Speakers
2026 SPEAKERS
At UPS, Alan served as VP of Corporate Strategy, where he revitalized the company's innovation and venture capital programs for the digital economy, and VP of Marketing for UPS Global Logistics & Distribution. His career began loading packages in college.
Dr. Amling holds a Ph.D. from Kennesaw State University, an MBA from Indiana University, and a BA from Lewis & Clark College.
His expertise includes warehouse management systems (WMS), systems integration, software engineering, automation, and technology strategy.
A strong advocate for quality and automation, Casey has helped lead Polaris' automated testing strategy since partnering with Cycle Labs nearly eight years ago. He has established testing standards and best practices that transformed testing from largely manual processes into scalable, repeatable automation, improving software quality, reducing risk, accelerating deployments, and increasing confidence in enterprise system changes. 
Todd blends innovation strategy, execution, and advisory across dynamic supply chain environments. His focus on scalable innovation, operational efficiency, and commercializing emerging technology solutions positions him as a recognized voice in the future of logistics automation. 
Cherie also spearheaded various workforce and development initiatives at Ryder including launching the Retail, Tech & Health Women’s Leadership group.
Prior to joining Ryder in 2018, she was vice president of operations and supply chain at FedEx where she led operations for the Technology business unit, including warehouse logistics, engineering, business development, and procurement. Previously, she was with Teleplan International, where she was responsible for warehouse logistics in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Cherie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Pheonix University. She also graduated from the Power of Negotiating program at Harvard University’s School of Business. In her spare time, Cherie enjoys welding, woodworking, painting, and sewing. 
A finance native by background, Sam built McKesson's Finance and Supply Chain AI practice from the ground up — improving cash flow by 25% and implementing digital twins that today manage $20B in inventory. That finance-first lens shapes how he builds and how he leads. Much of his current focus centers on simulation-based optimization as the bridge between supply chain and finance — an approach that retires the simplifying assumptions most planning tools still rely on, the ones that quietly fail when product portfolios are imbalanced and correlated. Sam holds a BA in Economics from the University of Southern California and a Master of Accounting from the University of Dallas. 
Throughout his career, Jay has consistently delivered sustainable cost improvements, strengthened global supplier networks, and enhanced end-to-end supply chain performance in both complex and rapidly evolving environments. His ability to transfer best practices across industries enables him to unlock new efficiencies and drive innovation at scale. Jay is recognized for shaping and executing supply chain strategies that align with broader business priorities, enabling organizations to drive measurable enterprise value, resilience, and long-term growth. He brings a disciplined, data-driven approach to navigating complexity and transforming supply chains into strategic advantages. 
Prior to Stanford, Omar held senior supply chain and program leadership roles at Google, Facebook, Apple, and BlueScope Steel, where he managed multi-billion-dollar infrastructure portfolios, led global teams of up to 200, and delivered over $300M in cumulative cost savings through ERP, TMS, and S&OP transformations. He holds an MBA, an MSc in Logistics, and a BE in Mechanical Engineering, and is ASCM CSCP-certified. Omar recently completed Stanford's AI-Driven Leadership program and speaks frequently on applying AI and analytics to modern supply chain operations. 
In prior roles, Ms. Dissen was an executive at Accenture and worked with William J. Clinton Foundation Clinton Climate Initiative in Southeast Asia. Ms. Dissen has a Masters and Bachelors in Civil/Environmental Engineering from NC State University, with recent certificates in Climate Change and Society and Harvard Business School Executive Education Program. She currently serves on the Boards of Mountain True, NC School of Science and Math, supports the Asheville Museum of Science and was involved on the Advisory Council for Electric Power Research Institute. 
His areas of expertise include: operations improvement, facility and process design, network development and strategy, labor efficiency, software functional design and system selection, material handling integration, partnership/program management, executive strategy, and support.
Drew lives near Athens, Georgia, has been married to his wife Lindsay for fifteen years, and is father to a son, Caleb (12) and a daughter, Adilynn (9). An avid Georgia "Bulldawg," Drew holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. 
Piu's work focuses on how AI is reshaping modern supply chains — not simply by automating tasks, but by transforming how organizations make decisions. She is particularly interested in the evolution of supply chain talent as planners, buyers, and operations leaders transition from executing transactions to orchestrating AI-enabled networks and strategic business outcomes.
Beyond Apple, Piu is an active speaker, startup pitch competition judge, mentor, and advocate for stronger collaboration between industry and academia. She regularly shares insights on AI, leadership, operational excellence, and the future of work, with a passion for helping the next generation of supply chain professionals develop the skills needed in an increasingly intelligent and autonomous world. 
He has over 15 years of Implementation experience in WMS and Warehouse Automation landscape across Retail, E-Commerce, and Auto-parts distribution in Fortune 500 organizations spanning over 30 full cycle implementations. 
Her experience across these areas gives Tracie a broad perspective on how assortment, inventory, and supply chain network decisions affect customers, store teams, suppliers, and the broader business.
In her current role, Tracie aligns Merchandise Planning, Inventory Management, and Supply Chain Planning around shared priorities. She focuses on strong execution, cross-functional partnerships, and developing leaders who can meet today’s business needs while preparing for what comes next. 
Paul holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Grand Valley State University. 
Previously, Nitin was GM of Supply Chain at Shopify, responsible for building out Shopify Logistics, a set of managed fulfillment products for Shopify's merchant base. He also spent time building and leading ultra-scaled fulfillment systems and global teams in Amazon's Supply Chain. Nitin has over 25 years of domain experience and his ventures have contributed significantly to evolving the digital commerce and logistics landscape. 
Norman’s core specialty is helping consumer product brands comply with retail and grocery supply chain technical and operational vendor requirements. His efforts reduce financial penalty chargebacks, improve end-to-end performance, and enhance data analysis and reporting. He acts as a dedicated software and supply chain strategic partner with responsibility for retail and grocery B2B-B2C-D2C portfolios of upwards to $60M annual.
Norman is an expert in ERP, X12-EDI, and barcode label/scanning applications including GS1US standards, and FDA FSMA 204 compliance pertaining to retail and grocery compliance. He helps to transform his clients’ relationships with their software partners, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, and customers through clear communications, master data management, and smooth flowing transactions.
Norman is a US and international speaker (60+ presentations) and writer (60+ articles including two peer-reviewed journal submissions), an editorial writer for Supply Chain Management Review since 2023 including the Perfect Order article series, and the author of innovative books “Detecting and Reducing Supply Chain Fraud” (Gower/Routledge, 2012), “Successful Supply Chain Vendor Compliance” (Gower/Routledge, 2016), and “Attack, Parry, Riposte: A Fencer’s Guide To Better Business Execution” (2020).
Norman is an ambidextrous foil and saber fencer, but will fence epee if one is handed to him. 
Prior to GXO, Jeff spent six years with Maersk, holding various logistics roles for their North American division, based in the NYC area. He spearheaded Maersk’s merger and acquisition of Performance Team in 2020, which was a key element for the expansion of logistics capabilities in North America. As part of M&A integration, Jeff transitioned to Senior Vice President of Operations. He worked closely with customers to develop winning strategies that foster integrated end to end supply chain solutions, while fostering operational excellence in the Maersk-Performance Team logistics network. In 2023, Jeff transitioned to Head of Contract Logistics, responsible for technical sales, solutions engineering, and product development. for all warehouse-based activities. His role expanded to include Cold Chain product and operations and the NAM Innovation Center in 2024.
Jeff has 25+ years of industry experience covering a broad range of supply chain segments including e-commerce fulfilment, deconsolidation, distribution, international transportation, and overall supply chain strategy. Prior to joining Maersk, he was with XPO Logistics (now GXO) serving as Senior Vice President of Operations. He started his career as a distribution center hourly team member and advanced to hold various supply chain leadership roles for US and global brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Linens N Things, Kohl’s Department Stores and Toys ‘R’ Us.
Jeff graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Economics and has an MBA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is certified in Lean Six Sigma from Villanova University.
He is originally from the Boston area, and now lives in Warwick, NY with his wife, Victoria, daughter Nicole (20) and son Cameron (18). In his spare time Jeff enjoys running, CrossFit, golf and skiing. 
Formerly, Kent was the executive vice president of sales and alliances at ASCM having overseen ASCM’s North American chapters, international training partners, corporate clients, eCommerce and was responsible for growing and strengthening the organization’s strategic collaborations.
Kent has nearly 40 years of transformational advisory and practitioner experience with large multi-national organizations. He specializes in SCOR®-based transformations, supply chain strategy & segmentation, supply chain planning, enterprise risk optimization, and supply chain visibility. As a certified SCOR® master instructor, he has traveled the globe leading workshops, education, and transformational programs.
Kent holds a master’s degree in international business from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana university. His 2024 book, Sustainable Supply Chain Orchestration: Unlearning for a Better Tomorrow has been released as the seminal work on the topic. 
Most recently, Jason served as the Vice President, Supply Chain Operations working with our HSO leaders to build new logistics capabilities and improve our patient experience. Prior to that, Jason held numerous supply chain roles in the areas of logistics, business development, and strategic planning with industry leaders such as Ralcorp, Covidien, and Beckman Coulter developing a proven track record in reducing waste, improving inventory management strategies, and capturing gains in efficiencies and productivity. Most recently, Jason served as the Director of Supply Chain Central Operations, forming a Central Operations Team which defined comprehensive systemwide inventory and distribution strategy while simultaneously establishing ad-hoc inventory planning and internal distribution needs.
Jason served as a Quartermaster Officer in the United States Army and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Jason and his wife Heather live in St. Louis, Missouri with their two daughters Ryan and Tiernan. 
His research focus includes buyer-supplier relationships (as viewed from the supplier’s perspective), supply chain risk and resilience, strategic supply chain management, supply chain cyber security, and certified management standards. From 2014 to 2016, Dr. Melnyk was a member of the APICS Board of Directors. From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Melnyk had a joint appointment from the University of Newcastle (Australia) where he was the Newcastle Global Innovation Chair in Supply Chain Management. In 2017, the Academy of Management — the Operations and Supply Chain Division — recognized Dr. Melnyk as a Distinguished Scholar in the field. In 2018, Dr. Melnyk received the Withrow Teacher-Scholar Award from the Eli Broad School of Business, Michigan State University, in recognition of his work as both a researcher and a teacher.
He has held appointments at Cranfield (UK), Cambridge (UK), Erasmus University (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), and the University of Newcastle (Australia). He is currently part of the DBX initiative (DoD sponsored) — a research initiative in support of the CHIPS Act. Dr. Melnyk is recognized for this ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Since retiring, Dr. Melnyk has now part of the Executive Development Program at Michigan State University. 
He was most recently senior vice president of sales and solutions. Moses was also senior vice president of global products.
He has had a distinguished career in the transportation industry in product and sales leadership roles. Prior to joining Penske Logistics, he was vice president of sales at Penske Truck Leasing.
A member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), Moses has spoken at industry-leading supply chain conferences and guest lectured at top universities. He is also a supply chain author.
A master black belt, Moses was awarded a bachelor's degree in accounting from Brooklyn College and a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University in leadership development. 
Carlos joined Southern Glazer’s in 2010 as Corporate Project Manager and a year leader took on roles in the warehouse space. Since then, he has held a series of progressively advancing leadership positions, including SAP Plan to Deliver Internal Warehouse Operations Lead, Senior Manager of Engineering Operations, Director of Engineering Operations, and Director of Engineering. Throughout his tenure, he has led large-scale automation initiatives, SAP warehouse management implementations, and enterprise-wide engineering projects that have supported the Company's continued growth and operational excellence.
With more than 15 years of engineering and supply chain experience, Carlos has successfully directed the deployment of advanced automation technologies, including robotic solutions, shuttle systems, and warehouse management integrations. He has overseen multimillion-dollar capital projects, managed cross-functional teams, and served as a trusted advisor on automation investment strategies and emerging technologies.
Carlos’s overall career has focused on driving innovation, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement through engineering excellence and strategic leadership. He is passionate about developing high-performing teams and leveraging technology to create safer, more productive distribution environments.
Carlos earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil. He also holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business and a Six Sigma Green Belt certification from the University of Texas at Dallas. 
In his role, Josh focuses on product vision, customer and partner engagement, and strategic initiatives that accelerate Cycle’s long-term growth. Known for his emphasis on culture, innovation, and curiosity, Josh encourages his teams and customers to question everything and pursue continuous, iterative improvement. 
Mukul believes automation only works if it's built around the people running it, not the other way around. He strives to build human-centered warehouse operations that can be complex under the hood but stay simple to run on the floor, resilient, agile, and self-sustaining to keep performing under pressure.
He is a CSCMP George Gecowets Emerging Leader Award recipient (2023) and ISM 30 Under 30 Rising Supply Chain Star (2025). He serves on the advisory boards of ISCEA and CCALS, is a Chartered Member of CILT North America, and peer-reviews for supply chain journals. Outside of work, he's a photography enthusiast with an interest in philosophy. 
At The Modern Data Company, Sagar works with organisations to modernise their data environments and address business and technology challenges through DataOS. His focus includes enterprise data, data products, AI-ready data and the use of business context to make data more useful for analytics and AI initiatives.
Sagar joined The Modern Data Company in 2024 as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales and Solutions. Before this, he spent nine years at Thoughtworks, where he held leadership roles including Director & Global Head, Solutions (Productized Services) and Director, Client Strategy & Market Partner, North America. He was previously Global Leader, Client Engagement at Mu Sigma, where he worked with key Fortune 500 clients.
Earlier, Sagar spent more than 12 years at Mindtree, serving as Chief Knowledge Officer and as a Growth Leader, across North America and Asia, with responsibilities covering innovation, consulting, sales, operations and business development. He began his career at Tata Steel in Operations Research and IT before moving into management consulting and supply chain technology at PwC.
His career has included building and leading teams, developing technology solutions, managing strategic client relationships and driving commercial growth in India, Southeast Asia and North America.
Sagar holds a PGDBM in Operations & Marketing from XLRI Jamshedpur and a BE in Computer Science from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. 
Pellathy's professional background includes enterprise risk management and he continues to actively consult with companies across a broad range of issues related to strategic supply chain planning, organizational alignment, supply chain risk management, and end-to-end operational excellence.
Pellathy's research has been published in academic journals including Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Supply Chain Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, and International Journal of Logistics Management. He is also co-author of numerous papers on forward-thinking topics in supply chain management. This work has been featured in practitioner and popular outlets including Supply Chain Quarterly, Supply Chain Management Review, The Conversation, and the Wall Street Journal. He is also co-author of “Advanced Practice Playbook: Right-to-Left Planning” (Great River Learning Publishing, Copyright 2026). 
With more than 15 years of experience in Warehouse Management Systems and supply chain technology, Prabhakaran specializes in large-scale WMS transformations, warehouse automation, and the integration of technology, data, and intelligent systems to drive operational excellence. His work focuses on building scalable and resilient warehouse ecosystems that improve productivity, inventory accuracy, operational efficiency, and business ROI.
In his leadership role, Prabhakaran works closely with operations, engineering, and business teams to translate complex operational challenges into technology-driven solutions. He is particularly passionate about AI-driven warehousing, Agentic AI, warehouse automation, and the future of intelligent WMS, exploring how emerging technologies can transform traditional warehouse processes and create more autonomous operations.
As a frequent industry speaker and supply chain technology thought leader, Prabhakaran shares practical insights from real-world WMS implementations and the evolving role of AI and automation in the warehouse of the future. 
Debanshu developed the Predictive Reliability Index (PRI), a machine learning framework validated on 150,000+ shipment records across 1,600+ carriers that generates pre-departure carrier risk scores — yielding a 35% reduction in pickup defects and 85% model accuracy. The framework is the subject of a peer-reviewed academic paper co-authored with Dr. Amulya Gurtu, Department Head at Texas A&M University, accepted for presentation at the 2026 INFORMS Annual Meeting in San Francisco under the Transportation Science and Logistics track.
His published work spans Supply Chain Management Review, CSCMP Supply Chain Xchange, Inbound Logistics, SupplyChainBrain, and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. He serves as a peer reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and Taylor & Francis journals.
Debanshu holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo. He is based in Metro Detroit, Michigan. 
Be an active participant in the tech community and do participate in anything that I could in both technology and leadership perspectives. Have industry experience of over 20 years in software, data engineering and AI related technologies .
Be the person for change in the society and people around me and use the technology as the tool to be able to do outreach and most importantly try to get the tech closer to non-privileged and underprivileged. 
Ron’s career at Johnson & Johnson is marked by an extensive range of supply chain roles across Planning, Procurement, External Manufacturing, and Deliver, spanning the Medical Devices, Consumer, and Pharmaceutical sectors. He has successfully managed an extensive external manufacturing sites, cultivated strong relationships with more than 300 customers, and spearheaded the distribution integration of J&J’s largest pharmaceutical acquisition, Actelion, across 80+ countries. His innovative approach to supplier management, business transformation, and change management has consistently driven measurable results, all guided by his patient-centric, people-focused leadership philosophy.
A passionate advocate for talent development and diversity, Ron has contributed to initiatives such as WiSTEM and DISCOVER, fostering the advancement of underrepresented groups in STEM fields and supply chain professions. He also served as Board Chair for Penn State University’s Supply Chain Center for Supply Chain Research, reflecting his deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of supply chain leaders.
Ron’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MBA from Villanova University, enriched by international studies in Russia and China. Outside of his professional endeavors, Ron is an avid runner, basketball enthusiast, and traveler who cherishes time with his three daughters, family, and friends. 
Kayla blends hands-on operational discipline with a talent for developing teams and scaling best practices across complex, multi-site environments. Her work at ODW has reduced customer-required physical inventories from five-day, around-the-clock counts to two-hour audits, and her Inventory Playbook has become a foundational training tool for leaders across the organization. A recipient of the 2023 Women in Supply Chain Award, Kayla is recognized not only for her operational impact but also for her commitment to mentorship and developing the next generation of supply chain leaders. 
With more than 20 years of supply chain leadership at Target and eight years of service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Eric brings a disciplined, team-first approach to leadership grounded in operational excellence and continuous improvement. Over the course of his career, he has led large-scale distribution operations, start-ups, and multi-million-dollar transformation initiatives that have strengthened Target’s supply chain capabilities and performance. He holds a Master of Science degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Angelo State University. 
Santosh is a Senior Member of the IEEE and an active contributor to the engineering, power systems, vehicle technology, and logistics communities. He has served as a Grand Judge for Society for Science fairs and regularly reviews technical papers for leading IEEE conferences, including ITEC and CIACON, as well as other international engineering forums.
An accomplished author and inventor, Santosh has published multiple peer reviewed papers indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, authored several books on supply chain, logistics, and transportation systems, and holds patents for logistics devices. His work focuses on transportation systems, power systems engineering, and operational optimization.
Santosh holds a Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering Management from California State University, Northridge, and is a frequent speaker at major industry supply chain conferences. Through thought leadership and technical contributions, he provides actionable insights on supply chain resilience, sustainability, and strategic growth in complex industrial environments.
