Host Diego Solorzano sits down with Gabriella Runnels, Principal Data Scientist at American Eagle Outfitters, to explore how AEO combines tried-and-true mathematical optimization with cutting-edge AI to solve complex supply chain challenges. Learn how the team built four interconnected apps to slash costs, improve service levels, and even offer these capabilities to smaller brands via Quiet Platforms. Gabriella also shares her philosophy on change management, data quality, and why the future belongs to supply chain professionals who leverage AI without losing human creativity.

This week, we talked with Michael Watson, an optimization legend with decades of experience. Michael got a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern before joining IBM. Afterwards, he founded his own company, Opex Analytics, which helped companies become more efficient through implementing ML. The company was acquired by LLamasoft and later by Coupa software. Ever since, he’s been a professor at Northwestern where he teaches optimization. 

This week, we spoke with Mike Venditti. Mike has been in the supply chain world for 30 years dealing with all parts of the business from transportation to warehousing. He is a strong believer that people make supply chains and the best thing you can do to improve delivery times, is to treat workers better. Now, he works at SEKO logistics where he is the VP of supply chain, second only to the company’s CMO or Chief Morale Officer…his dog, Archie!

In optimization, there is often a gap between the discoveries of academia and the real world applications for most systems. That’s what we talked about with Carlos Armando Zetina this week—a PhD who jumped from academia to Amazon SCOT to work on real life implications of optimization research.

Have you ever thought what would happen if you could only turn to the right when driving? Well, when UPS banned left turns—and implemented an advanced tech system to design routes—, it resulted in one of the biggest optimizations in the company's history. This week, we spoke with Jack Levis, the man behind this decision. We talked about his early days in UPS straight out of college, to his career implementing technology in one of the biggest logistics players in the world.