Join Donna and Tom as they sit down with Jaime Butler, CEO for Control Solutions & Services at GE Vernova, to explore her dynamic career journey and the evolving landscape of power generation supply chains. Jaime shares insights on navigating GE's unprecedented transformation into three separate businesses, driving lean manufacturing practices, and managing inventory efficiencies at scale. She discusses the unique business cycles of power generation, the surge in demand from AI data centers, and strategies for successful M&A integration. Listeners will gain practical advice on supply chain design, legal entity readiness, and the leadership principles that have guided her path from plant manager during the shale boom to CEO.

Takeaways:

• Navigating large-scale corporate transformations and M&A integration
• Implementing lean manufacturing and inventory optimization strategies
• Understanding power generation supply chains and AI's impact on energy demand
• Career development lessons from diverse supply chain roles

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

Jaime joined Baker Hughes in 2001 based in Houston, TX and moved to GE Vernova in April 2023 with the Nexus Controls acquisition. She is currently the Controls Business Line Leader, based in Longmont, CO. Over the course of her 24 years, she has held roles in Region P&L leadership, manufacturing operations, commercial, key accounts, supply chain, finance, and product line technology.

Jaime holds a Masters in Supply Chain Management and Bachelors in Business Marketing. In 2020, she received a Hart Energy award for 25 Most Influential Women in Energy and in 2021 she received recognition from Insight Magazine as the 10 Most Empowering Women in Business. Her experience has fostered a unique skill set across several functions and technologies in the energy industry, driving both horizontal and vertical connections with successful outcomes. Jaime enjoys supporting and developing women in the energy industry through mentoring and volunteering. In her free time, she enjoys spending time and playing sports with her family. She is happily married to her husband Matt, and they have two sons, Brennan 20 years old and Liam 16 years old.

Chad Whyte, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain at Utz Brands, Inc.

In this episode, Donna and Tom sit down with Chad Whyte, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain at Utz Brands, Inc. to discuss his career journey and the evolution of supply chain management in the consumables industry. Chad shares how his Penn State education prepared him for leadership, the challenges facing modern supply chains, and strategies for building agility and resilience in today's dynamic landscape. He provides insight into Utz's new state-of-the-art logistics center and how it's advancing supply chain efficiency, while also offering valuable perspectives on workforce development and student preparedness. Listeners will gain practical advice on supply chain flexibility, the importance of cross-functional expertise, and Chad's guiding principles for career success.

Takeaways:

• Career progression from Penn State to Executive VP of Supply Chain

• Challenges and opportunities in consumables supply chain management

• Building agile and resilient supply chains in a changing landscape

• Utz's state-of-the-art logistics center and its impact on efficiency

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

Chad Whyte was appointed to Executive Vice President, Supply Chain for Utz Brands, Inc. in June 2022. As EVP, Supply Chain, he has responsibility for Procurement, Supply and Demand Planning, Distribution, Transportation and the Customer Logistics functions. Chad joined Utz in January 2022 as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Planning and Logistics. He joined Utz with 25 years of experience in supply chain roles, most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aloe Group, a consulting firm that has been working closely with Utz on several value creation initiatives. Prior to Aloe, Chad was Vice President, Supply Chain at Pinnacle Foods, where he was responsible for all transportation, warehousing and network optimization for a $3.5 billion revenue business. Prior to Pinnacle Foods, he was Senior Director, Logistics at Campbell Soup Company; Director, Logistics North America at Reckitt Benckiser; and Director, Supply Chain Planning at Church & Dwight Company.

Chad received a B.S. in Supply Chain and Information Systems, as well as an M.B.A., from The Pennsylvania State University. He was also an adjunct faculty member for Penn State’s Executive Education Program on Achieving Supply Chain Transformation.

In this episode, our hosts sit down with John Burke, Executive Chairman of ARMADA Sunset Holdings, to explore his over 30 year journey with one of the largest players in the food service supply chain. John shares insights into ARMADA's critical role in supporting the restaurants we frequent weekly, the biggest challenges facing the food service industry today, and the company's most successful strategies for overcoming them. He discusses how customer needs are evolving, lessons learned from the COVID era, and the supply chain technologies shaping ARMADA's future. As a Penn State graduate and long-time supporter of the Center for Supply Chain Research, John also reflects on advice he'd give his younger self and the guiding principles that have defined his remarkable career.

Takeaways:

• ARMADA's role in the food service supply chain ecosystem
• Navigating industry challenges and customer evolution
• COVID-era lessons applied to modern supply chain planning
• Technology priorities for future supply chain success

Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!

Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr

Guest Bio:

As the Executive Chairman of Armada Sunset Holdings, John leads a supply chain management enterprise that support its clients competitive market positions by optimizing their supply chain networks. By emphasizing data-lead innovation and strategic partnerships, the companies of Armada Sunset Holdings work hard to improve operational processes, simplify logistics, and reduce costs.

As a supply chain industry professional for over three decades, he has dedicated his career to developing and implementing creative supply chain solutions for national retail brands. John came to Armada in 1992, co-founded Hub One Logistics in 1996, and established LXP in 2006. Both companies were consolidated under Armada in 2011. Following the strategic acquisitions of Sunset Transportation in 2022 and ATEC in 2023, Armada Sunset Holdings has evolved into a comprehensive, fully integrated supply chain service provider, boasting operations and offices spanning North America.

He holds a BS from Pennsylvania State University and an MSIA from the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University. John has served on the advisory boards of the Penn State Center for Supply Chain Research, Women’s Foodservice Forum, the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation. He formerly served on the Pennsylvania State Workforce Investment Board and on the Board of Directors of the American Textile Company.