From Disruption to Direction: Leading the Future of Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Prof. John Manners-Bell, Founder & Advisory Board Member, Foundation for Future Supply Chain, London

World trade has been transformed over the last decade by protectionism, increased geo-political tensions, the rise of emerging markets and the prioritisation of supply chain resilience over short term cost considerations.

In his presentation, Professor Manners-Bell discusses many of the alternative models which have developed to mitigate the risks involved in globalised supply chains. He makes it clear that while international trade volumes will continue to grow, the complexity, volatility and uncertainty of trade flows will change. 

New models including multi-sourcing, green-shoring, re-shoring, near-shoring, ally-shoring, China+, USA+, regionalization of the Global South and BRICS+, re-industrialization, deal-shoring and circularity will proliferate, creating a complex cost environment in which to make supply chain decisions. 

On top of that, manufacturers and retailers must balance inventory levels and positioning against financing costs, mitigating risks whilst ensuring profitability. Finally, he will discuss the changing regulatory and ethical paradigm in which supply chains exist, taking into account the need for awareness of societal and environmental impact in order to achieve a sustainable business model in all senses of the term.

Prof. Dr. Christina Raasch, Professor for Digital Economy, Kühne Logistics University
Melih Yener, Partner and AI/GenAI transformation leader, Boston Consulting Group

In this session, BCG-X Partner Melih Yener and KLU innovation expert Christina Raasch present and discuss state-of-the-art applications of agentic and generative AI in supply chains and beyond, highlighting emerging capabilities, implementation approaches, and lessons learned from real industrial projects.

Dr. Ingrid Schulte, Carbon Dioxide Removal Project Manager, Kuehne Climate Center
Prof. Dr. Arne Heinold, Assistant Professor for Transportation, Kühne Logistics University

The race to limit global warming to 1.5°C is facing a widening gap between ambition and reality. Some greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from hard-to-abate sectors, will persist even in net-zero scenarios. Where direct mitigation is not feasible, Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) becomes an important building block of the strategy to reach our climate targets.

The idea behind CDR is simple - remove human-caused carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to stay within the global carbon budget - but the challenge is immense. CDR is increasingly understood not just as a technical task, but as a material and logistical one.

Promising CDR methods range from biochar and bioenergy with carbon capture to direct air capture, enhanced rock weathering and ocean alkalinity enhancement. They require moving, storing and processing large volumes of biomass, minerals, or captured carbon. For mineral-based approaches in particular, the sector will need to design and implement entirely new supply chains capable of operating at a gigaton scale. Thus, while CDR solutions are rapidly evolving, they all rely on efficient, scalable logistics to succeed.

This session explores the multifaceted challenges and opportunities at the intersection of logistics and carbon removal, and the question of how logistics systems can become a catalyst for CDR deployment. We will review some of the most promising CDR technologies and identify the logistical bottlenecks they face, linking these to traditional logistical challenges, such as capacity planning, network optimization, and resource allocation. Join us to discover how logistics can become a powerful catalyst for climate action and help translate climate ambition into reality.

Prof. Dr. Maria Besiou, Professor for Humanitarian Logistics, Kühne Logistics University; Academic Director of the Center of Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development (CHORD)

Sean Rafter, Managing Director, HELP Logistics by Kühne Foundation; Operations Director, CHORD

Mary Jellity, Deputy Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator

The climate crisis requires and drives a rapid transformation : reducing emissions to net zero and adapting to the impacts of a new climate reality are major tasks. Currently, transport is a heavy emitter, and, like all sectors, has to decarbonize rapidly. But transport and logistics has more to contribute: serving the needs of people, industry, and society is its reason for being. These needs will change fundamentally as we move towards a low-carbon and sustainable society.

The session discusses some of the structural changes in the economy to which transport will need to adapt and the capacities it will have to build so it can help enable and boost green, sustainable development at the global and at the local level. 

Prof. Dr. Sandra Transchel, Professor for Supply Chain and Operations Management, Kühne Logistics University
Tobias Bielenstein, Director Public Affairs, Sustainability & Communications, Genossenschaft Deutscher Brunnen eG

The German beverage industry offers a proven blueprint for circular logistics of reusable packaging, built on standardized packaging, efficient collection, and high return rates. This session explores how similar logistics principles can be extended to develop and scale reusable packaging systems for new product categories, such as cosmetics and personal care, take-away food and drinks, and e-commerce. 

Together with a leading industry expert, we will discuss what is needed to develop a scalable logistics infrastructure – including collection, return transport, and cleaning – that can serve a wide range of product categories, ensure high return rates, and enable cost-efficient operations through shared systems, standardized packaging, and integration with existing retail and distribution networks. We will also consider how packaging design, pooling, and policy can support more efficient reverse logistics.

Prof. Dr. Hanno Friedrich, Associate Professor for Freight Transportation - Modelling and Policy, Kühne Logistics University 
Dr. Michael Schrörs, Department Head, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection of the German State of Lower Saxony; 
Jochen Eisenzapf, Managing Director Finance & Controlling, Harry Brot; 
Lars Dammann, Head of Environment, Health, Safety & Security Corporate Strategy, Sustainability & Innovation, DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH
 

In times of multiple crises, preparedness of Critical Infrastructures becomes more important. In most cases, like in food supply, it’s companies that own and manage the infrastructure in question. For better preparedness, however, companies and public institutions need to coordinate and work together. In this session we will explore how this works in the critical infrastructure of food. The basis for this is the ongoing research project KRITIS ENV.

Friedel Sehlleier, Kühne Climate Center
Naville Geiriseb, Senior Associate, International Cooperation Africa, Agora Verkehrswende; 
Christoph Kattner, Lead for Inbound Consolidation Center and sustainable transportation expert, Daimler Trucks
 

The need for sustainable logistics is universal - but are there also adequate solutions? Do electric trucks make sense for Africa, where markets rely on affordable used diesel trucks from Europe and East Asia? 

Join visionary African and European changemakers as they share grounded realities and bold ideas shaping the continent’s transport future.

Prof. Dr. Brooke Gazdag, Associate Professor for Management; Academic Director of Executive Education, Kühne Logistics University 
Paulina Rabell, Managing Director, European Supplier Diversity Programme (ESDP)
Arpan Chatterjee, Country Lead Germany, European Supplier Diversity Programme (ESDP)

In collaboration with the European Supplier Diversity Programme (ESDP), this session opens a conversation on what supplier diversity means for logistics and procurement today. We’ll explore how connecting underrepresented suppliers with corporate buyers is taking shape across Europe, what challenges and opportunities are emerging, and how inclusion might influence the future of supply chains.

Prof. Dr. Gordon Wilmsmeier, Associate Professor for Shipping and Global Logistics; Director of the Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL), Kühne Logistics University 

& Guests

Interpreting and predicting future developments and market expectations has become more complex, we will discuss the value and challenges of human and AI forecasting of maritime freight rates. What can we learn from forecasting exercises? Should we leave forecasting to technology? What is the value and difference in human forecasting?

Dr. Niklas Wilmking, Managing Director, Kühne Foundation

Tim Scharwath, former CEO, DHL Global Forwarding

The closing session invites participants to step back from the day’s discussions and view the future of logistics leadership as a story already unfolding. It begins by tracing the arc of today’s transformation: the rapid rise of AI reshaping how decisions are made, the pressing need to translate net-zero ambitions into real operational change, and the growing recognition that resilient supply systems are now a strategic necessity.

A three-part panel then explores the next chapter – how leaders can navigate an era in which technology moves faster than organizations, sustainability shifts from aspiration to execution, and disruption becomes a permanent backdrop. The session concludes by sketching a vivid picture of what leading a high-performing logistics organization could look like by 2030, offering clear takeaways for those shaping the sector’s next decade.