Between them, Alvaro Lopes and Scott Dubin have almost 40 years of experience managing projects that involve complex logistical considerations and nuances. Lopes is a Private Sector Engagement Program & Solution support lead with VillageReach, a non-profit global health innovator that builds responsive primary healthcare systems that deliver health products and services to the most-under-reached. Dubin, meanwhile, serves as a Supply Chain, Private Sector Engagement Advisor with The Global Fund, one of the largest financiers of public health projects in the world. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, as part of the Supply Chain Leadership Across Africa series, the duo reflect on the variables and challenges that define their workloads on a daily basis – as you can imagine, they encounter a tremendous variety of scenarios and stakeholders from many corners of the world. During the conversation, Lopes and Dubin touch on several specific topics. This includes: Coordinating public and private sector stakeholders to ensure health products reach everyone. The importance of human resources and plugging gaps in countries’ supply chain expertise. The role of logistics outsourcing in the public health sphere. What partners can do (government, private, donors, and implementing partners) to make outsourced logistics successful in Africa

Supply chain planning is undergoing a profound shift in a landscape shaped by rising geopolitical pressure, accelerating disruption cycles, and unprecedented investment in AI. Organizations are being pushed to deliver growth while navigating higher volatility, tighter margins, and increased expectations for speed and adaptability. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton is joined by special guest host Mike Griswold, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, and Noha Samara, Senior Director, Global Supply Chain at Gartner. Noha draws on her cross-industry experience from manufacturing and consumer goods to high tech to explore how planners can better connect strategy, ecosystems, and technology to meet the demands of 2025 and beyond. Scott, Mike, and Noha unpack the four essentials for elevating planning performance: aligning planning strategy with business priorities, collaborating across extended supply networks, defining a precise and targeted role for AI, and equipping people with the skills and confidence to lead through change. They also spotlight insights from the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit, including the skills planners need, the expanding relevance of CPFR, and why the future of planning depends as much on talent and culture as it does on data and technology.   This episode is hosted by Scott…