Most people don’t think about supply chain until something goes wrong. But behind the scenes, it drives everything from sustainability progress to whether products even make it to your door.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now and ongoing Now Generation series, Scott W. Luton is joined by Professor Catarina Carvalho, faculty member at Columbia University and Associate Principal at Arup, alongside Briana Stregiel from Columbia Business School, Curran Murphy, Distribution Planning Manager at Louis Vuitton, and Ingrid Eck, Graduate Student, M.S. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. Together, they share how the next wave of supply chain leaders is already tackling complex challenges across sustainability, data, and global operations.

The conversation highlights how diverse backgrounds, from luxury fashion and food systems to natural gas trading, help students bridge classroom learning to real global challenges. Topics such as decarbonization, scope 3 emissions, climate risk, and cross-functional collaboration take center stage as each guest shares what drives them most. Their perspectives reveal a generation that is not only career-focused but deeply motivated to create meaningful change.

Catarina also shares insights into how Columbia's program intentionally develops well-rounded leaders by bridging academic rigor with hands-on, real-world practitioner expertise. This episode offers a glimpse of how the next generation is approaching the supply chain with curiosity, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(02:05) Meet the panel: Professor Catarina Carvalho and students

(06:26) Student backgrounds, studies, and personal hobbies

(18:30) What each guest loves most about the global supply chain

(27:06) What will define the best supply chain leaders in 5 years

(27:17) Briana: Transparency and closing the Scope 3 emissions gap

(29:34) Catarina: Supply chain accounts for 94% of your emissions

(37:30) The Columbia University student experience

(52:37) Wise organization, closing thoughts, and how to connect

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Catarina Carvalho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarina--carvalho/
• Connect with Curran Murphy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curranjmurphy/
• Connect with Briana Stregiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briana-stregiel/
• Connect with Ingrid Eck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-eck
• Learn more about Arup: https://www.arup.com/
• Learn more about Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/
• Learn more about Columbia Business School: https://business.columbia.edu/
• Learn more about WISE by The University of Arkansas: https://walton.uark.edu/departments/supplychain/wise.php
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
• WEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfB
• WEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKp
• WEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3b

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/now-generation-columbia-university-fueling-top-talent-pipeline-1573