S2E5: Steering through Stormy Seas with Maritime Expert Don Maier

For our February episode, co-host Ted Stank was joined by guest host Lance Saunders, associate professor of supply chain management. They spoke with Jen Kelly, vice president of planning for North America at Schneider Electric, about shortening supply chains, nearshoring and supplier capacity challenges, adding visibility into planning, generative AI for forecasting, and standardizing practice across a global organization. 

Kelly was in town for a meeting of the GSCI Advisory Board. Schneider Electric, ranked by Gartner as No. 1 for best supply chain in 2023, is a longtime partner of the Supply Chain Forum and a member of the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative, which brings together industry professionals and UT faculty to tackle issues of critical importance to the discipline.

To start the episode, Ted and Lance discussed U.S. job growth, freight surges, disruption of global trade, regulatory constraints, tensions with China, and much more.

The episode was recorded on February 8, 2024.

CORRECTION: At 11:05 in the episode, our host says that Target acquired Whole Foods. It was Amazon that purchased Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion deal in June 2017.

Related links:

• Job growth surges in the U.S., 353,00 jobs added in January 
• US container import volumes surge amid global supply chain challenges 
• Mortgage rates jump back over 7 percent 
• Consumer sentiment races to two-and-a-half year high 
• Why are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships 
• Walmart growing, adding 150 stores across US 
• China’s 17-year run as top source of US imports ends Mexico rises 
• Download our latest white paper on Advanced Supply Chain Planning
• Register for the SCM Finance Academy 
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter 
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

In our January episode, Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with maritime expert Don Maier about the state of international shipping, including shifts in trade lanes, the challenges of forecasting and capital planning, and the industry impact of issues from the Panama Canal to bubbling international conflicts.

Before joining UT’s faculty as an associate professor of practice, Maier served as dean for the Maine Maritime and Cal Maritime Academies. As the founding dean of the School of Maritime Transportation, Logistics, & Management at California State University-Maritime Academy, he oversaw programs in marine transportation, international logistics, and naval science. He serves on advisory boards for the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives and the Containerization & Intermodal Institute.

In their opening recap, Ted and Tom also discuss holiday season spending, reports on U.S. jobs and manufacturing, and more.

This episode was recorded on January 5, 2024.

Related links:

• Americans spent a record $222 billion shopping online this holiday season
• Major retailers offering returnless refunds this holiday season
• U.S. employers add 216,000 jobs in a sign of continued economic growth
• Manufacturing increased in December while warehouse availability surges to highest levels since pandemic 
• Congressional leaders reach a deal to avert shutdown
• Red Sea attacks pose another threat to global economy
• Panama Canal enmeshed in a crisis disrupting global trade
• Don Maier writes in The Conversation about global shipping climate strategy
• Progress on U.S.-Mexico rail-ferry service
• China names a new naval chief as maritime tensions climb
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI
• Register for the 2024 SCM Leadership Academy or SCM Finance Academy

In this month’s episode, Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with three business leaders who recently graduated from the Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain (EMBA-GSC) in UT’s Haslam College of Business. They discuss their paths into the industry and the fine details of the program, including how it has brought value to their current roles at their companies and developed both their supply chain knowledge and leadership skills in just 11 months.

Guests featured in this episode:

• Hans von Steiger, Director and Team Leader of Clinical Supply Strategy and Management
• Patricia Covington, Executive Director of Global Integrated Aftermarket
• Rebecca Ann Perreault, Director of Global Capabilities and Compliance

Ted and Tom also discuss holiday inventory and spending, consumer confidence, the state of the labor market, inflation and housing, backlogs at the Panama Canal, and more.

The episode was recorded at the Haslam College of Business on December 11, 2023.

Related links:

• By the numbers: Black Friday and Cyber Monday achieved record sales
• Holiday inventory is balanced, no concern over stockouts or overstocks, per NRF
• Consumer confidence ticks up in November after months of decline
• Q3 growth rate for GDP was fastest since fourth quarter of 2021
• Solid US job growth, drop in unemployment underscore labor market resilience
• Consumer return fraud a growing concern for retailers
• Logistics Manager’s Index Report for November 2023
• Panama Canal drought to delay shipments into 2024
• Watch: Why the EMBA-GSC makes sense for senior supply chain leaders
• Learn about the Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain (EMBA-GSC)
• Register for the 2024 SCM Leadership Academy or SCM Finance Academy 
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

In this month’s episode, Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Jim Newsome, former president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority, at the 27th Supply Chain Forum.

The episode was recorded in front of a live audience on November 7, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Newsome (‘76, ‘77) earned both a bachelor’s and MBA in transportation and logistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, before embarking on a more than 40-year career in container ships, ports, and international transportation. He was recently named the 2023 Distinguished Alum by the Haslam College of Business. At the forum, the Global Supply Chain Institute also recognized him as a Distinguished Fellow.

Listen as our co-hots speak with Newsome about his work as an executive at South Carolina Ports, cast a vision for the future of supply chain management, and discuss visibility, sourcing, the labor market, and the evolution of UT’s business education from transportation to today’s highly regarded end-to-end supply chain management model.

Watch a video version of this podcast on YouTube.

Related links:

• U.S. economic growth accelerated to 4.9% last quarter
• Domestic manufacturing output rose in September.
• Container imports continue rising, outpacing pre-pandemic levels
• Labor market added 150,000 jobs in October, shows signs of cooling
• Holiday spending outlook is sluggish across retailers
• United Auto Workers secure historic contracts
• Alan Amling in FreightWaves on the unintended consequences of the UPS-Teamsters agreement
• What is hydrogen energy, and can it help fight climate change?
• Jim Newsome honored with the 2023 Distinguished Alum Award from the Haslam College of Business
• SC Ports’ record numbers in 2020 and 2021
• Drought saps the Panama Canal, disrupting global trade
• China exports decline, takeaways from September data
• SC Ports handle 

For the second episode of Season 2, Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Terry Esper, professor of logistics at Ohio State University and Chair Elect for CSCMP, and Tom Nightingale, CEO of AFS Logistics and chairman of the board for CSCMP.

They discuss professional development in the supply chain industry and highlight the paradigm shifts in organizational structures and talent acquisition strategies. Listen as Nightingale shares the latest initiatives by CSCMP, the growing trend of corporate memberships, the importance of local round tables, and the future of supply chain education.

From the changing dynamics of professional organizations to the strategic engagement of CSCMP members, this episode is loaded with actionable insights that will redefine your understanding of the industry.

Listen in as our co-hosts also discuss the near government shutdown, UAW strike, low water levels in the Panama Canal and Mississippi River, the Iran oil agreements, and more.

Related Links

• UAW strike news
• LMI high-water mark
• Low water levels in the Panama Canal
• Tom Goldsby on the United Auto Workers strike’s roots in AI and ramifications for auto logistics
• UT Haslam’s Ted Stank Honored with Supply Chain Hall of Fame Induction
• Learn more about ASF Logistics
• Yellow Logistics files for bankruptcy 
• Learn more about CSCMP's roundtables
• UT's Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain degree program
• UT's Masters in Supply Chain Management Online degree program
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Latest news and insights from the GSCI team

For the first episode of Season 2, Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Denis Reilly, president and CEO of Kenco Group, a logistics provider based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They discuss innovating, automating, and driving productivity even in the midst of a labor shortage. Denis, a member of the GSCI Advisory Board, also shared his approach to developing talent and what it’ll take to succeed as a senior leader in the future.

Beyond the interview, listen in as Ted and Tom discuss consumer confidence reports, unemployment figures, the state of the current job market, economic projections for the remainder of 2023, and more. 

Related links:

• Consumer confidence wanes with high prices and a cooling job market
• Fed, economists make course correction on US recession predictions
• What holiday shopping could look like in 2023
• Hiring settles into low gear as August unemployment rose to 3.8%
• Labor unions pushing for raises and better hours
• Tom Goldsby on the United Auto Workers strike’s roots in AI and ramifications for auto logistics
• Gen Z reconsidering the value of college degrees
• Read about Kenco’s Innovation Test Lab
• Listen to the Season 2 trailer and most popular episodes from the first season
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Latest news and insights from the GSCI team

Hosted by the dynamic duo of Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby, Tennessee on Supply Chain Management will launch its second season later this month with a high-level discussion on innovation, automation, and driving productivity with Kenco Group President and CEO Denis Reilly. 

Prepare for a new slate of informative, insightful, and entertaining episodes with this teaser episode and relive the best from our first season below.

Most popular episodes from Season 1:

• Delivering Hope for the Supply Chain Marathon with Pfizer VP Dr. Michael Ku (Ep. 13)
• Is LEAN Dead? (Ep. 4)
• How to Build a More Sustainable Supply Chain with Philips' Jeff DiLullo (Ep. 15)
• Growing into Leadership with Caterpillar VP Wendi Gentry-Stuenkel (Ep. 19)
• Will the Port Snarl Affect Santa's Deliveries? (Ep. 1)

Learn more about GSCI and how our academic and talent development programs can benefit supply chain professionals and business leaders from early career to the C-suite at our website. 

Latest articles and insights explaining what’s trending in the industry:

• The implications of the Teamsters Union contract with UPS
• The importance of companies building agile relationships with external stakeholders
• Making sense of the latest sustainability reporting requirements for the transportation industry.

For the final episode of the podcast’s first season, our co-hosts split responsibilities in light of Ted Stank being named the winner of this year’s Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award, earning him a place in the Supply Chain Hall of Fame.

Tom Goldsby interviews Ted about the two decades he has spent pioneering supply chain management education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, setting the standard for how universities can collaborate with industry to reap maximum benefits. Ted shares his journey into logistics and supply chain management from his time as an operations officer in the United States Navy, how he’s seen the field evolve, and the most significant achievements of his long and storied career.

Ted currently serves as the co-executive director of the Global Supply Chain Institute and leads the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative, a joint initiative between UT and leading Fortune 500 partner firms to explore advanced concepts in the discipline.

Beyond the interview, Ted and Tom discuss the implications of the UPS-Teamsters agreement, Yellow Freight’s closure, record-sitting e-commerce numbers, global challenges to supply chains in China, Ukraine, India, and more.

Related links:

• Alan Amling on the early takeaways from UPS-Teamsters Union’s tentative agreement. 
• UPS cuts 2023 forecasts, fights to regain business lost during US labor talks
• Yellow Freight, third-largest small-freight trucking company in the U.S., ceases operations
• 187,000 jobs added in July as unemployment falls to 3.5%
• Chinese imports down 24 percent; Mexico becomes U.S. top trading partner
• Amazon touts ‘biggest ever’ Prime Day, online sales surge to $12.7 billion
• What does Amazon’s solid Q2 mean for Target and Walmart?
• Ukraine-Russia war disrupts shipments of grain and oil, threatens food and energy markets
• India suspends rice exports, risking global food crisis
• Ted discusses his career and the evolution of SCM education with European Business Review.
• Latest news and insights from the GSCI team.

In our July episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby are joined by professor John Bell, department head for supply chain management in the Haslam College of Business, to discuss economic competition between the United States and China, the sourcing of rare earth elements essential for producing electronics and other technologies, and the growth of the University of Tennessee’s top-ranked supply chain programs. 

Bell, who was recently named the John “Red” Dove Professor of Supply Chain Management, was a career maintenance and logistics officer in the United States Air Force. As a supply chain researcher, he is considered an authority in the areas of supply chain strategy, resource scarcity, hazardous material transportation, and logistics with publications in prominent journals, including the Journal of Business Logistics, Transportation Journal, Advanced Engineering Informatics, and the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. 

This year, Bell has written a series of articles for GSCI exploring the understudied and misunderstood processes for sourcing natural resources used as raw materials by the industries that make the products we buy every day. 

Listen as Ted and Tom discuss slowing inflation, the delivery challenges posed by strikes and potential strikes in Canada and the U.S., nearshoring of manufacturing to Mexico, and more.

Note: Ted was recently honored with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award, earning him a place in the Supply Chain Hall of Fame alongside such innovators as Jeff Bezos, Henry Ford, and former UT professor Tom Mentzer. Stay tuned for our next episode in which Tom interviews Ted to get his take on receiving the award.

Related links:

• Inflation rose just 0.2% in June as consumers get a break from price increases
• U.S. service sector picks up as inflation slows, ISM survey shows
• Federal Reserve closing in on end of rate hike cycle
• Carriers divert ships from Canada’s strike-hit west coast ports
• GSCI Fellow Alan Amling’s five key questions and answers from UPS-Teamsters negotiations 
• New restrictions at the Panama Canal due threaten the future of the shipping route
• US nearshoring wave grows as Mexico exports jump close to record
• Tension between China, U.S., Russia and Ukraine threatens global economic growth
• What are germanium and gallium and why is C

In our June episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby are joined by professor Stephanie Eckerd and recent Ph.D. graduate Anne Dohmen to discuss the relationship between industry and academia at the University of Tennessee, the value of partnerships for research, and their own transitions from practitioners to professors.

Eckerd, who was recently named the FedEx Chair of Supply Chain Management in the Haslam College of Business, is the director of UT’s SCM Ph.D. program. Dohmen, who was an engineer by training and worked for both General Mills and Procter and Gamble before transitioning into academia, researches supply chain planning, agility, and disruptions. This fall, she will begin a job as an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business.

Listen as Ted and Tom discuss highlights of the Spring Supply Chain Forum, the current state of inventory and imports nationwide, the role academic research plays in company performance, and more. 

Related links:

• Everything you need to know from Spring SCF 2023
• Several GSCI SCF partners named in Gartner’s Global Supply Chain Top 25, including Schneider Electric (1), Colgate-Palmolive (3), Johnson & Johnson (4), PepsiCo (5), and Pfizer (6)
• Listen to our May podcast episode with three leaders from Schneider Electric about how to cultivate supply chain talent
• Read a Q&A about the societal importance of UT’s supply chain research with Eckerd and professor Chris Craighead
• The latest updates on the U.S. debt ceiling legislation
• UPS strike looms with big repercussions for consumers
• Laredo remains nation’s No. 1 gateway for international trade.
• Rates decrease, volume falls, and new capacity comes online for ocean shipping
• Tom, Ted, and Lance Saunders’ 2021 article on the bullwhip effect in the Wall Street Journal