For the May 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Stephanie Pierce, director of warehouse foods planning for PepsiCo, about wide range of relevant business topics, including the changing work modalities that have impacted talent retention and recruitment, leading hybrid teams, and adapting planning for shifting customer habits in snacking.

Pierce, a 2011 alumna of UT’s supply chain management program, has spent more than a decade with PepsiCo, where she’s climbed the ladder from project analyst to her current role director-level role in planning. She represents the company on the GSCI Advisory Board, which consists of senior leaders from many of the globe’s leading public and private companies who gather to help UT chart the course for providing relevant, high-quality SCM education, research, and talent development opportunities.

Listen in for insights on how young and high-potential talent can gain visibility into new areas of their company, recruiting top talent in a competitive market, moving to align product offerings quickly to keep customers happy, and perspectives on leadership for hybrid teams spread across numerous sites.

Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about tariffs, regionalizing supply chains, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

The episode was recorded virtually on May 12, 2025.

Related links:

• Markets rise as US and China agree to slash tariffs
• India expects multi-phase trade deal with US as talks proceed
• Read Ted Stank’s book, Global Supply Chains, which provides a framework for measuring the supply chain potential of geographic regions
• US exporters rethink supply chains amid trade war
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Downloaded our latest (free) white paper, “Future-Ready Procurement”
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Learn about our SCM Academy programs, including virtual courses on Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23), Finance (Sept. 15-Nov. 16), and Procurement (Sept. 15–Nov. 16).
• Become a Supply Chain Forum partner
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the April 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby were live at the Spring 2025 Supply Chain Forum with Colin Yankee chief supply chain officer for Tractor Supply Company, to discuss the supply chain strategies and operational efficiencies that help companies thrive in uncertain times.

Their in-depth conversation explored Tractor Supply’s transportation and distribution center operations, how to leverage extensive store networks for final-mile delivery strategies, and featured insights into leading large teams of supply chain professionals to deliver customer value from top to bottom.

Prior to joining Tractor Supply in 2015, Yankee served in senior roles in supply chain operations for Neiman Marcus and Target. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Army officer before beginning his corporate career.

The episode was recorded live at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown on April 9, 2025. Watch a video of the episode.

Related links:

• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Downloaded our latest (free) white paper, “Future-Ready Procurement”
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Learn about our SCM Academy programs, including virtual courses on Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23), Finance (Sept. 15-Nov. 16), and Procurement (Sept. 15–Nov. 16).
• Become a Supply Chain Forum partner
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the March 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby are joined by guest host Thomas Deakins, managing director of the Global Supply Chain Institute, and Jason Murray, CEO and co-founder at Shipium to explore how data-driven decision-making fuels modern supply chain success.

Their in-depth conversation touches on the power of predictive technology and Agentic AI, the complexities of integrating products and software, and the critical role of data in solving today’s most pressing supply chain challenges.

With 19 years at Amazon in VP roles over retail systems and services and forecasting and supply chain, Murray brings deep expertise to the discussion. At Shipium, which he founded after leaving Amazon in 2019, he’s focused on bridging the gap between pre-purchase delivery promises and post-purchase fulfillment—ensuring better outcomes for both retailers and consumers.

Listen in as our hosts also break down the strategic use of tariffs in trade negotiations, shifting consumer sentiment amid recession fears, and how the stock market reacts to supply chain uncertainty and policy shifts.

The episode was recorded virtually on March 6, 2025.

Related links:

• Tom Goldsby shares insights on the effects of a trade war on supply chains
• Consumer outlook sinks as recession fears take hold
• Stock market continues its slide after Trump ups the ante in trade war
• Trump doubles planned tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum
• U.S. employers add 151,000 jobs in February, unemploment up to 4.1%
• Jack Daniel’s producer claims Canada’s empty shelves ‘worse than tariffs’
• Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with experts
• 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

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!