Dose #25: The Evolving Role of Supply Chains and Future Skills with Abe Eshkenazi (ASCM)

In this episode of SCW for Pharma, Evren Ozkaya welcomes Abe Eshkenazi, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).The conversation begins with Abe’s professional journey, starting from his early career in pharmaceutical operations, including manufacturing and supply chain management. He shares how his current role focuses on helping organizations build more agile, resilient, and risk-aware supply chains, while also fostering a global community that advances the profession across areas such as strategy, geopolitics, compliance, and sustainability.Evren and Abe then explore how the perception of the supply chain has evolved since COVID-19. Abe emphasizes that supply chain is no longer a back-office function but a critical topic at the C-level. The pandemic exposed major gaps in transparency and visibility, pushing organizations to rethink their priorities beyond cost and efficiency to include resilience, ethics, and sustainability.The discussion then shifts to the gap between academic education and real-world supply chain challenges. Abe reflects on how supply chain management was not historically a dedicated academic discipline and how many professionals entered the field from engineering or finance backgrounds. He highlights the role of certification and continuous education programs in bridging this gap, as well as ASCM’s contributions in this regard.Evren and Abe also discuss the importance of continuous learning and cross-functional development. Abe underscores that supply chain professionals must go beyond operational efficiency, developing capabilities in finance, analytics, sustainability, and strategy. At the same time, he highlights the growing importance of soft skills, including relationship management and the ability to navigate complex, dynamic environments while balancing short-term disruptions with long-term strategic goals.The conversation then touches on ASCM’s documentary “The Chain: How The World Works,” which illustrates the hidden complexity of global supply chains and is streaming on Amazon Prime. Abe explains how supply chains impact everyday life in ways most people do not realize until disruptions occur, emphasizing that supply chains are ultimately human systems that directly affect societies and livelihoods.Focusing on the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, Abe highlights the critical importance of quality, accessibility, and reliability. He explains that pharma supply chains go beyond operational complexity, as they are directly linked to patient health and wellbeing. He also points to global dependencies, such as the concentration of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production, and exposed vulnerabilities in ensuring access to essential medicines.Looking ahead, Abe identifies the skills that will be most in demand over the next five years. He emphasizes the growing importance of leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, as supply chain professionals must translate complex insights into actionable strategies across organizations. With increasing geopolitical uncertainty, technological advancement, and demand volatility, the ability to influence and align stakeholders will be critical.Finally, Abe shares his perspective on talent in the healthcare sector. He highlights the need to recruit individuals who are motivated by impact and committed to improving people’s lives. While digital transformation is essential for improving visibility and efficiency, he stresses that technology should be seen as a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. Evren and Abe conclude the conversation with a powerful reflection: supply chain is not a support function, but a critical, cross-functional discipline that plays a vital role in delivering what people need, when they need it—ultimately making a meaningful difference in the world.