Not Just Talk: What Intentional Supply Chain Transformation Really Looks Like
Most supply chain leaders say they're transforming—but are they really? Or are they just rearranging the same old playbook? In this episode, Maria Villablanca joins Jan, Terry, and Jim to unpack what real transformation looks like in a world where disruption is constant and uncertainty is the new normal.
They start with the hard truth: traditional supply chain leadership—focused on cost and control—isn't built for today's demands. Maria calls this a "leadership disruption," where leaders must evolve into strategists, visionaries, and change agents.
So, what does real transformation look like?
Maria says it starts with intent. The companies doing it right align people, tech, and processes around a unified strategy. They're not chasing tech for tech's sake. They're solving real problems, building cultures that adapt fast, and fostering real cross-functional collaboration.
Then the conversation turns to COVID—a crisis, yes, but also a necessary stress test. It exposed how fragile global supply chains really are—but it also made people finally care about them.
And that visibility, Maria says, opened a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what the profession is—and what it could be. But now that the crisis has faded, there's a risk of slipping back into the shadows — unless leaders keep pushing the narrative forward.
And that's where storytelling comes in.
Maria argues that the industry desperately needs better PR. If we want the next generation to choose supply chains over TikTok, we need to start telling a better story.
Looking ahead, Maria sees big shifts on the horizon: AI and automation will reshape how we plan, source, and deliver. Supply chains will become predictive, self-correcting, and more autonomous. Globalization will give way to regionalization. Talent shortages will persist, making leadership development and culture more critical than ever.
So, what should leaders do right now? Maria's advice: learn to unlearn. Stop recycling old solutions for new problems. Ask different questions. Think differently. And most of all, lead with courage. The best supply chain leaders aren't just running operations—they're shaping the future of the business itself.
Themes discussed in this episode:
- The opportunity to reposition the supply chain as a growth engine, not a cost center
- The importance of cross-functional collaboration to enable real transformation
- How COVID exposed the fragility—and value—of global supply chains
- Why the supply chain profession needs better PR to attract top talent
- The future of supply chain careers and why Gen Z is key to innovation
- How storytelling, communication, and soft skills define the modern supply chain leader
- The long-term impact of tariffs and geopolitics on supply chain visibility and design
- Why supply chain leaders must “learn to unlearn” to stay competitive in a fast-changing world
Featured on this episode: Maria Villablanca
Title: Founder, Villablanca Consulting & Host of Transform Talks Podcast Series
About: Maria is one of the world’s leading supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, and digital transformation experts. Her career spans over 25 years of global commercial experience, entrepreneurship and content creation. She has interviewed thousands of leaders from public and private organizations worldwide on the topic of business transformation. Her insights and experience as an influencer, advisor, and commercial leader have made Maria a trusted name in supply chain transformation.
Connect: LinkedIn
Mentioned in this episode:
- 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes
- Unlocking delivery excellence: Integrating supply chain and quality management for organisational success
- AIAG/WSU Automotive Supply Chain Immersion Program
- 2025 Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
Episode Highlights:
[03:41] Leading Through Chaos: With disruption now a constant, supply chain leaders are being forced to evolve from cost-cutters to future-focused strategists who can lead through chaos.
[05:43] Beyond the Buzzwords: Real transformation isn’t about saying the right things—it’s about embedding change into culture, mindset, and how problems actually get solved.
[06:51] Blessing in Disguise: COVID wrecked systems and exposed cracks, but it also forced the industry into the spotlight—revealing fragility, unlocking opportunity, and finally showing the world why supply chain matters.
[09:13] Intentional Transformation: Supply chain is in its renaissance era—ripe with opportunities in tech, sustainability, and talent to finally drive growth instead of just cutting costs.
[10:53] We Need a Hype Team: If we want the next generation to choose supply chain over TikTok, we need to tell bigger, bolder stories—and show the world just how powerful this profession really is.
[14:25] Silence Isn’t a Strategy: Too many supply chain leaders are staying quiet online when what the industry really needs is bold voices showing the world what the supply chain really does.
[16:57] Back to the Back Office? Supply chain earned a seat at the table during the pandemic—but without continued momentum, there’s a real risk it slips back into obscurity.
[19:47] No, You Don’t Need to Code: According to Maria, the most effective supply chain leaders aren’t tech experts—they’re bold, curious thinkers who know where the business is headed and how to bring people with them.
[21:21] What’s Next for Supply Chain: Maria predicts a future shaped by AI, regional strategies, and a growing talent gap—where success will depend on who’s ready to lead through it all.
[22:20] Unlearn Everything: We’re facing new problems, and Maria says they won’t be solved with old thinking—it starts with unlearning, leading with courage, and daring to do things differently.
Top Quotes:
[04:13] Maria: “It’s important to know that we're in a period of what I like to call leadership disruption. Supply chain leaders are being asked to navigate a world that is moving faster, it's becoming more complex, and offering fewer certainties. There’s a big shift from where we were just a few years ago. If we think about it, traditionally, supply chain leadership was — I would say — very operational. It was focused on costs, efficiency, and throughput. Today, those things do matter, of course, but everything has changed, and I think that leaders now have to think like futurists, strategists, or change agents. It's not just about having a five-year plan and sticking to it. It's about creating the systems and cultures that can adapt to whenever the next disruption is going to hit. Because you know what? It's going to hit.”
[04:52] Maria: “When you think about companies or leaders that are doing it well, we've got some standout players. You've got — I guess often you hear names from Schneider Electric, CISCO, Unilever, and even HP — because although those companies aren't perfect, what they are is intentional about transformation. And what sets them apart isn't just the tech investment; it's their ability to align the technology, the people, the processes around a unified strategy.”
[07:02] Maria: “I think COVID was a good thing for the supply chain industry. It was a stress test like nothing before. It broke things, right? It broke systems, assumptions, and comfort zones. But it also revealed a deep fragility that had been baked into global supply chains. And I think that when we look at that definition, we realize that it exposed a lot of cracks within the supply chain. So, when you have a lot of that exposure, there's an opportunity for change — an opportunity for improvement. So, I think, to me, the biggest lesson with COVID was to demonstrate the cracks that we had. And equally, it's also to demonstrate the importance of supply chain.”
[20:55] Maria: “I get asked a lot of questions about: "What's the skill of the future, Maria? What does the supply chain leader of the future have?" Are they gonna need to learn to code in Python, or are they gonna need to learn how to... I don't know... talk to chat GPT. No. They need to be critical thinkers. They need to be disruptive thinkers, good communicators and have amazing soft skills, but also be very aligned with where their business is going.”
[23:35] Maria: “I think we're going to see AI and automation that's just gonna fundamentally change how we plan, source, produce, and deliver. We're going to see predictive, self-correcting, and eventually autonomous supply chains that are within reach. I think we're gonna see that the global economic and geopolitical order is gonna continue to shift, and we're gonna move away from globalization towards maybe regionalization. Companies are gonna build diversified supply chains to hedge their risks. And I think the talent shortage is just not gonna go away. We're still going to see companies that need to succeed by investing in leadership development, by upskilling their talent, and by creating a culture that attracts the next generation of leaders.”
Transcript
[Transcript]
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [:We have a really interesting cohort this year. They're engaged. They're inquisitive. They're talkative. They're really interacting well with the speakers. Jan, you can vouch for that — Terry as well. So yeah, we're on, we're underway, and we're actually getting ready to launch Tomorrow's Leaders Today in about a month. That's our more pre-execution level training for high-potential candidates in the supply chain.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:There's a big shift from where we were just a few years ago. If we think about it, traditionally, supply chain leadership was — I would say — very operational. It was focused on costs, efficiency, and throughput. And today, those things, they do matter, of course, but everything has changed, and I think that leaders now have to think like futurists, like strategists, or change agents.
It's not just about having a five-year plan and sticking to it. It's about creating systems and cultures that can adapt to whenever the next disruption hits. Because you know what? It's going to hit.
[: [: [: [: [: [:And I think that when we look at that definition, we realize that it exposed a lot of cracks within the supply chain. So, when you have a lot of that exposure, there's an opportunity for change — an opportunity for improvement. So, I think, to me, the biggest lesson with COVID was to demonstrate the cracks that we had. And equally, it's also to demonstrate the importance of supply chain.
I like to say that supply chain, as a function, worked really well when it wasn't broken. The supply chain was in the back office, in the dark recesses, just getting the job done. COVID put a big light on supply chain. I always like to give the example of: now my mother knows what I do. Beforehand, it was, "What's supply chain?" My neighbors know what I do. When they say, "Oh, I just ordered a new car and it's gonna take forever. Why is that, Maria?" And I think that can only do good things. It can help us attract the right type of talent. It can help us demonstrate the value added that supply chain has. So, really, the lessons were the exposure to the fragility, the state of the fragile supply chain, and also the importance of a value-added supply chain.
[: [: [: [:And I think the biggest opportunity is talent. Supply chain is having a bit of a brand renaissance, if you want to call it that. It's being seen as innovative, impactful, and purpose-driven. And that means we have a real opportunity here to attract top talent — the young, next generation of supply chainers. As you say, Terry, turn everything around for us. And if we demonstrate the value that supply chain can give, then we'll bring them on.
[: [:So, to me, I think being better at PR — telling better stories, showcasing true leadership — podcasts like this one, where you interview people, make examples of people, and show the rock stars that are changing the world in supply chain.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [:It seems as though — you talk about a black swan, right? No. We're dealing with a flock of swans at the moment. And so, there's only one person that the CEO can turn to understand how to resolve some of these issues, and that is the Chief Supply Chain Officer — CPO, COO — someone who runs the supply chains. Perhaps there's not the same level of appreciation there was during the years of the pandemic, but I definitely think it's better than it was before. But again, it's all for us to grab. It's for us to take now — for us to continue the conversation of change-maker, value driver, strategic agent of change. And again, moving away to the redesign of supply chain so that it's not just a cost center, it could be a value driver.
[: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: [: