Feeding Millions on the Move: Arah Tan Talks Supply Chain, Inflation, and Innovation

Welcome to Farm to Fork: The Innovators. Today’s guest is Arah Tan, the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics at OTG Management—a leading foodservice company operating in high-traffic venues like LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark Airports.In this episode, we dig into the unique challenges of airport food operations. Arah shares how OTG navigates complex logistics, vendor contracts, and the unpredictable nature of disruptions—from hurricanes to global pandemics. She brings a unique lens as someone who started in restaurant operations and climbed into supply chain leadership, making this conversation especially insightful for those curious about the intersection of hospitality, logistics, and innovation in constrained environments.Host and Guest Social Media Links:David Maloni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/Arah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arahtan/ Timestamps00:00:00 00:01:17 – David introduces the podcast and Arah’s role at OTG00:02:09 – Overview of OTG’s operations and Arah’s responsibilities00:04:13 – How OTG operates both national and proprietary food brands in airports00:07:14 – Security and logistical barriers to airport food supply00:09:09 – Arah’s career journey and how she got into supply chain00:13:05 – The COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point in supply chain strategy00:16:20 – Complexity of managing supplier relationships across locations00:20:07 – Leveraging vendor flexibility while meeting brand requirements00:22:07 – Impact of airport type and seasonality on supply chain demands00:25:21 – Economic conditions and their effect on travel and food sales00:27:08 – Preparing for disruptions and maintaining resiliency00:30:13 – Operations experience informs better supply chain decisions00:33:01 – Importance of food safety and proper packaging in airport delivery00:34:09 – Arah’s vision for technology and transparency in the next decade00:36:05 – Sourcing locally and partnering with community vendors00:37:00 – Arah’s pick for best airport food: Bobby’s at LaGuardia00:39:23 – Reflections on motherhood’s role in shaping leadershipI’d like to introduce you to Datum Advisors, a new offering from Datum FS. Our team is composed of seasoned Food Supply Chain Executives from every sector. We stand ready to offer valuable advisory services for your company.Click here to find out more: 👉 https://datumfs.com/datum-advisors#SupplyChain #FoodService #AirportLogistics #HospitalityIndustry #SupplyChainInnovation #OTGManagement #DavidMaloni #FarmToFork #FoodSupplyChain #ArahTan #AirportOperations #TravelIndustry #RestaurantLogistics #FoodTech