Navigating Through Volatility Webinar Series

As you navigate uncharted waters, APICS Inland Empire is here to provide resources, guidance, and expert advice. We will be offering a number of new webinars that help you manage through volatility.

These webinars are free for our members, panelists, sponsors and business partners.


Past Webinars


Recorded February 21, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Jim Twerdahl: Managing Quality in China

This webinar discusses how to navigate ensuring you get quality product when sourcing from China. Jim discusses the protocols you should put in place and the best practices for ensuring quality in your supply chain. Because the coronavirus was already in force in China, Jim also addresses navigating quality through unprecedented events such as the coronavirus.

About the Speaker:

Jim Twerdahl is Managing Director of James S. Twerdahl & Associates, a firm focusing on management consulting and investment banking. His consulting emphasis is on marketing planning and development, branding, corporate strategic planning and turnaround consulting. JST&A is a middle market and small company investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and capital raising for entrepreneurial companies. Jim also is a partner in T-Link (Hong Kong) Ltd., a company that does sourcing and quality control in China for U.S. manufacturers.


Recorded March 31, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Alan Dunn: Weathering the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Global Supply Chains

With COVID-19 we face a significant Global challenge. With manufacturing & supply chains disrupted worldwide, there is a great sense of unease. How do you keep your business moving forward during this disruption?

About the Speaker:

Alan G. Dunn is President of GDI Consulting & Training Company and is the founding sponsor of the Manufacturing Executive Institute (MEI), a manufacturing industry training provider with state-of-the-art classroom and web-enabled training facilities in southern California. He also served as chair of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM/ APICS) in 2015. Before founding GDI, Mr. Dunn was a Vice President at Gemini Management Consulting and a Partner at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers). In both positions, Mr. Dunn was responsible for leading large teams of technical manufacturing consultants in innovative productivity enhancement projects. For the ten years prior to joining Coopers & Lybrand, Mr. Dunn was President, (and Founder) of ADI, a successful systems implementation consulting and training company that Mr. Dunn sold to Coopers & Lybrand in 1990.

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Recorded April 1, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Dan Gardner: When Carriers & 3PL’s Invoke Force Majeure: Meaning, Implications & Mitigation

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, one international trade term that’s been bantered about quite a bit is, “Force Majeure”. While it’s existed as long as trade itself, it’s not often that force majeure is invoked, especially on a global scale. 

Join Dan Gardner of Trade Facilitators, Inc. for a live “Frebinar” on April 1, 2020 that will bring greater understanding to the meaning of force majeure in the context of global logistics, while pointing out implications and potential mitigation techniques for Beneficial Cargo Owners.

About the Speaker:

Dan Gardner is co-founder and president of the Los Angeles-based supply chain consulting firm, Trade Facilitators, Inc. Prior to founding TFI, Dan spent twenty three years in the Third Party Logistics business where he held senior level positions with firms that include Fritz Companies, Exel Global Logistics and DHL Global Forwarding.In addition to his professional experience, Dan is a multi-award winning adjunct professor of global supply chain management, holds an MBA from the University of Miami and is a licensed U.S. Customs Broker. During his career, Mr. Gardner traveled to over 50 countries, having lived in Colombia and Mexico for a total of five years.


Recorded April 6, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
John Tulac: Navigating Global Supply Chains

The coronavirus started in China and has made its way around the world quite rapidly. How are global supply chains holding up? What is the latest status of key countries and global supply chains and how can w best navigate?

About the Speaker:

John W. Tulac is an international and general business and corporate attorney in private practice since 1977. He is recognized in the Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys as an expert in the field of international business law and is annually listed as a leading lawyer in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.

Mr. Tulac is active in all areas of international law, including the importing and exporting of goods, agency and distribution agreements, licensing, joint ventures and infrastructure projects. He is extensively involved in oil & gas, electric power generation, sustainable agriculture, and all aspects of business with China. He trains Chinese judges and regulators semi-annually on topics relating to international law and U.S. law. He is also regularly active in Mexico. Mr. Tulac is also an adjunct professor emeritus (retired) of international business law at Cal Poly Pomona.


Recorded April 10, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
David Porter: COVID-19 Impact on Freight Flows and Supply Chain Hiring Activity

Certainly the coronavirus has created mass disruption to the end-to-end supply chain yet transportation and freight need to keep moving. David Porter is going to discuss the impacts the coronavirus has had on freight flows and supply chain hiring activity, and he will provide some suggestions for navigating successfully in this environment.

About the Speaker:

Dave Porter is a partner with Orion Solutions Group, an executive recruiting, consulting, and project delivery firm in the areas of supply chain & finance/accounting. He brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the logistics/supply chain industry. Dave served as President of Hub Los Angeles and Hub Golden Gate, held numerous sales leadership roles on a regional and national basis, and served as EVP of Supply Chain Solutions (3PL and Truck Brokerage), among other roles for Hub Group. Most recently, Dave served as CEO for approximately 5 years at Rail Delivery Services, an award-winning, tech-forward drayage, trucking/dedicated, and consolidation company in Los Angeles. Dave earned his BA from Western Michigan University and MBA from the University of Redlands.Dave serves on the California State University Fullerton School of Operations and Supply Chain Management Advisory Board and is a member of numerous industry associations.

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Recorded April 13, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Lisa Anderson: Why Is there No Toilet Paper? How to Manage the Bullwhip Effect

As the coronavirus started ramping up, quickly every store ran out of toilet paper. Lisa will discuss why that occurred and how we can manage this sort of phenomenon as well as others created by the Bullwhip effect. What can supply chain teams do to navigate through these unprecedented times and better prepare for the future.

About the Speaker:

Lisa Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation that maximizes the customer experience and enables profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. Lisa has been named in the Top 46 most influential in Supply Chain by SAP, a Top 40 B2B Tech Influencer by Arketi Group and a Top 50 ERP Influencer by Washington-Frank.

She recently published, I’ve Been Thinking, an inspiring collection of 101 strategies for creating bold customer promises and profits. She is a regular content contributor on topics including global supply chain, ERP and SIOP and is regularly interviewed and quoted by publications such as Industry Week, tED magazine and the Wall Street Journal. She holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Cal State Fullerton.
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Recorded April 17, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Eileen Angulo: Navigating Coronavirus Impact with our Employees

During these unprecedented times, our employees are top of mind. How do we handle spikes and troughs of volume? How do we keep employees safe? Eileen has vast expertise in HR and organizational development, and she will talk through the issues and answer your questions.

About the Speaker:

Eileen Angulo, Principal of HR Solutions & Services, is a Human Resources Executive and consultant with 25 years of experience. Her passion is providing HR solutions for her clients by helping them build their HR infrastructure through technology, compliance and people.

Prior to launching HR Solutions, Eileen held several corporate HR Leadership positions in manufacturing, aftermarket services, distribution, media and automotive organizations. Eileen holds a masters in leadership and management and Bachelor of Arts degree from University of La Verne. She is also certified in Human Resources Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Eileen is an active member of many prominent HR organizations including the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) both on the national and local level and HRNG representing over 100 HR Professionals in Southern California. Eileen is also an active member of the MCIE Manufacturing Council where she served as presenter, working with local High Schools creating opportunities for students.

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Recorded April 21, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Marisela Caraballo: What’s Happening at the Ports

With the coronavirus originating in China and expanding to Asia rapidly, it was bound to have a significant impact on the global supply chain and port operations.  Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero has significant experience with trade and the ports and will talk about the impacts on the port, the current status and the expected lasting effects on import, export, international trade and port operations.

About the Speaker:

Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero is the director of trade development for the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America. Appointed to this position in 2019, she oversees the Trade Development Division, ensuring the Port fulfills its mission to connect U.S. businesses throughout America with overseas trade opportunities—particularly exports—through trade promotion workshops that encourage increased trade through the Port of Los Angeles.

Caraballo DiRuggiero oversees the function of intergovernmental relations with foreign governments, advancing the Port’s influence on expanding trade markets, and is the Port’s point person to the international diplomatic community. She has purposefully advanced the Port’s influence on the world stage by negotiating many sister port agreements promoting trade, environmental stewardship, infrastructure development, supply chain efficiencies, and increased security protocols.

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Recorded April 28, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Veronica Contreras: Moving Manufacturing to Mexico: What Would It Take?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, manufacturing and supply chain executives are realizing they cannot rely solely on Asia or any one country for their source of supply. In addition, they are looking at near-shoring so that they can rapidly respond to customer needs. Thus, Mexico is showing addition promise. What would it take to evaluate whether Mexico could make sense? And how quickly could we start producing?

About the Speaker:

Veronica Contreras, is a seasoned global business consultant with over eighteen years of experience working with C-level executives for US Manufacturing Companies in the evaluation process of setting up of their operations in Mexico.  She is an expert in facilitating the startup process in a maquiladora for foreign national companies thru the “Shelter Program.” 

She has worked directly on over 75 expansion projects during her tenure at Co-Production International, a leading administrative services company in the Tijuana, Tecate and broader Baja California border region and has led the expansion projects for notable companies such as Icon Aircraft, Broan Nu-tone, Smiths Interconnect, Conesys, Aspen Medical, Southwire and Todco – just to name a few. She has provided employment to over 3,000 employees thru the shelter program.


Recorded on May 4, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Robbie Kellman Baxter: Navigating through Volatility with a Forever Transaction

Customers are likely to be forever changed during this pandemic, and so if we’d like successfully navigate through the current volatility and have customers return and grow after the pandemic dissipates, providing customer service and enabling customer success are critically important. Thus, it is the opportune time to develop or build upon your “forever transactions” with your customers. Learn what this means and how to stand out from the crowd with your customers on this webinar featuring the leading global expert in the membership economy and in creating forever transactions.

About the Speaker:

Robbie Kellman Baxter is the founder of Peninsula Strategies LLC, a consulting firm that helps companies excel in the Membership Economy and a subject matter expert on membership models and subscription pricing. Her first book, The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction & Build Recurring Revenue, is an international bestseller, and her widely anticipated The Forever Transaction is now available. Her clients have included Microsoft, the Wall Street Journal and Electronic Arts as well as over 100 other membership economy organizations. Over the course of her career, Robbie has worked in or consulted to clients in more than twenty industries.

As a public speaker, Robbie has presented to thousands of people in corporations, associations, and universities. Robbie has been quoted in or written articles for major media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She has an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.


Recorded May 6, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Dan Gardner: Sourcing in Mexico: The USMCA, Tactics & Best Practices

With so much strain on Chinese supply chains, many companies are looking to Latin America as an option for sourcing goods. Whereas the U.S. has Free Trade Agreements with countries that include all of Central America, Colombia, Peru and Chile, there are particular advantages to purchasing from Mexico, including shorter lead times, easier travel, parallel time zones and close cultural ties. 

Join Dan Gardner of Trade Facilitators, Inc. on Wednesday, May 6th for a complimentary presentation that details the strategies, procedures and tactics related to sourcing in Mexico. In this live, 60-minute webinar, you’ll gain key insights into the Best Practices, techniques and potential pitfalls associated with importing from Mexico to the United States.

Key elements of the webinar include:

  • Industrial concentration & geographical profile of Mexico
  • Border vs. “Deep” Mexico sourcing
  • Key advantages and updates on the USMCA Free Trade Agreement
  • How to qualify products as “originating goods” under the USMCA
  • Transportation & customs considerations
  • Potential pitfalls to be aware of

 

About the Speaker:

Dan Gardner is co-founder and president of the Los Angeles-based supply chain consulting firm, Trade Facilitators, Inc. Prior to founding TFI, Dan spent twenty three years in the Third Party Logistics business where he held senior level positions with firms that include Fritz Companies, Exel Global Logistics and DHL Global Forwarding.In addition to his professional experience, Dan is a multi-award winning adjunct professor of global supply chain management, holds an MBA from the University of Miami and is a licensed U.S. Customs Broker. During his career, Mr. Gardner traveled to over 50 countries, having lived in Colombia and Mexico for a total of five years.


Recorded May 12, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Cindy Elliott and Yasaman Kazemi: How Location Intelligence Drives Supply Network Resilience and Recovery

In this historic and unprecedented time, an organization’s understanding of the risks and disruptions in the supply network is critical in maintaining operations and preparing for the future. How to create awareness of the dependencies throughout the network and how available are the facilities and workforce is a cornerstone to mitigating disruptions, even as conditions change in the context of the public health crisis and other ongoing threats (ie: hurricanes, wildfires, transportation bottlenecks). In this interactive discussion, hear how to Esri is helping organizations during COVID-19 – from first responders to global manufacturers – leverage location intelligence to build greater resiliency in their supply network and accelerate the ability to prioritize business recovery.

About the Speakers:

Cindy Elliott heads Esri’s commercial industry marketing team. She helps to shape the role of geospatial analytics within the manufacturing industry related to new market analysis, supply chain operations, and advanced services. For more than fifteen years, Cindy has worked with global manufacturers and enterprise class technology companies to influence customer-focused business transformation. Cindy is an advisory member of the USC Marshall Center Global Supply Chain Management Program (MCGSCM) and of the TCU Neeley School of Business Center for Supply Chain Innovation (CSCI), and is an established thought leader on the digital supply network and manufacturers’ advanced services. She earned a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird Graduate School and completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.

Yasaman Kazemi is a supply chain strategy lead at Esri. Supply chain has been her passion for the past 10 years. She has worked in the consumer goods industry as a supply chain optimization and analytics specialist, and holds a Ph.D. in transportation and logistics with a specialty in supply chain systems. Yasaman also holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and management. She has extensive knowledge and experience within academia, and as a business adviser in supply chain and logistics. Specifically, she has worked in advanced analytics, strategic planning and optimization-under-uncertainty within supply chains.

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Recorded May 26, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Manufacturing Panel Discussion: Successfully Emerging & Post COVID-19

A panel of manufacturing experts will discuss manufacturing as it relates to COVID-19. Although we’ll talk about how manufacturers are navigating COVID-19, we will focus attention on successfully emerging as well as how to succeed post COVID-19. There can be significant opportunity for agile and innovative manufacturers, and we’ll hear stories about what local manufacturers’ resilience.

About the Speakers:

Lisa Anderson is president of LMA Consulting Group and APICS Inland Empire. She is an expert in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain and partners with clients to create a superior customer experience, increase profitability and accelerate cash flow.

Jon Armstrong is owner and VP of Operations for Do It American, a manufacturer created with the goal to provide good jobs, to make great products, and to prove that it can be “Made in America. Do It American also won the 2018 MCIE Innovation Award for Human Capital.

Alan Braggins is Advanced Manufacturing Statewide Director for the Centers for Applied Competitive Technologies (CATC) and the Regional Director, Employee Engagement, Advanced Manufacturing for the Inland Empire/ Desert Regional Consortium.

Jim Gitney is the CEO of Group50 Consulting, and a member of the the board of advisers for Thinaër. He has over 30 years’ experience in world class companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies including GE, Black & Decker, and Pankl Aerospace.

Roy Paulson is president of Paulson Manufacturing, a manufacturer of safety equipment and Board Member of National Association of Manufacturers, will share insights his experience as well as from Washington D.C.


Recorded June 30, 2020

Navigating Through Volatility Webinar
Navigating & Preparing for Recovery in Distribution Delivery at Shamrock Foods

COVID-19 has disrupted our foods supply chains nationwide and only the resilient supply chains will survive. Join us on Tuesday May 26, 2020 for our no charge Lunch and Learn Webinar at 12:00 noon PST. Mr. Frank Moullet of Shamrock Foods will share with us the challenges faced by food distributors and how they are managing this crisis. He will also share with us tips on how to prepare for recovery as move towards easing the lock downs.

About the Speaker:

Frank Moullet is Branch Operations Manager at Shamrock Foods in Ontario California. He has strategic and daily accountability for all operations within a 450,000 square foot foodservice distribution facility shipping 430,000+ cases weekly. Prior to Shamrock Foods, Frank has had an in-depth career in warehousing and distribution operations at MBM Corporation, Maines Paper & Food Service and Shamrock Foods. He has been actively involved in advancing productivity and service with the use of technology and in sharing expertise with community leaders and trade associations.

About Shamrock Foods:

Founded in 1922 and still family owned Shamrock specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of quality food and food-related products through a family of companies, including Shamrock Foods foodservice distribution and Shamrock Farms dairy manufacturing. Through its family of companies, Shamrock employs more than 4,000 associates nationwide. The company’s success is built on three unwavering principles set forth by our founder, W.T. McClelland, in 1922 – an unrelenting quality in people and products and service, an innovative approach to business, and a commitment to the community.

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