In this episode, Donna and Tom sit down with Brad Rogers, Supply Chain Planning Director at PepsiCo, to discuss his leadership of the Supply Chain Command Center, the transformative role of AI in supply chain operations, and his passion for mentoring the next generation of supply chain professionals. Brad shares insights from his 17+ years at PepsiCo, explaining how predictive risk assessment tools proactively mitigate disruptions and safeguard service levels. He emphasizes the importance of networking as a strategic skill and offers wisdom on career development, encouraging students to focus on becoming the best version of themselves rather than just listing achievements.

Takeaways:

• The role of PepsiCo's Supply Chain Command Center in crisis management and network visibility
• How AI and predictive analytics are revolutionizing supply chain planning
• Networking as a strategic toolkit for students and recent graduates

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

Brad Rogers is a supply chain executive with over 17 years of Fortune 50 experience, specializing in network strategy, risk management, and business continuity. Currently serving as a Supply Chain Planning Director at PepsiCo, Brad leads the Supply Chain Command Center for PBNA North Division. The department oversees end-to-end network visibility and orchestrated crisis management for PepsiCo Beverages North America. In this role, he pioneered the use of predictive risk assessment tools to proactively mitigate supply disruptions and safeguard service levels during peak demand periods.

Previously, Brad served as Senior Manager of Network Strategy, where he steered a multibillion-dollar supply chain redesign initiative aimed at consolidating nodes and increasing resilience across the U.S. network. His strategic approach is grounded in deep operational experience; he has successfully turned around underperforming distribution centers, managed complex manufacturing co-op partnerships, and led Lean Six Sigma initiatives that drove double-digit improvements in efficiency and cost savings.

A proud member of the Nittany Lion community, Brad holds an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Penn State and actively mentors incoming students in the program. He is currently bridging the gap between industry and academia as a DBA candidate at Fairfield University. His doctoral research focuses on the emergence of "Agentic AI", investigating how autonomous AI agents can be implemented to enhance supply chain planning and decision-making resilience.

In this episode, Donna and Tom sit down with Ron Walters, Director of Digital Technology at Collins Aerospace (an RTX business), to explore the intersection of supply chain management and digital transformation. Ron shares insights from his 25+ years of Fortune 500 experience and military service, discussing how AI, automation, and advanced analytics are reshaping supply chain visibility and operational performance.

He explains the commonalities across industries, from military to aviation, that all supply chain professionals can apply, and offers practical advice on successfully transforming complex supply chain processes through digital adoption. Listeners will gain valuable perspective on building supply chain resilience, understanding technology use cases, and preparing for the evolving landscape of the next 5-10 years.

Takeaways:

• Ron's career journey from Army Intelligence Officer to leading digital transformation at Fortune 500 companies
• How digital transformation, AI, and automation are fundamentally reshaping supply chain visibility
• Practical strategies for transforming complex supply chain processes through digital adoption
• Advice for supply chain professionals and students on building careers at the intersection of technology and operations

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

Ron Walters is an accomplished operations and technology leader with over 25 years of Fortune 500 industry experience. He has held leadership roles in manufacturing, supply chain, strategic sourcing, and IT business transformation at globally recognized companies, including General Electric, Black & Decker, Ingersoll Rand, and Trane Technologies.

Currently, Ron serves as Director of Digital Technology at Collins Aerospace (an RTX company), where he plays a critical role in aligning technology strategy with business objectives, driving efficiencies, and enabling enterprise-wide digital initiatives. Before his current role, he served as Director of Supply Chain Technology and Systems, leading digital transformation efforts across the company's global supply chain and leveraging advanced technologies to enhance visibility, automation, and operational performance.

With a deep background in digital transformation, Ron specializes in leveraging digital applications, AI, automation, and advanced analytics to enhance efficiency, streamline enterprise processes, and drive digital adoption. He actively shares insights on digital ecosystems, supply chain resilience, and emerging technology trends through industry engagements, professional collaborations, and his passion of mentoring employees and students.

Prior to his corporate career, Ron served five years as an Intelligence and Reconnaissance Officer in the U.S. Army. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Penn State, an MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and a graduate certificate in Digital Transformation for Senior Executives from The Wharton School.

In this episode, Donna and Tom sit down with Chieh Huang, founder of Boxed and CEO of Pelgo, to explore his journey from shipping toilet paper out of his parents' garage to leading a publicly traded e-commerce company and now building an AI-powered workforce platform. Chieh shares the operational engineering behind making unit economics work on low-margin, high-volume items, his early adoption of autonomous guided vehicles in fulfillment centers, and the evolution from pure automation to human-machine collaboration.

Listeners will gain actionable insights on balancing cutting-edge technology with operational reality, preparing teams for rapid change, and leading with humor, humility, and perseverance in today's dynamic supply chain landscape.

Takeaways:

• The operational engineering behind making unit economics work on low-margin, high-volume e-commerce items
• Early adoption and evolution of autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) and the balance between automation and human flexibility
• Pelgo's mission to retrain workers for AI-forward roles and the potential for gamifying frontline supply chain work
• Cultural leadership lessons from Boxed, including employee education benefits and building anti-micromanagement teams

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

Chieh Huang is a Co-founder and the CEO of Pelgo. Prior to Pelgo, Chieh was the President of the World Economic Forum's Global Collaboration Village. Throughout his career, Chieh has founded and led both public and private companies. He was the CEO of Astro Ape, an early pioneer in mobile social gaming later acquired by Zynga. During his time at Zynga, Huang led Zynga Mobile's New York studio, which produced one of the company's first homegrown, chart-topping mobile games. He was also a co-founder and the CEO of Boxed, an NYSE listed online retailer, and Spresso, an AI-powered pricing optimization company acquired by Blackrock. Before his days as an entrepreneur, Huang was a corporate attorney at a leading law firm after attending The Johns Hopkins University and Fordham Law School.

Huang currently serves on the Board of Six Flags, the world's largest regional theme park operator and has also served on several non-profit boards, including New York Cares and The Museum of Chinese in America. Chieh also serves on the Advisory Board for Mclaren Racing, with entries in Formula 1, Indycar and WEC.

Huang's personal honors include being named to Bloomberg's "50 people to watch", Crain's "40 Under 40", Goldman Sachs' list of "100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs" and Entrepreneur Magazine's "The 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs." People Magazine profiled Chieh for their "American Dream" series, tracking his growth from humble beginnings to leading industry-changing initiatives like the Pink Tax and college tuition reimbursement. You can also catch more of him at TED.com delivering a talk about his lifelong battle against micromanagers.