PROS TO KNOW:
FINAL THOUGHTS
by Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief , mmayer@iron.markets
WHY 2025 IS THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE (I MEAN, SUCCESS)
According to Chinese culture, the snake is said to be the luckiest of the Chinese zodiac signs; it resembles success and financial luck. Here’s how this translates to the supply chain space.
Back when COVID-19 had taken the world by storm, I dubbed the year 2020 as the Year of Upended Supply Chains. Then, I dubbed 2021 as the Year of Mended Supply Chains. Although supply chains started to heal, the damage was done, marking 2022 as the State of Grim Supply Chains.
2023 became the Year of Bottlenecks, leaving 2024 to be the Year of the Rabbit, which according to Chinese culture, is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity.
This leaves 2025 with being the Year of the Snake.
Yes, I know snakes are slimy, sneaky, slithery and sometimes poisonous. But according to Chinese culture, the snake is said to be the luckiest of the Chinese zodiac signs.
It resembles success and financial luck, both terms the supply chain industry is holding out hopes for after a year of economical uncertainty, geopolitical strife and supply chain disruptions beyond repair.
What’s more, the Lunar New Year 2025 brings with the arrival of the Wood Snake, a combination that occurs once every 60 years. This unique pairing of the snake, known for its wisdom and transformative energy, with the wood element, symbolizes
growth, stability, and creativity.
Animals and Zodiac signs aside, success and financial luck are really in the eye of the beholder. Some industry experts blame inflation and the rise in tariffs as a means to the end, while others continue to optimize their supply chains, implement new technologies and strive to be more sustainably sound.
Some industry experts say dockworker strikes and the Teamster Union strikes will launch an array of attacks against the labor market, while others say stricter regulations pertaining to environmental, social, governance (ESG), worker safety and more will significantly improve output
and better safeguard global supply chains.
However the Year of the Snake slithers, the hopes for success and financial luck should not be lost on you.
Every year will be laden with supply chain disruptions. Every year will experience an up-and-down supply/ demand effect. And, every year will be filled with some form of strife, whether it be domestically or globally. But these same years will also be occupied with growth, innovation, enhanced regulation, improved efficiencies, a smarter workforce, a better product, a safer way of doing business. That’s the key to success.
2025 PROS TO KNOW
By Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief
PROS TO KNOW AWARD: Supply Chain Leaders Over-Deliver in All Facets of Logistics
Every year, Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Pros to Know award celebrates the true supply chain professionals to know. Let’s meet the winners.
From nearshoring and tighter trade regulations to rising fuel costs, port strikes, implementation of emerging technologies and economic uncertainty, many of today’s supply chain leaders are faced with a number of challenges. But, many of today’s supply chain pros are more than just leaders within their space; they’re true pioneers of change.
Every year, Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Pros to Know award celebrates the true supply chain professionals to know.
This year’s award was broken down into four distinct categories:
Top Procurement Pros --> Recognizes professionals in the procurement space, with a procurement title.
Top Transportation Innovators --> Recognizes professionals in the transportation space, including freight, trucking, rail, air cargo, ship/ports, etc.
Rising Stars --> Recognizes young or newer professionals (39 and under) whose achievements, hard work and vision have shaped the supply chain network. Leaders in Excellence --> Honors company leaders who’ve made outstanding contributions to the supply chain space. Must have at least 10 years’ documented experience in supply chain and logistics. Each category consists of a number of winners who really pushed the boundaries in all facets of the supply chain; creating, implementing, transforming, innovating, reinventing, and collaborating. They executed on all fronts, over-delivering and over-performing. They are true professionals to know in the supply chain space.
LET’S FIRST MEET THE FOUR OVERALL WINNERS:
TOP PROCUREMENT PROS
JOEL
JOHNSON VP, Consulting, GEP
Joel Johnson serves as a VP, GEP’s consulting organization, responsible for developing executive relationships and leading global client partnerships across industries in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, driving solutions to improve efficiency, optimize operations, and deliver measurable business value. With over 15 years of experience, Johnson’s areas of focus and expertise include process transformation, strategic sourcing, procurement strategy, global team development, technology deployment, organizational design and brand strategy. His day-to-
day tasks include leading the design, implementation and management of global procurement transformation programs. Johnson works closely with client executives to establish strategic program direction and oversees the entire journey, aligning people, process and technology for impactful change. He also collaborates closely with GEP’s data scientists and engineers to explore and harness the potential of advanced technologies; partners with procurement and supply chain executives from global companies to conceptualize, design and implement digital transformation strategies; mentors team members who have been identified as high-potential contributors; and improves GEP’s service delivery infrastructure by implementing stronger governance frameworks.
2025 PROS TO KNOW
Over the past year, he’s led a global team of over 250 GEP procurement professionals across15 countries to deliver a strategic cost reduction program for a Fortune 500 life sciences company. The client relied on the GEP team to deliver a $2 billion reduction in external spend in 2024. The project encompassed more than $20 billion in total spend, covering both direct and indirect categories. Johnson also co-led a program with one of the world’s largest CPG companies, helping its procurement and supply chain functions deliver incremental value across diverse markets in Africa, the Middle East, LATAM, and Asia. This program successfully met all value targets to date, and is set to expand to address several billion dollars of spend in 2025. Johnson also led the design and development of GEP’s digital tail spend management solutions to enable clients to drastically reduce order-to-receipt cycle times while improving compliance, working capital and the enduser experience. And, Johnson designed and implemented a comprehensive program to support GEP account executives
TOP TRANSPORTATION INNOVATORS
BRENT MEADORS Chief Operating Officer, Warehouse
on Wheels
Brent Meadors is at the forefront of revolutionizing mobile storage trailer rental solutions across North America. Meadors, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, has played a key role in shaping Warehouse on Wheels’ operations, helping grow the company from being a small operation with just two locations to a network of 37 locations, 36,000 trailer units, and 300 employees. As chief operating officer, he collaborates with the CEO on strategic direction; leads due diligence for acquisitions and integrations; builds a culture of “Extreme Ownership”; oversees recruiting, training, and employee development; ensures safety and business regulations compliance; analyzes data to streamline operations and improve efficiency; cultivates strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders; and manages capital investments to drive profitability and growth.
Over the past year, Meadors led WOW through a transformative period. For example, he spearheaded
and improve quality assurance across 50 GEP service accounts to identify areas for continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, Johnson is committed to driving at least 20% growth in GEP’s strategy and advisory business in 2025, with at least half of this growth coming from AI-related consulting services. He will continue to lead GEP’s “Digital Garage” workshops, guiding clients through immersive sessions that explore AI-driven opportunities and translate them into digital transformation plans. And, he plans to prioritize the advancement of agentic frameworks, focusing on improving coordination between GEP’s AI agents and supply chain uses cases across category strategy, sourcing, contracting and guided buying.
We talked exclusively with Johnson about AI’s role in advancing procurement.
WOW’s entry into Canada, and Monterrey, Mexico, tapping into vital trade hubs while establishing greenfield locations in Detroit and Oklahoma City. Through strategic purchasing and process improvements, Meadors reduced fleet maintenance costs by 40%, streamlining logistics and ensuring regulatory compliance. Under his leadership, WOW’s U.S. fleet achieved zero recordable incidents in the past year. Also under his leadership, WOW recorded an average employee engagement score of 4.44/5 and satisfaction at 4.58/5, with 85% participation—a record high for the company.
While serving in the U.S. Army, Meadors honed his skills in quality control, maintenance, and leadership under high-pressure conditions as a quality control technical inspector, company maintenance supervisor, and AH-64 Apache helicopter mechanic.
We talked exclusively with Meadors about the need for mobile storage trailer rental solutions in today’s economy and what it takes to grow a company while retaining an entrepreneurial, customer-first culture.
RISING STARS
BRENDA MEJIA
Head of Operations, Gatik
Brenda Mejia serves as head of operations for Gatik, where she leads and oversees the company’s entire operations landscape. Her contributions span from market expansion and product development to operational efficiency and employee engagement, with an overarching focus on leveraging autonomous technology to revolutionize middle-mile logistics. This includes spearheading key initiatives to optimize the unique needs of AV fleets, such as route planning, fleet management, and service reliability.
Under her leadership, Gatik developed proprietary systems that integrate advanced data analytics and machine learning to optimize fleet performance. Mejia has also been at the forefront of identifying new market opportunities, forming strategic partnerships, and driving revenue growth, all of which have contributed to Gatik’s continued
LEADERS IN EXCELLENCE
SANDRA KAZEE VP, Finance, Ambi Robotics
As VP, finance at Ambi Robotics, Sandra Kazee is the financial architect behind the company’s innovative solutions, ensuring fiscal health and strategic growth. Kazee leads the development of financial strategies that align with Ambi Robotics’ long-term vision; oversees the implementation and optimization of ERP systems; manages and refines the company’s inventory systems; collaborates with crossfunctional teams to design customer contracts and pricing models; fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning; maintains the spares program, ensuring customers have uninterrupted access to critical components; and actively engages with initiatives like the U.C. Berkeley Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Kazee was instrumental in implementing RaaS (Robotics-as-a-Service) within warehouses across the United States, where organizations have access to state-of-
expansion, serving 10-plus Fortune 500 customers. She also continually fosters key partnerships with the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulatory requirements, and she played an integral role in shaping the company’s recently announced third-party safety assessment framework, which fosters transparency, trust, and compliance within the AV industry.
Mejia also played a pivotal role in Gatik’s strategic partnership with ITOCHU, which leverages Gatik’s expertise in middle-mile autonomous trucking and ITOCHU’s global logistics network to develop solutions that address critical challenges in supply chain efficiency and scalability. And, she played a critical role in the company’s engagement with Isuzu Motors, leading to an investment that accelerated the development of Gatik’s autonomous fleet.
We talked exclusively with Mejia to learn more about her efforts in championing innovative safety frameworks and the importance of optimizing AV fleets.
the-art technology and the ability to scale in response to changing market conditions and unique customer needs. Within the last 12 months, she led the creation of internal inventory management and optimization initiatives that leverage data-driven insights to streamline inventory control, forecasting, and replenishment processes. Kazee also established a spares program, which ensures timely availability of necessary components and support for the systems deployed. And her work with SWE provides networking opportunities and resources to empower and advance women in the field of engineering.
Over the next 12 months, Kazee is poised to expand the RaaS model, making state-of-the-art technology accessible to a broader range of U.S. businesses; optimizing on-site spare parts and preventative maintenance programs; and more.
We talked exclusively with Kazee to learn more about the future of automated warehousing.
Scan
2025 PROS TO KNOW
BELOW ARE SOME ADDITIONAL STANDOUTS:
ILYA GONCHAROV
Head of Industrial Projects, 3PL Logistics Group Category: Top Transportation Innovators
Ilya Goncharov serves as head of industrial projects at 3PL Logistics Group, responsible for overseeing and optimizing all-project cargo contracts, inquiries, orders and operations in eight offices in six countries. Goncharov develops and executes strategies to enhance industrial projects performance, improve processes, reduce costs, and ensure timely delivery of project cargo to customers. Other responsibilities include building relationships and growing business in the project cargo logistics and heavy lift sector; managing the budget and budget execution of industrial projects; managing the performance of the project team; developing a strategic roadmap to enhance systems, processes, and performance across all logistics functions; optimizing processes in all effective handling of oversized cargo and breakbulk inquiries from new and current customers; leading the implementation of logistics-related projects; developing and executing strategies to reduce logistics costs, improve freight management, and optimize operations; ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements; collaborating with HR and training teams to develop training programs and resources to enhance logistics team capabilities; and partnering with crossfunctional teams to ensure alignment on logistics strategies and support business objectives.
In December 2024, Goncharov managed the delivery of oversized process equipment and telescopic bridges from the Netherlands to the UAE for the offshore industry, oil platforms and supply vessels. Also in December 2024, Goncharov concluded the contract and management of the delivery of heavy industrial equipment for production from Poland to Peru. He also introduced new methodology for processing new requests from current and new customers to optimize the work of employees with oversized and breakbulk cargo between the project department and the sea import/export departments.
Goncharov also created special AI sanctions screening tools for the project cargo logistics
industry. Going forward, he plans to ensure that all global supply chains are protected from working with sanctioned projects in an automated manner.
BRANDON HULSE Director of Logistics, ALOM Category: Leaders
in Excellence
Brandon Hulse leads the ALOM logistics organization, responsible for business development and carrier contracting, including rate negotiation, strategic planning, tactical management, operational management, risk mitigation, and logistics planning and operation. His career leading transportation and logistics organizations began in 2008 with Nippon Express and later with Ingram Micro in 2014. Hulse joined ALOM in 2022, where he selects and negotiates contracted rates and service levels with a range of carriers operating domestically, regionally, and internationally. His primary focus is to achieve service, cost, and quality objectives with respect to all modes of international and domestic transportation (small parcel, heavy weight air, ocean, LTL, TL) for inbound, outbound, and reverse logistics. To do so, he meets with service providers (carriers, forwarders) on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to proactively manage KPIs resulting in increased on-time performance, fewer claims, high value loss, minimal invoicing exceptions, avoidance of IT incidents, and improved account management relationship. He also expands and refines transportation service offerings by recognizing opportunity, negotiating service and cost with carrier, IT integration, and operations implementation. He ensures compliance with international and domestic standards, government regulations, hazmat/dangerous goods, safety, and internal requirements, and conducts in-house staff training and certification program for safe handling and movement of materials categorized as hazardous.
In 2024, Hulse implemented the Hazmat Certification and Compliance Program and led and taught a mandatory hazmat handling training certification program for ALOM
operational and account management staff. In addition, working with ALOM technology developers and supply chain planners, Hulse implemented a new transportation analytics system to capture and report a range of performance metric data on freight carrier performance. As a result, in the second half of 2024, ALOM reduced domestic miles traveled for equal levels of freight shipments by nearly 26%. And, in August 2024, ALOM opened a new production and fulfillment location in Sacramento, Calif., where Hulse negotiated and secured carrier agreements for transportation services shipping to and from this facility and between ALOM’s headquarters in Fremont, Calif. What’s next for Hulse in 2025 is improved visibility through enhanced carrier system integration and the utilization of AI and business intelligence modeling to help identify and prepare response plans for potential sources of global and domestic freight disruption due to labor, weather, raw material, or geopolitical events.
JOSEPH DUBE Director, Account Management, B-Stock Category: Rising Stars
Joe Dube director of account management for B-Stock, provides secondary market supply chain support for today’s largest wireless carriers, OEMs, and mobile buyback companies. This includes providing data and analytics to advise on B2B resale strategies for used/traded-in wireless devices and accessories. Since joining B-Stock in 2018 as a mobile strategy manager, Dube has immersed himself in providing solutions for the company’s biggest mobile customers. This includes providing data and analytics across the board to help customers optimize average sales price and sales cycle for devices via B-Stock’s B2B resale storefronts. In addition, Dube provides guidance on compliance/risk aversion, brand protection, and how to ensure a fast sales cycle for the inventory. For example, how items are grouped for resale, creative methods for buyer engagement, what type of restrictions there are (R2 only), and how the starting price for an auction will all affect pricing, risk aversion, and the velocity in which product is sold.
Over the past year, Dube was instrumental in helping one of the company’s biggest mobile OEM customers achieve a quicker sales cycle and better experience for its storefront buyers. In this case, the customer contracted an outside 3PL to oversee fulfillment, responsible for testing and grading the devices, and then sorting, packing, and shipping parcels based on details contained in the purchase order. While the testing and grading process was accurate, there were ongoing issues with shipping lead times and order accuracy, and with limited communication between B-Stock and the 3PL, it was difficult to address these logistical setbacks. Dube and his team recommended an alternate approach by keeping the existing 3PL for testing and grading and find a new 3PL to manage the packing and shipping of the inventory. At the beginning of 2024, B-Stock onboarded the new 3PL and incorporated it into the fulfillment process. Within a few weeks, B-Stock’s team noted a 64% reduction in average time from order paid to time to ship, decreasing this period from nearly a week to just a few business days; a 100% reduction in the average number of monthly shipping errors; and a 22% reduction in the dispute rate between the OEM and its buyers. Since adjusting the fulfillment process, the OEM has improved the buyer experience on its B2B sales channel. and is currently selling 100% of its trade-in inventory through B-Stock.
This year, Dube will be instrumental in bringing B-Stock’s Mobile Insights Tool to market, enabling the company’s wireless/mobile customers an automated way to access and review historical, current and future average sales price, and depreciation data across device models.
TIFFANY BREWER Senior Director, Global Industry Strategy for Life Sciences, Blue Yonder Category: Leaders in Excellence
Tiffany Brewer maintains more than 15 years of experience in supply chain, with focuses on technology, process, and analytics, and has spent a large portion of her career in life sciences and consumer products with companies such as Pfizer, Medtronic, and FedEx. As
2025 PROS TO KNOW
senior director of global industry strategy for life sciences at Blue Yonder, Brewer plays a pivotal role in driving strategic growth and innovation across the pharmaceutical, medical technology, and oil and gas industries. She leverages her industry and technical expertise to counsel global companies on industry-leading best practices and the latest technology advancements to achieve operational excellence and continuous improvement. Her day-to-day tasks include defining target markets, developing growth plans, and creating go-to-market strategies. She also collaborates with Blue Yonder’s product development and innovation teams to help deliver impactful supply chain solutions for clients.
Over the last year, Brewer developed and launched a new vertical for Blue Yonder in life sciences and specialty chemicals, which resulted in 13% growth and new client acquisitions.
Following the successful launch of Blue Yonder’s Life Sciences vertical, Brewer plans to expand this business segment by supporting new and existing customers, working closely with customers to understand their pain points, raising awareness of Blue Yonder’s capabilities and strategically aligning new product developments to meet the specific needs of the life sciences industry.
BILL MRZLAK President, ChainSequence, Inc.
Category: Leaders in Excellence
Bill Mrzlak is president of ChainSequence, where he plays a pivotal role in ensuring that every client engagement is met with exceptional service and delivers outstanding results. As the “face” of the company, Mrzlak’s proactive approach to project management, change management, and relationship building skills has been establishing trust and ensuring measurable outcomes for over 25 years. Mrzlak remains actively involved in client engagements, working closely with teams to ensure each project reaches critical milestones, advances client proficiency and knowledge, and exceeds expectations.
Over the past 12 months, Mrzlak has focused on deploying impactful S&OP programs for a variety of client
partners. One notable initiative was with an international pharmaceutical company with a rudimentary S&OP process incapable of incorporating all product lines. The new product line presented unique challenges—extremely unpredictable demand, a highly perishable product, and a requirement to administer the product to patients within 10 hours of manufacture. With demand for this product expected to surge by up to 200% over the next two years, a robust S&OP process was essential to ensure the supply chain could meet future needs. Mrzlak led the effort to create extensive data models to accurately project demand over a 24-month horizon. The outcome was a refined and inclusive S&OP process that balanced the complexities of the entire product portfolio, enabling the company to both scale operations and support exponential growth. Another significant engagement involved the complete redesign of a misaligned S&OP process for another enterprise, with a short-term tactical focus extending only 13 weeks and despite some raw material lead times exceeding six months. This misalignment caused frequent supply chain disruptions. Mrzlak spearheaded extensive education and training to shift organizational mindsets and highlight the value of a more strategic S&OP process. He was an integral part of the effort to implement new technology that could generate a statistical baseline forecast, and introduced a disciplined, structured process to incorporate demand plan adjustments for opportunities and risks. These enhancements resulted in a 15% improvement in forecast accuracy and a 5% boost in customer on-time delivery.
Mrzlak began his supply chain journey in the semiconductor and high-tech industries. Today, he is committed to continuing this expansion, bringing tailored solutions to an ever-wider array of client partners. He aims to continue using a highly effective, comprehensive S&OP education and training course within client organizations, and is actively developing a broader curriculum that will cover various functional areas of supply chain planning.
PAUL WEBB
Global Supply Chain Industry Principal, Coupa Category: Leaders in Excellence
Paul Webb serves as global supply chain industry principal for Coupa, tasked with driving strategic executive engagements and positioning Coupa’s supply chain solutions as transformative business enablers. He works directly with C-suite and VP+ stakeholders, offering a forward-thinking, outside-in perspective during sales pursuits and engagements. A key part of his job is shaping the customer vision by co-creating impactful solution approaches and demonstration strategies with pursuit teams, guiding customer thinking while aligning their vision to Coupa’s value proposition. He also enables sales success by partnering with and coaching sales and pre-sales teams, ensuring that the discovery process and ongoing engagements stay aligned with the customer’s business priorities and goals. Additionally, he focuses on driving value expansion opportunities by collaborating with Coupa’s senior leadership and value services teams to identify and develop account growth initiatives that emphasize measurable business outcomes.
One of Webb’s standout accomplishments from the past 12 months is the establishment of the Integrated Scenario Planning (ISP) Framework, a transformative approach leveraging supply chain digital twin technology and AI to accelerate the S&OP process. Since joining the Coupa team in April 2024, Webb has actively contributed to over 50 customer, prospect, and analyst-facing engagements; helped to align customer business priorities with Coupa’s value proposition; and collaborated closely with Coupa’s product and marketing teams to refine and align core capability messaging.
Over the next 12 months, Webb aims to work closely with early adopters to establish and refine the ISP framework to accelerate executive decision forums such as S&OP. In addition, he will be launching a five-part Margin Multiplier series, which will highlight best practices and real-world customer case studies for supply chain scenario planning and optimization for organizations seeking to maximize efficiency, sustainability, productivity, growth, and resilience within their supply chains.
DEAN BAIN, SVP, GM Supply Chain, Coupa Category:
Top Procurement
Pros
Dean Bain serves as the general manager of Coupa’s supply chain solutions portfolio, leading a crossfunctional organization of over 200 team members across product, sales, delivery, and customer success. In this role, he is responsible for shaping and overseeing product strategy and go-to-market initiatives to ensure that Coupa’s supply chain solutions address the evolving and complex challenges faced by global businesses. His day-to-day tasks include driving product innovation, aligning teams to deliver customer-centric solutions, and ensuring widespread adoption of Coupa’s capabilities. Bain is also focused on enabling customers to achieve measurable outcomes, delivering 10-30% savings and risk mitigation across the entire supply chain to support their long-term success and resilience.
Bain joined Coupa at the beginning of 2024 to lead supply chain strategy and go-to-market. In just one year, he’s transformed the entire supply chain organization from establishing Coupa’s long-term vision for supply chain to building out global go-to-market teams across North America, Latin America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Throughout the year, he has focused on bringing incredible talent to the organization; helped to envision gamechanging product roadmaps; and has transformed the business from a sole focus of supply chain design to the adaptive supply chain. Here, he collaborated with product and engineering to build out the future of collaborative tactical supply chain planning through new innovation such as Integrated Scenario Planning. Also since joining Coupa, Bain has helped grow the company’s market presence to a record-breaking 40% growth. On top of this, Bain has led initiatives to bring Coupa into the direct spend space, bridging the gap between supply chain design, planning, and direct procurement.
A major priority over the next 12 months is the launch of new capabilities designed to empower supply chain, finance, and procurement leaders. These innovations will enable leaders to harness data and leverage AI-driven insights to elevate strategic decision-making across the S&OP horizon.
2025 PROS TO KNOW
RAFAEL VASQUEZ, VP, Customer Success, Supply Chain, Coupa Category: Rising Stars
As VP, customer success for supply chain customers at Coupa, Rafael Vasquez focuses on helping customers achieve their business goals by designing, planning, and optimizing their supply chains. He leads a global, cross-functional team of customer success leaders across eight different countries who guide clients in adopting best practices and leveraging Coupa’s supply chain design and planning solutions to create adaptive supply chains. With over 12 years of experience as a consultant and advisor to Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders, Vasquez brings expertise in building agile and resilient supply chains, including implementing strategies that enhance supply chain efficiency, manage risks, meet sustainability objectives, and ensure adaptivity in dynamic environments. On a day-to-day basis, he engages directly with customers, oversees strategic planning sessions, and ensures that supply chain KPIs are met. He is largely focused on the post-implement phase for customers, helping to mature their processes. Under his leadership, customers have achieved measurable improvements, such as reduced lead times and stronger supply chain adaptability. Earlier this year, Vasquez led the global professional services team, ensuring the successful delivery of projects and implementations for both new and existing customers, including businesses within food and beverage, CPG, retail and more. He and his team have helped customers determine their optimal supply chain networks, optimize and plan for their production and distribution capacities, and keep up with optimal inventory levels to better navigate the changing economic landscape. Recognizing the critical role of customer success, he transitioned to lead the global customer success team, where he’s spearheaded the integration and expansion of the global customer success team, increasing comprehensive support for over 320 customers worldwide. He also champions customer success, engaging with customers and leveraging Coupa’s partner ecosystem to provide technical expertise and guidance. Together, Vasquez, his team and the customers
develop a clear, actionable roadmap that aligns their initiatives with their business goals over three years. This collaborative approach has positioned Coupa to increase customer’s adoption and revenue up to 50% within the following 18 months. During Q2 and Q3 of 2024, Vasquez also has led his team to exceed their retention goal 103% and 128% per quarter, respectively.
Over the next 12 months, Vasquez will focus on key initiatives to drive Coupa’s growth and evolution trajectory, including reshaping the customer success team and strategy to foster an innovative and customer-centric culture; accelerating adoption and ROI; strengthening the supply chain customer community to promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual growth; expanding measurable outcomes; and developing a transformation-ready strategy.
UMESH KUMAR SHARMA Specialist Leader, Deloitte Consulting Category: Leaders in Excellence
Over the past 24 years, Umesh Kumar Sharma has gone from plant superintendent to global supply chain leader. At the age of 22, Sharma stepped into the role of plant superintendent at a leading manufacturing firm, managing crucial aspects of a process manufacturing plant. At 26, he became the senior manager, production, the youngest in his company to achieve this title, putting him in charge of the entire production department, overseeing shop floor operations, manufacturing processes, production planning, procurement, raw material management, and logistics. It was during this phase that Sharma first encountered SAP ERP solutions, which ignited a passion for leveraging technology to drive operational excellence. Driven by this newfound vision, Sharma pivoted into IT consulting, with a focus on supply chain management, where he earned additional SAP certifications, and over the next several years, worked with some of the world’s top IT consulting firms, leading projects for global giants across industries like healthcare, apparel, footwear, oil and gas. In his current role as specialist leader with Deloitte Consulting, he is responsible for architecting and leading the execution
of large-scale supply chain transformation initiatives for global organizations, particularly in the high-tech and semiconductor industries. Sharma manages global transformation projects from conception to delivery, and is directly involved in overseeing supply chain strategy development, systems implementation, process design, and IT strategy.
Over the past few months, Sharma led several initiatives focused on leveraging AI-driven solutions for advanced forecasting and planning, which have significantly improved forecast accuracy and inventory management for key clients in the semiconductor and high-tech industries. Under his leadership, Deloitte introduced Generative AI-based supply chain troubleshooter and a collaborative event-based planning tool to help clients address critical supply chain disruptions and streamline decision-making processes. He also spearheaded large-scale digital supply chain transformations for multiple global companies.
In the next 12 months, Sharma is committed to pushing the boundaries of how AI can revolutionize supply chain management. Leveraging his expertise in SAP Integrated Business Planning, he aims to focus on developing advanced AI-powered tools that address critical challenges faced by global supply chains. He also intends to enhance predictive analytics capabilities within SAP IBP, and envisions using Generative AI to support scenario-based planning.
BRANDON DANIELS CEO, Exiger Category: Leaders in Excellence
Since assuming the CEO role of Exiger in 2022, Brandon Daniels has transformed the business into a sector-leading software company, spearheading successful acquisitions, making strategic investments in AI and UX development, driving doubledigit ARR increases and securing a $1.2 billion-plus investment, while growing headcount across 10 different global jurisdictions. In his day-to-day role, Daniels balances efforts to drive overall business growth with mission-driven advocacy and hands-on input into technology development. As CEO, he is responsible for Exiger’s 800-plus employees
and 550-plus customers. He leads a senior management team of eight and an executive leadership team of 31, and works closely with Exiger’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council and Customer Engagement Board. He’s primarily focused on the creation and execution of Exiger’s strategic roadmap to build out platform capabilities, expand its footprint within the government and defense markets, enter new public sector markets, leverage its technology to advance societal priorities, and raise awareness around critical supply chain issues. Daniels also leads the buildout of a new Government Affairs function; investing in inclusive career sponsorships/programs; growing headcount 39% YoY; opening a new office in Richmond, Va.; investing one-third of annual revenue in R&D and acquiring advanced capabilities through strategic acquisitions.
In the last 12 months, Daniels completed three acquisitions in 2024, including the XSB platform and aDolus Technology. He also led Exiger in securing accreditation by FedRAMP, a government-wide program that promotes the adoption of secure cloud services across the Federal Government. He orchestrated new partnerships with The Chertoff Group, American Hospital Association, Institute for American Apprenticeship and Kharon. He also directed the business to develop and deploy novel solutions in 2024, including new decarbonization, environmental risk scoring and Scope 3 capabilities; and Proactive Intelligence, an advanced AI capability that predicts when and where future supply chain crises are likely to occur. Daniels also played a key role in shaping Exiger’s first-ever brand campaign, “Save the Day,” which portrays supply chain professionals in relatable work settings. He also expanded into the healthcare sector, launched a new Government Affairs function, and sustained and initiated partnerships with Hope for Justice, Slave-Free Alliance, and the AntiSlavery Collective, equipping global charity leaders with the same proprietary technology tools that major Fortune 500 companies use.
Over the next 12 months, Daniels aims to continue providing tactical solutions to help customers adapt to new tariffs; empowering customers to prepare for supply chain crises before they happen; helping customers navigate critical minerals shortages; supercharging customers’ ability to be a force for good in the world; continuously raising the bar on supply chain AI and UX; and deploying best-inclass COTS solutions to the government.
2025 PROS TO KNOW
SHERI R. HINISH Global Consulting Sustainability Services, Technology & Ecosystems Leader, EY Consulting Category: Leaders in Excellence
Sheri Hinish, known as the Supply Chain Queen, serves as a leader in supply chain, sustainability, and innovation at EY Consulting, where she champions transformative strategies to help Fortune 500 organizations, strategic alliances, and non-profits achieve their sustainability goals and organizational transformation focusing on supply chain modernization. Her responsibilities include end-to-end strategy, integrating advanced technologies, fostering strategic alliances, and mentoring diverse talent to shape a sustainable and equitable future. Under Hinish’s leadership, EY deployed the Sustainability Intelligence Platform and expanded the EY Net Zero Transformation framework, including EY’s sustainability co-pilot investment, and is responsible for delivering a $5 billion target of sustainability services through 2030 across sub-service lines in business transformation, technology and AI, risk management, and people consulting. Hinish also collaborated with global alliances to create scalable, innovative solutions for ESG data, sustainable supply chain and operational sustainability connecting the CFO-CIO-CSCO-CPO. And, she mentors diverse talent through volunteerism, sponsorship, teaching as a graduate professor, and creating open-access thought leadership for folks in supply chain and sustainability. She also launched initiatives like the Sustainability Tech Spotlight to highlight diverse women in technology and foster equitable team experiences through mentoring and leadership programs.
Hinish’s goals for the next year include targeting $1 billion in sustainability revenue influence through expanded ESG data solutions, decarbonization frameworks, and sustainable supply chain initiatives; deepening collaborations with Microsoft, SAP, and ServiceNow to innovate and deliver advanced sustainability solutions for clients; centralizing and scaling processes to improve efficiency, build capacity, and enhance the delivery of sustainability services; and expanding mentoring and talent
development programs to further support diverse teams and inspire the next generation of sustainability and supply chain leaders.
JEFF METERSKY VP, Solution Strategy, GAINSystems
Category: Leaders in Excellence
As VP, solution strategy at GAINSystems, Jeff Metersky leverages his 40 years of experience in industry, software and consulting to enhance the strategy, positioning and vision of GAINS’ solutions. In this role, he also serves as the general manager of the supply chain design business, where he builds, leads and mentors a team of consultants and analysts who provide best-in-class services and support to GAINS clients. Metersky helps customers adapt quicker to changing market conditions with both their technology investment and development of risk strategies to help build a resilient supply chain.
Over the past year, Metersky has spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative to integrate variability and uncertainty into GAINS’ supply chain decision-making processes. He led the development of a strategy that incorporates discrete event simulation and stochastic optimization into GAINS’ solutions. These methodologies allow clients to model and account for the inherent variability in supply chain operations, providing a more accurate and dynamic view of potential outcomes. This initiative combines network optimization, inventory optimization, and transportation optimization into a cohesive planning environment.
In the coming year, Metersky aims to expand the adoption of advanced supply chain technologies and methodologies among GAINS’ clients, shifting his focus to scaling these capabilities across a broader range of industries and use cases. A key goal is to move beyond the design phase of the supply chain and incorporate these advanced techniques into day-to-day planning and operational processes. Metersky plans to raise awareness of the benefits of stochastic optimization, discrete event simulation, and composable solutions through thought leadership, industry
engagements, and direct client interactions. He also aims to continue to advocate for the creation of resilient, adaptable supply chains that can withstand external disruptions, such as geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, and economic fluctuations.
J ANDREW SIMCOX Sales Team Member, Intelligent Audit Category: Rising Stars
Andrew Simcox serves as a sales team member for Intelligent Audit, tasked with building meaningful partnerships with prospects by thoroughly understanding their unique challenges and demonstrating how Intelligent Audit’s solutions can address their needs. He delivers tailored solution demos, collaborates with internal teams to develop technical strategies, and presents customized pricing proposals. Additionally, Simcox performs in-depth analyses of test data to uncover significant cost-saving opportunities and other measurable benefits.
Simcox is particularly skilled at providing near realtime insights on parcel pricing adjustments, such as demand surcharges and general rate increases, ensuring customers stay ahead in managing transportation costs. His unmatched expertise lies in analyzing prospect data to identify significant cost-saving opportunities and quantifying those changes with precision. Some of his initiatives revolve around ensuring service downgrades without delivery delays. By analyzing one customer’s millions of next-day air shipments, Simcox identified opportunities to shift shipments to next-day air saver or even ground services without impacting delivery times, resulting in over $1 million in annual savings for the customer. During a data review, Simcox discovered a manifesting issue causing unnecessary costs for another customer, ultimately saving that customer over $200,000 annually in avoidable charges.
Over the next 12 months, Simcox aims to create 25 new partnerships to help shippers in reducing their transportation costs and improving operational efficiencies through tailored, data-driven solutions.
SARAH BARNES-HUMPHREY Founder & CEO, Let’s Talk Supply Chain Category:
Leaders in Excellence
As a supply chain trailblazer and founder and host of Let’s Talk Supply Chain, a presenting sponsor of the Women in Supply Chain award, Sarah Barnes-Humphrey orchestrates interviews with top professionals, facilitating discussions that educate and inspire action and change across the supply chain industry. She also serves as founder of The Secret Society of Supply Chain (SSSC), which demands a hands-on approach to community management. She curates educational content, leads career development initiatives, builds networking opportunities for members and engages directly with supply chain professionals. Her commitment to underrepresented voices manifests in managing the Blended podcast, also a presenting sponsor of the Women in Supply Chain award, where she actively seeks out and champions diverse stories, drives scholarship fundraising and ensures minority-owned businesses have platforms for exposure and success. Even after exiting Shipz Inc., Barnes-Humphrey continues to innovate in supply chain technology, advising tech startups, collaborating on digital transformation strategies, and staying abreast of advancements that could further modernize global shipping practices.
In the next 12 months, Barnes-Humphrey is poised to amplify the impact of SSSC through several transformative initiatives, including scaling SSSC’s private professional network to reach 10,000-plus supply chain professionals globally; launching specialized mentorship programs pairing industry veterans with emerging talent; developing targeted learning paths for different career stages and specializations within supply chain; and creating regional chapters to facilitate localized networking and knowledge sharing. She also aims to introduce an SSSC Academy with structured curriculum modules focused on emerging technologies, sustainability, and digital transformation. With this, she plans to develop hands-on workshops and case studies featuring real-world supply chain challenges, launch a certification program recognized by industry leaders, create collaborative learning opportunities through
2025 PROS TO KNOW
associations and larger organizations and develop a job board and career advancement platform exclusive to SSSC members. Barnes-Humphrey also plans to expand The Blended Pledge scholarship program to support more diverse candidates entering the field, launch focused initiatives to support women and minorities in leadership positions and establish partnerships with minority-owned businesses to provide networking and growth opportunities.
PABLO GONZALEZ Director, Miebach Category:
Leaders in Excellence
As the head of BU Manufacturing at Miebach North America, Pablo Gonzalez defines and executes the strategic vision for the manufacturing business unit. His responsibilities include identifying client needs and industry trends to position Miebach as a trusted and integrated supply chain partner. He also oversees key account management to ensure project success, acts as an escalation point for critical issues, and drives overall business performance.
Over the past year, Gonzales has spearheaded multiple high-impact projects, including directing a supply chain optimization project for a global company, improving manufacturing and distribution efficiencies. He also conducted a Greenfield manufacturing automation assessment and Brownfield distribution center optimization, enhancing throughput and operational reliability. And, he delivered a detailed supply chain transformation assessment, identifying service level improvements that resulted in high client satisfaction and reduced costs. He has successfully managed multimilliondollar logistics networks, supply chain transformations, and post-merger integrations.
Looking ahead, he plans to expand Miebach’s presence in North America’s manufacturing sector by solidifying partnerships with Fortune 100 companies; introduce supply chain strategies that leverage automation and AI to meet sustainability goals; and drive client success by implementing end-to-end solutions for supply chain modernization, ensuring resilience and transparency.
KEVIN WONG Chief Operating Officer, Nulogy Category: Leaders
in Excellence
As COO and co-founder of Nulogy, Kevin Wong is deeply involved in shaping the company’s product vision and strategy. On a day-to-day basis, Wong works closely with teams across the organization to ensure everything runs smoothly, from operations to product development. He also dedicates time to engaging with the supply chain community. Wong’s leadership style is deeply personal and relationship-driven, which contributes to an inclusive workplace where self-expression is encouraged and helps build a sense of unity. Wong is also instrumental in bringing Nulogy’s vision for purpose-built, best-of-breed solutions to life, driving speed to value, helping customers address high-priority challenges quickly and ensuring Nulogy’s solutions are adaptable. Wong also helps drive the success of Nulogy’s cloud-based, multi-enterprise platform, which enables real-time collaboration between brand owners and their external supply chain partners.
Over the past 12 months, Wong played a key role in one of Nulogy’s most significant milestones—the acquisition of Mingo Smart Factory. His leadership ensured a smooth integration of Mingo’s team, innovative technology and customers into Nulogy’s ecosystem. Wong’s leadership helps ensure Nulogy and its partners are aligned to deliver even greater value to their shared customer base and the wider supply chain community. Wong also oversaw the major initiative to help Colgate-Palmolive integrate Nulogy’s cloud-based platform with Kinaxis’ planning tools to achieve real-time data synchronization across its external suppliers, resulting in greater visibility, improved forecasting and enhanced capacity planning.
Going forward, on the heels of the Smart Factory acquisition, Wong plans to support the team in fully integrating the solution’s manufacturing productivity capabilities into Nulogy’s offerings. He also plans to deepen partnerships with strategic customers and organizations.
ROBERT JODOIN President, NuMove Category: Leaders in Excellence
Robert Jodoin is the founder of NuMove Robotics & Vision, responsible for steering the strategic vision of the company; identifying growth markets; developing strategic partnerships with large-scale integrators and key suppliers, while maintaining relationships with business allies; determining the key technologies to be included and prioritized in the solution development roadmap; and ensuring the company follows through on sustainability. With a background of more than 30 years in the industrial automation industry, he leverages his extensive expertise to evaluate new concepts and the overall pricing before proposals are sent to customers.
In line with Jodoin’s strategic vision, NuMove has devoted considerable efforts over the past few years to develop unique and high-performance solutions tailored to the needs of warehouses and distribution centers. As a result, in the past 12 months, most of the projects obtained are for palletizing or robotic depalletizing solutions in distribution centers across the United States. Under his leadership, NuMove’s annual revenues multiplied by two compared to the previous year. In 2024, Jodoin also heavily contributed to the development of a new order preparation concept based on industrial robotics to prepare mixed loads pallets for cold chain distribution. Under his initiative, NuMove now owns the exclusivity in North America for the commercialization and fabrication of InnoPick, a unique storage/retrieving and sequencing technology dedicated for fast movers. Jodoin also created a Center of Excellence to showcase NuMove’s automation technologies dedicated to warehouses. The 20,000-square-foot space will house a complete automation line replicating the journey of various products in warehouses and distribution centers. With more than 30 systems already ordered for 2025, Jodoin plans on delivering twice the volume of projects compared to the previous year, mainly in the distribution and logistics market. He is also committed to driving the development of new technologies, such as a new vision
system for depalletizing, the continuous enhancement of NuMove’s propriety software (NuLogik), layer depalletizing applications for complex products like unwrapped cans in trays, and a new InnoPick design that can accommodate larger products. He also aims to integrate AMRs in NuMove’s robotic solutions.
MARK TALENS EVP, Chief Strategy & Solutions Officer, ParkourSC Category: Leaders in Excellence
Mark Talens serves as EVP and chief strategy and solutions officer at ParkourSC, where his role revolves around driving strategic product innovation, harnessing AI to redefine supply chain decision-making, and ensuring the company’s solutions create a meaningful, tangible impact for customers in pharma, life sciences, consumer goods, and beyond. Having transitioned from 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry to a high-growth Silicon Valley tech company, he bridges foundational supply chain expertise and domain knowledge with the fast-paced innovation of technology. He previously served as AVP, global supply chain operations at Organon, where he enabled the supply chain to “noise cancel” 60-70% of exception signals; achieved a 20% improvement in firm horizon plan attainment and reduced reliance on costly air freight by shifting to ocean freight; and enabled teams to dedicate 20-30% more time to high-impact activities.
In the past year at ParkourSC, Talens spearheaded initiatives to scale the company’s solutions beyond pharma, extending to consumer goods and food and beverage industries; enhanced the company’s AI-driven platform to deliver unprecedented visibility, predictability, and efficiency for customers with complex supply chains, such as managing 5,000-10,000 SKUs in pharma; and repositioned ParkourSC to focus on customer-centric tangible outcomes, helping customers unlock and capture value and adoption of transformational technology enablers like AI/ML on the holistic E2E supply chain.
Over the next 12 months, Talens is focused on expanding ParkourSC’s reach into adjacent industries like consumer goods and food and beverage, while maintaining excellence
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and leadership in life sciences; delivering measurable customer success through AI-driven outcomes; and scaling innovation in cold chain management, operations planning, inventory optimization and making significant headway into autonomous operating supply chains.
ETHAN TREESE
Chief Commercial Officer, RapidRatings
Category: Top Procurement Pros
Ethan Treese maintains over 25 years of expertise in advancing how organizations approach supply chain risk management. From his early beginnings at Dun & Bradstreet to his current role as chief commercial officer, procurement at RapidRatings, he has led the strategic direction and execution of commercial operations, with a focus on procurement solutions. His day-to-day responsibilities include client partnership and strategic engagement; product innovation leadership; and commercial excellence and leadership.
Over the past 12 months, Treese has led a comprehensive reorganization of RapidRatings’ client-facing organization, which significantly changed how the firm delivers value to clients and partners. The transformation included creating new and specialized roles and resources focused on driving greater thought leadership, establishing dedicated client support teams, and implementing tangible change that have redefined expectations for strategic partnerships. Under Treese’s leadership, RapidRatings has dramatically improved time-to-value for new clients. He played a primary role in driving developments in the company matching processes, significantly reducing the time between client onboarding and first risk insights. And, he implemented a more hands-on approach to client portfolio management that has transformed how RapidRatings delivers risk insights. By adopting this proactive stance, organizations can identify potential risks early and implement mitigation strategies that overall enhance their risk management capabilities.
Over the next 12 months, Treese plans to widely integrate proven best practices across RapidRatings’ client base by leveraging market insights and integrating
a new model where organizations can self-fund more comprehensive supplier programs. He also plans to significantly expand the firm’s footprint and reputation in financial health risk management, and will focus on developing frameworks and proactively communicating external risk factors from tariff impacts to policy changes.
JAMES GELLERT Executive Chair, RapidRatings
Category: Leaders in Excellence
As executive chairman of RapidRatings, James Gellert guides businesses in assessing the financial viability and risk of their suppliers, customers, and partners. His focus centers around shaping the company’s big-picture vision and strategy while maintaining relationships with key stakeholders across the industry. He also plays a key role in collaborating closely with influential clients whose partnerships have been instrumental in RapidRatings’ growth by turning emerging market trends into actionable strategies.
In January 2024, Gellert spearheaded the development of a first-its-kind research report with Marblegate, which uncovered a comprehensive analysis of emerging trends and risks within supply chain ecosystems. The findings of this report indicated that 36% of private companies in the United States are currently at high and very high risk for default vs. only 15% for public companies. Then in July 2024, Gellert was appointed Advisory Board Chair at LogicSource, where he leads an executive team focused on enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Over the next 12 months, Gellert will provide strategic counsel for several product developments in RapidRatings’ pipeline, which will enable companies to quickly identify suppliers requiring immediate attention; track movements between risk quadrants for proactive risk management; and implement targeted mitigation strategies based on comprehensive risk profiles. He also plans to continue expanding LogicSource’s influence of the sourcing and procurement of indirect goods and services, and through strategic speaking engagements at Institute for Supply Management, will provide insights into helping clients and businesses navigate pressing issues, including global tariff
impacts, reshoring strategies, and supply chain adaptions unique to the upcoming administration.
DAMON HOSMER General Manager, Energy Storage Solutions, The Raymond Corporation Category: Leaders in Excellence
As the general manager of energy storage solutions at The Raymond Corporation, Damon Hosmer oversees the strategic direction and operational management of the company’s energy storage division. His daily responsibilities encompass leading four key cost centers: lead-acid batteries (LABs), lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), hydrogen fuel cells and the development of go-to-market strategies for all energy-related operations. Hosmer’s role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including engineering, sales and marketing to ensure the seamless integration of advanced energy solutions into Raymond’s product offerings. He is also tasked with identifying emerging trends in energy storage technologies, assessing their applicability to material handling equipment, and guiding the development of innovative solutions that enhance efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership for clients.
Over the past year, Hosmer played a pivotal role in helping Toyota Material Handling and Raymond establish the Energy Solutions Manufacturing Center of Excellence, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the production of advanced energy storage systems. Under Hosmer’s leadership, the company successfully deployed a full-scale battery energy storage system and solar microgrid array at its distribution warehouse in Greene, N.Y. He was also instrumental in advancing energy initiatives compliant with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), ensuring Raymond’s products meet stringent environmental standards and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing sector.
In the coming year, Hosmer aims to expand Raymond’s CARB-compliant initiatives, optimize LIB production processes, advance the adoption of renewable energy solutions within Raymond’s operations and product
offerings, and strengthen partnerships with industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies to drive innovation and ensure compliance with evolving energy standards.
GRADY MARTIN
Chief Operating Officer, Saddle Creek Logistics Services
Category: Leaders in Excellence
As Saddle Creek’s COO, Grady Martin oversees operations for 50 locations nationwide, encompassing 33 million square feet of warehousing and distribution space. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the $1 billion company, establishing and managing budgets, and developing Saddle Creek’s roadmap for innovation and implementation. Martin is regularly involved in business development efforts, meeting with prospective clients and presenting solutions, and heading up the company’s Lean Six Sigma program, helping to build on the company’s deep-seated commitment to continuous improvement. With more than 25 years of supply chain experience, Martin joined Saddle Creek as director of supply chain in 2015, and has since been promoted to VP, engineering in 2021, SVP in 2023 and his current COO role in July 2024. Over the years, Martin has streamlined solutions process, built a collaborative enterprise-wide engineering team, established the Innovation Leadership Team, and has played a key role in developing and facilitating the strategic planning process. Previously, he held supply chain management roles at Promega, Jarden Corporation and Allison Transmission, among others.
Over the past year, Martin has overseen a number of pilot programs to evaluate new technologies, including humanoid robots; automated pick-and-pack robotic arms for multi-packs; autonomous case loading/unloading; robotic kitting; robotic palletizers/de-palletizers; and automated yard trucks. Of these, 75% are already moving to the next stage. In addition, Martin’s teams have implemented numerous initiatives that were previously pilots. For example, Saddle Creek expanded its use of Locus autonomous mobile robots to support both
2025 PROS TO KNOW
e-commerce and retail fulfillment. Saddle Creek’s AIenabled real-time labor planning tool, DAILYdemand, helps improve the accuracy of client forecasts by as much as 30%. 3D mobile dimensioners are now being deployed in multiple Saddle Creek locations. And, Saddle Creek now uses automated forklifts for unloading and loading in select locations, among other projects. With Martin’s guidance, Saddle Creek also implemented a new out-of-the-box WES across all Saddle Creek locations; implemented a new labor management system to help determine where associates are spending time, identify inefficiencies and training opportunities and establish best practices; and spearheading Saddle Creek’s strategic planning process to determine the optimal structure to drive growth and scale the business. Under Martin’s direction, Saddle Creek opened two new warehouses in the past year to support the needs of new and existing clients and is on track to open a location in Phoenix, a new market for the company, in February. Martin has also been integrally involved in developing and rolling out Saddle Creek’s new client success program, establishing a repeatable process to manage client relationships more effectively and consistently across the organization.
MICHAEL BAUMGARDT
SVP & GM Intermodal, Schneider Category: Leaders in Excellence
Michael Baumgardt serves as SVP and general manager of intermodal for Schneider, responsible for managing rail relationships and ensuring reliable service for customers. Baumgardt has been with Schneider for over 22 years. A key aspect of Baumgardt’s role is longterm strategic planning, anticipating future challenges and helping customers resolve potential roadblocks before they even develop. In fact, he’s devoted significant effort to planning for more continuous rail service, providing shippers with a competitive edge in regions traditionally dependent on over-the-road transport.
Under Baumgardt’s leadership, Schneider operated one of the largest fleets of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the country, and was the first major carrier to achieve
6 million zero emission miles with the Freightliner eCascadia. As a result, Schneider opened a charging depot in South El Monte, Calif., allowing the company to charge 32 trucks simultaneously. Baumgardt worked with the equipment, maintenance and operations teams to ensure a seamless operation. Baumgardt also helped Schneider convert truckload freight in Mexico by partnering with Canadian Pacific Kansas City and CSX to offer a new lane for shippers who traditionally rely on over-the-road transport. In December 2024, Baumgardt’s team launched a new intermodal service providing continuous rail service between points in Mexico and Texas and points in the Southeastern United States, working in accordance with CPKC and CSX. The new service also helps customers increase payload and savings by 10% or more because of Schneider’s lightweight, company-owned equipment and specialized heavy-haul permits. Doing so also helps Schneider reach its goal of doubling intermodal size by 2030 and reducing CO2 emissions by an additional 700 million pounds per year.
Baumgardt’s focus in the next 12 months is converting truckload freight to intermodal to help customers drive supply chain efficiency and sustainability.
2025 PROS TO KNOW
TOP PROCUREMENT PROS
Mike Sinkovic
Director, Procurement | Aurora Parts
Chet Taff
CEO | Beltrees Consulting Services
Artem Koverznev
Global Category Manager | BSH Home Appliances GmbH
Dean Bain
SVP, GM Supply Chain | Coupa
Kirsten Babb, CTP
Fleet Procurement Manager | Fleet Advantage
Joel Johnson
VP, Consulting | GEP
Graham Scott
Mathieu Theriault
Director, Procurement | JRV
Paul Dréano
Head of EMEA Professional Services | Keelvar
Lokesh Raj Raju
Senior Principal Strategic Sourcing Specialist | Medtronic Inc.
Dharani Jeyaprakasam
Principal Solutions Architect | ORO Labs
Veronica Gonzalez
Ethan Treese
Chief Commercial Officer | RapidRatings
Chad Mulligan
Founder & CEO | RED BEAR Negotiation
Jack Gerstner
SVP, Coverage & Operations | RXO
Sanford Hodes
SVP, Chief Procurement Officer & Corporate Development Officer | Ryder System, Inc.
Anju Gupta
VP, Global Direct Procurement | Jabil
Director, Client Success & Head of Dispatch | Perlitch Transport
Emil Ray Sanchez
CEO & CFO |
Phoenix International Freight Services
SVP & Head of Product Management | SAP
Gene Bornac
SVP, Supply Chain Management
Consulting, Retail | Spinnaker SCA, a Publicis Sapient company
TOP TRANSPORTATION INNOVATORS
Ilya Goncharov
Head of Industrial Projects |
3PL Logistics Group
Craig Lough
Director, Strategic Planning | A. Duie Pyle
Ike Sherlock
President | Air Van Inc
Nick Darman
CEO & Founder | Alvys
J. Philip Nester
Senior Managing Associate | Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP
John McCaw
VP, Sustainable Solutions | Breakthrough
Michel Russell
Executive Director, Global Delivery Solutions, Intercompany Operations | Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)
Brad Nuffer
SVP, Transportation Operations | CJ Logistics America
Emily Phillips
Principal & Founder | E.MISSION Advisory
Mike Rill
Director, Warehouse Business Development | EASE Logistics
Dave Menzel
President & COO | Echo Global Logistics
Nate Endicott
SVP, Growth | Enveyo
Derek Mansur
Director, Strategic Sales | Evans Transportation
Shayna C. Sweet
Manager, Dealer Services & Operations
Administration | Fleet Advantage
Patricia Henning
Fleet Specialist | iGPS Logistics
Peter Weis
CIO & SVP, Supply Chain Services | ITS Logistics
Dave Kiesling
VP, Transportation Management | Kenco
Ben Barnes
Chief Information Officer | McLeod Software
Toni Pisano
Chief Customer Officer & Board Member | PortPro
Chris Jamroz
Executive Chairman of the Board & CEO | Roadrunner
Kevin Askew
VP, Transportation Execution & Strategy | Ryder System Inc.
Mick Noce
Chief Supply Chain Officer | Sheer Logistics
North Winship
President | Shiplify
Sachin Rana
International Logistics Specialist | Synokem Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Mike Teresinski
VP, Managed Transportation, Cross-Border Services & LTL | TA
Isaac Castaneda
Director, Strategy | Talon Logistics
Susana McLoughlin
Director, Sales, Appian | Trimble
Hany Elkordy
Head of Logistics, Last-Mile Solutions | Uber Freight
Ram Ben Tzion
Founder & CEO | Ultra Global
John Stenderup
VP, Marketing & Sales | Vektor Logistics
Brent Meadors
Chief Operating Officer | Warehouse on Wheels (WOW)
Chris Reeves
VP, Pricing & Network | Warp
Jim Bonsteel
VP, Transportation, Customs & Trade | Wesco
Rob Harding
Senior Director, Quality | XPO
Red Monkey | AdobeStock
2025 PROS TO KNOW
2023 PROS TO KNOW
RI SING STARS
Ben Heinemeyer
Director, Supply Chain Analytics & Forecasting | Acme United Corporation
Jeff Mahler
Co-Founder & CTO | Ambi Robotics
Nilay Parikh
Founder & CEO | Arvist
Keith Moore
CEO | AutoScheduler.AI
Aakash Anand
Manager, Digital Analytics & Insights | Avnet
Joe Dube
Director, Account Management | B-Stock
Allison Barthen
Senior Director, Client Delivery | Breakthrough
Eric Pukszyn
Executive Director, Supply Chain Planning, Digitization Excellence | Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)
Joseph DiClemente
Indirect Purchasing Leader | Canoo
Rafael Vasquez
VP, Customer Success, Supply Chain | Coupa
Prabhakaran Rajendran
Director, Supply Chain Practice | CSCS LLC
Ken Adamo
Chief of Analytics & VP, Strategy & Business Development | DAT Freight & Analytics
Saxon Buehning
Account Executive | DecisionPoint Technologies
Andrei Danescu
CEO & Co-Founder | Dexory
Kate Powell
Senior Manager | Efficio
Mihir Patel
Supply Chain & Operations Manager | Ernst and Young
Blake Stinnett
Key Account Manager | Evans Transportation
Daniela Baron
Senior Principal Analyst, Intelligence Solutions | Everstream Analytics
Brooke Carroll
Manager, Business Operations | Fetch Freight
Brenda Mejia
Head of Operations | Gatik
Joe Marcaurelle
VP, Assistant GM | Inmar Post-Purchase Solutions
Andrew Simcox
Sales Team Member | Intelligent Audit
Mackenzie Clark
Senior Computational Social Scientist | Interos
Koray Parkin
Inventory Solutions Director | invent.ai
Manny McElroy
President, Transportation | ITS Logistics
Josh Wilson
Market Intelligence Manager | Jabil
Stuart Haase
Head of U.S. Professional Services | Keelvar
Thelma Tamez
DEI Manager | Kenco
Daniel Taylor
VP, Customer Success | LeanDNA
Cameron Gerhart
Senior Consultant |
MorganFranklin Consulting
Srinath Goud Vanga
Architect, Machine Learning | o9 Solutions
Autumn Kim
Director, Client Services, Warehouse Services | Open Sky Group
Jason Aristides
CEO | OpenTug
Joe Wieciek
Director, Technical Operations | Outrider
Tracy Wu
Customer Success Manager | Overhaul
Ian Speers
CEO & Co-Founder | Pacto Medical Inc.
Audreyanne Snow
VP, Operations & Logistics | Parts Town Unlimited
Justine Dillon
Director, Business Solutions & Technology | Phoenix International Freight Services
Brandon Nontelle
Director, Customer Fulfillment | Placon
Walker Banks
Chief Operating Officer | PortPro
Josh Rowson
VP, Merchandising Demand & Replenishment | Princess Auto Ltd.
Teddy Nixon
Senior Manager, Implementation | Procure Analytics
Kaitlyn Paradise
Senior Supply Chain Operations Manager, North America | ReBound
Sarah Eggleston
VP, Supply Chain Solutions Sales | Redwood Logistics
Amenallah Reghimi
Chief Product & Technology Officer | RegASK
Jean Boilloz
Field Presales Principal CPG | RELEX Solutions
Kait Parker
VP, Operations | RXO
Samantha Jones
Owner | Samantha Jones Consulting LLC
Adam Hill
President & CEO | Scarbrough Global
Tarik Small
Senior Director, Supply Chain Execution | Spinnaker SCA, a Publicis Sapient company
Abby Nawrocki
CEO & Founder | Stock
Alex Lazzari
Product Owner, Warehouse Execution System | Tecsys
Danielle Nickerson
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager | Toyota Material Handling
Joe Weirtz
Director, Customer Success | TransLoop
Jennifer Karpus-Romain
Executive Director |
Transportation Marketing & Sales Association
Troy Lester
Co-Founder & CRO | Warp
Reegan Spicer
Product Owner, Equipment Lifecycle
Management | Werner Enterprises
Kevin Cala
Director, Online Marketplace | Wesco
Maura Holcomb
VP, Enterprise Sales | XPO
LEADERS IN EXCELLENCE
Keith McColgan
VP, Solutions Delivery | 4SiGHT Supply Chain Group
Susan Perusse
Senior Commodity Business Manager | A.W. Chesterton Company
Trevor Read
President | Agistix, Inc.
Brandon Hulse
Director, Logistics | ALOM
Sandra Kazee
VP, Finance | Ambi Robotics
Alma Arzate
Senior Director, Global Supply Chain Logistics | Apotex Inc.
Ruchi Dholakia
Senior Manager, Reseller Operations | Apple
Jeff Potts
Chief Customer Officer | AutoScheduler.AI
Tammy Callahan
Senior Supply Chain Solutions Architect | Avnet
Chad Hawkinson
Chief Innovation Officer | Baxter Planning
Tiffany Brewer
Senior Director, Global Industry Strategy for Life Sciences | Blue Yonder
Brendan Heegan
Founder & CEO | Boxzooka
Jared Spude
VP, Freight Solutions | Breakthrough
Catalina Vargas
SVP, Global Supply Chain | Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)
Ilias Simpson
President | Cart.com
Bill Mrzlak
President | ChainSequence, Inc.
Cheryl Henry
VP, National Accounts | CHEP U.S.
Don Heelis
Global Tire Sales Manager | Cimcorp Automation Ltd.
Anna Lo
VP, Supply Chain & Business Excellence | Cirba Solutions
Kevin Coleman
CEO | CJ Logistics America
Brian Carlson
Founder & Principal | Cornerstone Edge
Paul Webb
Global Supply Chain Industry Principal | Coupa
Keri Corbin
SVP, Enterprise Portfolio Management | DecisionPoint Technologies
Umesh Kumar Sharma
Specialist Leader | Deloitte Consulting
Fred Wu
Founder & CEO | DeltaTrak
Joe Henderson
Senior Director, Technology Alliances | Deposco
Mike Cicalo
Director, EV Battery Strategy | DGeo
Doug Waggoner
CEO | Echo Global Logistics
Andrew Black
Director | Efficio
Coby Nilsson
CEO & Co-Founder | Enveyo
Matt Huckeba
EVP, Parcel Solutions |
Evans Transportation Services
Paige Cox
Chief Product Officer | Everstream Analytics
Brandon Daniels
CEO | Exiger
Sheri R. Hinish
Global Consulting Sustainability Services, Technology & Ecosystems Leader | EY Consulting
Daniel Carmichael
General Manager | Fetch Freight
Marc Gingold, CLFP.
VP, Syndication | Fleet Advantage
Billy Binder
Director, Sales | FORTNA
Jeff Metersky
VP, Solution Strategy | GAINSystems
Allison Sabia
President & CEO | Galco
Pranav Padgaonkar
VP, Consulting | GEP
Tina Vatanka Murphy
President & CEO |
Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX)
Kelly Smith
VP, Finance, Americas |
Hyster-Yale Materials Handling
Pushpinder Singh
Global Practice Leader, Driving Supply Chain
Transformation & Strategic Offerings |
IBM Consulting
David Nye
SVP, Packaging & Manufacturing | ID Logistics
Dan Nevin
VP & GM | Inmar Post-Purchase Solutions
Karen F. Puchalsky
Founder & President | Innovate E-Commerce
Chirag Patel
CEO | Inspectorio
Brian Cupp
VP, Operations, Enablement & Strategic Initiatives | IntelliTrans
Patrick Van Hull
Industry Principal, Supply Chain | Interos
Tav Tepfer
Chief Revenue Officer | invent.ai
Scott Pruneau
CEO | ITS Logistics
Alan Brown
VP, Supply Chain Transformation | Jabil
Anne Omrod
Founder & CEO | John Galt Solutions
Dylan Alperin
Chief Customer Officer | Keelvar
Jeff Burns
President, Kenco MHE Solutions | Kenco
Luiz Solia
VP, Industry Principal | Kinaxis
Mike Coers
SVP, Managed Logistics | Kinimatic
Glen Wegel
VP, Operations & IT | Kitchen Cabinet Distributors
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey
Founder & CEO | Let’s Talk Supply Chain
Keith Hartley
CEO | LevaData
Erik Given
Managing Director, Distribution & Logistics | LogicSource
2023 PROS TO KNOW 2025 PROS TO KNOW
Allan Dow
President & CEO | Logility
Chipper Farley
President, 3PL Solutions | Made4net
Tom McLeod
President & CEO | McLeod Software
Kate Matz
Chief Revenue Officer | McVantage Packaging
Dhaval Desai
Senior Director | Microsoft Corporation
Pablo Gonzalez
Director | Miebach
Derek Bateson
Managing Director | MUFG
Clete Cordero
Chairman | National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.
Chao-Ming Ying
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | New Horizon Soft
Laura Cristiano
Director, Operations | Now Prepay
Kevin Wong
Chief Operating Officer | Nulogy
Robert Jodoin
President | NuMove
Binai Thoppil
Chief Operating Officer |
Donna Palumbo
Executive Director |
Penn State Center for Supply Chain Research
Jenny Perlitch
CEO | Perlitch Transport
Valerie Pierucci
Director, Sales, USA |
Phoenix International Freight Services
Brian Laubscher
Director, Pre-Sales & Supply Chain Planning
Solution | Plantensive
Vishwanath Krishnamoorthy
AVP, Global Logistics Planning, Process & Optimization | PriceSmart Inc
Stephen Dombroski
Director, Consumer Markets | QAD
James Gellert
Executive Chair | RapidRatings International
Damon Hosmer
General Manager, Energy Storage Solutions | Raymond Corporation, The
Jordan Dewart
Sean Trinh
Chief Accounting Officer | Smith
Brian Kirst
Chief Commercial Officer | SnapFulfil
Prasad Lele
Data Integration Consultant, Digital Supply & Demand Chain | Softwell, Inc.
Garland Martin
Sales Manager | Sparck Technologies
Michael Witty
SVP, Supply Chain Management Consulting, Strategy | Spinnaker SCA, a Publicis
Sapient company
Scott Luton
Founder & CEO | Supply Chain Now
Eric Fouts
Global Chief Supply Chain Officer | SureWerx
Joseph Lipari
Director, Product Management | Systech
Kishore Balasubramanya
ODeX India Solutions Private Limited
Nirab Kumar
Senior Director, Software Engineering | Odyssey Logistics
Jeff Barrie
CEO | OIA Global
Jeremy Hudson
VP, Client Services | Open Sky Group
Mark Outslay
VP, Professional Services | Optilogic
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Head of Professional Services | ORO Labs
Mark Talens
EVP, Chief Strategy & Solutions Officer | ParkourSC
Ilya Preston
CEO | PAXAFE
President, Mexico | Redwood Logistics
Caroline Shleifer
Founder & CEO | RegASK
Chris Benham
Senior Director, Implementation | Resilinc
Kevin Williamson
CEO | RJW Logistics Group
Fernando Rabel
Director, Product Management & Market
Strategy | Tecsys Inc.
Jenna Wagner
Global Marketing Director | TEKLYNX
Krenar Komoni
CEO & Founder | Tive
Bob Sturim
Chief Technology Officer | TraceLink
Nick Reasoner
CEO & Founder | TransLoop
VP, Account Management for Last Mile | RXO
Cherie Brinkerhoff
SVP, Operations for Supply Chain Solutions | Ryder System Inc.
Grady Martin
Chief Operating Officer | Saddle Creek Logistics Services
Darcy MacClaren
Global Chief Revenue Officer | SAP
Rhea Rakshit
VP, Product Management | Sayari
Michael Baumgardt
SVP & GM, Intermodal | Schneider
Rob Cook
CTO | Sheer Logistics
Puga Sankara
Founder & CEO | Smart Gladiator LLC
Andy Adams
Senior Solutions Engineer | TransmetriQ, a Railinc brand
Alyssa Correale
VP, Operations, Powerloop | Uber Freight
Jennifer Kobus
SVP, Supply Chain Planning & Operations | Ulta Beauty
Daniel Sokolovsky
Co-Founder & CEO | Warp
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Shawn Besharse
VP, Gulf Region | XPO
Matt Yearling
CEO | YMX Logistics
Red Monkey | AdobeStock
ALEXIS ASKS
by Alexis Mizell-Pleasant, Managing Editor
5 TRENDS TO SHAPE PROCURE-TO-PAY PROCESSES: ALEXIS ASKS
By embracing these 5 points, organizations can create resilient, efficient and transparent P2P processes that drive value in procurement.
The procure-to-pay (P2P) process connects procurement activities with payment processes to streamline operations and enhance vendor relationships. In 2025, the P2P process is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technology, sustainability goals and more.
Shaz Khan, CEO at Vroozi, lists 5 key trends in the space that will shape the outlook in procurement moving forward:
1. Global e-invoice mandates will reshape compliance landscape.
“While the U.S. has fewer requirements today, mandatory e-invoicing success in Europe and Latin America signals wider adoption. With Australia and New Zealand phasing in these mandates, businesses face new urgency to adapt their processes,” explains Khan.
2. Generative AI will bring new intelligence to procurement workflows. “AI capabilities now enable teams to automate supplier communications, contract analysis, and compliance monitoring.
Contextual AI assistants provide personalized guidance based on user permissions and process context. For example, when a new employee joins, the assistant helps them order equipment like their Mac or PC, simplifying complex procurement steps while maintaining compliance protocols,” says Khan. “This improved automation helps organizations increase processing speed while reducing errors.”
3. Straight-through processing will require stronger fraud controls. As invoice processing automation kicks off, so do fraud attempts. “While technology enables faster validation and payment, organizations must implement advanced detection systems that can spot anomalies, verify legitimacy, and prevent fraudulent invoices from entering the payment stream. Proper controls and verification processes are essential as companies automate their accounts payable workflows,” says Khan.
4. Cross-departmental spend and supply chain visibility will become mission-critical.
Khan explains, “As companies expand into new markets, maintaining consistent control over procurement across locations requires standardized operations and real-time visibility into spending patterns.”
5. Cross-platform integration is now essential for procurement systems. Organizations are moving away from single-vendor ERP solutions and toward flexible, interconnected platforms that serve specific business needs and where new employees can select and access their preferred work applications through personalized portals, with immediate provisioning and seamless data flow between systems. “This shift toward rapid integration capabilities helps companies adapt quickly while maintaining consistent processes and controls across their technology ecosystem,” describes Khan.
The future of P2P is marked by innovation and adaptation to emerging challenges. By embracing these 5 points, organizations can create resilient, efficient and transparent P2P processes.
STATE OF SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY
by Alexis Mizell-Pleasant
Supply Chain Technology in 2025: ADVANCEMENTS, BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES AHEAD
In 2025, organizations that embrace these advancements while safeguarding their networks will lead the way towards supply chain excellence.
As we step into 2025, supply chain technology continues to be a dynamic and critical resource for shaping global commerce. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and automation have redefined how goods are sourced, transported and delivered. On the precipice of a new year, the state of supply chain technology brings along anticipated advancements, the power of visibility and the persistence of cybersecurity challenges that need urgent attention.
ADVANCEMENTS ON THE HORIZON
This year promises transformative advancements in supply chain technology. In fact, AI and machine learning (ML) are expected to take predictive analytics to new heights.
Mike Kreider, chief information officer at DHL Supply Chain, says considering the growth of AI in the supply chain, expect major developments within the next five years. This will have a powerful impact on customer-centric business approaches for logistics companies, as use cases are identified across a multitude of workflow processes at all transactional levels.
In the future, Michael Hung, CEO at TradeBeyond, says it’s clear that AI will play an even greater role, and as these systems become more sophisticated, they will not only help identify and mitigate risks but also adjust operations dynamically to align with sustainability standards and market demands.
According to Jared Green, director of global sales, automation and emerging technologies at Crown, some of the most significant technological advancements
currently shaping the supply chain industry include operator assist technology, real time location systems and enhanced telematics solutions. These technologies can be powerful tools on their own, explains Green, but as more providers collaborate with customers to integrate these data streams into their existing business systems, the value generated could grow exponentially. With the IoT now almost everywhere, it gives access to real-time data in order to know exactly where goods and assets are in the supply chain. And it’s based on that large source of data, Jean-Luc Rominger, VP, engineering at QAD explains, but also the capacity of monitoring and seeing the details in advanced analytics dashboards gives a good view of what the current state is; more importantly with ML capabilities, it’s now possible to predict and/or evaluate multiple possible scenarios based on multiple criteria and a given level of uncertainty.
“This is pointing out three significant technologies but when it comes to highlight the most significant one, I would rather say it’s the capabilities of cloud computing,” says Rominger. “Enhanced algorithms will provide more accurate demand forecasting, inventory management and route optimization. These tools will help companies reduce waste, manage costs and improve customer satisfaction by preempting market fluctuations.”
Today’s robotics aren’t the Jetsons of yesteryear. Ben Lee, VP, integrated systems sales at Swisslog, says in the supply chain, automated robotic solutions and software technology support market growth and provide greater control and visibility of the whole supply chain, while
also offering a more robust, dependable solution in which the end users can more confidently base their business objectives, quality control and capacity plans. In addition, automated solutions lower operational costs and increase the speed and efficiency of distribution supply chains.
“One of the things we will continue to see is software playing an increasing role in maximizing productivity of robotics. Robotic systems will no longer be optimized mechanically, but rather with software. For instance, the physical speed of robots is nearly at its maximum. For further gains to be made, it now becomes about optimization through the use of software that incorporates AI learning and helps facilitate a more effective use of data,” explains Lee.
Blockchain adoption is likely to grow as companies recognize its potential for secure, transparent recordkeeping. Enhanced blockchain networks will allow endto-end traceability, offering stakeholders confidence in the authenticity of products, from raw materials to final delivery.
“Blockchain technology exists today and is applicable to many segments along a supply chain, although not necessarily to the same degree. To maximize the benefit and utility of blockchain, however, companies need the right data and thus various methods of data collection. This requires coordination and collaboration among many players in the typically highly diverse supply chain ecosystem. Therefore, the small number of blockchain implementations of today are likely to need several more years before they mature to meaningful, comprehensive integration within the end-to-end
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND BENEFITS
Where technology ends and implementation begins, there are several strategies to getting innovation to work for you. Finding where the most logical application makes sense can sometimes be the determining faction in which solution works, and which doesn’t. For example, Lee says, AI in the warehouse makes for more dynamic, more agile and more responsive spaces. It is enabling robotics to self-learn from experience, which means that robotic picking ability improves over time with enhanced picking strategies for new products.
A new emerging space for supply chain use comes in the form of Generative AI, which Kreider explains, there’s been an expansion in applications that are automating certain back-office processes, as well as supporting operational processes.
“These can range from streamlining IT helpdesk requests, automating simple HR inquiries, or generating translations. In addition, we believe there will be a steep increase in adopting sandboxed environments in which companies can use generative AI tools to try new ideas and initiatives,” says Kreider.
For example, DHL developed its own GenAI Hub to test out automating certain processes, developing content and generating information, all with a product funnel approach that includes a pilot period. Two of the use cases in this funnel include:
❯ A GenAI application for business development that provides insight by enabling faster analysis of
supply chain,” says Kreider.
thodonal | stock.adobe.com
STATE OF SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY
a customer’s requirements. With GenAI handling the data, business development colleagues can focus on the customer’s challenges. This allows the business development team to quickly create more accurate and personalized proposals.
❯ A GenAI application for solutions design provides colleagues a data cleansing tool. With GenAI quickly cleansing and sorting the data, solutions design colleagues are able to respond faster and with more enhanced solutions.
Integration really becomes pertinent within these high-impact areas where AI can replace repetitive manual processes.
“Multi-enterprise platforms serve as central hubs that allow seamless data exchange between departments, suppliers and logistics partners. By consolidating data on these platforms, companies can access real-time information, allowing them to make quicker, more informed decisions and ensuring alignment across the supply chain,” says Hung.
The two main ways for companies to integrate emerging technologies, Rominger describes as, 1. They either rely on third parties such as SaaS software providers having these capabilities already enabled in their solutions or 2. With the easier access to native cloud services, they are able to build the solution suiting the best to their specific requirements.
“In both cases the promise is to get more control on their supply chain and a better visibility driving costs down. In my role, with my experience and interaction with customers, I can only give tangible benefits in a context of going through third-parties SaaS software,” explains Rominger. “What we see mainly is improvement of the service level coupled with a
reduction of the inventory and possible scraps. They benefit from a short-term return on investment with low risks around change management or possible failing projects.”
POWERFUL VISIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
Ultimately, companies that successfully integrate AI are seeing faster response times to market changes, improved compliance and enhanced ability to forecast and plan accurately, according to Hung. Traceability solutions offer an automated chain of custody that helps businesses verify product origins and compliance standards. This saves time on audits and gives companies a reliable, transparent way to track products from origin to destination, supporting both operational efficiency and sustainability goals.
In 2025, supply chain visibility will remain a top priority. Organizations are deploying many of these technologies for this specific use, including IoT sensors, blockchain and AI to provide real-time insights into every link of the supply chain.
“Blockchains, paired with logged records from sensors, provide greater visibility of products as a trusted, immutable ledger. Supply chain professionals and customers can access a blockchain ledger with an interface from which they can see each product’s shipment status and accurately confirm product attributes, such as whether it was locally produced, organically grown, or received certifications,” says Kreider. “Additionally, using blockchain technology, companies can quickly identify points of unauthorized removal or the insertion of products, helping to investigate theft, fraud and counterfeiting. Finally, with hundreds of international trade laws and regulations,
a blockchain-supported level of transparency enables supply chain organizations to ensure supplier and distributor compliance.”
Transparency strengthens relationships with partners and customers, allowing businesses to stand out in an increasingly ethical consumer market. It also ensures compliance with regulatory standards, such as environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements.
ESG innovations are also reshaping how companies approach social and environmental responsibility. As Hung explains, tools that map and assess environmental and social impacts throughout the supply chain are helping organizations ensure they meet their ESG goals more effectively.
For example, TradeBeyond’s AI-powered chain-ofcustody solution helps companies validate and track product origins through each stage in the supply chain. Solutions like these aid in regulatory compliance and allow for more efficient documentation, which builds trust and transparency with consumers who demand sustainably produced goods.
“Implementation of new technology often creates a need for more visibility and transparency. Specifically, if customers are working on continuous improvement initiatives or deploying new technology, a deep understanding of the operations and supporting processes is required to ensure success. Wireless fleet and operator management systems, like those by Crown, have continued to evolve to capture and better manage this information. Technology providers are beginning to utilize simulation and advanced reporting tools to help guide customers through their technology journey,” explains Green.
THREATS OF CYBERSECURITY
While technology is revolutionizing the supply chain, it also introduces vulnerabilities. Cyberattacks on supply chains have grown in frequency and sophistication in 2024, targeting weak links in the network to disrupt operations.
Rominger says first and foremost the single sign on (SSO) authentication based on modern multi-factors used to connect to software and system allows to secure and identify each and every connection. Then, the security level of the software and infrastructure used behind the scenes should be protected and monitored
by best-of-class dedicated third-party systems (updated real time), and combined with at least privilege access layer policy in place.
“It’s also important to have external evaluations with different kinds of certifications confirming the good practices in place but also identifying possible improvements in a constantly changing world. Data privacy protocol, encryption in transit and at rest is another standard practice adding safety. When it comes to AI, a very important additional factor is to ensure that anything sensitive either in the questions asked to Generative AI for instance will stay in a kind of private space and not be used to enlarge the public knowledge that can then be reused outside of the expected landscape of use,” says Rominger.
Today, companies are using AI and ML to identify the unusual patterns and anomalies that indicate potential cyberattack. Kreider says in order to mitigate damage, these technologies can quickly adapt to new threats and automate response actions. Companies can also use behavioral analytics to monitor user and network behavior, detecting the deviations from normal activity that signal potential security breaches.
“Quantum computing can also provide an extra layer of digital privacy and security to counteract hacking. For example, quantum mechanics principles can be used to create almost unbreakable cryptographic keys and ensure secure communication channels are resistant to quantum attacks. Quantum computing can accelerate ML algorithms used for anomaly detection, pattern recognition, and real-time threat analysis. In addition, quantum computers can simulate complex cybersecurity scenarios and potential threats more accurately and rapidly, helping companies achieve proactive defense strategies,” says Kreider.
Supply chain technology in 2025 will be even more intelligent, interconnected and efficient than ever before. However, success will require not only the adoption of the right cutting-edge solutions but also a commitment to visibility and transparency to mitigate cybersecurity woes. Organizations that embrace these advancements while safeguarding their networks will lead the way toward supply chain excellence.
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NOVEMBER 18-19, 2025
