As part of our supply chain Expert Insights series, we hosted a 30-minute panel discussion with leading industry voices to explore the critical challenges and opportunities shaping supply chains today. Our panelists – Diana Stapleton, Vice President of Supply Chain at Simple Mills; Sofia Rivas Herrera, CEO of Supply Chain Now en Español; Ruth Abbott, Senior Business Consultant at John Galt Solutions; and Justin Siefert, Chief Marketing Officer at John Galt Solutions – shared candid perspectives grounded in real-world experiences and their ongoing conversations with supply chain leaders.
With companies around the world continuing to navigate economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and rapid technological advances, the role of supply chain has become increasingly strategic. What was once seen as a cost center is now a critical enabler of growth, resilience, and competitive advantage.
This lively discussion tackled three main themes: disruption and uncertainty, elevating supply chain’s role in the enterprise, and the promise and pitfalls of technology. Below is a recap of the key insights from our panelists.
Disruption Is Our Day-to-Day
The conversation opened with the question: Is disruption still as pressing a topic as it was a few years ago? For the panel, the answer was an emphatic yes.
Diana pointed to tariffs as a prime example of ongoing uncertainty. “Tariffs… they’ve come back again to haunt us, and this time, it’s more widespread. We don’t know exactly what’s happening—every day changes,” she said. For consumer products companies, this uncertainty impacts not only cost structures but also customer sentiment: “Consumers are asking: do I keep buying what I bought yesterday, or is the price too high? Staying on top of it is definitely a task.”
Sofia built on this, noting that supply chain professionals are drawn to the field precisely because it requires adaptability. “Every day I’m going to be challenged, and my mind is going to be tested in how fast I respond and how flexible I am in adapting to change,” she said. The key, she highlights, is to move away from rigid ways to respond to disruption and to embrace strategies that allow us to make agile decisions across short, medium, and long terms.
Ruth from John Galt Solutions emphasized that scenario planning is becoming a core best practice in this climate. “We can never predict the future, but with scenario planning, we can at least test out different things. What if this happened? What should we do in this situation?” she explained.
Scenario modeling helps supply chain teams manage long-term risks while also supporting near-term decision-making, especially when combined with root cause analysis and visibility tools. This enables supply chains to remain alert, agile, and well-prepared.
From Cost Center to Strategic Enabler
Beyond survival, the panelists stressed that supply chain teams are increasingly positioned to drive business growth and profitability.
“Supply chain has definitely started to get a position at the executive table… it’s no longer just inventory and cost. There’s real cash flow and growth that can be driven from [supply chain],” noted Justin.
But to secure that seat at the table, supply chain professionals must communicate in the language of other functions. Sofia highlighted this challenge: “We’re very good at telling you operationally what we need… but that doesn’t mean anything if it’s not converted into finance language or marketing language.” Internally, this means translating supply chain activities into business outcomes. Externally, it means simplifying jargon for broader audiences.
Diana described her supply chain team at Simple Mills as “the miracle workers, the problem solvers, and the optimizers,” highlighting that success depends on diverse skills—from modeling and analytics to networking and communication. In her view, supply chain’s rising profile reflects its growing role in sustaining customer satisfaction and revenue.
Ruth added that supply chains today must also balance financial, sustainability, and employee wellbeing goals, further solidifying their role as connectors across the enterprise. “Supply chain has a really unique situation by bringing together lots of data from across the business… it can really help connect teams to look at common goals and objectives,” she said.
Technology, AI, and the Human Element
The third major theme was technology. In particular, the hype and the reality surrounding AI.
Sofia cautioned against superficial adoption: “Without a clear data foundation, small and medium businesses risk using AI in ways that make our minds lazy.” She stressed that exercising “the brain muscle of decision-making” is essential for critical thinking, especially in the face of uncertainty. She advocates for more responsible and practical applications of AI, including demand forecasting and supply chain optimization.
Diana echoed this, noting that AI has been part of forecasting and supply planning for years. The real value, she said, is in how it enables companies to connect data streams to uncover patterns they wouldn’t otherwise see. “The correlations that you never would have seen before, but now you're seeing it because you're pulling consumer data in, and you're pulling order data in, and you're pulling weather patterns in… to tell you, this might be why we had a dip here, or this might be why we should be expecting a spike here in our demand… That’s where we’re at today, and I would encourage everybody to do it,” shared Diana.
Justin said that the key is understanding the use cases for AI in supply chain, emphasizing that “there are use cases where you can really generate value from it and get those quick wins.”
Ruth reinforced the need for clarity and strategy, encouraging the audience to focus on the problems they are trying to solve with AI. “[AI] should be accessible to everybody with all skill sets, so it's really important to think about AI that has explainability, and make sure you feel comfortable when you are seeing the results and you're making decisions,” she said.
Words of Wisdom for Supply Chain Leaders
The webinar closed with advice for attendees looking to take practical steps forward:
Sofia Rivas Herrera: “Go out there and talk to someone that’s not in your industry… ask them how they’re solving similar issues. And for young talent: have more in-person interactions. It will put you in a completely different place.”
Diana Stapleton: “Communication, education, and trial. Keep talking, keep learning, and try, try, try.”
Ruth Abbott: “Challenge the technology more. Tell us what’s working for you, what isn’t. Your success is our success. Let’s evolve supply chain planning together.”
The panel underscored that supply chain leaders are operating in one of the most complex and dynamic business environments in history. The growing strategic role of supply chain calls for clear communication and cross-functional fluency. And while technology offers unprecedented capabilities, it must be deployed thoughtfully, with a focus on explainability and business value, and with humans firmly in the loop.
