This episode explores:

• An overview of the expectations gap between AI investments and the results chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) are seeing. (1:58)
• How CSCOs can set an effective, long-term vision for AI in their organizations. (3:22)
• Putting that vision into action to craft better AI investment strategies. (6:30)
• Implementing and scaling AI solutions across the supply chain. (10:34)
• Actionable advice for CSCOs implementing AI systems into their supply chains. (13:21)

In this episode, host Tess Frenzel speaks with Gartner Senior Principal of Research Benjamin Jury about his research into generative AI’s (GenAI’s) impacts on the supply chain. They explore three critical junctures that supply chains tend to stumble over in their current approach to AI, and what CSCOs can do to resolve issues surrounding each one. Tess and Ben close the show with additional AI-centric recommendations for CSCOs implementing the technology into their supply chains over the coming year.

About the Guest

Benjamin Jury is a Gartner senior principal of research, leading research projects that address chief supply chain officers’ key priorities. In addition to his executive report focused on maximizing the impact of AI in the supply chain, he is currently leading a research study on cost management. Before this role, Ben’s research agenda centered on the mission-critical priorities of heads of R&D and their teams.

This episode explores:

• Expanding remits for supply chain leaders and the value they deliver. (1:17)
• How organizational structure underpins these new remits, and Ralph Lauren’s philosophy on this structure. (5:08)
• Talent opportunities borne from expanded remits for supply chain talent and leadership. (8:35)
• Technology’s role in expanding supply chain’s remit. (11:44)
• Actionable advice for supply chain leaders of tomorrow. (16:33)

Supply Chain Podcast host Thomas O’Connor discusses the evolving role supply chain leaders play in their businesses with Halide Alagöz, chief product and merchandising officer (including supply chain) for Ralph Lauren. They explore Halide’s unique career path and role at Ralph Lauren offer insight into changing expectations and growth opportunities for supply chain leaders, as well as how Ralph Lauren’s organizational approaches to talent and technology helped uncover them. Thomas and Halide close the show with recommendations for supply chain leaders of the future, and how they can use these lesions to evolve.

Gartner clients interested in finding out more about this topic can access the following:

Supply Chain Executive Report: Radically Rethinking Reorganization
Executive FastStart™ for CSCOs: How to Build Relationships and Personal Brand

About the Guest

Halide Alagöz is the Chief Product and Merchandising Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation. She is responsible for the end-to-end product life cycle as leader of the company’s Polo, RRL and Lauren brand teams and the Brand Image and Purple Label Merchandising teams. Halide additionally drives innovation and execution – from development through sourcing – of all products across the Ralph Lauren portfolio.

Prior to joining Ralph Lauren, Halide was with H&M Corporation for 18 years, most recently in Hong Kong as the Head of Purchasing. During her tenure with H&M, Halide was responsible for various regional and global supply chain operations in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, and in her native country, Turkey.

Halide also serves on the board of directors of the American Apparel & Footwear Association since April 2018 and was confirmed as its vice chair for its 2024-2025 term in March 2024. Halide earned both her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and her master’s degree in engineering management from Istanbul Technical University.

This episode explores:

• Henkel’s multiyear journey to merge two of its distinct consumer business units. (1:15)
• An overview of the strategic drivers behind Henkel’s business transformation. (2:44)
• The critical role supply chain leadership plays in driving supply chain change management. (4:52)
• Concrete steps that Henkel took during its transformation journey, including real-world examples. (8:40)
• Recommendations for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) driving large-scale change management in their own organizations. (12:26)

Host Thomas O’Connor discusses Henkel Consumer Brands’ business transformation journey with Dr. Dirk Holbach, the organization’s CSCO. The pair explore the drivers that motivated the transformation, such as Henkel’s concept of “volume to value.” They provide insight into four broad steps that Henkel took as part of its transformation, and close the show with recommendations for CSCOs that find themselves driving similar transformations.

Gartner clients interested in finding out more about this topic can access the following:

Reorganize by Integrating and Differentiating Supply Chain Activities

Supply Chain Executive Report: Radically Rethinking Reorganization

About the Guest

Dr. Dirk Holbach has been leading the end-to-end (E2E) supply chain and operations for Henkel's Consumer Brands division since 2022, with net sales around €10.5 billion. He collaborates with approximately 10,000 associates in 36 factories and 88 logistics centers around the world. As one global team, Henkel not only delivers daily on the classic triangle “cost,” “cash” and “service,” but also drives a holistic transformation journey along multiple dimensions creating significant business impact. Henkel’s aim is to continuously increase the value delivery, agility and resilience of its global supply chain with the ultimate goal to drive value growth and serve its consumers and customers at its best.

This goal is supported by three strategic priorities:

• People and culture: Henkel puts its people at the center of everything it does. The pandemic has clearly underlined the value of strong individuals collaborating in empowered teams, and Henkel enables strong value creation and business performance via its significant investment into team effectiveness and individual leadership capabilities.
• Digitalization: Continuously accelerating digital transformation at Henkel started in 2013, with migration toward a fully connected, real-time and integrated digital ecosystem and toward an autonomous, self-driving and touchless supply chain. This work is supported by highly qualified associates and Henkel is the proud owner of four World Economic Forum (WEF) Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Digital Lighthouses
• Sustainability: Part of Dr. Holbach’s personal agenda and part of the DNA at Henkel, the company drives sustainable progress leveraging digitalization (e.g., reducing its CO2 footprint by more than 70% since 2005), with 14 sites becoming fully climate-positive (electrical and thermal energy), making the company’s entire mature region footprint carbon-neutral.

When not at work, Dr. Holbach enjoys spending time with his family, or on a race or mountain bike. He has also been listed several times in the Top 28 Supply Chain Executives in Europe, being No. 1 in 2020.