Reuters Supply Chain USA 2025, held in Chicago on June 9–10, brought together over 700 senior supply chain leaders from top retailers, manufacturers, logistics providers, and technology innovators. The event’s central theme, “Navigate Complexity in an Era of Uncertainty,” addressed the mounting pressures of economic disruption, workforce challenges, and the need for resilient, agile supply chains.

Liberis Consulting’s Attendance and Conversations

Liberis Consulting was actively engaged throughout the event, participating in panels, workshops, and dynamic breakout sessions. The team found tremendous value in the highly interactive format, which fostered intimate discussions and problem-solving opportunities with both established industry leaders and a vibrant ecosystem of startups.

Liberis Consulting’s representatives had in-depth conversations with startup founders and product teams, exploring how these technologies can be leveraged to address persistent industry challenges such as supply chain fragility, data silos, and the need for end-to-end transparency. These exchanges provided actionable insights into the practical deployment of cutting-edge solutions and potential partnership opportunities.

Several dominant trends shaped the event’s agenda and Liberis Consulting’s discussions:

• AI and Machine Learning: There was a strong emphasis on the adoption of AI and ML to improve forecasting accuracy, optimize logistics, and generate actionable insights from supply chain data.
• Resilience and Diversification: Panels and workshops explored strategies for building resilient supply chains through dual sourcing, contingency planning, and diversification, weighing these against cost and complexity.
• Sustainability: The event highlighted the integration of sustainability into supply chain strategy, particularly through data-driven compliance, decarbonization, and ethical sourcing practices.
• Collaboration and Integration: Many sessions focused on breaking down silos and integrating software platforms across the value chain to enhance visibility and responsiveness.

A key highlight for Liberis, was the panel discussion on Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) led by Constantine Limberakis, which brought together top executives and thought leaders to share real-world strategies and innovations. The S&OP panel featured:

• Aaron Zelhart, SVP of Global Supply Chain, Mattel
• Danny Antezana, dsm-firmenich
• Prashant Gopalan, Philips

This session delved into how leading organizations are evolving their S&OP processes to drive greater alignment between sales, supply chain, and finance in a climate of constant disruption. Panelists discussed:

• Leveraging advanced analytics and AI for demand forecasting and scenario planning
• Breaking down organizational silos to enable end-to-end visibility and agile decision-making
• Balancing cost, service, and risk through integrated business planning
• The critical role of cross-functional collaboration and data-driven culture in S&OP success