Power of the Profession Awards 2025

04/11/25 • 15 min

1 Listener

This episode explores:

An overview of this year’s Power of the Profession award categories and the connecting themes that its submissions shared. (1:43)
Notable differences in the content of this year’s submissions. (4:09)
Winners in each of the four categories. (5:15)
Advice for innovating in organizations that are “just trying to keep the lights on.” (11:50)

Host Lindsay Azim and Gartner VP analyst Maria Nieradka discuss this year’s Power of the Profession Supply Chain Awards, including its winners, standout entrants and prevailing themes. They explore the supply chain industry’s greater focus on people-centric investments this year, smaller organizations driving innovation and how manufacturing prevailed across topics and categories. Lindsay and Maria close the show with recommendations for supply chain leaders using innovation as a means to meet enterprise goals.

About the Guest

Maria Nieradka is a vice president, analyst in Gartner’s supply chain practice, providing research insights, advice and thought leadership to life sciences clients. Her research coverage includes supply chain strategy, environmental, social and governance (ESG), risk management, mergers and acquisitions and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Based on previous experience as a chief supply chain officer, she provides expertise in end-to-end supply chain practices with deep knowledge in planning, procurement, manufacturing and distribution. Maria leads Gartner’s Power of the Profession program. She served on Gartner Supply Chain’s Executive Advisory Board through 2021.

This episode explores:

An overview of this year’s Power of the Profession award categories and the connecting themes that its submissions shared. (1:43)
Notable differences in the content of this year’s submissions. (4:09)
Winners in each of the four categories. (5:15)
Advice for innovating in organizations that are “just trying to keep the lights on.” (11:50)

About the Guest

Previous Episode

Update on Tariffs and How CSCOs Can Prepare

This episode explores:

Updates surrounding U.S. tariffs since February. (1:18)
Four reasons the U.S. administration is leveraging tariffs and their implications for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs). (2:11)
Key announcements that CSCOs should understand leading up to 1 April. (9:22)
Other supply chain challenges on the horizon. (11:56)
How supply chain organizations can best prepare for tariff volatility leading up to and after 1 April. (15:59)

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Lindsay Azim discusses updates and new information around tariff implementation and supply chain uncertainty with Gartner Senior Director Analysts Brian Whitlock and Cori Masters. The three of them explore tariff volatility, what is to come for implementations and the changes to how supply chains can respond, as well as other items that will impact supply chain operations (like the SHIPS for America Act). Lindsay, Brian and Cori close the show with recommendations for how CSCOs can prepare their organization for potential disruption.

About the Guests

Brian Whitlock is a senior director research analyst in Gartner’s logistics and fulfillment team. He is responsible for advising logistics leaders and the C-suite in strategy design and execution, and for building capabilities that improve the performance of their logistics function. Brian is also the key initiative leader responsible for the research plan for logistics and fulfillment. Brian joined Gartner in 2020. He has over 30 years of experience leading global logistics, transportation and trade management organizations with expertise in strategy, operations, finance, procurement and supplier development and trade management.

Cori Masters is a senior director and high-tech analyst in Gartner's supply chain practice, providing research insights, advice and thought leadership to high-tech, electronics, telecom and public procurement clients. With over 25 years of experience, she provides expert coverage, including supply chain strategy, sustainability, risk management/resiliency and vendor management. Based on previous experience as a senior commodity manager across multiple markets, she provides expertise in end-to-end supply chain practices with deep knowledge in vendor management, end-to-end supply chain strategy, manufacturing technology development and ramp and manufacturing sustainability.

("For more on the new U.S. administration's federal policy changes, visit Gartner's Guide to New U.S. Federal Policies.")