Category: Professionals
Brad McGregor: Don’t Chase Titles. Chase Problems.
In this episode, Brad McGregor joins Rodney Apple and Mike Ogle to discuss a supply chain career shaped by manufacturing, procurement, aerospace, defense, and emerging technology. Brad explains why early experience on the production floor helped shape his leadership style, how moving between companies and industries expanded his capabilities, and why professionals should continue seeking difficult problems rather than comfortable titles. The conversation also explores resilience in defense supply chains, supplier relationships, AI adoption, and the need to balance speed with discipline. Throughout the episode, Brad returns to a simple career philosophy: keep [...]
Don’t Outsource Your Thinking: Why Judgment Matters More in the Age of AI
Introduction This is the second in a 2 part article about how supply chain hiring is evolving as AI rapidly accelerates its influence. In this article we’ll address the fact that hiring is still taking place. In fact, a lot of supply chain talent professionals are having big years. Recruiters are being asked to fill a lot of roles despite economic pressures being applied across the board. What does this mean in the age of ongoing global disruptions and AI advancements? What this tells us is that employers need to hire differently. They are being more selective, placing a [...]
Wanda Johnson: How to Build a Career That Evolves With the Work
In this episode, Wanda Johnson, Supply Chain Technology Fellow at Deloitte, joins Rodney Apple and Mike Ogle to share how a career that began in accounting and retail operations evolved into supply chain consulting, technology, and transformation leadership. She explains how transferable skills helped her move across industries and organizations including Ralph Lauren, Tompkins Associates, IBM, Accenture, and Deloitte. The conversation also explores why technology initiatives must begin with a clearly defined business problem, how companies can keep people at the center of AI and automation, and why continuous learning, soft skills, and [...]
Remote or Onsite: Supply Chain Hiring Strategies to Find The Best Talent
Introduction Are you an employer desperate to find the best supply chain talent for your rapidly evolving supply chain organization? There are a few things you can do to improve hiring options and gain access to a deeper talent pool. Before posting and praying, it’s always best to consult with talent professionals to better gauge how easy it is to hire across these different verticals and industries. You may create an unwitting delay in an important and strategic hire by not working with the right people to determine the best hiring strategy. You might be able to enhance your [...]
Where Preparation Meets Opportunity with Adri McCaskill of SplitLogiX
In this episode of the Supply Chain Careers Podcast, Adri McCaskill, CEO of SplitLogiX, joins us to discuss her career journey that took her from South Africa to supply chain leadership and entrepreneurship in the US. She shares how mentorship, operational experience, stretch assignments, industry involvement, and a willingness to step into uncomfortable roles helped prepare her to launch and lead a global supply chain company. She also reflects on the importance of choosing learning over title, building trust early, and staying close to the work so that future opportunities are met with [...]
Developing the Supply Chain Professionals and Leaders AI Can’t Replace
Introduction We can’t overemphasize the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the supply chain landscape as a whole. However, we do not agree that it has become the great job replacer as many people fear. Sure it is increasingly impacting reporting, analytics, and other functions. However, a lot of hiring and firing decisions are being made without proper involvement of the functional leaders within an organization. Also, the soft skills necessary to lead, manage, and interpret data have become even more important with the growth and influence of AI. This is Part 1 of a 2 part article series [...]
Supply Chain Career Catalyst, Beyond the Resume, Part II: Value of Verification
In the eighth episode of the Supply Chain Careers Podcast Catalyst Series, the second installment of our Beyond the Resume episode, Rodney Apple and Chris Gaffney explore why professional references have become one of the most overlooked competitive advantages in today's hiring market. As AI continues to produce polished resumes and help candidates prepare for interviews, employers increasingly need independent validation of a candidate's experience, leadership, and accomplishments. This conversation examines how both job seekers and hiring managers can transform the reference process from a routine hiring step into a meaningful source of insight that [...]
Supply Chain Careers Catalyst Podcast: Beyond the Resume, Part 1
In the eighth episode of the Supply Chain Careers Podcast Catalyst Series, Rodney Apple and Chris Gaffney discuss why resumes and interviews alone are no longer enough to distinguish top talent. They explore how hiring managers are adapting to an AI-assisted recruiting landscape, why employers are placing greater emphasis on validating experience, and how professionals can proactively build a career portfolio that demonstrates credibility, leadership, and measurable business impact throughout their careers. The New Competitive Advantage in Hiring: Proof Over Polish Hiring has entered the age of proof. AI has made it almost too [...]
Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: Supply Chain Now Webinar
Webinar Summary During a recent webinar hosted by Supply Chain Now, industry leaders Rodney Apple of SCM Talent Group, Chris Gaffney of Georgia Tech, and Scott DeGroot of the University of Tennessee discussed how supply chain talent is evolving and what organizations must do to remain competitive. The ways in which employers are building high performing supply chain teams is changing by the month with the ever present technological advances. While these technologies continue to reshape the profession, the panel consistently returned to a common theme. Companies that invest in leadership development, organizational design, communication skills, and workforce planning [...]
Mike Hammel Talks About What Builds Strong Logistics Leaders: Experience, Adaptability, and People Skills
In this episode of the Supply Chain Careers podcast, we speak with Mike Hammel, VP of Logistics and owner of KDL Logistics, a third-party logistics organization specializing in transportation management, freight optimization, and supply chain technology solutions. Mike grew up in a family business deeply rooted in the trucking and transportation industry, where he developed an early appreciation for how freight moves, how businesses operate, and the critical role of supply chains. During our conversation, Mike shares how growing up in a family business shaped his leadership philosophy, and how building experience across [...]
