AI and the Future of Work in Supply Chain: People, Culture and Performance
April 23-24, 2026
Wood Dining Room, Iacocca Conference Center, Lehigh University
We will open with a cocktail reception on Thursday, April 23 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM and follow up with a full day program on Friday, April 24 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!
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
AI and the Future of Work in Supply Chain
Peter C. Bayer, Jr., Senior Vice President of Operations, Penske Logistics
9:00 - 9:45 AM | Session 2
AI for Supply Chain is Here. Is Your Culture Ready?
Harish Abbott, Co-Founder and CEO, Augment
9:45 - 10:05 AM
Coffee Break
10:05 - 10:50 AM | Session 3
Ramesh Krishnan, Ph.D., Practice Lead for AI Strategy and Implementation, Enterprise Systems Partners, Inc./Founder and Principal, Praxis Advisory Partners
10:50 - 11:35 AM | Session 4
From Hype to Habit: Building the Culture That Makes AI Work in Supply Chain
Brittany Irwin, Application Engineering Manager, Technical Solutions, NFI Industries
11:35 AM - 12:20 PM | Session 5
Heiko Aschenbrenner, Corporate Vice President, Supply Chain Management, B. Braun North America
John McCullough, Director of Continuous Improvement, Sharp Services
Bruce Mitchell, Senior Director, International Supply Chain Planning, Crayola
Lunch
Using Digital Twins for Scenario Planning to Improve Resilience in Supply Chains
J. Chris White, President, Twilight Training LLC / Co-Founder and CEO, scmBLOX
2:00 - 2:45 PM | Session 7
The Role of Information in Operations and Supply Chain Management
Jennifer Ryan, Ph.D., Frank L. Magee Professor and Department Chair for Decision and Technology Analytics, 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