The Gartner Supply Chain Podcast

This episode explores:

• How Gartner’s Supply Chain Predicts functions as a framework for evaluating and addressing short-, medium- and long-term market implications. (1:06)
• An overview of the chief supply chain officer’s (CSCO’s) evolving role in driving profitable growth in the short term. (6:33)
• Potential workforce evolutions that AI investments could drive in the midterm. (9:45)
• Factors influencing enterprises’ ability to meet their interim goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the long term. (13:32)
• Recommendations on how CSCOs can use Gartner’s Supply Chain Predicts as a foundation for future-proofing their supply chains. (17:24)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Lindsay Azim and Gartner VP Analyst Simon Bailey discuss Gartner’s 2025 Predicts for Supply Chain Strategy. They use the research as a foundation to explore expectations that CSCOs will drive profitable growth in the short term, AI’s evolving role in supply chain talent management in the medium term and enterprise progress on GHG emissions in the long term. Lindsay and Simon close the show with recommendations for how CSCOs can use the Predicts 2025 research as a baseline for future-proofing their supply chains.

About the Guest

Simon Bailey is a VP analyst in Gartner’s CSCO enablement team, supporting CSCO’s strategy development in areas, including customer centricity and ecosystem orchestration. He is also the lead author for Predicts 2025: Supply Chain Strategy — Growth, People and AI, and Commitments, Focus Supply Chain on Reducing Customer Effort to Boost Profitable Growth and Supply Chain Top 25: 2025 Methodology Changes and Invitation for Input for 2026.

This episode explores:

• Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) approach to growing geopolitical complexity. (1:11)
• Key capabilities that enable J&J to work through these compounding challenges. (3:54)
• Real-world examples of programs and capabilities J&J pursues to increase supply chain resilience. (7:23)
• J&J’s responses to global shifts in the regulatory and legal environment surrounding supply chains. (11:34)
• Recommendations for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) leading in this turbulent geopolitical environment. (16:02)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor discusses risk management and resilience with Kathy Wengel, executive vice president, chief technical operations and risk officer for Johnson & Johnson. Thomas and Kathy explore J&J’s pursuit of resilience in the face of today’s turbulent geopolitical climate, including some of its specific strategies and real-world examples of its evolving capabilities. The pair close the show with actionable guidance for CSCOs.

About the Guest

Kathryn E. Wengel (Kathy) is executive vice president, chief technical operations and risk officer for Johnson & Johnson, as well as a member of its Executive Committee. She has significant healthcare, operations and global business expertise – with more than three decades of experience in leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson. In her current role, Kathy leads key technical operations functions like engineering and property services, the office of sustainability and cross-sector supply chain teams, and critical risk functions like quality and compliance and healthcare compliance. Kathy also plays an important role with external stakeholders to advance critical risk management, resilience and technical operations priorities on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and the healthcare industry.

This episode explores:

• Chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) and supply chain leaders’ initial reactions to new U.S. tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding them. (1:54)
• Direct or indirect implications of the executive orders that supply chain leaders must account for. (3:22)
• Differences and similarities in trade volatility between the prior Trump administration and the current Trump administration. (6:14)
• How supply chains can respond to these tariffs, and what some organizations are already doing. (8:13)
• Some of the factors influencing current approaches to scenario planning for the Trump administration tariffs. (12:30)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor speaks with Gartner analysts Brian Whitlock and Suzie Petrusic about how the new U.S. administration’s tariffs stand to affect supply chain operations. In the show’s first half, Brian explores some of these tariffs’ particular details and their effects on potential mitigations. In the second half, Suzie expands on these mitigation strategies across the short and long term, as well as the influences behind them.

If you wish to learn more about Gartner supply chain's research tied to the topic of tariff volatility Gartner clients can access "Use Tariff Volatility to Drive Competitive Advantage" while non-Gartner clients can access "Navigating Tariff Uncertainty: Pathways for CSCOs".

About the Guests

Brian Whitlock is a senior director research analyst in Gartner’s Logistics and Fulfillment team. He is responsible for advising logistics leaders and the C-suite in strategy design and execution, and for building capabilities that improve the performance of their logistics function. Brian is also the key initiative leader responsible for the research plan for Logistics and Fulfillment. Brian joined Gartner in 2020. He has over 30 years of experience leading global logistics, transportation and trade management organizations with expertise in strategy, operations, finance, procurement and supplier development and trade management.

Suzie Petrusic, Ph.D., is the Gartner senior director analyst serving chief supply chain officers in all the areas of supply chain related to strategy leadership and execution. She has authored and co-authored research and case studies on topics such as risk, supply chain maturity, the future of the supply chain, customer enablement, supply chain constraints and inflation and recession. Suzie also leads Gartner’s research agenda for chief supply chain officers.

This episode explores:

• Drivers that made this year’s Future of Supply Chain Report different. (1:04)
• Capabilities CSCOs are pursuing to prepare for the future. (3:24)
• The multiple pathways to success that organizations can take. (7:07)
• How CSCOs can choose the best pathway for their organization. (15:16)
• Advice for CSCOs preparing their supply chains for the future. (16:31)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Lindsay Azim sits down with Pierfrancesco (Pier) Manenti, Gartner research vice president for supply chain strategy, to discuss Gartner’s yearly Future of Supply Chain Executive Report. As lead author of the report, Pier discusses how this year’s report — Supply Chain Executive Report: Future of Supply Chain 2025 — focuses on the capabilities chief supply chain officers can pursue to meet the future it outlines. Lindsay and Pier explore the various pathways organizations can take to build these capabilities before closing the show with recommendations for CSCOs pursuing those pathways.

About the Guest

Pierfrancesco (Pier) Manenti is research vice president for the Gartner supply chain strategy team. Pier provides insights and advisory support to chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) and heads of strategy of global manufacturing and retail corporations, especially with regards to future trends and key challenges affecting end-to-end supply chain strategy. He focuses on strategic transformation, digitalization, agility and design for profitability.

This episode explores:

• Kraft Heinz’s use of operational excellence programs to perfect their manual processes before adding digital tools. (1:06)
• How Kraft Heinz executives engage in servant leadership to remove roadblocks on digital project roadmaps. (5:00)
• Kraft Heinz’s future goals for a self-driving, end-to-end supply chain. (7:13)
• Standout use cases for generative AI at Kraft Heinz. (10:25)
• Recommendations for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) driving digital transformations in their own organizations. (14:06).

In this episode of Gartner’s Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor speaks with Senior Vice President and Head of North America Operations at the Kraft Heinz Company, Helen Davis, about the digital transformation efforts Kraft Heinz is undertaking for its supply chain. They discuss Kraft Heinz’s commitment to creating strong foundations in manual processes, including the tools it uses to capture and maintain employee and executive buy-in. Thomas and Helen then explore Kraft Heinz’s vision for an autonomous supply chain, and then close the show with recommendations for CSCOs that want to undertake similar journeys.

About the Guest

Helen Davis has over 27 years of global supply chain experience, successfully transforming supply chains in several countries and in a variety of different industries. She is currently Senior Vice President and Head of North America Operations at the Kraft Heinz Company. Helen has also held senior supply chain roles at Unilever, Estée Lauder, Reckitt Benckiser and Coca-Cola, where she led the transformation to the “Factory of the Future” and spearheaded the “Touchless Supply Chain” concept through use of decision intelligence. 

This episode explores:

• “Decision shapers,” supply chain planning leaders that leverage three personas to guide supply chain planning leaders’ decision making through informed, data-driven recommendations. (1:22)
• The skills decision shapers leverage as part of the “codebreaker” persona to analyze and capitalize on key data points. (4:25)
• How the “alchemist” persona, a combination of business acumen, adaptability and AI readiness that decision shapers use to turn data into intelligent insights. (7:56)
• Ways the “storyteller” persona packages data and insights to meet audiences where they’re at with  language that resonates with them. (13:42)
• Essential recommendations for supply chain leaders that want to become decision shapers in their own organizations. (19:35)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Lindsay Azim discusses the impact “decision shapers” have on supply chain planning (SCP) with guest Noha Samara, a Gartner senior director analyst. The pair explore their shared research into the current state of SCP, and how SCP leaders can evolve their approach to it through data analysis, intelligent insights and robust communication. They close the show with recommendations for SCP leaders that want to affect similar changes in their own org.

About the Guest:

Gartner Senior Director Analyst Noha Samara covers several areas of supply chain planning. She has authored and coauthored numerous research on supply chain planning processes’ evolution, supply chain planning organization design and talent, and supply chain planning transformations. She joined Gartner in 2020 after a long career at several multinational organizations such as Procter & Gamble and Microsoft where she was leading different supply chain teams. Noha has been leading the supply chain planning track agenda at Gartner Symposium for the past couple of years and currently chairs the upcoming Supply Chain Planning Summits in 2025 and 2026.

This episode explores:

• Supply chain’s role in navigating volatility associated with digital technology, changing customer needs and sustainability. (1:12)
• How Unilever redesigned its supply chain by fusing it with IT and enterprise services to drive change and address volatility. (5:10)
• Three real-world Unilever programs that leverage this fusion to build competitive advantage and business growth. (9:14)
• Practical recommendations for CSCOs who want to undertake similar redesigns in their own supply chains. (15:34)

Host Thomas O’Connor explores the ins and outs of Unilever’s supply chain redesign with Reginaldo Ecclissato, Unilever’s Chief Business Operations and Supply Chain Officer. Reggie’s dual title speaks to Unilever’s new approach to its supply chain: transforming supply chain operations into a source of competitive advantage and business growth by combining it with IT and global business services. 

Thomas and Reggie discuss the key tenets at this redesign’s heart, including an accelerated digitalization effort and a talent-first outlook. The pair close the show with recommendations for CSCOs who want to pursue similar redesigns in their own supply chains.

Editorial note: Since the recording of this podcast, Reginaldo Ecclissato has been appointed to the role of president for One Unilever Markets.

About the Guest:

Reginaldo Ecclissato has been appointed to the role of president for One Unilever Markets. At the time of recording for the December 2024 Supply Chain Podcast, Reginaldo’s role was Chief Business Operations and Supply Chain Officer. He became a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive in January 2022. Reginaldo has a rich history at Unilever spanning more than 30 years with extensive supply chain experience in both developed and emerging markets.

This episode explores: 

• The critical role that transparent, collaboration-focused culture plays in supply chain success at Zoetis. (1:04)
• How Zoetis empowers supply chain talent to trust in and engage with this culture. (4:08)
• Qualitative and quantitative business impacts that empowered supply chain talent has made at Zoetis. (8:34)
• Why providing their staff with access to good data enabled a cultural shift. (15:12)
• Recommendations for CSCOs seeking to drive business impacts through their supply chain’s culture. (19:18)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor discusses how culture can drive supply chain value with Nick Ashton, Executive Vice President and President, Global Manufacturing and Supply at Zoetis. The pair explore how Zoetis shifted its culture by providing greater access to data and empowering employees with greater decision making. As the organization shifted towards greater transparency and collaboration, measurable business impacts followed. Thomas and Nick close the show with recommendations for CSCOs who want to effect similar transformations in their own organizations.

About the Guest

Nick Ashton is Executive Vice President and President, Global Manufacturing and Supply at Zoetis, the world’s leading animal health company and a member of the Fortune 500. In this role, he oversees the company’s network of approximately 29 Zoetis manufacturing sites and 200 third-party manufacturers around the world. Nick joined Zoetis in 2020 as head of Global External Supply, where he led all aspects of the company’s global external manufacturing network, overseeing 140 contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to keep pace with customer demand.

This episode explores:

• Generative AI’s expected impacts on headcount when GenAI exploded into mainstream news in 2022 (1:32).
• How GenAI’s impacts on productivity and time savings vary between desk-based and frontline employees (4:54).
• Measuring whether GenAI “lived up to the hype” in light of research results (11:31).
• What leaders are doing to resolve GenAI’s “productivity paradox” (12:38).
• Recommendations for CSCOs driving GenAI projects (15:24).

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Tess Frenzel and guest Sam Berndt, a Gartner senior director of research, discuss generative AI’s (GenAI’s) variable impacts on supply chain employee productivity in both desk-based and frontline roles. 

Tess and Sam frame the discussion with findings from Gartner’s Supply Chain Executive Report: The GenAI Productivity Paradox to provide details on key differentiators like individual- and team-based time savings, work quality improvements and employee comfort levels. 

About the Guest

Sam Berndt is a Gartner Senior Research Director leading long-form studies on chief supply chain officers and their key priorities. He has led studies on risk and supplier due diligence, talent and skill gap myths, last-mile delivery customer preferences, and the impact of generative AI on supply chain employee productivity. Before Gartner, Sam studied the economic impacts of large regulations.

This episode explores:

• The CSCO Community Outlook Survey’s focus on community sentiment, and how that sentiment manifested in 2024. (1:17)
• Trends that may have contributed to the survey’s findings. (3:41)
• CSCOs’ short-term, midterm, and long-term focuses in 2025. (5:01)
• Survey reports on generative AI’s potential outlook in 2025. (8:06)
• Recommendations for CSCOs in the coming year. (11:45)

On this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Tess Frenzel discusses CSCO priorities for 2025 with Wade McDaniel, a Vice President Distinguished Advisor at Gartner. They draw insights from Gartner’s 2024 CSCO Community Outlook Poll to discuss how CSCOs are feeling as they move into 2025, including their specific goals in the short term, midterm and long term, and the outlook on generative AI. 

Tess and Wade explore the nuances of these findings, including the trends that may have shaped them, then close the show with actionable recommendations for CSCOs in 2025.

About the Guest

Wade McDaniel is a Gartner Vice President Distinguished Advisor supporting the global CSCO community through events and curated research insights. He brings more than 30 years of supply chain experience to the role.