345. The State of Supply Chain in 2026 with Özge Kaya (Head of Supply Chain LATAM at Henkel) and Federico Marchesi (VP Supply Chain at SIG Group): Hormuz, Cost Pressures, Leadership, AI

Our yearly "State of Supply Chain" episode is back! One can argue whether the world is getting better or worse, but one thing is clear: it isn't getting any simpler. Operations teams arguably feel this instability more than most, as they deal with rising costs, disrupted trade routes, geopolitical tensions and plenty of other "fun" challenges.

To explore the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Supply Chain today, how the function can become more strategic to the business, and what it takes to lead through constant disruption, we're joined by two leaders based on opposite sides of the Atlantic: Federico Marchesi, VP Global Supply Chain at packaging leader SIG Group, who joins us for the fourth time and has become our de facto Operations Expert; and Özge Kaya, Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations LATAM at Henkel Consumer Brands.

Together, we speak about:

• A review of the main events shaping global logistics, like the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and Cost Pressures
• How to deal with crises as an Operations Leader
• LATAM-specific disruptions in Özge's case
• Keeping a team engaged and amidst instability
• Making Supply Chain ever-more strategic to the business
• Leading Gen Z
• The growing role of AI in Supply Chain
• Outlook for 2027

Check out Federico's other appearences on the podcast HERE

Audio Mixing by Modest Ferrer
Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.