Key leaders to discuss global supply chain challenges as part of Laurier-hosted virtual panel discussion

April 13, 2021
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – From the COVID-19 pandemic to the recent disruptive blockage of the Suez Canal, Canadians are becoming acutely aware of the fragility of an increasingly complex and interconnected system of supply chains that deliver products crucial to our daily lives. To illuminate these risks and what companies can do to mitigate them, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Centre for Supply Chain Management and Master of Supply Chain Management program will host an hour-long virtual panel discussion focused on the topic.

Managing Global Supply Chains in a Riskier World will bring together key leaders in Canada’s supply chain sector to discuss the need for greater sector-wide preparations in the face of an increasingly risky and interconnected world. The panel discussion will take place April 22 from noon to 1 p.m. and be moderated by Michael Haughton, CN Fellow in Supply Chain Management and director of the Master of Supply Chain Management program at Laurier’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.

Featured panelists include Andaleeb Dobson (BBA ’97), vice president of merchandizing and supply chain at The Source; Jim Peeples, president and chief operating officer at Challenger Motor Freight; and Michael Ward (BBA ’86), chief executive officer and chief sustainability officer at IKEA Canada. Managing Global Supply Chains in a Riskier World is a free public event, but registration is required and space is limited.

“There is virtually no sector of the Canadian economy that has been left untouched by the globalization of supply chains,” said Peruvemba S. Ravi, associate professor and director of the Centre for Supply Chain Management. “It is generally accepted that global supply chains have reduced costs and increase the range of options available to businesses and consumers alike. However, businesses, academics and policymakers have tended to underplay the risks associated with this process of globalization.”

Global supply chains are beset with delays, disruptions and failures resulting from unexpected events, increased volume of freight traffic and the geographical spread of supply networks. Managing Global Supply Chains in a Riskier World will provide a forum for industry leaders and academics to discuss these problems and suggest possible solutions and best practices.

About Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University is committed to academic excellence. Laurier’s holistic approach to learning integrates innovative programming with hands-on experience outside the classroom to ensure Laurier graduates are not only ready for the future but are inspired to leave their mark on the world. As a community of researchers, leaders and educators, Laurier builds knowledge that serves society and creates connections that have a lasting impact. Learn more about Laurier’s more than 20,000 students in nine faculties and a federated university college throughout Waterloo, Brantford, Kitchener and Toronto at wlu.ca.