Fall 2024 Supply Chain Forum Agenda

November 12-14, 2024

The spring 2024 Supply Chain Forum will be held November 12-14, 2024, at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown. An overview of the agenda is available below. Detailed session descriptions, full speaker bios, exclusive resources, and more will be available to attendees closer to the event.

Tuesday, November 12

  • 2–3 p.m. Check-in and Registration
    Registration is required and space is limited for both student networking events. Make sure you sign up for both events when you register online.
  • 3–4 p.m. Graduate Student and Corporate Partner Networking
    A structured opportunity for our talent specialists and others from our corporate partners to meet students currently enrolled in the Haslam College of Business’s No. 1 ranked graduate SCM programs: the full-time MBA, MS in Supply Chain Management Online, and Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain.
  • 4–4:30 p.m. Break
  • 4:30–5:45 p.m. Scholars of Distinction and Corporate Partner Networking
    A dynamic and interactive networking session with UT’s Scholars of Distinction, a select group of rising second-, third-, and fourth-year SCM students who are eager to meet industry leaders across supply chain functions and gain firsthand knowledge of job opportunities and career paths.
  • 6–8 p.m. Welcome Reception
    Join us at the Opening Reception for hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and brief remarks from GSCI Co-Executive Director Ted Stank. This casual networking event is a great opportunity to connect with other supply chain professionals and UT faculty and staff.

Wednesday, November 13

  • 7:30–8 a.m. Breakfast and Check-in
    Stop by the registration table and enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet before a day of main and breakout sessions.
  • 8–8:15 a.m. Opening Remarks
    A brief welcome and update from GSCI Managing Director Thomas Deakins and Co-Executive Director Ted Stank.
  • 8:15–9 a.m. Main Session 1: Planning for Global Success with Jan Kelly of Schneider Electric
    Jen Kelly of Schneider Electric kicks off a day of thought-provoking sessions at the UT Supply Chain Forum. Ranked as the world’s premier supply chain organization in both 2023 and 2024, SE is the global leader in energy management and automation and is at the forefront of optimizing planning to improve performance. Kelly will discuss initiatives being implemented at SE to drive transformative growth and agility to meet expectations and create happy customers. Make sure to be there for this must-watch session!
  • 9–9:15 a.m. Break
  • 9:15–10:15 a.m. Main Session 2: Building Meaningful Employment Environments™ with Robert Martichenko, Arch Thomason, and Diane Lowman (Live Podcast Recording)
    Fundamental forces such as population demographics and shifting societal attitudes are changing the nature of work and the relationships between people and their employers. This is particularly evident in our supply chains, where frontline team members have high expectations of performing purposeful and meaningful work while being treated with respect and dignity. This has created a challenging environment to attract, recruit, develop, and retain top talent. GSCI’s co-executive directors moderate a panel of seasoned executives developing and implementing operational initiatives relative to building Meaningful Employment Environments ™. Don’t miss a breakout session on Wednesday afternoon in which TrailPath’s Robert Martichenko and Sunland Logistics leaders Arch Thomason and Diane Lowman provide a case study for successful adoption.
  • 10:15–10:30 a.m. Break
  • 10:30–11:45 a.m. Main Session 3: Maritime Challenges and Opportunities: Navigating the Sea of Change
    Since the pandemic, shippers have realized how much their operations rely on the maritime industry. Geopolitics, trade regulations, and shifting climate conditions all contribute to the industry’s daily operations. Co-moderated by Jim Newsome, the former president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority, and UT maritime expert Don Maier, this panel will discuss how supply chains impact and are impacted by the maritime industry. They will also discuss what the rest of 2024 and the near future look like as ‘new charts’ may be needed to deliver our goods.
  • 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. Lunch
  • 1–2 p.m. Main Session 4: Beyond Supply Chain with Dollywood Parks President Eugene Naughton
    Join John Bell, department head for supply chain management at the Haslam College of Business, as he converses with theme park industry veteran Eugene Naughton, who became just the third president in Dollywood Company history in 2020. They will discuss the vision, mindset, and approach required to succeed as a leader across different sectors.
  • 2–2:30 p.m. Break
  • 2:30–3:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions
    • Breakout #1: Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force
      • Learn key findings on enhancing productivity and retention of Generations X, Y, and Z in the supply chain workforce.
    • Breakout #2: Measuring Transportation Sustainability Using the Fleet Sustainability Index
      • Learn how the Fleet Sustainability Index helps shippers assess carrier sustainability and accurately measure Scope 3 emissions.
    • Breakout #3: Beyond Supplier Metrics: Prioritizing Order Fulfillment in Supplier Management
      • Discover a new framework for supplier management that prioritizes order fulfillment and enhances on-time delivery while reducing complexity.
    • Breakout #4: How TrailPath Helped Sunland Logistics Implement a Meaningful Employment Environment™
      • Uncover how TrailPath Workplace Solutions assisted Sunland Logistics to create an MEE.
    • Breakout #5: Shaping Tomorrow’s Transportation Experts: A Student Panel on Learnings from Implementing Oracle Transportation Management
      • Hear from GSCI’s managing director and his students about their experiences and learnings from implementing Oracle Transportation Management.
    • Breakout #6: Advance Your Career at a Top Supply Chain University
      • Learn about educational and professional growth opportunities through UT’s Graduate and Executive Education Division for supply chain management.
  • 3:15–3:30 p.m. Break
  • 3:30–4:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions (Repeat)
  • 4:15-5:00 p.m. Break
  • 5–7 p.m. Partners Reception at The Foundry
    The reception will feature poster presentations from seniors who recently completed honors theses as part of the Smith Global Leadership Scholars program. This event will provide partners with a fantastic opportunity to learn about undergraduate student research and connect with a handful of UT’s best and brightest upcoming graduates.

Thursday, November 14

  • 7:45–8:30 a.m. Breakfast
  • 8:30–9:30 a.m. Main Session 5: Gaining a Competitive Edge in a Tenant-Favorable Industrial Real Estate Market
    While the previous decade has seen fundamentals favor industrial real estate developers and landlords, the industrial real estate market is in a period of normalization that provides tenants in certain markets opportunities they haven’t seen for a long time. This session will provide an update on industrial real estate fundamentals, along with a snapshot of how strategic tenants are developing and leveraging their industrial capacity to gain a competitive advantage.
  • 9:30–9:45 a.m. Break
  • 9:45–10:45 a.m. Main Session 6: Putting Customers (or Fans) First
    Jennifer McKeehan shares her expertise managing end-to-end delivery to meet customer needs from her years spent in key roles for The Home Depot, Peloton, Walmart, and now Fanatics.
  • 10:45–11:00 a.m. Break
  • 11:00–12:00 p.m. Main Session 7: The Talent Gap in Reshoring American Manufacturing
    As a result of widespread global disruptions, companies are increasingly looking to minimize disruptions within their supply base. This panel explores reshoring and nearshoring supply through manufacturing and sourcing as well as the skills and knowledge companies need to succeed in their efforts. Panelists will review key findings from recent UT Reshoring Talent Gap research, discuss specific skills that are most critical for a successful reshoring transition, review areas to watch out for and critical success factors associated with successful reshoring, and how reshoring and nearshoring are integrated within supply chain strategies.
  • 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Lunch and Closing Remarks
    Another great forum ends with a lunch for attendees. The Spring 2024 Supply Chain Forum is scheduled for April 8–10. Visit gsci.utk.edu for the latest information. See you then!

Access Exclusive Content

The GSCI app is the only way to access exclusive Supply Chain Forum content like student resumes, event maps, important announcements, additional resources and more. Content for the Fall 2024 forum will be available in the app soon.

Previous Agendas

If you’re curious about what topics were covered and who spoke at previous Supply Chain Forum events, explore the content below.