keeping up with my math homework, um, uh, was advised that perhaps a music major would be, uh, more appropriate, uh, for which I needed to learn how to play the piano, which I was unable to do in the time that I had available and ended up getting a degree in business education as, uh, almost a last resort, uh, after all of that other, uh, activities. So I suppose in college, I’d have to say I was not a good student, um, mainly because, uh, I was involved in too many activities.

James Stock (19:02):

Okay. Now, prior to college in secondary school, did you, uh, receive any specific honors or awards, uh, through wrestling or playing or, uh, any of those things that you

James Heskett (19:15):

Were involved in? Oh, I’m sure. I’m sure I got some awards for, for music. Mm-hmm, <affirmative>, uh, more, more so than wrestling, uh, um, uh, and, uh, and I had the usual recognition for the journalism that I was involved in, but, uh, none that really stand out in my mind. I later, uh, from my Alma mater, I was day two modern Iowa state teachers college, which today is the university of Northern Iowa. I later did receive the, uh, receive a distinguished alumni award, uh, which to me seemed a bit ironic given the academic experience I had had when I was on campus.

James Stock (20:01):

Interesting. Now usually when people are growing up, uh, they have somebody either in entertainment or government business somewhere, uh, that is that’s, that’s my, that’s the person I’d like to be like, did you have anyone like that, uh, while you were in secondary school prior to college?

James Heskett (20:21):

Well, I suppose, uh, during that period of time, uh, my uncle, the uncle that I mentioned earlier, uh, was someone of that sort, um, he would, he was a regional vice president of this, uh, variety store chain. And he would take me on store visits with him. Uh, he walked through the store with a manager, uh, trailing behind, uh, taking notes as he pointed out all the things that needed to be done. And then as we got to the end of the, uh, visit he’d stop at the front counter and buy me a package of gum or something like that. And, uh, for somebody like me, uh, that was about as good as I thought it could get. Huh. Okay. So, and he was a, a, a, a very, uh, vital, uh, person as well, um, and, and a, uh, very outgoing person. So he was, uh, in terms of personality, he was very much a role model as well.

James Stock (21:29):

Okay. Very good. Is there anything that, uh, people would find very surprising about you, uh, that perhaps you did or were involved in, uh, when you were in high school or perhaps even earlier in, in, uh,

James Heskett (21:47):

Well, I perhaps perhaps the music side, uh, that’s not something that, uh, uh,

James Heskett (21:56):

Has I’ve played up or even mentioned, uh, perhaps in other, in other discussions. Um, the, uh, uh, I played, uh, in a variety of groups, um, I suppose entertained briefly the possibility of becoming a professional musician, um, until common sense, uh, got the better of me, but, uh, we traveled, um, a bit, um, played in some pretty rough spots and, uh, um, Galesburg, Illinois was the roughest I think I ever experienced, but, uh, and, um, nevertheless I think, uh, was shaped by that experience, uh, in terms of, uh, I suppose, uh, uh, developing a little more worldly view than a, than a kid who grew up on the farm would otherwise have.

James Stock (22:55):

All right. Now you had mentioned, uh, going to, to college, uh, now university of Northern Iowa mm-hmm <affirmative>, um, were your parents supportive of you going to college and you mentioned, uh, uh, you CA here holding down several jobs while you were in school. Um, yeah. Tell us how you decided to go there.

James Heskett (23:16):

Sure. Uh, well, there was never any question in the family about whether I was gonna go to college or not. I don’t recall ever having, uh, really played a part in that decision. Uh, I think it was always assumed that, that I was going to go to college. My parents had between them, uh, one year of college, my mother went to college for a year. Uh, my father hadn’t graduated from high school, so, uh, they both viewed college as a very important, uh, thing. On the other hand, they didn’t have a lot of money to send me to college. So, uh, in a sense, I received the, uh, uh, the responsibility, uh, in a way without the <laugh> without necessarily the means to pay for it all. So, uh, that perhaps explains why many of us went to college, three miles away from home. Uh, I lived at home for the first year, and then I moved on campus and, uh, uh, or off campus, just off campus, uh, in a rooming house.

James Heskett (24:21):

And, um, that too was probably a more important part of my education than, um, than anything else. Cuz I lived with basically with the football team <laugh>, uh, and observed, uh, what went, what went on with, uh, a fairly, uh, high profile group of, uh, people on the campus. Uh, but it all in all, uh, there was never a question about college. I, I was to go to college, graduate school was something else. My, I, I doubt that my parents ever really understood what I did after I graduated from college, other than going into the army. They may have understood that, but

James Stock (25:05):

Okay, so you, um, moved from home to a roomy house by campus after the first year. Uh, did you belong to any, uh, fraternities while you were there?

James Heskett (25:15):

I, I belonged to, uh, Sigma TA gamma fraternity. I was not a, um, and we didn’t have a house, so, uh, that didn’t solve my housing problems, uh, was probably never the most active fraternity member, but, um, uh, enjoyed the, uh, sort of the fellowship that went with it. Mm-hmm <affirmative> uh, without the living experience that goes with a lot of fraternities, this was fraternity light. This campus didn’t have, uh, fraternity and sorority houses.

James Stock (25:52):

Can you think of ways that that experience as a undergraduate student impacted or influenced you to go on for a, a master’s and then later a PhD?

James Heskett (26:05):

Well, actually I had no intent of going on, uh, but there were some experiences during, uh, those undergraduate days that really did, um, uh, perhaps plant some seeds. Uh, those were the days of the, of McCarthy and, uh, McCarthy, um, uh, ism, I suppose you’d call it, uh, actually led to the, um, dismissal of several faculty members at, at the university. Um, some that were, uh, quite well known or, or, or well liked. Uh, I didn’t happen to know any of those people, but that spurred a lot of conversation and discussion among students, pro con what have you. And I began hanging out with a group that used to get together at, at, uh, at the home of someone, uh, the only member of the group that actually had a, uh, uh, a place like that, uh, large enough. And you could drop in, I remember any hour of the day or night and you’d find a group in discussion, um, about anything, uh, under the sun. And for some reason that really did influence me. Uh, I took my girlfriend, uh, to this place once and she, as my wife, uh, has told me several times that she had never experienced anything like that in college and was one of the things that sort of intrigued her about me. So <laugh>, I, I suppose that was, uh, that was an influence. I didn’t realize it at the time

James Stock (28:01):

Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So, in terms of, um, your college experience and you had not anticipated nor your parents going on beyond that, what was the, the, uh, triggering mechanism to get you to go on for the advanced degrees?

James Heskett (28:17):

Well, uh, ironically, it was the fact that we had a draft in the United States. At that time, I knew I had to go to the service. Uh, I was not reluctant to go, but I didn’t want to spend any more time than I, uh, then I had to. And at that time, if you enlisted, it was a three year tour of duty, and if you were drafted, it was two. So I, uh, made sure that I got drafted in a timely way shortly after college. And I believe by July 4th, I was on my way, uh, to Arkansas. Um, and the reason that the army was the trigger point was that I had a buddy in the army that I had, uh, met in basic training. And we kept in touch after we were, uh, transferred to Europe. And, uh, he asked me what I was going to do after I got out of the army.

James Heskett (29:20):

And I said, uh, I’m going into retailing. That’s my dream. And he said, uh, well, you know, after he said, after you get your MBA, I said, no, no, I’m, I don’t have any intention to get an MBA. And he said, well, you’re absolutely out of your mind. He said, uh, uh, surely you’re gonna want an MBA. Uh, he said, I, uh, there’s only one school and being from Southern California for him, that school was Stanford. He said, uh, I’ve put in my application for Stanford and I’ve got an app, extra application right here, and I want you to sit down and I want you to over the next couple of nights, I want you to fill out that application and send it in. Well, almost on a Lark. I filled out the application, um, to make a long story short. Um, probably because I was from Iowa and he was from California. Um, I was admitted and he wasn’t, and, uh, it’s something we’ve talked about for years. He passed away, not too long ago, but we, one of the last things we discussed was that, uh, experience of my getting in and his not, he went on to become CEO of Catalina swimwear, so he didn’t do too badly, but, um, in that way, the army really was that first step toward graduate school, graduate education. Okay.

James Stock (30:58):

Interesting. Um, in that MBA program, and we’ll get back to your military experience in a moment, but when you finally went to the MBA, uh, program at Stanford, um, after having been in the, uh, uh, Northern Iowa, uh, curriculum and sort of moved around across various areas of interest, um, what made you choose the, the area of business that, uh, you probably concentrated on during that MBA?

James Heskett (31:31):

Well, I, uh, when I arrived on campus, uh, I had no money and, uh, no job I had, uh, a couple of months left in the summer. I did gardening work. I carried out groceries and, uh, saw a notice, uh, for a secretary’s job for, uh, a professor named Gaton Jermaine, who was the director of something called the transportation management program at Stanford, having, uh, trained in the army to be a, uh, a stenographer of all things, uh, in a CRI criminal investigation detachment, uh, uh, he being a military person thought that this might be a great, uh, a great choice. So he interest selected me for the job. Uh, naturally I became familiar with what he was doing in the field of transportation, uh, which influenced what I began to study and, uh, and ultimately with his encouragement, what I, uh, investigated during my doctoral work as well.

James Heskett (32:53):

Interesting. Now, back to the military, were you getting GI bill while you were going to Stanford? Absolutely. Absolutely. Without that GI bill <laugh>, I wouldn’t have been going to Stanford <laugh> there you go. Um, so when you were in the, uh, the military, um, what rank did you achieve while you were there? I assume you, when is listed since you were drafted. Yes. Um, yes. And how did you get into that, uh, sort of stenographer’s position in the military <laugh> well being a draftee, uh, there are many unusual stories about how you end up, uh, doing what you do. Um, uh, the, uh, uh, my, uh, I guess my ambition was to play in the army band. And so, uh, during basic training, I auditioned and was accepted. I, that was no problem, uh, having played professionally, uh, I was ready, uh, but you can be ready in the army.

James Heskett (33:56):

And if there are no openings, uh, during the particular week in which you, uh, matriculate from basic training, uh, you can find yourself in a totally different, uh, kind of occupation. So very quickly <laugh> I found myself, uh, in what was known as clerk, typist school, I believe, and, uh, did so well in clerk typist school that I was sent on to the stenographers, uh, uh, adjective general school in, uh, Indianapolis, which was a, a nice long program, uh, where we learned, uh, stenographic skills that I have never used since I’m, uh, I’m a Wiz at Greg shorthand, or at least was at the time I came outta the army. Um, the, uh, uh, as a result, I didn’t aspire to rank. And I think I came out as what was known then as an S P three, which is probably the equivalent of a corporal, uh, one rank above, uh, the rank at which I was, uh, that I received when I was drafted.

Chris Barnes (35:08):

Supply chain is boring as part of the supply chain. Now network the voice of supply chain, interested in sponsoring this show to help get your message out, send a note to Chris at the SC Dr. Dot com. We can also help with world class supply chain, education and certification workshops for you or your team. Thanks for listening. And remember, supply chain is boring.

Featured Guests

James L. Heskett is UPS Foundation Professor Emeritus at the Harvard Business School and author of his latest book, With From Within: Build Organizational Culture for Competitive Advantage. He completed his Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and has been a member of the faculty of The Ohio State University as well as President of Logistics Systems, Inc. Since 2000, he has authored a blog on the school’s Working Knowledge web site.

Dr. James Stock has been honored internationally three separate times for his achievements in supply chain and logistics management by the industry’s leading professional organizations. This year, he will receive the Supply Chain Management Professionals’ Distinguished Service Award – the highest honor that an individual can receive for their achievements in supply chain and logistics management. In addition, he will also be honored with the Special Lifetime Logistics Service Award by Yasar University in Izmir, Turkey and the 9th International Logistics and Supply Chain Congress for his outstanding achievement and continuous contributions to the field.

During the course of his 35-year career, Stock has also been honored with, DC Velocity magazine’s “Rainmaker for 2006” and has been awarded the Eccles Medal and the Armitage Medal by SOLE – The International Society of Logistics.
Stock has more than 150 publications in the field. He has authored six books and his publications have been translated into five different languages – Chinese, Czech, Portuguese, Russian, and Thai. He has also traveled to 46 countries on six continents to conduct research, lecture, or do consulting work for various organizations and universities.

Before coming to USF in 1989, Stock, the Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing at the College of Business, taught at Michigan State University, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Notre Dame. He holds a BS and MBA from the University of Miami (Florida) and a PhD from The Ohio State University. Stock is an active member of numerous professional organizations, former editor of the Journal of Business Logistics and International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, serves on many international editorial review boards, and is on the USF Honors and Awards committee.

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Host, Supply Chain is Boring

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Mary Kate Love

VP, Marketing

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

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

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

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

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

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

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Vicki White

Controller

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

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Ben Harris

Host

Ben Harris is the Director of Supply Chain Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Ben comes to the Metro Atlanta Chamber after serving as Senior Manager, Market Development for Manhattan Associates. There, Ben was responsible for developing Manhattan’s sales pipeline and overall Americas supply chain marketing strategy. Ben oversaw market positioning, messaging and campaign execution to build awareness and drive new pipeline growth. Prior to joining Manhattan, Ben spent four years with the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Center of Innovation for Logistics where he played a key role in establishing the Center as a go-to industry resource for information, support, partnership building, and investment development. Additionally, he became a key SME for all logistics and supply chain-focused projects. Ben began his career at Page International, Inc. where he drove continuous improvement in complex global supply chain operations for a wide variety of businesses and Fortune 500 companies. An APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Ben holds an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration (EMBA) and bachelor’s degree in International Business (BBA) from the Terry College at the University of Georgia.

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Page Siplon

Host, The Freight Insider

Prior to joining TeamOne Logistics, Page Siplon served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, the State’s leading consulting resource for fueling logistics industry growth and global competitiveness. For over a decade, he directly assisted hundreds of companies to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities related to the movement of freight. During this time, Siplon was also appointed to concurrently serve the State of Georgia as Director of the larger Centers of Innovation Program, in which he provided executive leadership and vision for all six strategic industry-focused Centers. As a frequently requested keynote speaker, Siplon is called upon to address a range of audiences on unique aspects of technology, workforce, and logistics. This often includes topics of global and domestic logistics trends, supply chain visibility, collaboration, and strategic planning. He has also been quoted as an industry expert in publications such as Forbes, Journal of Commerce, Fortune, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, American Express, DC Velocity, Area Development Magazine, Site Selection Magazine, Inbound Logistics, Modern Material Handling, and is frequently a live special guest on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Radio Show. Siplon is an active industry participant, recognized by DC Velocity Magazine as a “2012 Logistics Rainmaker” which annually identifies the top-ten logistics professionals in the Nation; and named a “Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Executive Magazine in 2014. Siplon was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” for 2013, 2014, and 2015. He also serves various industry leadership roles at both the State and Federal level. Governor Nathan Deal nominated Siplon to represent Georgia on a National Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee, where he was appointed to a two-year term by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was then appointed to serve as its vice-chairman. At the State level, he was selected by then-Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as lead consultant on the Commission for New Georgia’s Freight and Logistics Task Force. In this effort, Siplon led a Private Sector Advisory Committee with invited executives from a range of private sector stakeholders including UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Siplon honorably served a combined 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. During this time, he led the integration of encryption techniques and deployed cryptographic devices for tactically secure voice and data platforms in critical ground-to-air communication systems. This service included support for all branches of the Department of Defense, multiple federal security agencies, and aiding NASA with multiple Space Shuttle launches. Originally from New York, Siplon received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering with a focus on digital signal processing from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned an associate’s degree in advanced electronic systems from the Air Force College and completed multiple military leadership academies in both the Marines and Air Force. Siplon currently lives in Cumming, Georgia (north of Atlanta), with his wife Jan, and two children Thomas (19) and Lily (15).

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Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

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

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

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

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

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

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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

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

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

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

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

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

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

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

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

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

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

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

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

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

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

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

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

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

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

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

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

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

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

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

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

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

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

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

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

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Greg White

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

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

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

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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

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

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