For the Season 4 premiere, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsbysat down with retired Rear Admiral Kevin Sweeney to explore how military leadership principles translate to the business world.

Throughout his remarkable career in the U.S. Armed Forces, Sweeney commanded the USS Cole during its historic rebuilding and served as chief of staff to Defense Secretary James Mattis. He is now a trusted senior advisor on government relations and management in the private sector. Sweeney’s conversation with Ted and Tom spanned geopolitics, defense manufacturing, cyber readiness, and building strong teams. Along the way, he offered insights into how trust and adaptability remain vital whether leading sailors, managing crises, or guiding corporate boards.

Recorded live at the Fall 2025 Supply Chain Forum, Sweeney brought decades of experience navigating complexity under pressure—wisdom that supply chain professionals can apply in their own leadership journeys.

This episode was recorded at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown on November 5, 2025.

Watch the video.

Related links:

• Relive the Fall 2025 Supply Chain Forum
• Download free white papers from UT experts for improving returns management processes, reshoring manufacturing, procurement capabilities, and more.
• Save the date for the Spring Supply Chain Forum, April 21–23
• Learn about our SCM Academy programs, including upcoming virtual courses on Leadership (Jan. 30–May 10), Finance (March 2–May 3), and Planning (March 11–May 10).
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Become a GSCI partner
• Follow GSCI on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

In this special episode, regular co-host Tom Goldsby and Scott DeGroot, managing director of UT’s Global Supply Chain Institute, catch up with Mark Baxa, president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, at the organization's EDGE 2025 Conference in Washington, DC.

Earlier in the week, Tom was recognized as a CSCMP Distinguished Fellow, while Scott and other UT supply chain management faculty participated in several sessions as expert panelists.

We'll be back for the launch of Season 4 of the podcast at the Fall 2025 Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 4–6, in Knoxville.

The episode was recorded live on October 5, 2025, during the CSCMP Edge Conference in Washington, DC.

Related links:

• Learn more about Mark Baxa
• Download our latest white papers from UT experts on returns management and reshoring manufacturing.
• Learn about UT’s new master’s degree in global supply chain management
• Register for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6, in Knoxville
• 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 final episode of Season 3, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with supply chain consultant and former Procter & Gamble senior director Andrew Byer to explore how people, culture, and technology intersect to shape resilient supply chains.

Byer shares lessons from his long career at Procter & Gamble, where he supported global operations for health, hygiene, and cleaning products. He discusses how licensing, supply chain planning, and culture building are critical levers for performance, and why growing talent from within remains essential. The conversation also touches on how machine learning and automation are shaping new approaches to work.

Plus, Ted and Tom cover the latest headlines: the Supreme Court’s upcoming case on the legality of Trump’s tariffs, the end of the “de minimis” loophole for online orders, changes to EV tax credits, and new data on consumer prices and jobless claims.

The episode was recorded virtually on September 11, 2025.

Related links:

• Supreme Court to hear Trump’s tariff legality case in November
• ‘De minimis’ loophole is ending; here’s what it means for online orders
• EV tax credit ends soon, but it's still as complicated as ever: What to know
• Consumer prices rose at annual rate of 2.9% in August, as weekly jobless claims jump
• Download our latest white papers from UT experts on returns management and reshoring manufacturing.
• Learn about UT’s new master’s degree in global supply chain management
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• 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 August 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Doug Gray, VP of integrated supply chain for Trane Technologies, about driving resilience in the aftermarket business, embedding sustainability into strategic decision-making, and upskilling long-tenured employees to create value in a landscape of AI and automation.

Gray, a member of the GSCI Advisory Board, joined Trane’s executive leadership in 2024. In his role, he is accountable for the company’s supply distribution, including SIOP, order management, quality and packaging, inventory management, and distribution center operations. A global climate innovator, the company provides heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, refrigeration solutions, and connected building technologies, while maintaining a focus on reduced energy use and carbon emissions. Prior to Trane, Gray spent more than 16 years in various supply chain functions for Caterpillar Inc.

Listen in for insights on AI adoption, aftermarket performance, inventory management, and talent development. Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about U.S. tariffs and trade relationships, the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, and more.

The episode was recorded during the GSCI Advisory Board meeting at the Haslam College of Business on August 20, 2025.

Related links:

• U.S. hikes steel, aluminum tariffs on imported appliances, railvars, and EV parts
• How Trump’s tariffs, the AI boom, and the leadership shake-up at the Bureau of Labor Statistics will impact the economy
• Doug Gray named a 2025 Rainmaker by DC Velocity
• Learn about UT’s new master’s degree in global supply chain management
• Download our latest white paper on reshoring manufacturing and the talent skills gap for U.S. labor.
• GSCI leaders on five points of consideration from the proposed UP-NS merger
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Download the white paper “Future-Ready Procurement” or read our blog series
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative, where forward-thinking leaders and companies, like Trane, explore advanced concepts in SCM with UT scholars.
• Sign up for one of our virtual credentials in Finance (Sept. 15-Nov. 16) and Procurement (Sept. 15–Nov. 16).
• Become a

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the July 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Amalia Londono, EVP of end-to-end supply chain North America for Colgate-Palmolive, about trends in consumer packaged goods, delivering value to customers, using AI and technology in demand planning, and the importance of personal resiliency for up-and-coming supply chain professionals.

Londono, a member of the GSCI Advisory Board, leads the North American supply chain for one of the most recognized manufacturers and distributors of household and commercial cleaning, dental, personal-care, and pet food products, operating in more than 200 countries worldwide. She has spent more than 20 years with Colgate-Palmolive, working in roles across planning, continuous improvement, specialty packaging, and procurement.

Listen in for valuable insights on leadership, agility, technology, and talent development. Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about tariffs, Prime Day sales, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

The episode was recorded virtually on July 9, 2025.

Related links:

• Trump’s tariffs: What’s in effect and what could be in store?
• Five things to know about record copper prices
• Darrell Edwards on how supply chain leaders can plan for the unplannable
• UT transportation expert Alex Scott on pathways to decarbonizing the rail industry
• Register for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Download the white paper “Future-Ready Procurement” or read our blog series
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Take one of our virtual SCM courses in 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

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For the June 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Matt Stites, president of Clayton Supply and SVP of supply chain for Clayton Home Building Group, about dealing with disruptions, addressing the national housing shortage, and building growth-minded teams that pursue excellence in operations and customer service.

Stites, a member of the GSCI Advisory Board, leads the supply chain for the largest builder of manufactured and modular homes in North America. He is responsible for a 1,500-person team producing internally manufactured building products, leads a sourcing organization managing a multibillion-dollar spend, and guides a materials team serving 60 manufacturing facilities.

Listen in for insights on integrating your supply chain organization, driving talent-rich teams to continue innovating, and the importance of resilience, agility, and plasticity during uncertain times.

Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about tariffs and inflation, trade agreements between competing nations, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

The episode was recorded virtually on June 12, 2025.

Related links:

• Inflation is holding steady as tariffs yet to hit fully
• Trump urges Fed to cut lending interest rates
• Analysts react to US-China trade agreement
• World Bank forecast underscores the cost of the US trade war
• Revenue from duties jumped to $22 billion in May
• UT SCM department head John Bell on securing critical minerals, like lithium, during a global trade war
• Ted Stank and Lance Saunders on mitigating uncertainties in CFO Brew
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Download the white paper “Future-Ready Procurement” or read our blog series
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Take one of our virtual SCM courses in Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23),

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

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!