For the February 2025 episode, host Ted Stank and guest host Josh King speak with Barbara Melvin, CEO and president of the South Carolina Ports about everything from U.S. trade and tariffs to the impact of labor and economic development on port operations.

A member of the GSCI Advisory Board Melvin runs one of the fastest-growing ports in the country, and the fourth-busiest gateway on the East Coast in Charleston, South Carolina. Previously serving as the organization’s COO, she was named to her position in July 2022, becoming the first woman to lead a top 10 U.S. operating container port. In 2023, she was recognized as an Outstanding Woman in Supply Chain by student leaders at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Listen in as our hosts also delve into the state of the U.S. economy, talent development in the industry, applied research opportunities with UT, and the challenges leaders like Melvin are tasked with overcoming to benefit American businesses and consumers.

The interview with Barbara Melvin starts at 8:23.

The episode was recorded on February 13, 2025, during the Winter GSCI Advisory Board meeting at the Haslam College of Business.

Related links:

• Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs shake up supply chains
• U.S. consumer inflation increases at fastest pace in nearly 1.5 years.
• Register for SCM Academies in Finance, and Planning
• Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top experts in the discipline.
• Read our latest white paper, “Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force”
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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For the first episode of 2025, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with UT Knoxville experts Huseyn Abdulla and Seongkyoon Jeong about their research in the areas of returns management and supply chain cybersecurity.

Assistant professors and esteemed scholars in their disciplines, Abdulla and Jeong’s insights are a deep dive into the challenges and innovations shaping supply chain management. Among other points, Abdulla explains how retailers balance the growing demand for customer-friendly return policies with environmental and financial sustainability, while Jeong discusses the rising risk of cyberattacks in an increasingly data-driven world.

Listen in as our hosts also delve into consumer sentiment, holiday spending, the trade implications of the new Trump administration, collaborations between Hyundai and Amazon, and much more.

The episode was recorded virtually on January 17, 2025.

Related links:

• U.S. shoppers set record for holiday spending in 2024
• Logistics industry growth slowed in December, per Logistics Managers Index report
• Trump orders trade review ahead of potential tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
• Hyundai begins selling vehicles on Amazon Autos
• U.S. consumers ‘resilient and strong’ in face of high prices and interest rates
• Read Huseyn Abdulla’s article in The Conversation about consumer backlash when retailers change their return policies, and his study published in the Journal of Operations Management
• Read Seongkyoon Jeong’s blogs on cybersecurity risks and three types of cyberattacks affecting supply chains
• Register for SCM Academies in Leadership, Finance, and Planning
• Read our latest white paper, “Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force”
• Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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For our December episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Marianne Wanamaker, dean of UT's Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and a professor of economics and public policy.

Wanamaker, who served as the chief domestic economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisors during the first Trump administration, is a recurring guest on the podcast and at meetings of the GSCI Advisory Board, where executives look to her for insights into the U.S. labor market.

In our final recording of 2024, she addressed the U.S. presidential election, the threat of tariffs and inflation, the negotiating tactics of president-elect Donald Trump, business relationships with Mexico and China, immigration, and much more.

The episode was recorded virtually on December 3, 2024.

Related links:

• November Logistics Manager’s Index shows continued growth
• Discounts and deals led to a Black Friday and Cyber Monday that exceeded expectations
• Farm industry warns Trump’s deportation plans could upend food supply
• What the last Trump tariffs did per experts
• Is the U.S. national debt of $35 trillion putting global economy at risk?
• Read our latest white paper, "Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force," released at the forum.
• Listen to previous episodes featuring Wanamaker in December 2021, March 2022, and July 2022.
• Wanamaker on the future of the supply chain workforce for Zero100 podcast
• Save the Date for the April 2025 Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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For our November episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby were live at the Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum, where they spoke with Robert Martichenko, board chair for TrailPath Workplace Solutions, and Sunland Logistics Solutions' CEO Arch Thomason and VP of Human Resources Diane Lowman.

With fundamental forces, from population demographics to shifting societal attitudes, shifting the nature of work and the relationships between people and their employers, the challenge of attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining talent is greater than ever. Our guests provide an in-depth case study for how they've partnered to build a Meaningful Employment Environment where trust has been established, fundamental needs are being met, the environment is participative, and the work is meaningful.

These are the kinds of relevant projects being tackled by University of Tennessee partners and shared through our extensive networks. Learn more about becoming a member of our renowned Supply Chain Forum today.

The episode was recorded live at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown on November 13, 2024. Watch a video of the episode.

Related links:

• Listen to our Season 1 episode featuring Robert Martichenko, "Is Lean Dead?"
• Read our latest white paper, "Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force," released at the forum.
• Listen to our Season 2 episode with Sunland's Chief Customer Officer Elijah Ray, "It's All About People."
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Learn about SCM Academy programs, including upcoming virtual courses on Leadership (Jan. 29–May 6), Finance (March 3–April 27), and Planning (March 17–May 11)
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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For the first episode of our third season, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Haslam College of Business lecturer Paul Fortunato and partners from his Supply Chain Project Management (SCM 430) course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Fortunato, a former executive with Dow Chemical Company, invited Lori Maurer, director of the center for supply chain excellence, and Riley Clayton, logistics and supply chain manager, from Albemarle to talk with Ted and Tom about the corporation’s three-year involvement in his course.

UT’s top-ranked supply chain management programs are held up by their real-world relevance and the close work with corporate partners such as Albemarle, a leading provider of lithium, bromine, and other essential chemical elements.

Don’t miss this exciting discussion on talent identification, university and business collaborations, and real-world supply chain challenges addressed by UT students. To open the episode, our hosts also talk about the impact of U.S. port strikes, economic growth numbers, the upcoming presidential election, and more!

Is your company interested in partnering with the University of Tennessee? Learn more about becoming a member of our renowned Supply Chain Forum.

The episode was recorded virtually on October 28.

Related links:

• The U.S. economy remains engine of global growth in latest IMF forecasts
• Election-year effect: scenarios that could impact the supply chain
• Don Maier on understanding the impact of organized labor on the U.S. supply chain
• For the fifth year, UT ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 4 nationally for SCM programs by U.S. News and World Report
• Register for the Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 12–14 in Knoxville
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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In between Seasons 2 and 3, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby were at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Conference, where they caught up with Kate Vitasek, a GSCI Fellow and internationally renowned business leader, educator, and founder of Vested, a model for creating highly collaborative business relationships in which both parties are equally committed to each other’s success.

Vitasek and her Vested model were nominated for the CSCMP Supply Chain Innovation and Teaching Innovation awards.

Later this month, she will operate back-to-back courses on UT’s campus: Vested Executive Education (Oct. 28-30) and Collaborative Contracting (Oct. 31-Nov. 1). She also offers virtual courses and opportunities worldwide. You won’t want to miss out!

***Vitasek is offering a full scholarship to Ports and their management to send a group to Knoxville to attend either course***

The episode was recorded live on September 30, 2024, during the CSCMP Edge Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Related links:

• Learn more about Kate Vitasek and the Vested business model
• Download Vitasek’s full library of white papers and case studies in English, Spanish, French, Swedish, Dutch, and Portuguese
• Dockworkers go on strike, snarling traffic at East and Gulf Coast ports
• Hurricane Helene may devastate tech and health supply chains
• Register for the Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 12–14 in Knoxville
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Download GSCI’s latest white papers for free
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

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In the final episode of Season 2, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Elijah Ray, chief customer officer of Sunland Logistics Solutions about the evolution of third-party logistics, the importance of company culture, employee retention, and creating trust with clients.

With nearly four decades of experience in logistics and supply chain management, Ray has contributed to a culture of continuous improvement and big-name brand engagement at Sunland. He is a member-at-large and former president of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

Don’t miss this exciting discussion on great workplace environments, thriving business partnerships, creating value for both parties, leading with care, and more.

The interview with Elijah Ray starts at 5:40.

The episode was recorded on August 15, 2024, during the GSCI Advisory Board meeting at the Haslam College of Business.

Related links:

• US unemployment claims fall in sign of resiliency in job market
• Inflation dipped in July, Fed expected to cut interest rates
• Canada rail strike, lockouts slated to start this week
• Register for the Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 12–14 in Knoxville
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Download our latest white papers for free
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For our July episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Dave Clark, former CEO of worldwide consumer business for Amazon.

In two decades at Amazon, Clark, a graduate of UT’s MBA program, helped build one of the most extensive supply chain operations in the world, with hundreds of fulfillment centers and transportation facilities, a fleet of several dozen dedicated aircraft, 100,000 delivery vans, and more than 1.5 million employees. Clark is a member of the American Red Cross Board of Governors and served as CEO of Flexport from 2022 to 2023. He is regularly sought out for his expertise in tackling logistics issues related to national security and global affairs.

Don’t miss this exciting discussion on the evolution of Amazon’s consumer business as well as current warehousing trends, the state of the economy, retail consumer habits and expectations, and much more.

The episode was recorded virtually on July 8, 2024.

Related links:

• How consumer demands drive warehousing trends
• Ocean freight rates are spiking again
• Inflation continues to slow in the U.S. opening door to Fed rate cut
• U.S. labor market adds 206,000 jobs, unemployment rises to 4.1%
• Amazon plans to launch discount store to fend off Temu and Shein
• Gartner ranks UT’s graduate SCM programs No. 1 in North America
• Read/watch Dave Clark’s fireside chat at UT’s Haslam College in April
• Become a Supply Chain Forum member
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!