Maria Madrigal talks about her career journey; overcoming challenges in a male-dominated industry; her leadership style; & the achievement she’s most proud of.

[06.56] An introduction to Maria and WSI.

[07.20] Maria’s 24-year tenure at WSI, and what she loves about the business.

“I built relationships, I just love WSI, it’s like a family… like home.”

[08.02] Maria’s first role as a window clerk and what it taught her.

“I saw a lot of disgruntled drivers, but that started my journey of building a thick skin!”

[09.27] Maria’s perspective on formal education within the industry, and finding the balance between real-life experience and academic learning.

“Education is important, but there’s no textbook that’s going to teach you what you learn hands-on.”

[11.27] The challenges Maria faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

[14.27] How WSI supported Maria in her journey to becoming their first female Director of Operations, and the role of both mentors and advocates in her growth.

[17.45] The three key qualities every mentor should have and Maria’s advice for mentees.

“You’ve got to be brave enough to raise your hand – it’s OK to ask for help… And if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

[19.25] The biggest challenge, and opportunity, for the industry right now.

“I know we have to be automated to be competitive… but, in doing so, the challenge is making sure we don’t lose the connectivity with individuals, that personal one-on-one touch. With automation, we lose that.”

[21.33] Maria’s leadership style, and how it translates to success for her team.

[24.32] Maria’s biggest achievement.

“I felt vindicated. The fact that I’m here, I am who I am now – that’s a testament to my success.”

[27.37] What winning the Women In Supply Chain ‘Trailblazer’ award means to Maria.

“For those that doubted me, here I am today as a trailblazer and a Director.”

[28.31] Maria’s biggest inspiration.

[29.27] The future for Maria, and WSI.

Mercedes Pina talks about her career journey; her experience as an immigrant; her passion for logistics; and why she believes that anything is possible.  

[07.05] Mercedes’ experience as a young immigrant in Long Island, and why her parents instilled in her a sense of hard work and perseverance.

“The sacrifices my parents made gave me the opportunity to strive for excellence in everything I do.”

[08.47] The challenges Mercedes faced as a young immigrant in a new country, her approach to tackling them, and how those experiences shaped the woman she is today.

[10.11] Where Mercedes’ career began, and how she discovered a passion for logistics.

“Initially, I thought logistics would be something temporary. But as I got deeper into the industry, I became captivated by it’s vastness and complexity, and by the challenges of understanding the full scope of it.”

[11.58] Mercedes’ role as Vice President of Client Services and Expedited Pricing at STG Logistics, and the importance of collaboration.

“I focus on nurturing relationships, and understanding our clients evolving needs.”

[14.25] The increasing focus on client services, and how businesses are leveraging customer experience as a competitive advantage.

“The rising focus on client services marks a pivotal shift in how businesses approach customer relationships. Exceptional service is now vital for retention and brand loyalty, which sets companies apart in the market.”

[15.39] How Mercedes approaches pricing strategies, and finds the balance between value and cost.

“Navigating pricing amongst inflation – it is challenging. We focus on transparency and value creation.”

[17.38] Mercedes’ trend predictions for logistics in 2025.

“In today’s world, it’s hard to predict anything! But, come 2025, I anticipate several key trends with automation, AI and sustainability… And more sophisticated final mile solutions – people want everything faster!”

[18.42] What Mercedes’ Rising Star award at this years Women in Supply Chain Awards means to her, as a young woman and immigrant.

[20.01] Mercedes’ passion for mentoring, and how she’s bridging the gap and meeting young women where they are.

“Mentoring is crucial, especially in supply chain where diversity and inclusion can significantly enhance innovation and problem-solving. My experience as a young woman gives me a unique insight into the challenges people face entering this field.”

[21.41] The biggest challenge for young women looking to find their place in the industry.

[23.23] Mercedes’ belief that anything is possible, and her advice for translating a positive mindset into action.

“Failure is just a stepping stone to success.”

[24.55] The future for Mercedes.

[25.31] Mercedes’ advice for senior leaders thinking about creating safe spaces for young women in the industry.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from incredible women in the industry, check out 433: Women In Supply Chain, Annie Torikian, 425: Women In Supply Chain, Josephine Coombe or 422: Women In Supply Chain, Kiran Mann.

Alex Yaseen of Parabola talks about his founder journey; the future of spreadsheets; empowering teams with workflow control; and embracing AI. 

[07.34] An introduction to Alex, his background, and the journey that led him to found Parabola.

“Most people seem to engage with new tech with fear and a lack of agency… People describe fighting against technology. And that’s a shame, because you could have such a positive, productive, empowering relationship with technology once you know how to use it.”

[12.48] The challenges Alex saw as a consultant at Deloitte, and the problems he still sees across the industry, when it comes to people and technology.

“Even at Fortune 50 companies, people were still doing incredibly non-scalable, crazy, manual processes on spreadsheets.”

[16.46] An overview of Parabola – who they are, what they do and how they help their customers – and Alex’s take on the mismatch between operations and IT that Parabola is helping to solve.

[21.09] The growing importance of AI, and how Parabola are integrating it into their solution with impact in mind.

“Combining two things together is important – the ability to grab the data, and the ability to action on it.”

[26.16] The ideal client for Parabola.

[28.23] A closer look at the Parabola platform, its intuitive drag-and-drop workflow, and how teams can use it.

[31.37] Why integration isn’t something you need to be scared of with Parabola.

“When people hear the word ‘integration’ they get scared. It’s normally a big long process, you have to work with your IT team and they’re going to get mad at you… We want to do things differently.”

[34.23] How the Parabola platform can help supply chain teams optimize processes from scorecarding and management to audits and track and trace.

[39.43] From improving productivity and facilitating growth, to saving time and giving teams ownership over their own workflows, the impact of that optimization on businesses and their bottom lines.

“Operations people are probably the most important people at a company – they know how things work and have great ideas… We’re trying to shine a spotlight onto them… And our best users have a track record of being promoted pretty quickly.”

[42.05] The impact of leveraging the power of Parabola on the industry.

[45.02] A case study detailing how Parabola helped a large retail brand achieve multiple levels of ROI – saving them money, but also boosting team engagement and job satisfaction, and helping the Director of Operations get a better seat at the table in leadership conversations.

[49.51] From AI to nurturing a better understanding of business problems, what we can expect from the industry in 2025.

“Increasingly, the hard thing within companies is actually understanding the problem... It’s that knowledge of what’s important within the company, and having people on your team who know where the bodies are buried! Companies who are great at cultivating and empowering their people are going to rise to the surface.”

Head over to Parabola’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Parabola and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Alex on LinkedIn.

Tiffany Brewer of Blue Yonder talks about synchronizing supply chain execution; building resilient businesses; & helping clients reduce spend & drive growth.

[06.23] An introduction to Tiffany, her background, and the expertise she brings to her role at Blue Yonder.

“I’ve been in the shoes of our customers, and I’m able to speak to the product teams and say: “Hey – this is what’s going on in the industry, this is what our customers need.”

[08.24] What synchronizing supply chain execution means to Blue Yonder and their customers.

“We’ve historically had point solutions that solve each problem, from warehousing to transportation… but they’re not really separate processes to the point that systems shouldn’t be talking to each other.”

[12.35] The macro challenges rocking the industry right now; why a lot of current tech architecture isn’t capable of keeping up; and how connected solutions can help.

[20.35] How those big challenges impact Blue Yonder customers, and the challenge of navigating the push and pull between the different perspectives on the right amount of synchronization.

[25.28] What it means to be a resilient and agile company; why it’s so important; and how synchronizing supply chain execution can help achieve that resilience and agility.

“What it comes down to is focusing on bringing the most value to the business.”

[30.09] The paradigm shift that’s needed to increase that resilience and agility; the benefits that will come out of it; and the importance of measuring the right things.

“Getting all of the opinions and perspectives into the room is key… How can we, as an organization, make these decisions together and figure out which thing is the most important for the business, instead of the most important for individual business areas.”

[34.27] An overview of Blue Yonder’s platform and solutions that are enabling a synchronized approach to handling supply chain execution and disruption for customers.

[36.55] The benefits of synchronizing supply chain execution, and how Blue Yonder are helping to reduce transportation costs by 30-40%, decrease labor costs by 10-15%, and lower inventory costs by 8%.

[40.14] What Blue Yonder’s recent Supply Chain Executive Survey can tell us about what teams are thinking about, and focusing on, for 2025.

“Over 80% of execs are getting ready to bring more AI/ML into their businesses.”

Head over to Blue Yonder’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Blue Yonder and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Blue Yonder, check out 417: Fulfill Your Potential, with Blue Yonder.

Annie Torikian talks about her career journey; her passion for innovation; balancing professional and social responsibility; and being named a trailblazer.  

[06.47] The journey that led Annie from Lebanon to Canada, and what she learned along the way.

“When I first came to Canada, I was really ready to embrace a new chapter in my life. I came looking for stability and security… It was a big shift… and it gave me a new perspective on life.”

[08.30] The surprisingly practical reason that led Annie to supply chain, and how she fell in love with the industry.

“Over the years… I realized how impactful and important the job I was doing was... As I discovered the complexities and global impact of supply chain, it became a no-brainer for me, I thought ‘I’m going to stay in this industry and thrive’… Sometimes, the most rewarding paths are the ones we never planned to take.”

[10.37] An overview of Tecsys, what they do, and how they help their customers.

[11.54] Annie’s role as Vice President of Enhanced Business Solutions at Tecsys, and how she became a driving force in innovation, spearheading initiatives and incorporating new automation technologies.

“Automation in itself is not a new concept, but there’s such a rapid shift in the technology that it’s become a gamechanger. And any company that needs to remain competitive has no choice but to deploy some kind of automation in their warehouses.”

[16.28] Annie’s 26 year tenure with Tecsys, how she evolved from analyst to VP, and some of her biggest challenges and achievements along the way.

“For anyone to stay so long in the same company, there needs to be an alignment between your personal and company values. For me, it was integrity, professionalism, respect and teamwork.”

[20.35] How supply chain and technology has changed over the course of Annie’s career.

“It’s cool to have a front row seat in this evolution.”

[23.07] With a historic lack of women in leadership, how the industry has changed for women.

[25.53] Annie’s take on mentorship.

[30.36] The importance of balancing professional and social responsibility, and why volunteering is key to good leadership.

“For me, it became an integral part of my leadership  identity, and I think its crucial for any executive that wants to be impactful to do some kind of volunteering… You meet so many people, of different backgrounds, characters, and personalities… It sharpens your leadership skills and prepares you for complex roles.”

[33.57] Annie’s recent Women in Supply Chain Forum award win, and what it means to be named a ‘trailblazer’ in the industry.

“Never assume that you’ve reached your full potential.”

[35.17] The future for Annie.

You can connect with Annie over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from women who have moved countries and continents to excel in supply chain, check out 389: Women in Supply Chain, Carmit Glik, 326: Women in supply chain™, Paige Wei-Cox, or 275: Women in supply chain™, Amani Radman.

Jeff Beadle of Manhattan talks about their Unified Forecasting Method; how the hybrid approach is different; & the benefits to supply chain planning.

[06.28] An introduction to Jeff, his role at Manhattan, and how, as a physicist coming from a job at the “applied chaos lab,” he found his way to supply chain.

“As a data scientist, there’s not a better sandbox than supply chain – and especially at Manhattan, given the breadth of solutions we have across the space.”

[09.10] Why unification is key to both Manhattan’s approach to helping clients and to improving the industry; and its importance in forecasting.

“By unifying demand forecasting methods into a single composite model, it elevates capability, robustness, adaptability, and accuracy – and therefore all of the optimization of supply chain processes, and applications that are consuming that output.”

[12.32] An overview of UFM, how its hybrid forecasting approach differs from more traditional statistical models and standalone machine learning models, and why Manhattan have combined these approaches into one model.

“Hybrid forecasting combines statistical time series models with machine learning algorithms offering a uniquely powerful and balanced approach to demand forecasting.”

[17.38] The challenges with machine learning, and the benefits that UFMs hybrid approach brings to supply chain planning.

“There are still shortcomings to machine learning, and high failure rates… Machine learning builds knowledge strictly from the data it observes. So if it has an incomplete aspect of the data model… it can lead to misleading results.”

[23.56] How UFM allows organizations to make decisions that have benefits across all business areas.

“That combined hybrid approach takes on an inside-out, outside-in demand planning approach… this provides a very adaptive, accurate mechanism… and that impacts all cross-functional processes.”

[27.07] An overview of how UFM continuously learns and updates its forecasts in real-time.

[30.07] The low-management nature of UFM, and how that frees up teams to take on the more strategic and creative work.

“It’s very autonomous and hands-free – it doesn’t require special staffing or oversight.”

[33.30] The ideal client for Manhattan’s UFM.

“The better plans and forecasts we have, the less we have to react through execution systems – that’s sub-optimal. You want a better plan, a better projection, and the more accurate and tighter that is, the better the overall downstream impact.”

Head over to Manhattan’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Manhattan and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Manhattan, check out 430: Unify Your Supply Chain Systems, with Manhattan Associates.

Trace Haggard of TSG Fleet talks about his founder journey; the problem of overcapacity; avoiding delays; & the benefit of providing solutions under one roof.  

[06.45] Trace’s entrepreneurial background, and the journey that led him to found TSG Fleets.

 “I came from an agricultural family, and I wanted to get off the farm!... By coincidence, I did an internship at a 3PL… The general manager asked if I’d be interested in coming back for a job, and that sounded much better than law school!”

[14.10] An overview of TSG – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

[16.09] The ideal client for TSG.

“I prefer relationship-based customers… When things happen strategically, or when economics aren’t working out, you can sit down and have a discussion and accomplish something. Transactional customers come and go.”

[19.11] The current landscape of trucking and biggest challenges, from theft to over-capacity.

“The pandemic sent a tidal wave of capacity out there, we all thought the world was going to change… And it did for about 18 months… then everything snapped back. And that wave of capacity crashed.”

[23.01] The opportunities in US-Mexico trade, and why TSG are well placed to help clients maximize those cross-border opportunities.

[26.56] TSG’s terminal operations solutions and how they’re helping brands optimize their logistics processes, especially when combined with maintenance and repair services.

[32.36] TSG’s 24/7 secure storage, and how it helps to combat the rising issue of security and theft.

[37.45] Real-life examples of how TSG proactively monitor a range of factors for clients, from temperature and fuel to maintenance, to keep trucks on the move, avoiding delays and saving money.

“When minor issues happen, they cause big delays – and that costs money.”

[42.40] Trace’s perspective on what’s to come for the industry.

“Things are still unpredictable… the rate of motor carriers closing their doors is insane… but I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Head over to TSG Fleet’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with TSG and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Trace on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about trucking, check out 404: Parking Your Truck Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3, with Truck Parking Club, 360: Deliver A Great Trucker Experience, with DCLI or 429: Women In Supply Chain, Kameel Gaines.

Bryant Smith of Manhattan talks about supply chain unification; visibility, resiliency & cost; overcoming siloes; and delivering big results with their TMS.

[06.52] An overview of Manhattan – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

[08.20] The basics of supply chain unification, what it means, and the common misconceptions.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about unification… Sometimes you hear other companies express unification as integrations between different systems… that’s not our definition of unification!”

“There are a lot of different components and workflows that are associated with managing a supply chain… and we have a single platform that manages all those workflows in one central place.”

[10.39] A closer look at Manhattan’s transport management solutions and modernized tech platform, and how the platform has evolved over time.

“Supply chain execution is hard – but using the technology shouldn’t be.”

[18.20] Why supply chain has historically been so siloed, and how we can unify our fractured ecosystems.

“Supply chain tech started as on-premise, and that creates siloes… And the approach was very pointed. People would say “I have this problem, I need to create a software to solve it” – so now we have a bunch of software’s that do really specialized things.”

[23.10] Visibility: what it means to Manhattan, why it’s so important, and the huge potential it has for supply chain, from optimizing buying patterns to improved labor utilization.

“It’s not warehouse versus transportation any more. It’s inbound versus outbound.”

[29.39] The power of resiliency, and what it means for organizations as they face continued global disruption.

“Being resilient is about seeing and understanding, but also about being able to proactively – or reactively – resolve exceptions as they happen.”

[37.06] The impact of supply chain unification on cost, and the range of business areas in which companies can make significant reductions.

[41.30] A case study detailing how Manhattan helped a global specialist in energy management to unify, simplify their technology landscape, and reduce cost, resulting in a huge seven-figure return on investment.

[45.33] The ideal client for Manhattan.

“Our architecture allows you to scale up and down based on your complexity.”

[46.48] The future for Manhattan, and the big role generative AI and automation is going to play in supply chain unification.

Head over to Manhattan’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Manhattan and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Bryant on LinkedIn.

Kameel Gaines talks about her career journey; her business Rig on Wheels; driver recruitment; & the importance of elevating African American women in trucking. 

[07.37] Kameel’s career journey, and how she found her way from educational sales to trucking recruitment.

“Trucking chose me!”

[10.38] Why Kameel founded her own business, Rig on Wheels, and why she always had an entrepreneurial mindset.

“I came from an entrepreneurial family, so I wasn’t afraid of it.

[13.42] A closer look at Rig on Wheels; what makes it different; and Kameel’s reputation for innovation and taking a driver-centric approach to business.

“We are very much an advocate of the professional driver. Innovation is very important because evolution is coming, it’s here! We want to make sure that our drivers are ready.”

“Recruitment is changing, and social media is the new CB radio! We need to meet drivers where they are.”

[16.54] Rig on Wheels’ upcoming 15-year anniversary, and Kameel’s laidback approach to the celebrations.

“I’m just excited that my team is excited!”

[18.10] Why Kameel launched the first-of-its-kind Rig on Wheels podcast; her passion for ongoing learning; and why she’s always looking to improve.

“I started educating myself, and looking at other peoples shows. And, instead of looking at them as a spectator, I was looking to learn… How can we do this better? We’re not looking for perfection, but we are looking for excellence.”

[21.46] Kameel’s perspective on the rise of supply chain media, and the innate inclusivity in helping professionals from all walks of life to engage, learn, and communicate in new ways.

“There are a lot of voices, and there’s a voice for everyone – that’s what’s great. Everybody identifies with someone.”

[26.29] Kameel’s previous role as co-chairwoman of the African American Women’s Trucking Association, and the importance of elevating the representation and success of African American women in trucking.

“Representation matters. You can’t be what you don’t see.”

[29.31] The role of mentors in Kameel’s career journey, and how she maintained those relationships over time.

[34.33] Kameel’s advice for the young women looking to follow in her footsteps.

“Open up your eyes to new possibilities, get out of your comfort zone – the world is your back yard.”

[36.47] The one (unexpected) career achievement that Kameel is most proud of.

[37.47] The future for Rig on Wheels.

You can connect with Kameel over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more women in trucking, check out 347: Women In Supply Chain™, Seretha Willingham, 275: Women In Supply Chain™, Amani Radman, or 205: Time To Make A Move, with Knichel Logistics.

Amit Sharma of Narvar talks about leveraging intelligent communication to boost consumer trust, create memorable shopping experiences & maximize conversions.

[07.56] Amit’s career journey, and how it led him to establish Narvar.

[10.12] An overview of Narvar – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

“Online, after we buy, there’s a waiting period. And often that waiting period is overlooked, or under-invested. We help businesses engage their customers with the intention of driving long term loyalty and advocacy.”

[12.54] The ideal client for Narvar.

[14.28] Amit’s take on the biggest e-commerce challenges right now, especially when it comes to the post-purchase experience.

“Once you buy a product, it’s a chore. ‘Find a tracking number; When can I get it?; Do I have to be at home,?; Will the package be secure?’… There are all these questions that lead to anxiety about the order you placed. So the challenge is to build the trust every step of the way.”

“There’s a disconnect... you have to understand the customers context and provide the right information at the right time.”

[17.13] Narvar’s mission to simplify the everyday lives of consumers, and why taking care of retail customers isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good business.

“Everything is “and” now. It has to be cheaper AND it has to be faster AND it has to be on time AND it has to be an amazing customer experience.”

“Consumers want returns policies and processes that are easy to understand and follow… and making it convenient is better for the retailer as well.”

[25.18] Why 60% of shoppers are more likely to choose a retailer that can tell them the exact date a package will arrive at the time of order; and the role of Narvar’s ‘Promise’ solution in helping retailers utilize intelligent delivery estimates to drive conversion and deliver transparency.

“Given a choice, customers select visibility and predictability of delivery dates versus faster delivery. And, from the merchant perspective, we then see consumers buy more, and make less customer service enquiries, because you’ve built trust and confidence…. There’s a big benefit from setting that expectation.”

[31.46] How Narvar helps retailers continue to communicate with consumers using post-purchase marketing and different touchpoints to keep them informed, but also boost trust, keep experience levels high and upsell.

[35.35] The challenge of returns, and how Narvar helps retailers to find the balance of retaining revenue and reducing costs, whilst also offering customers easy, convenient, positive experiences.

“All of the data and sophistication gets applied on the acquisition side, but not much on the retention side. Returns is an opportunity for that.”

[40.38] Why Narvar is fostering collaboration between retailers, and how a unique relationship with Kohl’s is setting a standard for smoother, cheaper, and more sustainable returns experiences for brands and consumers alike.

“Cheaper, convenient, and beneficial for everybody.”

[44.42] The upcoming trends and opportunities in the ecommerce industry that we should be looking out for.

“Using intelligence, the supply chain is going to get more and more intuitive, more consumer-friendly, and more cost-effective for all the players involved.”

Head over to Narvar’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Narvar and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Amit on LinkedIn.