Resilient, Responsive, Refined: The AI-Enabled Precision Supply Chain
You are invited to the 2026 PITT OHIO Supply Chain Management Symposium, scheduled as a HYBRID event, on Friday, March 20, 2026. We are grateful to PITT OHIO for being a sponsor for the 10th Annual Symposium organized by the Center for Supply Chain Management.
Our signature event is open to industry, peer institutions, faculty, students, and staff. The annual Supply Chain Management Symposium is an international event in which leading SCM professionals provide cutting-edge insights on significant issues in the field. This year we will have a hybrid Symposium where some talks will be in-person and some virtual. Attendees can also participate in-person or virtually. The event on Friday, March 20, 2026, will include special guest speakers and moderators. An inter-college student poster event will follow the guest speaker sessions. In connection with the Symposium, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, we will have a tour of the new state-of-the-art UPMC Kamin Bed Tower which is part of the UPMC Presbyterian hospital. The tour is free and space is limited.
Our theme this year is Resilient, Responsive, Refined: The AI-Enabled Precision Supply Chain. Drawing inspiration from the clinical accuracy of Precision Medicine, this symposium explores the transition toward “Resilient, Responsive, Refined: The AI-Enabled Precision Supply Chain.” As all industry, especially healthcare and technology sectors move away from one-size-fits-all logistics, we examine how AI is enabling the fulfillment of niche-targeted needs while maintaining peak efficiency. At the Symposium, our speakers will move beyond the hype to critically examine real-world progress: How are forecasting, planning, and control fundamentally changing the supply chain, and what are the actual barriers to implementing these new technologies? We will explore how we can best balance professional judgment and intuition with AI-driven automation. By looking to a future where precision supply chains balance competing goals, we will also investigate the essential reskilling required for professionals navigating these AI-generated transformations.
Early-bird registration closes on March 6, 2026. Registration will close on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Note: If you have a special circumstance and would like to have your registration fee waived, please contact us at scmcenter@katz.pitt.edu
Our confirmed speakers are:
· Joel King, (Tentative) Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
· Mike Kreider, CIO North America, DHL Supply Chain
· Kevin O’Meara, EVP, Business Transformation, Shaw Industries
· Eric Topp, Corporate SVP & Practice Leader, WNS
· Lisa Scales, President and CEO, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Our Esteemed Panelists:
· Scott Meiser, VP, Supply Chain, AHN (Moderator)
· Patrick Brennan, CEO, Supply Risk Solution
· Steve Ciarleglio, CEO, Novis Informatics, Inc.
· Michael Hannemann, VP of Technology, Meperia (Now, Genesis Automation Healthcare)
Event Presiders:
· Mark R. Long, (Tentative) Logistics Bureau Chief; Senior Publishing Editor/Real Time Business Editor, The Wall Street Journal
· Sandy Scardetta Turko, Director, Consulting Division, NTT Data NA
· Meredith (Marsico) Williams, Senior Director & Global Automation Lead, Solutions Design, DHL Supply Chain
Fireside chat (and fund raiser): Lisa Scales, President and CEO, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Mark R. Long (Tentative) Logistics Bureau Chief; Senior Publishing Editor/Real Time Business Editor, The Wall Street Journal HYBRID SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM (Timings are subject to slight change)
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026
Morning Agenda
7:15 – 7:55 a.m. ZOOM Open and In-Person Check-in and Networking
7:55 – 8:05 a.m. Introduction/Welcome
8:05 – 9:30 a.m. Speaker Sessions
9:30 – 9:50 a.m. Coffee break and Networking
9:50 – 11:20 a.m. Speaker Sessions
Noon – 1 p.m. Lunch and Networking
Afternoon Agenda
1 – 2 p.m. Poster Presentations + Results/Graduate and Undergraduate Divisions
2 – 3 p.m. Early Happy Hour with hors d’oeuvres/Networking
Location:
University of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall, 5th Floor, and adjoining classrooms 4227 5th Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213
ANCILLARY ACTIVITIES
In conjunction with the 2026 PITT OHIO Supply Chain Management Symposium, the Center for Supply Chain Management will be organizing a tour on the previous evening, Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, we will have a tour of the new state-of-the-art UPMC Kamin Bed Tower. Note: This tour is free, and space is limited. Guests will be responsible for their own round-trip transportation. (Tour is first come first served. If plans change, please let us know so other guests can attend.)
An inter-college poster competition (the afternoon of 3/20/2026) will complement the main program. Students can find more information about our inter-college Student Poster Competition here: 2026 Poster Competition Information. Following the competition, we will have networking, and happy hour.
Please contact Janice Trygar at jmtrygar@katz.pitt.edu with questions or interest in attending.