Speakers

Shishir Agarwal

Managing Director and Senior Partner and Regional Leader of BCG’s Global Advantage Practice, Boston Consulting Group

Shishir Agarwal is a Senior Partner in the New York office and leads BCG’s Global Advantage Practice in North America. Previously, Shishir has served as Global Topic Leader for End-to-end Operations. He has worked extensively on large scale transformation and operations performance improvement across Consumer sectors. He is also a member of Global Retail Leadership team.  

Shishir holds an MBA with Honors from Wharton Business School, along with a B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology and an MS in Chemical Engineering from University of Southern California.

Lucelena Angarita

Director, Supply Chain Visibility – GS1 US

Lucelena Angarita is Director of Supply Chain Visibility at GS1 US, working with companies across retail, food and health sectors to increase data quality, operational efficiencies, and gain full supply chain visibility as they leverage GS1 Standards. She is an Industrial Engineer and Lean Six Sigma Certified Black Belt, with over 22 years’ experience in process improvement, and 12+ years’ experience in Food Safety & Quality.  Prior to GS1 US, she led the implementation of an end-to-end traceability system for the Subway Restaurant system. 

Kevin Bell

President, Renaissance Capital Alliance

Kevin Bell is an entrepreneur and a long-time business and civic leader in supplier diversity. Prior to acquiring his interest in Renaissance Capital Alliance, Mr. Bell was best known for being Senior Manager – Diversity Supplier Development at Chrysler Group LLC.

As the leader of Chrysler’s supplier diversity program, Mr. Bell was tasked to identify qualified minority and women owned businesses that would effectively work within Chrysler’s supplier base. Under Bell’s leadership Chrysler’s spending with diverse suppliers increased from $1.4 Billion, to $6.5 Billion.

Mr. Bell’s leadership interests are extensive, and include service as: Former Board Member of Real Life 101 Scholarship Fund, a scholarship program for at-risk African-American males; Former Board Member Detroit College Prep High School; Board Member and Treasurer of the Michigan Minority Supplier Diversity Council (MMSDC); Board Member and Vice Chair Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MHCC); Former Board Member and Treasurer of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC); Former Board Member and Treasurer Women’s Business Enterprise National Council – Great Lakes; Former Board Member of First Independence Bank, a Minority Owned bank Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Mr. Bell has also provided support to the National Minority Supplier Development Council since 2017 with programming and speaker recruitment. 

  • Mr. Bell’s continued and impactful efforts in supplier diversity, has earned him the following awards: 
  • The Michigan Chronicle “2010 Men of Excellence” award
  • The Michigan Minority Supplier Diversity Council 2011, 2012 and 2016 Advocate of the Year
  • 2012 Automotive News “Supplier Diversity All Star”
  • 2012 National Minority Supplier Development Council “Advocate of the Year”
  • 2017 Women’s Business Center Great Lakes – Legacy Award
Mr. Bell’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business from Wayne State University.  He is a Certified Public Accountant as well as a Certified Procurement Manager. 

Greg Brunelle

Director, Business Partnerships, Bent Ear Solutions LLC

Greg served as a firefighter and medic before working as a county emergency manager and fire coordinator. He was appointed to the NYS Office of Emergency Management in 2007 as Deputy Director of Preparedness, later serving as Executive Deputy and Deputy of Operations and culminating in his appointment as Director soon after Superstorm Sandy struck the state. Greg has subsequently served in executive positions with private sector consulting firms, leading initiatives across the nation, as well as working with early-stage start-ups to bring emerging risk management technology to city and prefecture governments across the US and Japan.

Alex Caffey

Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Alex Caffey is a core member of Boston Consulting Group’s Consumer practice. He focuses on corporate strategy, large-scale change. He has extensive expertise working with leading consumer goods manufacturers, distributors, and service providers.

Alex helps his clients navigate complex corporate strategy questions. He has deep experience leading large scale change initiatives that bring strategy to life: operating and organizational model transformation; commercial go-to-market performance improvement; and strategic transactions.

Prior to joining BCG, Alex advised corporate and financial sponsor clients on mergers and acquisitions at a full service investment bank.

Will Chu

CEO & Co-Founder, Vector

Will Chu is the CEO & Co-founder of Vector, a contactless pickup and delivery platform, that ensures supply chain partners get the right load to the right place at the right time. Prior to Vector, Will was the VP of Engineering at Addepar, a wealth management platform, which manages more than $2 trillion in client assets. Will is a problem solver at heart who enjoys leveraging technology to tackle major industry challenges. In his free time, Will enjoys camping with his family, cold IPAs and swimming in the San Francisco Bay.

Len DeBlock

Vice President Value Chain Transformation, Bimbo Bakeries

Len DeBlock is the Vice President of Value Chain Transformation at Bimbo Bakeries. With extensive experience in supply chain management and operational excellence, Len leads initiatives to enhance efficiency, streamline processes, and drive innovation across the value chain. His leadership focuses on integrating cutting-edge technology and data analytics to optimize Bimbo Bakeries' operations, ensuring sustainable growth and improved performance throughout the organization.

Jason DeVinney

Grocery Market Business Development Manager, Checkpoint Systems

Jason DeVinney is the Business Development Manager supporting grocery retailers with shrink, sales and inventory improvements that drive return-on-investment with technology such as EAS and RFID hardware, software, and labels. With more than twenty-five years of major retail experience working with consumer goods manufacturers, retail merchandising teams and loss prevention professionals, DeVinney has successfully deployed chainwide programs for some of the largest retailers in North America, Latina America, Europe, and Asia.

Jeffrey J. Dorko

Assistant Administrator, Logistics, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Jeff Dorko began his FEMA career in July of 2012 as the Director of the Office of Federal Disaster Coordination where he led the Agency’s field leader cadre including the Federal Coordinating Officers and Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinators.

Since March of 2014, he has served as the Assistant Administrator for Logistics within the Office of Response and Recovery with two periods of time, early 2020 through the end of 2021, and June to December 2022, when he served as the Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery.  

Mr. Dorko’s public service career spans more than 46 years, 34 of which were in the United States Army, serving in a variety of positions world-wide.  He completed his military service as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Deputy Commander for Military and International Operations.

He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has post-graduate degrees from the George Washington University and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University.

Joe Farrell

Senior Director US Customer Supply Chain, Mondelez International

Joe leads the US Customer facing supply chain team for Mondelez.  He has 28 years CPG experience with Nabisco, Kraft Foods, and Mondelēz Global LLC. Prior leadership roles include Business & Order to Cash roles within Shared Services, Canada Customer Service & Logistics Country Lead, US Director Customer Service, Senior Manager Customer Supply Chain, and various Transportation & Logistics Operations roles.

Joe has led collaborative programs with customers across all classes of trade in North America.  His leadership and expertise within the Direct Store Delivery and Warehouse brings credibility to the customer, while delivering productivity back to the business.

Joe has also supported major Business Transformation and On-Shelf Availability initiatives to streamline the business, align metrics across Customer and Mondelez, and simplify ways of working.

Joe has a Business Management degree from Lycoming College and his MBA from Wilkes University.  He resides in Wilkes-Barre, PA with his wife Candice and has 3 children.

Kathy Fulton

Executive Director, American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN)

Kathy Fulton is the Executive Director of American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), where she spearheads efforts to coordinate donations of logistics services and equipment, facilitating the delivery of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Promoted to her current role in 2014, Kathy previously served as ALAN’s Director of Operations.

With a passion for the intersection of supply chain management and emergency response, Kathy is actively involved in national workgroups focused on optimizing logistics during disasters, collaborating with organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Research Board, and the National Emergency Management Association. Before joining ALAN, she was the Senior Manager of Information Technology Services at Saddle Creek Logistics Services, overseeing IT infrastructure, corporate systems, and business continuity planning.

Tom Furphy

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Consumer Equity Partners

Tom is the CEO and Managing Director of Consumer Equity Partners (CEP) in Seattle, WA, where he focuses on developing companies and capabilities for the future of consumer marketing and commerce. At CEP, Tom leads Replenium, a platform revolutionizing product replenishment and automating traditional store services, and serves as Chairman of Ideoclick, Inc., an eCommerce agency aiding over 200 manufacturers, including major household brands, in navigating platforms like Amazon. Previously, Tom was an early investor and board member at BevyUp, a company acquired by Nordstrom in 2018 for its innovative customer experience technology. He also served as Vice President at Amazon, overseeing the Grocery, Health & Beauty, and AmazonFresh divisions. Prior to his Amazon tenure, Tom founded and led Notiva, a SaaS platform for retail B2B transactions that was acquired by Oracle. His retail career began with senior roles at Wegmans Food Markets.

Daniel Goldman

Commerce Research & Insights Associate Manager - NA Commerce, Accenture

Daniel leads the Commerce Research & Insights team in Accenture’s North America Commerce practice. His team’s qualitative and quantitative work spans consumer, shopper, product, brand, category, retailer, channel, and industry insights. Before beginning his career in insights and analytics, Daniel was a practicing clinical neuropsychologist for nearly seven years. He then built and led the insights primary research practice at The Stable, a commerce agency that was acquired by Accenture. Daniel earned a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota and an MBA in business analytics and marketing from the University of St. Thomas.

Jonathan Grainger

Senior Director Supply Chain, Sprouts Farmers Market

Jonathan currently serves as Sr. Director of Supply Chain at Sprouts Farmers Market. He supports the strategy, project management, execution, and growth of the supply chain. Jonathan has designed and built over 2M sqft of industrial real estate including high automation, robotics, multi-temp, etc.
Jonathan's previous positions include Director of Supply Chain for Dick’s Sporting Goods and Project Manager for Giant Eagle.

Richard Kearns

Executive Vice President, Distribution and Logistics, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc.

Richard Kearns is the Executive Vice President of Distribution and Logistics at Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG).  Richard is a member of the AWG Executive leadership team and has company-wide responsibility for warehouse and transportation operations, traffic, routing, labor negotiations, industrial engineering, corporate services and food safety, in addition to the New All in One Distribution Hub in Hernando MS.  Over the last few decades, Richard has worked in various capacities in warehousing, distribution and operational roles in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Gary Kinneer

Director, Supply Chain, Weis Markets, Inc.

Gary Kinneer is Director of Supply Chain at Weis Markets, Inc. Gary works collaboratively with the Weis Market’s distribution and transportation teams as well as wholesale, dedicated and third-party carriers, and various associated industry and CPG partners focusing on improving supply chain efficiencies, increasing associated revenue, and mitigating associated costs. Gary has extensive supermarket industry experience, prior to his current role Gary held various leadership positions in Store Operations.  Gary received a BS in Business Management from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.  He currently resides in Camp Hill, PA with his wife Katrina, they have one daughter.

Kent Ledgerwood

Senior Vice President, Value Engineering, ONE Network

Kent Is the SVP of Value Engineering for ONE Network. His experience entails 20+ years in supply chain and technology. Kent spent his first dozen years in industry leading manufacturing, logistics, inventory and replenishment for IBM, The Home Depot and Exelon Energy. After industry, Kent spent a number of years in supply chain transformation consulting for major apparel brands, energy companies and government. Over the last 10 years Kent has led digital supply chain companies in visibility, direct sourcing and network value optimization. With an understanding of how business process and transformation lead to value, Kent’s prime objective is to ensure that clients realize the value and create the speed required to maintain a competitive advantage in their markets.

Kasey Maggard

Global Practice Management Executive Director - Global Advantage, Boston Consulting Group

Kasey Maggard is the executive director for Boston Consulting Group’s Global Advantage practice, and the firm's Center for Geopolitics.

With over 20 years of experience, Kasey has worked at the intersection of international business, public policy, and economic development, serving clients across the US, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK.

As the global executive director of the Global Advantage practice, Kasey leads BCG’s effort to enable clients to flourish in a dynamic and fragmented global ecosystem. The offering spans six lines of business: Center for Customer Insight, Market Acceleration, Partnerships & Global Models, Geopolitics & Trade Impact, and Economic Advantage of Nations.

Paul Manikas

Principal Industry Architect, Microsoft

As a Principal Industry Architect with Microsoft’s Industry Solutions Delivery group, Paul is responsible for guiding our strategic Retail and Consumer Goods customers to leverage advanced data and analytics technologies to transform their supply chains. Mr Manikas leads design thinking sessions to define the customer’s ‘North Star’ vision, AI-enabled solution architecture, business case, and multi-horizon roadmap. Paul brings over 40 years of industry experience to this role. Prior to joining Microsoft, he was a Director in PTC’s corporate strategy team where he led strategic partner engagements with GE and Microsoft. Paul was also Vice President of Professional Services at i2 Technologies where he led a 140-person team of consultants who implemented i2’s SRM and Advanced Planning applications.

Juan Naveira

Global Ventures Investor, Plug and Play

Juan Naveira is a lead investor for the Supply Chain Fund at Plug and Play. He began his career in Valencia, Spain, before bringing his substantial expertise to the United States. Beyond his role managing the portfolio at Plug and Play, Juan takes a prominent role in presenting research and trends across the US, EU, and LatAm regions. Before joining Plug and Play, Juan earned an MBA in Finance from EDEM Escuela de Empresarios. He subsequently worked with founding teams of multiple companies across Europe.

Joe Nichols

Vice President, Transportation, Wakefern Food Corp.

Joe Nichols serves as the Vice President of Transportation at Wakefern Food Corp., where he oversees the cooperative's complex transportation logistics. With extensive experience in transportation management, Joe plays a pivotal role in optimizing supply chain efficiency and ensuring the timely delivery of goods across Wakefern's vast network of supermarkets, including ShopRite and Price Rite Marketplace. His expertise in logistics and supply chain management is crucial in maintaining Wakefern's position as a leading retailer-owned cooperative in the United States.

Tracey Noffke

Customer Logistics Director Strategies and Service, Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Tracey Noffke joined Kimberly-Clark in 1993 and has over 25 years of growing up in the CPG industry. Tracey is the Director of Customer Logistics. In her current role, she leads the U.S. and Canada Customer Logistics Strategies and Service organization and is responsible for customer facing supply chain activities and initiatives. Tracey has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Platteville and holds a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Phil Palin

Principal, Private Practice

Philip J. Palin is the son and grandson of grocers, a former college president, and serial entrepreneur who has served as a Supply Chain Resilience subject-matter-expert with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and with several states and cities. He has researched and engaged a wide range of extreme events including the 2011 Triple Disaster in Japan, Superstorm Sandy in 2012, Hurricane Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria during 2017, and most named storms during the 2018 and 2019 hurricane seasons. In 2020 he was involved in pandemic response and preparedness, especially focused on flows of food and medical goods. He works with federal, state, local and private sector leaders to prepare for and respond to complex wide-area catastrophic events involving dense populations. He is the author of several books and articles, including Out of the Whirlwind: Supply and Demand After Hurricane Maria and He Looks at the Earth: Catastrophe, Recovery, and the Cascadia Earthquake.

Louis Parker

RFID Market Development Manager, Checkpoint Systems

John Phillips

Senior Vice President, Customer Supply Chain and Go-to-Market, PepsiCo, Inc.

John is Senior Vice President, Customer Supply Chain and Go-to-Market for PepsiCo, Inc.  He has been with PepsiCo for over 33 years and has worked in a number of different sales and field operations roles since joining the company as a route salesperson with Frito-Lay.   In his current role, John is responsible for working with PepsiCo’s largest customers on supply chain and collaboration initiatives to drive both effectiveness and efficiency across the shared supply chain. Before joining PepsiCo, John spent ten years in retail store operations with Jewel Food Stores in Chicago and was also a Territory Sales Representative for Procter & Gamble.  John attended Western Michigan University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Food Distribution and also holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Christine Pollack

Vice President, Government Relations, FMI

Christine Pollack serves as Vice President of Government Relations for FMI - The Food Industry Association and oversees the association's advocacy and policy efforts on workforce, supply chain, payments, and privacy/data security. Christine has nearly three decades of federal policy, advocacy, and communications experience in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining FMI, Christine served on the staff of, and consulted for, the Retail Industry Leaders Association where she oversaw health, tax, and sustainability issues and political activities, and consulted on the wide breadth of retail industry policy priorities. She also has extensive experience managing stakeholder coalitions and developing and executing issue advocacy campaigns. Earlier in her career, Christine worked for the American Medical Association, two senior Members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax, trade, health care, and Social Security policy, and at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and originally hails from Wilmington, Delaware.

Nathan Rhoads, CTP

Fleet Services Director, Fleet Advantage

Nathan Rhoads is a seasoned Fleet Professional with over 20 years of experience in private fleets, particularly in the food and beverage industries. He specializes in optimizing fleet operations, cost-saving strategies, and regulatory compliance. As a Certified Transportation Professional (CTP), Nathan has extensive expertise in Life Cycle Cost Management, Strategic Capital Planning, Operations Management, Inventory Management, and Continuous Improvement. He has held significant roles at companies like Reinhart and PepsiCo, overseeing over 20,000 assets and 150 locations. Currently, Nathan provides tailored solutions for companies such as Dollar General, Bunzl, Toyota, Dyno Nobel, and Old Castle (CRH), addressing both specific and industry-wide challenges. He is also an active participant in industry associations and has been a speaker at the National Private Truck Council (NPTC), discussing topics like Total Cost of Ownership and Maintenance Strategies.


Jorge Risquez

Co-founder and CEO, bops

Jorge Risquez is the Co-founder and CEO of bops AI, a NYC & Bentonville startup building the Next-Gen CPFR platform to make the Retail-CPG industry more efficient, collaborative, and sustainable. Before founding bops, Jorge spent a decade at Deloitte Consulting working with many Retailers and CPGs such as Walmart, Target, Tyson Foods, Pepsi, etc. on supply chain optimization and collaboration projects.

Collin Russell

Director of Business Development, TGW Logistics Group

Collin Russell is a Director of Business Development for TGW Logistics in North America. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in industrial distribution and has been in the material handling and fulfillment automation industry for almost 10 years. Collin has a history of finding the right solutions for companies in the food, beverage, and grocery sectors – understanding their unique challenges and unlocking their success.

AJ Ryan

Associate Director of Transportation Procurement, The Kraft Heinz Company

AJ Ryan is the Associate Director of Transportation Procurement at The Kraft Heinz Company. In this role, AJ is responsible for the contracting, sourcing, and strategy for Truckload, Intermodal, Dedicated Fleets, CPU Program, Rail Car, LTL, and Small Parcel for the US and Canada networks. Prior to Kraft Heinz, she worked at Echo Global Logistics managing the LTL sourcing program for contracted clients. AJ has a BS in Public Financial Management from Indiana University Bloomington. 

Leslie Sarasin

President and CEO, FMI

Leslie G. Sarasin is the president and chief executive officer of FMI, the food industry association, which represents more than 1,500 member companies in the United States and around the world. Under Sarasin's leadership, FMI has become a forward focused and member centered organization committed to help supermarkets excel in their role of feeding families and enriching lives. Her synergistic style and determined spirit of collaboration has infused FMI with a renewed commitment to help its members address the critical industry issues of the day - food safety and the emerging importance of health and wellness. Prior to coming to FMI, Sarasin was president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute.

Rajib Sarkar

Director of Logistics, Colgate-Palmolive

Rajib Sarkar is the Director of Logistics at Colgate-Palmolive, where he leads the company's global logistics operations. With extensive experience in supply chain management, Rajib oversees the efficient movement of products across Colgate-Palmolive’s worldwide network, ensuring timely delivery and optimizing logistics processes. His expertise in logistics strategy, cost management, and operational efficiency plays a crucial role in the company’s ability to meet customer demands and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

Throughout his career, Rajib has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, driving initiatives that enhance supply chain performance and sustainability. His leadership has been pivotal in streamlining operations and implementing best practices across the organization, contributing to Colgate-Palmolive’s reputation for excellence in logistics and supply chain management.

Liz Sertl

Senior Director, Supply Chain Visibility – Community Engagement | GS1 US

Liz Sertl is Sr. Director, Supply Chain Visibility, at GS1 US and has more than 20 years of experience in the CPG industry. Working closely with supply chain partners, Liz facilitates collaboration best practices and guidelines that help companies improve product traceability and supply chain visibility through the adoption of GS1 Standards.

Leyland Seto

Director of Partnerships, Plug and Play Tech Center

Leyland Seto, Director of Partnerships at Plug and Play Tech Center's Supply Chain vertical, leverages over a decade of expertise at the forefront of supply chain and logistics innovation. He skillfully manages business retention and expansion, partnering with both private and public sector stakeholders to shape transformative innovation strategies. Prior to his time at Plug and Play, he led the expansion of Bunzl Distribution's (NASDAQ: BZLFF) JIT food processors platform in Canada. Based in San Francisco, CA, Leyland's profound dedication to excellence and visionary leadership make him an invaluable asset in the ever-evolving world of supply chain innovation.

Erin Smith

Vice President, Sales and Operations Planning, Bimbo Bakeries USA

Current role is VP of Integrated Business Planning at Bimbo Bakeries USA.  Erin has been with BBU for 9 years, previously leading the Project Management Office before joining Supply Chain a year ago.  20+ years of experience in cross functional roles across Supply Chain, IT, E-Commerce, and Project Management - all with focus on building new organizational capabilities.  Graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in Business Administration.

Rachel Steele

Vice President, Supply Chain, Schnuck Markets, Inc.

Rachel Steele is the Vice President of Supply Chain at Schnuck Markets, Inc. in St. Louis, MO. Her areas of responsibility include warehousing, transportation and center store procurement. She started her career at Schnuck in the Legal group, and transitioned to the Supply Chain group in 2017.

Keith Swiednicki

President & CEO, Keith Swiednicki International Inc.

As a trusted Global Supply Chain Technology Consultant well known in the distribution industry for over 40 years, Keith has successfully provided innovative and actionable supply chain optimization solutions on over 500 multi-dimensional projects. His highly specialized comprehensive analysis approach and extensive supply chain experience, including the evaluation of automated facilities, have contributed to his reputation as a trustworthy and respected industry leading expert in his field today.

David Verette

Vice President and Strategic Advisor, Retail, SPS Commerce

David is a Vice President of Retail and Strategic Advisor at SPS Commerce, providing experienced guidance across the retail, distribution and grocery sector. He joined SPS in 2000 and helped fuel the growth of the organization by securing key retail partnerships, empowering SPS to go public in 2010. David plays a critical role in helping buying organizations tackle the business problems that arise from a lack of supply chain and purchase order insights so they can operate at peak efficiency.

Kate Vitasek

Faculty - Graduate & Executive Education, University of Tennessee

Kate Vitasek is an internationally recognized authority on collaborative business relationships and the creator of the Vested® business model. Named one of the "Fabulous 50+1" most influential people impacting global commerce by World Trade Magazine, Vitasek has authored seven books and contributed to over 300 articles. She is a sought-after speaker and consultant, featured on platforms like CNN International, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News. As the lead faculty and researcher for Vested at the University of Tennessee, she also spearheaded the Certified Deal Architect program. With a career spanning roles at P&G, Microsoft, Accenture, and her own boutique firm, Vitasek is dedicated to transforming business relationships through innovative, collaborative approaches.

David Wang

Digital Supply Chain Pillard Lead, The Kraft Heinz Company

David is a Lead in Digital Supply Chain at Kraft Heinz.  He began his career in engineering before turning to supply chain in 2012. At Kraft Heinz, David works with Kraft Heinz leadership, KH IT, and external technology partners to architect Kraft Heinz’ capabilities roadmap and leads the transformation team to fulfill that vision. The efforts led to the launch of KH Lighthouse, Kraft Heinz’ internal SCM product, in 2022.  Since it’s inception, Lighthouse has consistently achieved > 4x ROI, and has been widely adopted in Kraft Heinz’ Logistics and Planning.

Donald Wermerskirchen

Director Transportation Optimization, Coca-Cola North America

Don is a supply chain leader who challenges facilities and operations to be more proactive in driving change, system collaboration and accountability. Don has a hands-on passion for driving improvements in warehouse operations, along with leading several transformational projects over the last 18 years at The Coca-Cola Company. In his current role, he is responsible for Coca-Cola North America’s Transportation Optimization to include partners, suppliers and company owned facilities in overall service and data to our customers. 

Ben Wynkoop

Global Retail Industry Strategist, Grocery & Convenience, Blue Yonder

Ben brings more than 20+ years of experience as a retail industry executive, responsible for running merchandising, marketing and analytics at several leading grocery and convenience retailers.  As a Global Retail Industry Strategist, he counsels global retailers on industry trends, leading best practices, and technology advancements. He also collaborates with Blue Yonder’s product development and innovation teams to align on addressing the challenges of today’s retailers with a specific focus on the grocery and convenience channels.

Ben has led the roadmap and implementation of merchandising technology within several retailers, in areas such as space & assortment Planning, price optimization, COGs management, as well as digital marketing and e-commerce.