Supply Chain is Boring
Episode 43

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 Kenneth B. Ackerman, a well-known warehousing guru and consultant. When Ackerman was 19 years old, he was able to get a job with a trucking company owned by a family friend. From there, he went on to learn about the truck leasing business at Ryder.

After getting an undergraduate degree from Princeton and a master’s degree from Harvard University, he enlisted in the Army reserves and was assigned to Water Reed Army Hospital as part of their Scientific and Professional Personnel program. Because of his advanced degree, he had the opportunity to work as a buyer, working directly for a contracting officer and buying books and office supplies.

Listen in to learn more about this well-known luminary in supply chain management.

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, 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 manage ment. 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, SOS James Hasket, bud littleand 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 (01:13):

Good afternoon. My name is James stock. The Frank Harvey endowed professor of marking university of south Florida. We’re here today to conduct an interview with one of the luminaries in the discipline of warehousing 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 practitioners. The person who’s had significant influence on their profession. We often read the person’s books and journal articles, listen to their presentations at academic or professional meetings, and sometimes even have individual discussions with them at 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 on, we speculated what might have motivated the writer or artist to write the book or paint the painting to determine the message or story of the text or art and the writers or the artist’s perception of the contributions of their work in the same way through, in other interviews that will be conducted of leading business scholars and practitioners as the late Paul Harvey.

James Stock (02:30):

So often expressed, we will 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, a exhibits and practitioners may be discussed. There 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 interviewees responses are spontaneous. They may lead into other questions related to those responses. However, the general format for this and other interviews that will be conducted in the future will be similar. The hope that audiences who view these interviews will get a broader and richer view of the people and events that have shaped their disciplines. We hope that you will learn from what will be said and discussed during these interviews and be able to more fully appreciate and understand the significant contribution made by these luminaries in the field.

James Stock (03:30):

Let’s begin by introducing our distinguished guests. Kenneth B Ackerman is presently present of the Ackerman company, a management, an advisory service specializing in warehousing and logistics consulting located in Columbus, Ohio. Ken Ackerman’s name is synonymous with the discipline of warehousing. He’s been called by some, the warehousing guru by others. Mr. Warehousing, before entering the consulting field, Ken was the CEO of distribution, Inc. A highly successful public warehousing company that is now part of Excel logistics. Ken graduated from Princeton university with a bachelor of arts degree and completed the MBA degree at Harvard university. He then enlisted the us army where he served as a buyer at the Walter Reed medical facility. At the time Ken’s father ran a small warehousing and trucking company, and Ken joined him in the business. Once his two year military commitment was completed, he has spent his entire career in the warehousing and logistic profession.

James Stock (04:32):

He has written extensively on the subject he’s editor and publisher of warehousing forum, a monthly subscription newsletter. He has also written several books used by warehousing and logistics professionals, including auditing warehousing performance, warehousing tips, warehousing, profitably, and fundamentals of supply chain management. Co-authored with art band photograph as a practitioner, Ken has taken time out of his very busy schedule to write numerous articles on topics of warehousing logistics and supply chain management, which appeared in the Harvard business review, New York times, many logistics and supply chain, professional journals and magazines. Ken has been very active in a number of professional organizations. He was a founding member of the warehousing education research council or work in 9 77 was heavily involved in the national council, physical distribution CPDM, who later became the council of logistics management cm and is now called the council supply chain management professionals. CS CMP.

James Stock (05:37):

Ken was honored by both of these organizations, work honored Ken with lifetime and membership in the organization. In 2002, he received a distinguish service award from CS EMP for his career achievements. And he was president of that organization. He also received a distinguished service and leadership award from the international warehouse logistics association. The I w L a in 1999 in recognition of his professional achievements and leadership. Ken has been recognized with honorary life membership in the Ohio warehouseman association. He’s also been a former director of the American warehouse association in activities. Ken has been chapter chairman for the young president’s organization, the YPO former officer of Columbus association for the performing arts and past president of opera Columbus. He currently serves as chair for Vistage international, a group that provides counseling and interaction with chief executives in many different fields. Ken is very active, both domestically and internationally and lecturing teaching and consulting.

James Stock (06:42):

He is fluent in Spanish, which enables him to lecture and consult in that language. His many clients include firms such as general electric Nissan corporation, Naman cargo of Israel, trans warrants and Chile, tres L Italy, and many other international companies throughout his career. Ken has been an educator leader and developer of talent in the profession. His 50 plus years in the profession have been characterized as one of giving to others. It’s our distinct pleasure to get to know the personal side of this man. So we can more fully appreciate his sign, forget professional contributions and achievements. So Ken, welcome. Glad to have you with us today. Nice to

Ken Ackerman (07:25):

Be here.

James Stock (07:26):

So let’s start with some basic questions about, uh, your life. Um, when and where were you born?

Ken Ackerman (07:33):

Well back early in the last century in Cleveland, Ohio?

James Stock (07:37):

Well, I’m sure wasn’t the last century. It had to be in the 19, well, that is last century now. <laugh> but, uh, was there anything in your childhood that shaped your, you know, your present personality that you have?

Ken Ackerman (07:51):

Well, sure. I grew up in a small town in Northwestern, Ohio spent much of my childhood trying to get out of that town. <affirmative> uh, I think my high school years were very much shaped by four years at a wonderful military school that I remained very close to Culver in Indiana mm-hmm <affirmative>. And, uh, and I remained something of an ardent RIS in that I think that military training is, is very good for people. So that perhaps changed

James Stock (08:21):

My life. Interesting. I have visited at, uh, Culver school. Oh, good. Having been at south bend Notre Dame for a while. Oh, well,

Ken Ackerman (08:29):

Yes. Um, it’s just down the

James Stock (08:31):

Road. Yes. In terms of your personalities or a particular personality trait that, uh, perhaps drove you to succeed uh <affirmative> as well as you have, uh, done in your profession.

Ken Ackerman (08:44):

Well, I never really wanted to be in a family business. Uh, I, I went into it reluctantly. I was determined to go beyond just being the sob son of boss, uh, and to paddle my own canoe. I was lucky to have a father who was very happy to step aside and let me make all kinds of mistakes. But, uh, I, as I developed an independence and a confidence in running a company, uh, it, it was a great start. And starting in that, I look back on it, starting in the family business, turned out to be a pretty good thing to do.

James Stock (09:20):

Interesting. Do you think there are any personality traits that have held you back or impeded you in any way?

Ken Ackerman (09:26):

Oh, I probably as a kid and maybe as a young adult people thought I talked too much, maybe. Uh, and I think I talked too much and didn’t listen enough, but, uh, no, I don’t think there were major impediments.

James Stock (09:39):

Okay. Do you have any, you know, specific memories that you have never forgotten from your childhood?

Ken Ackerman (09:47):

Well, as I said, I wanted to get out of the small town. I grew up in, wanted to go someplace bigger, uh, wanted to be building, uh, wanted to be with a company that was growing and to be able to, to oversee change and growth. And I think I had that ambition, uh, while I was pretty young.

James Stock (10:08):

As you were growing up, how large was that town? Did you refer to as small, 50,000, 50,000. Okay.

Ken Ackerman (10:14):

Smaller today than a, was that okay?

James Stock (10:17):

<laugh> how would your parents describe you as a

Ken Ackerman (10:20):

Child? Probably the kid would talk too much and, uh, thought he was pretty smart. Okay. Smarter than he was <laugh>.

James Stock (10:27):

Okay. Any other comments they would if they were here today? And I could ask them that question. Anything else they would say about you?

Ken Ackerman (10:35):

No, I’m not sure. Probably amazed that I didn’t get into any more trouble than I did. <laugh>.

James Stock (10:41):

Okay. Now, um, think of your growing up in, in this small town. Um, let’s talk a little bit about your education. Okay. In the secondary school, where did you attend, um, school? Both, uh, from grade on, through high school?

Ken Ackerman (10:58):

Well, I was in public schools, uh, in, in Lima, Ohio up until the eighth grade, I went to Culver in the ninth grade, spent four years. There actually went to camp at Culver earlier than that. So that I had a taste of the school as a camper in the summertime, which made me want to go there in the wintertime. And, uh, I learned at the dining room table that I needed to get out of town because the public school system was considered to be among the worst in Ohio at that time. So I was strongly motivated to go away to school. Most of my friends went away to school. Some of ’em went to and east to, uh, Western reserve at Hudson Ohio. Those were the two closest boarding schools to the town I lived in. So, uh, it was wonderful to go away. And, uh, as I look back on it, it was, uh, a very fortunate experience that I was able to do that.

James Stock (11:56):

Okay. And I assume most military academies and schools, um, you were there full time and went home only on vacation. That’s right. Holidays,

Ken Ackerman (12:05):

Right? Yeah.

James Stock (12:06):

Mm-hmm <affirmative> did you, uh, plan any sports teams while you were in

Ken Ackerman (12:10):

School? That was one of my great frustrations, Jim. I, I didn’t realize it until much later that, uh, I was cursed with no hand to eye coordination. Could never play any ball game. Uh, just, I mean, I couldn’t even play croquet <laugh> even a slow ball. I can’t handle. So what I did do is I ran cross country <affirmative> and, uh, I was in the, uh, horse unit called the black horse troop at Culver and I loved riding and still do, uh, so that I guess, horses and running were the two things that okay. Kept me busy.

James Stock (12:47):

Very good. What was your favorite sport? Uh, either as a spectator or participant? Well,

Ken Ackerman (12:53):

Was a part participant. I, I loved running. Uh, I still pace walk. I used to jog until my knees started to kick up and, uh, I ran cross country at Culver and I ran cross country in college as a spectator sport. I think football has always been it. Okay.

James Stock (13:11):

Well, you’re a good area for football here in Culver. Yes, indeed. For sure. Or, um, were you involved in any kind of, um, school clubs or organizations?

Ken Ackerman (13:21):

Well, I’m hazy about high school years about clubs. I, there wasn’t Culver, wasn’t a big club school. Uh, I was interested in dramatics, got into to a little bit of that. Uh, when I went to college, I went to a non fraternity school. So we had eating clubs and I enjoyed that life tremendously. The whole atmosphere of eating clubs, I thought was much better than fraternities. Oh.

James Stock (13:51):

Now were there any, for example, honor society or, um, yearbook or those kinds of things, government, student government that you were involved in?

Ken Ackerman (14:03):

Well, I, I, uh, had a leadership rank, uh, at Culver, so I guess I was a platoon leader, something like that and, uh, was in the come loudest society, which is an honor, I guess it is, uh, trying to think about clubs. I think I’ve pretty well covered it, uh,

James Stock (14:28):

Good. There was there a teacher somewhere from first day through 12th that, uh, and it could be you more than one, had a significant influence on you.

Ken Ackerman (14:40):

Yes, at Culver, uh, there was an English teacher and, uh, I was part of a, uh, an honors class in English that did advanced work and did a lot of writing. And that teacher remains in my memory as a guy who really inspired me, uh, and, and gave me a love of reading and writing.

James Stock (15:00):

And how did he do that? How did he inspire

Ken Ackerman (15:02):

You? I think with mirrors <laugh>, I’m not sure. I, I only know that and I wasn’t the only one, he was one of these guys who could just absolutely, uh, amaze his students. I think most of his students would’ve, would’ve given him the grade of the best teacher they ever had. And he was a great discussion leader. Uh, our classes were not lectures, they were discussions and he was fun to be in those classes. You,

James Stock (15:31):

You think he might have influenced you in terms of you do lots of lectures and discussions? Absolutely. Did. Now, how would you, um, uh, describe yourself as a student socially and academically?

Ken Ackerman (15:46):

Well, I, I got along alright. Academically the higher I went, the less distinguished I was by the time I was in graduate school, the chance to be, uh, in, in the Boston neighborhood with all the girls who had been lacking at both Princeton and Culver, uh, interfered with my academic performance to some extent, but I did manage to get the degree, uh, and, and Princeton at the time I attended being a single sex school was described by one of my friends as the largest non-sectarian monastery in America. <laugh>

James Stock (16:24):

Interesting. I had heard that. So that’s, that’s new

Ken Ackerman (16:26):

Information. Well, it’s, co-ed now I can’t say that.

James Stock (16:31):

All right. So you mentioned cross country in college, in high school. Yes. Uh, were there any other activities in college that you were involved in? Uh,

Ken Ackerman (16:40):

I got involved a little bit in dramatics in college. Uh, I got this great interest in Latin America there. My major was Latin American studies. I managed to wangle a fellow ship to go down to Mexico and write about the film industry in Mexico. Uh, undergrads at Princeton liberal arts undergrads have to write a senior thesis of at least 40,000 words. And my thesis was about the movies of Mexico with a lot of fun to do that.

James Stock (17:11):

And that’s where you learned the Spanish and have kept since,

Ken Ackerman (17:14):

Yes, I, I got fairly fluent in school years once, uh, with a student group that placed each youngster with a family. So you lived with a family in a small town. And, uh, when I came home from that, I was almost totally fluent, so, and I never quite lost it. Good.

James Stock (17:33):

Good. Did you earn any honors in, um, in college?

Ken Ackerman (17:39):

Not that I can recall. <laugh> I stayed in and graduated and got into the grad school of my choice. So that’s, that was,

James Stock (17:46):

That’s the most important now an interesting one in, um, as you were growing up and this could be in secondary school or college, did you have any person that, uh, was what you might call a teen idol could be a sports figure, uh, could be, uh, government political figure. Movie star

Ken Ackerman (18:10):

Might surprise you, but the picture on my desk, teenage kids of a pinup picture was a soprano with a metropolitan opera with, I don’t know, I haven’t heard of her for many years. She was a very pretty girl and, and that was my pinup picture.

James Stock (18:28):

And you ever met her, did you ever meet? Oh my

Ken Ackerman (18:30):

Yes. I had met her. Oh, sure.

James Stock (18:33):

Okay. Very good. So was it an autographed photo? Oh, yes, indeed. Oh, that’s the best kind to have. Um, did they have any influence on your career or was that just no. No,

Ken Ackerman (18:43):

Not really. I think

James Stock (18:45):

Now when you were a teenager, uh, so this would’ve been during, or, uh, secondary school years and maybe early in your college years, what would people find surprising about you that they might not know about you now?

Ken Ackerman (19:03):

I’m not sure that I really don’t know. I, I’m not sure how I surprise people, uh, may maybe, uh, that I have a few more sides to me than some people would expect of a business guy. You know, the, the language skills sometimes is a surprise. I’m never quite sure what surprises people, but, uh, just last week, uh, I had fun, surprising somebody because I went into a, uh, store to buy something. It was all populated by Ukrainians and I wished them a good evening in Russian at the end. And I watched the eyes go up, but, you know, Russian <laugh>, it’s just that much, but it was one of the languages I studied as an undergrad.

James Stock (19:50):

Oh, interesting. Now, in terms of, uh, going to Princeton, um, how were you able to go there? Did you get scholarships? Did your parents paid? Did you work? What combination? No,

Ken Ackerman (20:02):

I, uh, my, my parents were able to do that. I, I wasn’t on a scholarship. Uh, I felt lucky to be accepted. That was, uh, the, the place I wanted to go. I would’ve been disappointed if I hadn’t made it. Uh, the year that I was accepted, I think I was one of six or seven from Culver who went there, which was highly unusual to have that many from one school go there, but, uh, I was accepted and, uh, it was a great experience to be there.

James Stock (20:32):

Yeah. And Princeton consistently rates in top five colleges, universities in the us.

Ken Ackerman (20:37):

Well, I will confess that it didn’t with me by senior year, primarily because of what I joked about that being the largest nonsectarian monastery in the world, I felt isolated was glad to leave.

James Stock (20:51):

So did you live, uh, in dormitories off campus? No. No. You lived in dorms for the entire program? Yes. Okay. Mm-hmm <affirmative> um, why did you decide to attend college? Was that expected? It was

Ken Ackerman (21:07):

Expected. My, my parents, uh, my father never finished college, but my, my parents certainly expected me to be in college. And, uh, so it never really was a topic of discussion. I just, it was assumed I would

James Stock (21:23):

Do it. Were you as excited as they were to go or were they, yes, I really

Ken Ackerman (21:27):

Was.

James Stock (21:28):

Sure. Now, were you the first generation of your family to receive a college degree?

Ken Ackerman (21:32):

No. I said my mother, uh, I think may have gotten a masters or, or almost got a masters. My father was a college dropout, but I think spent two or three years in college. So they may have been first, but I wasn’t.

James Stock (21:51):

So you mentioned your emphasis in college was primarily Latin American kinds of studies, any other concentrations or minors that you

Ken Ackerman (21:58):

Took? I studied two other languages, Russian and Italian. And, and that was just plain out of curiosity. Uh, there was a war on when I was in college and people don’t realize it today, but in the beginning of the cor war, it looked like world war II. And, and I think most of us were wondering first, would we even be able to finish? And second, uh, when finished, uh, how soon would we go into the military? Because we, there was a draft that, so my decision to, uh, start studying Russian was a strategic decision. I didn’t think that the military would have any interest at all in somebody that knew Spanish there, millions of people in this country, no Spanish, not so many, no Russian that’s true. So I, I, uh, quickly jumped into it. And in fact, because it was too late to get into a university course, I started out with a tutor, which was a great experience, uh, a Russian born lady whose father had been the Imperial grapher to the czar. He, and she didn’t know much English. She, she wanted to, to talk French, which I didn’t know. So she said, then I teach you Russian in Russian <laugh>, which is what she did.

James Stock (23:22):

Okay. Very nice. Um, with that emphasis on languages and Latin American studies, what, uh, apart from the Spanish that you still use utilize, when you go to south America, other Spanish speaking areas, uh, are there other things that you learned or acquired in college that you use in your profession? Well,

Ken Ackerman (23:44):

I’ve used all three of those languages. I, I did a consulting project in Moscow some years ago for an American owned warehousing company. Now my Russian is much too Resty to carry on a decent conversation, but I can understand a lot. So, uh, and of course the client for American, but, uh, they asked me to do a little, uh, workshop for the line supervisors and, uh, and with an

James Stock (24:13):

Interpreter. But, uh, when they talked among themselves, I could pick up a little, you know, I, I it’s, you, you lose the ability to speak before you lose the ability to under stand and, uh, as both a tourist and a worker in Russia, uh, I’m not afraid to wander around anywhere. I can talk my way back, find out where I’m supposed to be, and I can read the signs, can read the alphabet. Now we’ve mentioned earlier in your introduction that you’ve also done work in Italy. Uh, do you still retain some level of, uh, fluency

Ken Ackerman (24:50):

In Italian? It comes out half Spanish and half Italian, but I could make myself understood. Yes. Okay.

James Stock (24:57):

Now did, um, you know, with your father in the warehousing distribution business, um, that’s probably where most of your influence came from to go into that career yourself, or were there others that may have influenced you?

Ken Ackerman (25:13):

Well, I was fortunate in school years, uh, to get summer jobs first in Chicago with a trucking company. And that, I think I was 19. Nobody would’ve hired me, but my father was a friend of the head of this company. And he took me in, I think, as an active friendship. But the one that I got on my own between years in grad school was to work for Ryder back in the days when, when Jim Ryder was still there. And that, that was a great experience. Both of ’em were great experiences. Uh, the first one in Chicago, that fellow was a, uh, Harvard B school grad. And I think probably persuaded me that I should try to go to school there mm-hmm <affirmative>, uh, Ryder was a vastly different environment and, uh, very much of a learning experience to, to be working in Florida for a fast growth company.

James Stock (26:10):

And what kinds of things do you think you learned at the, in the rider experience that, uh, you’ve influenced you a lot and you’ve kept on?

Ken Ackerman (26:21):

Well, at least at that time, and I have no idea where rider is today. I, I know Nova there now. I don’t think, uh, it was pretty turbulent, I think because of fast growth people were coming and going, uh, and, uh, as, as opposed to relative stability in Chicago, uh, it, it was an unsettled environment. I spent about half of the summer in Miami and half of it in Tampa, so that I saw different parts of the state of Florida, which is as you know, very different from Ohio. Yes <laugh>. So it was all just part of growing up, uh, in both jobs, I was primarily doing sales work and, uh, I learned a lot about the truck leasing business, which was the part of the business that I was interested in and thought I might be getting into at that time. My father’s business was more heavily involved in truck than it was in warehousing. Okay.

James Stock (27:27):

Then once you graduated from Princeton, um, did you go directly on to Harvard or? Yes. Okay. It was after Harvard that the military sprees yeah. Occurred

Ken Ackerman (27:37):

At that time. I think it’s fair to say that many people who were students wanted to main students as long as possible, but the minute they were no longer students, they would be in uniform.

James Stock (27:49):

So I, they was called a two S deferment.

Ken Ackerman (27:52):

I don’t remember what it was called, but all I know is I managed to, uh, uh, stay in school right up through getting a master’s degree.

James Stock (28:02):

And so you went in, did you enlist or were you drafted? Uh,

Ken Ackerman (28:06):

I enlisted in the reserves about two days before I was gonna get drafted. Okay.

James Stock (28:13):

And how did you get the assignment at, uh, Walter re

Ken Ackerman (28:17):

I, I wish I knew it was, uh, it was a wonderful assignment. I have no idea. I have some idea how it happened because the army at that time had what they called the scientific and professional personnel program, where they would grab people who had certain advanced degrees and put ’em in skills jobs, where they could use the skills. One of my Harvard classmates with the, of private first class or corporal or something was functioned as treasurer of Walter Reed. He didn’t have the title, but he did the work.

James Stock (28:54):

Interesting. And so while you were at Walter Reed, you were a buyer mm-hmm <affirmative>. What kinds of things did

Ken Ackerman (29:00):

You buy? Oh, I bought books, office supplies. I, I was buyer is sort of the lowest level. Uh, I couldn’t sign for the United States that test, and then you have to be a contracting officer. So I worked for a contracting officer and I would get all the stuff together and hand it to her and she’d sign it. I did all the work, but I wasn’t allowed to. Okay. <laugh> I wasn’t allowed to represent the United States. I was lucky to have a wonderful boss who wanted to be sure that I really learned what I was doing instead of just doing it. And he said, you got a lot of time on your hands, so why don’t you take all these manuals home and read ’em and then we’re gonna discuss ’em cuz I wanna be sure, you know, what you’re doing.

James Stock (29:41):

And that was, it was fun to work for a guy like that. So in those two years, uh, what was your rank when you left corporal? They called it specialist third class. Same thing. Okay. Yeah. Uh, did you form any long lasting relationships in the military? Uh, one my wife. Wow. <laugh> okay. We’ll get to her a little bit in terms of your, your family. Uh, what was your fondest memory of the military? Oh, I think meeting my wife easily save that thought for later. Okay.

Chris Barnes (30:14):

Supply chain is boring as part of the supply chain. Now network the voice of supply chain, interested in sponsoring this show or others to help you get your message out. Send a note to Chris supply chain now.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

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.

Ken Ackerman has been active in logistics and warehousing management for his entire career. Before entering the consulting field, he was chief executive of Distribution Centers, Inc., a public warehousing company that is now part of Exel Logistics USA. In 1980, Ackerman sold the company and joined the management consulting division of Coopers & Lybrand. In 1981, he formed the Ackerman Company, a management advisory service. Ken is the editor and publisher of Warehousing Forum, a monthly subscription newsletter. His newest books are Lean Warehousing and Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management, both published in 2007. His other recent publications include Auditing Warehouse Performance and Warehousing Tips. Harvard Business Review published “Making Warehousing More Efficient,” co-authored with Professor Bernard J. LaLonde. The New York Times published his bylined article “Just In Time, Right For Retail.” He is the author of numerous other articles dealing with warehousing and management.

Some additional credentials – B.A., Princeton University M.B.A., Harvard University. Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals – Past President Warehousing Education and Research Council – Founder

Connect with Ken on LinkedIn.

Hosts

Chris Barnes

Host, Supply Chain is Boring

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

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

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

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

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

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

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

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

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Vicki White

Controller

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

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Katherine Hintz

Creative Director, Producer, Host

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

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Kim Reuter

Host, The Freight Insider

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

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Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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

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Mary Kate Love

VP, Marketing

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

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

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

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

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

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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

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

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

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Tandreia Bellamy

Host, Supply Chain Now

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

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

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

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

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

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

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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

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

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Greg White

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

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

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

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

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

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

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

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

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

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

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog.  He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community.  Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include 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.

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

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

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

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

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

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

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

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

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

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

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

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

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

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

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

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

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

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

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

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

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

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