Supply Chain Xchange recognizes four practitioners with "Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award"
Supply Chain Xchange Executive Editor Susan Lacefield moderates a panel discussion with Supply Chain Xchange's Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award Winners (from left to right) Annette Danek-Akey, Sherry Harriman, Leslie O'Regan, and Ammie McAsey.
Diane Rand
Executives from Barnes & Noble, Academy Sports + Outdoors, McKesson, and American Eagle Outfitters received the second annual award at CSCMP’s EDGE Conference.
Supply Chain Xchange recognized four women who have made significant contributions to the supply chain management profession today with its second annual Outstanding Women in Supply Chain Award. The award winners include Annette Danek-Akey, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Barnes & Noble; Sherry Harriman, Senior Vice President of Logistics and Supply Chain for Academy Sports + Outdoors; Leslie O’Regan, Director of Product Management for DC Systems & 3PLs at American Eagle Outfitters; and Ammie McAsey, Senior Vice President of Customer Distribution Experience for McKesson’s U.S. Pharmaceutical division.
Throughout their careers, these four supply chain executive have demonstrated strategic thinking, innovative problem solving, and effective leadership as well as a commitment to giving back to the profession.
The awards were presented at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual EDGE Conference in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the awards presentation, the leaders discussed their leadership philosophies and career path during a panel discussion at the EDGE conference.
“The past year has been unprecedented, with extreme weather events, heightened geopolitical tension and cybercrime destabilizing supply chains throughout the world. Navigating this year’s looming risks to build a secure supply network has never been more critical,” Corey Rhodes, CEO of Everstream Analytics, said in the firm’s “2025 Annual Risk Report.”
“While some risks are unavoidable, early notice and swift action through a combination of planning, deep monitoring, and mitigation can save inventory and lives in 2025,” Rhodes said.
In its report, Everstream ranked the five categories by a “risk score metric” to help global supply chain leaders prioritize planning and mitigation efforts for coping with them. They include:
Drowning in Climate Change – 90% Risk Score. Driven by shifting climate patterns and record-high temperatures, extreme weather events are a dominant risk to the supply chain due to concerns such as flooding and elevated ocean temperatures.
Geopolitical Instability with Increased Tariff Risk – 80% Risk Score. These threats could disrupt trade networks and impact economies worldwide, including logistics, transportation, and manufacturing industries. The following major geopolitical events are likely to impact global trade: Red Sea disruptions, Russia-Ukraine conflict, Taiwan trade risks, Middle East tensions, South China Sea disputes, and proposed tariff increases.
More Backdoors for Cybercrime – 75% Risk Score. Supply chain leaders face escalating cybersecurity risks in 2025, driven by the growing reliance on AI and cloud computing within supply chains, the proliferation of IoT-connected devices, vulnerabilities in sub-tier supply chains, and a disproportionate impact on third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and the electronics industry.
Rare Metals and Minerals on Lockdown – 65% Risk Score. Between rising regulations, new tariffs, and long-term or exclusive contracts, rare minerals and metals will be harder than ever, and more expensive, to obtain.
Crackdown on Forced Labor – 60% Risk Score. A growing crackdown on forced labor across industries will increase pressure on companies who are facing scrutiny to manage and eliminate suppliers violating human rights. Anticipated risks in 2025 include a push for alternative suppliers, a cascade of legislation to address lax forced labor issues, challenges for agri-food products such as palm oil and vanilla.
Logistics industry growth slowed in December due to a seasonal wind-down of inventory and following one of the busiest holiday shopping seasons on record, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.
The monthly LMI was 57.3 in December, down more than a percentage point from November’s reading of 58.4. Despite the slowdown, economic activity across the industry continued to expand, as an LMI reading above 50 indicates growth and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
The LMI researchers said the monthly conditions were largely due to seasonal drawdowns in inventory levels—and the associated costs of holding them—at the retail level. The LMI’s Inventory Levels index registered 50, falling from 56.1 in November. That reduction also affected warehousing capacity, which slowed but remained in expansion mode: The LMI’s warehousing capacity index fell 7 points to a reading of 61.6.
December’s results reflect a continued trend toward more typical industry growth patterns following recent years of volatility—and they point to a successful peak holiday season as well.
“Retailers were clearly correct in their bet to stock [up] on goods ahead of the holiday season,” the LMI researchers wrote in their monthly report. “Holiday sales from November until Christmas Eve were up 3.8% year-over-year according to Mastercard. This was largely driven by a 6.7% increase in e-commerce sales, although in-person spending was up 2.9% as well.”
And those results came during a compressed peak shopping cycle.
“The increase in spending came despite the shorter holiday season due to the late Thanksgiving,” the researchers also wrote, citing National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that U.S. shoppers spent just short of a trillion dollars in November and December, making it the busiest holiday season of all time.
The LMI is a monthly survey of logistics managers from across the country. It tracks industry growth overall and across eight areas: inventory levels and costs; warehousing capacity, utilization, and prices; and transportation capacity, utilization, and prices. The report is released monthly by researchers from Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
As U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face an uncertain business landscape in 2025, a substantial majority (67%) expect positive growth in the new year compared to 2024, according to a survey from DHL.
However, the survey also showed that businesses could face a rocky road to reach that goal, as they navigate a complex environment of regulatory/policy shifts and global market volatility. Both those issues were cited as top challenges by 36% of respondents, followed by staffing/talent retention (11%) and digital threats and cyber attacks (2%).
Against that backdrop, SMEs said that the biggest opportunity for growth in 2025 lies in expanding into new markets (40%), followed by economic improvements (31%) and implementing new technologies (14%).
As the U.S. prepares for a broad shift in political leadership in Washington after a contentious election, the SMEs in DHL’s survey were likely split evenly on their opinion about the impact of regulatory and policy changes. A plurality of 40% were on the fence (uncertain, still evaluating), followed by 24% who believe regulatory changes could negatively impact growth, 20% who see these changes as having a positive impact, and 16% predicting no impact on growth at all.
That uncertainty also triggered a split when respondents were asked how they planned to adjust their strategy in 2025 in response to changes in the policy or regulatory landscape. The largest portion (38%) of SMEs said they remained uncertain or still evaluating, followed by 30% who will make minor adjustments, 19% will maintain their current approach, and 13% who were willing to significantly adjust their approach.
That percentage is even greater than the 13.21% of total retail sales that were returned. Measured in dollars, returns (including both legitimate and fraudulent) last year reached $685 billion out of the $5.19 trillion in total retail sales.
“It’s clear why retailers want to limit bad actors that exhibit fraudulent and abusive returns behavior, but the reality is that they are finding stricter returns policies are not reducing the returns fraud they face,” Michael Osborne, CEO of Appriss Retail, said in a release.
Specifically, the report lists the leading types of returns fraud and abuse reported by retailers in 2024, including findings that:
60% of retailers surveyed reported incidents of “wardrobing,” or the act of consumers buying an item, using the merchandise, and then returning it.
55% cited cases of returning an item obtained through fraudulent or stolen tender, such as stolen credit cards, counterfeit bills, gift cards obtained through fraudulent means or fraudulent checks.
48% of retailers faced occurrences of returning stolen merchandise.
Together, those statistics show that the problem remains prevalent despite growing efforts by retailers to curb retail returns fraud through stricter returns policies, while still offering a sufficiently open returns policy to keep customers loyal, they said.
“Returns are a significant cost for retailers, and the rise of online shopping could increase this trend,” Kevin Mahoney, managing director, retail, Deloitte Consulting LLP, said. “As retailers implement policies to address this issue, they should avoid negatively affecting customer loyalty and retention. Effective policies should reduce losses for the retailer while minimally impacting the customer experience. This approach can be crucial for long-term success.”
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This image generated by artificial intelligence provides an idea of the effect that flooding could have on distribution operations.
The nearly consecutive landfalls of Hurricanes Helene and Milton made two things clear: disasters are inevitable, and they’re increasing in frequency, scope, and severity. As logistics and supply chain leaders look toward 2025, disaster recovery planning should be top of mind—not only for safeguarding business operations but also for supporting affected communities in their recovery efforts. (For a look at lessons learned from 2024, please refer to the sidebar below.)
To ensure that they have a comprehensive plan in place, supply chain professionals should take a three-pronged approach that incorporates working with local emergency organizations, nonprofits, and internal partners.
Build relationships with local organizations
A critical first step in disaster readiness is identifying and establishing relationships with local emergency management organizations. Local emergency managers specialize in coordinating immediate disaster responses on the ground in their communities. While they’re well-versed in terms of supporting the continuity of critical infrastructure like hospitals, fire stations, and city services, they’re often less acquainted with the important connection between healthy supply chains and community resilience.
When local officials have a limited understanding of the critical role that distribution centers, manufacturing plants, or food suppliers play in disaster response, it can delay restoration of the flow of supplies to grocery stores, big box stores, and similar locations. For example, ensuring that debris on roads to a warehouse is cleared rapidly following a storm may not be high on the government’s priority list. However, doing so can help keep grocery stores stocked and supply chains intact, reducing the burden on the government to provide those resources.
With this in mind, invite local emergency management officials to tour your logistics facilities and explain the critical role your organization plays in maintaining the flow of goods within the broader community. This firsthand look will help them understand how your operations contribute to community resilience and support the local economy.
ALAN has been helping to connect nonprofits with logistics resources since 2005. Here supplies are packed up for transport and distribution to Hurricane Maria survivors in 2017.Photo courtesy of ALAN
Partner with nonprofits
There are many reasons why it makes sense for members of the logistics community to build partnerships with nonprofits before disasters hit. But one of the most important is this: Even the most well-organized of them usually experience logistics gaps. Many nonprofits lack a comprehensive understanding of how to create an effective logistics organization. Even if they do have logistics staff, they will often need additional logistics resources once a disaster hits to meet surging demand for services. However, after a disaster most nonprofits are usually operating at such a high capacity that they don’t have the time or bandwidth to onboard new logistics partners.
These logistics gaps—and the onboarding challenges that disasters create—are a key reason why the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) exists. The organization has spent 19 years connecting nonprofits with the logistics services and expertise they need with the help of a well-established network and preplanned resources. ALAN works to make it easy for logistics professionals to support disaster-stricken areas with everything from warehousing to transportation to material handling equipment.
Like all nonprofits, ALAN is able to carry out its work even more effectively when organizations reach out to ask, “How can we help?” long before a disaster occurs. The most effective disaster response is based on the preparation and strong relationships that have been built during quieter times.
Companies can offer their services ahead of time via ALAN’s webform (www.alanaid.org/volunteer/). ALAN then meets with each business to determine what services and equipment it can offer in tmes of need. When there is a request that matches a business’ profile, ALAN will reach out to see if the organization can assist.
By onboarding new partners when things are calm, ALAN can ensure that resources and logistics networks are primed, optimized, and ready for immediate action. This proactive approach makes sure that critical supplies and aid can reach those in need without delay. As a result, itprovides quicker support for affected residents and businesses alike and strengthens the resiliency of communities.
The nonprofit Unity in Disasters needed 30 pallets of food transported to Jackson, Miss., to help Hurricane Ida survivors in 2021. ALAN was on hand to coordinate a response.Photo courtesy of ALAN
A culture of safety, preparedness
While community preparedness is crucial, building a strong culture of personal and corporate readiness within your organization is equally important. A preparedness culture can safeguard employees and ensure operations can resume as quickly as possible after a disaster.
In light of this, encourage your personnel to identify safe locations for shelter or evacuation, assemble emergency supply kits, and follow advice from local officials during a crisis. This responsibility typically falls to a corporate safety officer, but for smaller organizations, supervisors or administrative staff may have to coordinate the efforts.
Just as important, consider taking a page from the book of the many logistics companies that have already begun offering training sessions to help employees prepare for various disaster scenarios. Some of these training sessions are as simple as start-of-shift conversations about shelter-in-place locations or evacuation routes. Other organizations do full-scale exercises. There are lots of resources companies can pull from to develop these training sessions, including businesses that specialize in corporate crisis training. The Association of Continuity Professionals has resources, as does the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), via their Ready Business website.
Some businesses even partner with local first responders to conduct walkthroughs of their facilities, ensuring firefighters and paramedics are familiar with the layout. These partnerships provide vital information that enables emergency crews to navigate facilities more effectively in a crisis, further safeguarding employees and reducing potential downtime.
Strengthening community resilience
When disasters strike, logistics and supply chain organizations have the ability to be game changers in the best possible way, strengthening community resilience.
By building relationships with local emergency management and nonprofit organizations, they can contribute to considerably more efficient and coordinated disaster response. Likewise, sharing their supply chain resources with nonprofits ensures help will arrive faster and allows each donated dollar to go farther. And by doing what they can to protect themselves and restore the ability to deliver food, water, and medical supplies to disaster survivors, they can make the difference between stability and prolonged hardship.
Working collaboratively, logistics and supply chain organizations can help communities withstand and recover from the worst, enabling a faster, stronger return to normalcy.
Learning from 2024
By looking back on the logistics challenges of the 2024 hurricane season and reflecting on the responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we can gain valuable lessons for the future.
North Carolina faced severe infrastructure damage, including to roads, bridges, and utilities. Prioritizing road and rail rebuilding became paramount in order to reestablish connections between cities and manufacturing hubs.
Similarly, pharmaceutical facilities in affected areas needed clean water sources restored to resume production. When two separate IV fluid suppliers’ facilities—one in North Carolina and one in Florida—could not gain access to clean water due to hurricane damage, hospitals across the country experienced shortages. This disruption highlighted the importance of immediate utility restoration for critical industries.
Effective disaster preparedness must include insight into each community’s unique infrastructure and supply chain risk factors. It comes as no surprise that logistics organizations with strong ties to a community are especially qualified to help other business and government professionals understand these dynamics, which help to effectively allocate and position recovery resources.