College of Computing Speaker Series: Impacts of Supply Chain on People's Lives, the Job Market, and Industry

Impacts of Supply Chain on People's Lives, the Job Market, and Industry 

- An Online Panel Discussion -

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

1:00-2:00 PM CDT

Advance registration required to attend this free event offered by Illinois Tech College of Computing

Join faculty from Illinois Institute of Technology and Olive Harvey College for an online panel discussion on the "Impacts of Supply Chain on People’s Lives, the Job Market, and Industry."

Moderated by Herb Shields, the panel will cover the following topics:

• Global supply chain issues:  demand planning, freight, ports, railroads and trucks
• Supply chain is now a public topic
• Worker shortages in supply chain
• Price inflation and supply chain opportunities
• Supply chain is HOT -- what it means to you
• Career opportunities

Panel Moderator

Herb Shields is an adjunct professor and career development adviser with the Industrial Technology and Management (INTM) program at Illinois Institute of Technology. In addition to teaching for INTM, Shields is president of HCS Consulting, which focuses on helping clients across multiple industries and in higher education improve their supply chain strategy and execution. Shields has more than 30 years of experience as an operations executive for capital equipment, automotive, electrical machinery and consumer products companies. Shields has also taught at Illinois Tech’s Stuart Graduate School of Business on the subject of inventory management, and delivered numerous presentations and workshops to industry and professional associations. Previous career positions include vice president of materials management at Helene Curtis. Shields led the supply chain organization that helped Helene Curtis win "Vendor of the Year" awards from Wal-Mart Stores and Target Corp. He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University.

Panel

Robert M. Dunn is senior manager of supply chain for AGI, Ag Growth International, and adjunct professor of Industrial Technology and Management at Illinois Institute of Technology.  His professional career spans more than 25 years in overseeing and directing global supply chain operations, to include strategic sourcing, supplier performance, system optimization and lean practices, analytics enhancements, S&OP processes, material and logistics planning processes, demand management, and enhancing ERP functionality.  Previously, Dunn was director of procurement with ECHO, Inc., a leader in the global outdoor power equipment market. His experience includes other positions ranging from director of inventory and sourcing for AM Castle, a global specialty metals company, to program manager for the Naval Air Warfare Center in Maryland. Dunn has extensive knowledge of supply chain operations both domestically, and in several different countries including China, India, Russia, and Brazil. Dunn earned his M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State.

DaRon Greason is an adjunct professor in Supply Chain Management and Logistics at Olive-Harvey College (one of the City Colleges of Chicago). He has 10 years of experience within management and supply chain/logistics. He started his career as an operations manager with Aramark managing facilities and transportation within Chicago Public Schools and University of Chicago Medicine. Additionally, he was a business analyst for Coca-Cola’s biggest bottler, Great Lakes Coca-Cola, which propelled him within the supply chain industry. Responsible for training more than 20 distribution centers on TMS software, tracking delivery hours compared to planned hours, Greason helped shape Great Lakes Coca-Cola to excel in the distribution of products within its region. This success led Greason to a program manager role with Uber Freight, which is the fastest growing logistics brokerage, helping to improve the software for frontline employees. Greason attained an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University and an MBA in Global Supply Chain and Information Systems Management from Wayne State University.