Prologis to host inaugural industrywide thought leadership event

On Oct. 27, Prologis is hosting its inaugural thought leadership event: Breaking New Ground 2021. The event will take place at Prologis headquarters in San Francisco from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PT, with the option for attendees to attend virtually. 

Consumers are struggling with shortages of daily necessities amid ongoing port bottlenecks. The solutions to the supply chain crisis are complex, making it urgent for the industry at large to work collaboratively. Join the Prologis event to gain executive-level insights from organizations actively addressing these challenges as they work to transform the global supply chain. 

Listen to a fireside chat between two industry heavyweights who will explore the impact of the supply chain disruption as well as businesses’ efforts to innovate and adapt over the long term:

Carol Tome, CEO of UPS

Hamid Moghadam, chairman and CEO of Prologis

Moderator: Susie Gharib, anchor and senior special correspondent at Fortune

Transportation challenges remain top of mind for companies trying to move goods around the nation. Trucking capacity has remained tight since July 2020; nearly one in five loads tendered has been rejected by carriers for higher-paying loads in the spot market. Now more than ever, visibility and load matching platforms have become an essential solution for shippers and third-party logistics providers to navigate these unprecedented capacity constraints. In a session on transportation, industry leaders will discuss innovations in the logistics technology space:

Jack Kennedy, founder and CEO of Platform Science

Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider

Will O’Donnell, managing partner at Prologis Ventures

Moderator: Bryan Walsh, future correspondent, Axios

The forum will also explore the environmental footprint of the logistics and supply chain sector. According to the International Energy Agency, international shipping was responsible for approximately 2% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2019.  As countries pivot from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy, the logistics industry is implementing new initiatives to reduce emissions. Hear how major companies are tackling the challenge:

Dr. Lee Kindberg, head of environment and sustainability at Maersk North America

Huw Phillips, vice president of real estate excellence at DHL

Erik Neandross, CEO of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates

Henrik Holland, VP, global head of EV charging at Prologis

Companies are struggling to find skilled workers as the mismatch between available jobs and interested workers is at nearly an all-time high. The “Where Has All the Workforce Gone?” session will focus on the causes and solutions for warehouse labor shortages. Panelists for this session include:

Maria Flynn, CEO of Jobs for the Future

Andy Van Kleunen, CEO of National Skills Coalition

Moderator: Tyler Gray, EVP global editorial, Edelman, and former senior editor at Fast Co.

Understanding and working to solve the labor issue is critical, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that distribution and logistics employment from 2019 to 2022 is expected to grow almost 30%.  To address the growing demand for warehouse labor, Prologis launched Community Workforce Initiative, a training program that will onboard 25,000 logistics employees. Prologis has also partnered with the Association of Supply Chain Management to develop the Supply Chain Warehousing Certificate, an educational program that provides extensive training in distribution inventory management, product storage and sustainability in logistics.

The thought-provoking day will be capped by closing remarks by Michael Lewis, bestselling author of “Moneyball,” “Liar’s Poker,” “The Blind Side” and more. Lewis will discuss the supply chain, innovation and his new book, “The Premonition,” which has been described as a “brilliant nonfiction thriller” and explores the interplay between government agencies and a group of medical visionaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To register for the event, click here.