503: Women In Supply Chain™, Andrea Morgan-Vandome

Andrea Morgan talks about her career journey; the similarities between supply chain & astrophysics, innovation, and why women need to bloom where they land.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.37] Andrea's degree in astrophysics, and why curiosity was her biggest driver. "I had a deep interest in the origins of the universe… It gave me the training to ask the right questions." [5.14] How a post-graduate placement at IBM exposed Andrea to a range of business areas, and ignited a passion for supply chain. "I learned that I didn't want to be a researcher, I liked being with people… Quickly I started to specialize in supply chain, I was drawn by the nature of the problems we were trying to solve." [07.20] From the emergence of the cloud to transformation at scale, Andrea's experience at Oracle during pivotal years in the adoption and expansion of new technology. [10.09] Andrea's role in digital transformation at Nike and what we can learn, from the alignment of business strategy and vision to the importance of metrics and measurement. "The biggest thing is putting the concept behind product management at the centre of that digital transformation… You can't do transformation for transformations sake." [15.56] Andrea's current role at Blue Yonder as Chief Innovation Officer, what the role entails, and how it has evolved. [19.15] What innovation means to Andrea, and where the industry is when it comes to innovation. "For me, innovation at its core is: 'How do you do things differently?'" [21.03] Andrea's perspective on AI, and how they're thinking about agentic AI at Blue Yonder. "The ones that aren't successful are the ones that aren't focused on deep domain expertise. Where we're going with agentic is not just the general knowledge, but really understanding the specifics of supply chain." "It's important to get started, because we know it's coming. So you might as well try it out, and see the value you could get along the way." [24.58] Andrea's experience as a woman in male-dominated spaces. [26.49] Why a rising tide lifts all boats, and why women need to support collective growth and empowerment. [29.44] Why Andrea wants to encourage women to bloom where they land, even when the circumstances aren't ideal. "It's not always about the destination, it's about the journey." [32.25] What being an industry 'trailblazer' means to Andrea, and how others can follow in her footsteps. [34.02] The future for Andrea.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   You can connect with Andrea over on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Blue Yonder, check out 497: Transform Your Returns Management and Delight Customers, with Blue Yonder 434: Synchronize Your Supply Chain Execution, with Blue Yonder 417: Fulfill Your Potential, with Blue Yonder 484: Women In Supply Chain™, Saskia Van Gendt Check out our other podcasts HERE.