Risk as a Competitive Advantage: Winning in an Uncertain World
November 5-6, 2026
Wood Dining Room, Iacocca Conference Center, Lehigh University
We will open with a cocktail reception on Thursday, November 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM and follow up with a full day program on Friday, November 6 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (check-in and full breakfast begins at 7:30 AM). Networking and education will feature prominently throughout the day with interaction and takeaways. Register now!
Tentative Agenda
8:00 - 8:15 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Zach Zacharia, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Director, CSCRL, Lehigh University College of Business
8:15 - 9:00 AM | Session 1
"It's a Wrap: Closing Out 2026 and Preparing for 2027 as a Supply Chain Leader"
Autumn Bayles, EVP Global Supply Chain & GPO's, Aramark
9:00 - 9:45 AM | Session 2
"Western Europe on the Way to Supply Chain Antifragility"
Franz Staberhofer, Managing Director, Logistikum, Austria
9:45 - 10:05 AM
Coffee Break
10:05 - 10:50 AM | Session 3
"The Human Knowledge Studio: How Human Understanding Creates Better Business Predictability"
Matthew Frampton, Senior Director of Consumer, Shopper, and Customer Insight and Analytics, Crayola
10:50 - 11:35 AM | Session 4
"Taking the Right Risks in an Uncertain World"
Harrison J. Kell, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, HumRRO
11:35 AM - 12:20 PM | Session 5
Laudy Allan, Senior Vice President of Operations, Crayola
Edward Aguiar, Founder and CEO, Techdinamics
12:20 - 1:15 PM
Lunch
1:15 - 2:00 PM | Session 6
"Companies' AI Reckoning: The Real Risks Behind the Promised Advantage"
Mark Chrystal, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, Profitmind
2:00 - 2:45 PM | Session 7
"The Shadow Price of Your Operations: Transforming Risk into Profit"
Elioth Sanabria, Ph.D., Teaching Assistant Professor, DATA Department, Lehigh University College of Business
2:45 - 3:15 PM
Closing Comments and Wrap-up
Zach Zacharia, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Director, CSCRL, Lehigh University College of Business
3:15 - 4:00 PM
Closing Reception