- What are some of the unexpected lessons —good and bad— we have taken away from 2020 and 2021?
- Discussing examples of innovations created by necessity during the global pandemic that will continue on long into the future
- Taking this chapter in our working lives as an opportunity to re-evaluate, reconsider, and rethink some of the supply chain processes and strategies we had in place before COVID-19
- How should we adjust our approach to communication, coordination, mentoring, and management in the emerging ‘new normal’ of work?
- Has the global pandemic changed the way people think about their personal and professional development? What should we as leaders be doing to better understand and support how our people want to grow?
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Moderator:
Daniel & Karen Myers Faculty Scholar, Stewart Bartley Family Faculty Research Fellow,
Director of Supply Chain Management Ph.D. Program,
Gerald T. Niedert Professor in Supply Chain Management
University of Tennessee
John Bell is a Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to joining the UT faculty in August 2010, Bell was a career maintenance and logistics officer in the United States Air Force. He earned his Ph.D. in management from Auburn University and taught on the faculties at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and Georgia College & State University prior to coming to UT. He also holds an MS in Logistics Management from AFIT and a BS in history from the United States Air Force Academy. His teaching and research interests are in logistics and supply chain management, vehicle routing, facility location selection, hazardous material transportation and supply chain strategy and risk. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Business Logistics, Transportation Journal, OMEGA, Computer & Operations Research, and Advanced Engineering Informatics. He is a frequent presenter at national and international meetings of the DSI, POMS, INFORMS and other professional societies.
Panelists:
Former Chief Operating Officer
Casper
With more than 15 years of supply chain and operation experience, Charles Liu served as the Chief Operating Officer for Casper Sleep Inc, leading all aspects of the end-to-end operation and supply chain functions, including global sourcing, product engineering, compliance, quality, supply planning, production, logistics, transportation, inventory management and customer experience support.
Prior to joining Casper, Charles served as the Vice President of Supply Chain for Walmart eCommerce to deliver a consistent, pleasant shopping experience for millions of consumers with millions of products. Before Walmart, he had senior leadership positions including Chief Supply Chain Officer at Shopko, Division Supply Chain Chief at Walgreens, and Senior Director of S&OP, Forecasting, Planning and Replenishment at Ahold Delhaize.
Beyond Charles’s current role at Casper, he serves as Sr. Advisor to the Board of Directors for PetLove, a Brazilian online retailer of pet food and other pet-related products, and Advisory Board Member for Nulogy Inc, a Canadian supply chain software company that helps CPG brands and their external suppliers deliver customized, traceable, and safer products to consumers with greater speed, value, and less waste.
Charles received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Wuhan University in China, a MBA and Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
EVP, Global Operations and Supply Chain
Medtronic
Greg Smith is Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Supply Chain at Medtronic. He is responsible for the performance and integration of all aspects of the company’s operations including Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Supply Management, Operational Excellence and Transformation, Enterprise Risk and Facilities, and Operations Quality.
Before joining Medtronic in April 2021, Greg was the Executive Vice President of U.S. Supply Chain at Walmart, one of the world’s largest and most complex supply chains. Greg transformed Walmart’s supply chain to be best-in-class, developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy that drove sales, achieved operational excellence, reduced costs and created an engaging, enabling and empowering work environment.
Greg is deeply committed to diversity, equality, and the belief that a diverse workplace where everyone feels included results in stronger teams and the highest level of service to our patients, customers and employees. He was recognized as a 2020 Diversity Leader by Diversity Journal (opens new window).
Before joining Walmart, Greg was Senior Vice President, Global Operations at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, responsible for 52 manufacturing facilities across four business units around the world. He successfully led the company’s global optimization program and implemented an enterprise manufacturing operating system, a global procurement program and an enterprise planning and logistics approach.
With more than 30 years of supply chain and operations experience, Greg has transformed manufacturing, procurement and logistics programs at companies like Goodyear, ConAgra Foods, United Signature Foods, VDK Frozen Foods and Quaker Oats.
Greg earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. He currently serves on the Global Supply Chain and College of Business advisory boards at the University of Tennessee.
Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business
University of Tennessee
Former EVP Integrated Supply Chain
Mondelēz
- Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business, University of Tennessee;
- Private Equity Senior Operating Executive for The Carlyle Group;
- Board of Director Member for Three Companies;
- Retired Executive Vice-President, Global Supply Chain, Mondelez International;
- Former Executive Vice-President, Global Supply Chain, Kraft Foods;
- Former Global Senior Vice-President, Product Supply, Procter & Gamble
Daniel Myers is currently a Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business teaching as a guest lecturer for both graduate and under-graduate studies. He currently serves as a Senior Operating Executive for the Carlyle Group, one of the largest Global Private Equity firms and is on three company boards. He is the retired Executive Vice President of the Global Integrated Supply Chain of Mondelez International where he led the Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Customer Service & Logistics groups, which represent more than 70,000 of the company’s employees. Daniel held the same position at Kraft Foods Inc., the predecessor to Mondelēz International, since he joined the company in September 2011. The spin-off of the company’s North American grocery operations occurred in October of 2012. Under his leadership, Mondelez funded a major reinvention of its worldwide supply chain delivering more than $3 billion in savings over 3 years. He has extensive experience in investor management including representing Mondelez in the investor presentations at CAGNY and Barclays.
Prior to Kraft Foods, Daniel worked for Procter & Gamble for 33 years, serving in roles across all areas of the Supply Chain. Most recently, he served as Sr. Vice President, Product Supply, where he led the supply chain function for P&G’s Global Hair Care business. He was also responsible for coordinating the company’s $28 Billion Beauty & Grooming business. He had responsibility for P&G’s Customer Service and Logistics operations globally for four years and while in this role he led the integration of the operations of the Gillette company, a $56 Billion acquisition.
Daniel has strong experience launching new brands and building operations in emerging markets. He has over 25 years’ experience delivering winning innovation leading major global expansions. He has worked in 54 countries and lived outside the U.S. for more than 10 years. Daniel has mastery in the successful implementation of best practices including building High Performance Organizations and Lean Six Sigma. During his successful career, he has had responsibility for over 250 manufacturing plants and 400 warehouse and distribution centers.
Daniel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and served on the Board of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee for over 10 years.
Daniel and Karen, his wife of 40 years, are Christians who have led music and youth groups for 5 churches in three different countries over a period of 25 years. They have been active in mission work helping support and build schools or orphanages in Venezuela, Romania, Nigeria, Kenya, India and Myanmar.
