Register Now for the Spring 2026 Supply Chain Expert Exchange Conference

Join us in Chicago May 14 - 15, 2026 for the Supply Chain Expert Exchange Spring Conference.

REGISTER HERE

AGENDA

Thursday, May 14, 2026

11:00 a.m.   Registration Desk Open

11:00 a.m.   Headshots Available

1:30 p.m.   Conference Welcome & Kick Off

1:45 p.m.   Breakthrough Leadership
Kelli Valade, CEO, Women's Foodservice Forum

2:35 p.m.   Curated Roundtable Discussion— Networking & Problem Solving

Some of the best thinking in this room happens in small groups. This curated networking and problem-solving session gives you the chance to engage directly with peers facing the same challenges, dig into the topics that matter most to your work, and walk away with ideas you can actually put to use. 

MODERATORS:
Rachel DeMers, Senior Director of Supply Chain, City Barbeque, LLC
Megan Posenato, Senior Director, Procurement, Shake Shack Enterprises

Table topics and descriptions: 

Table #	Topic	Description
1	The Future of Restaurant Supply Chains: Powered by AI	How AI and efficiencies are making restaurant supply chains smarter, faster, and more reliable.
2	Managing Rising Protein Costs: Strategies for Cost Avoidance	Examine sourcing strategies, supplier partnerships, and contracting approaches that help operators mitigate rising protein costs while maintaining consistent supply.
3	Building Resilient Restaurant Supply Chains: Strategies for Growth and Efficiency	Learn how operators are building adaptable, resilient supply chains that respond to market shifts, changing consumer demands, and industry challenges.
4	Streamlining New Restaurant Openings: Smart Supply Chain Strategies	Identify supply chain strategies that support smooth, cost-effective restaurant launches.
5	Contract Negotiation Strategies: Securing Optimal Deals While Maintaining Quality	Exchange insights on negotiation tactics, creating balanced agreements, and using market intelligence to secure better outcomes.
6	Driving Success: Supply Chain Excellence through LTOs	Discuss how LTOs can be structured to simplify ingredients, reduce supply chain risk, and drive sales while maintaining operational efficiency.
7	Animal Disease Disruptions: Strategies to Protect Supply and Manage Costs	Explore strategies to manage animal disease disruptions while protecting costs, maintaining product availability, and strengthening supply chain resilience.
8	Customized vs Broadline Distribution: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Supply Chain	Compare the benefits and challenges of customized versus broadline distribution, including efficiency, cost control, and meeting unique restaurant needs.
9	Preparing for the Next Step in Supply Chain: Path to Executive Leadership	Explore how emerging supply chain leaders can develop the skills and leadership capabilities needed to succeed in an increasingly complex, technology-driven industry.
10	Rapid Turnaround: Executing Supply Chain Deliverables Quickly	Exchange creative ways to support fast-paced menu launches when timelines are compressed, teams are stretched, and demand for additional LTO windows continues to grow.
11	Navigating EPR Legislation: Packaging Compliance in the Supply Chain	Explore approaches to adapt supply chain operations and packaging processes to meet EPR regulations while maintaining efficiency and controlling costs.
12	Rethinking Supply Chains: Changing Appetite Trends	Adapting and sourcing to changing consumer demand like GLP-1's, high protein, smaller plates, and no seed oils.
13	Adapting to Global Policy Changes: Smarter Cost Control in Your Supply Chain	Discuss approaches to navigate trade policy, tariffs, and global conflict while minimizing supply chain costs and protecting operational efficiency.
14	Scaling Smarter: What's Next for Restaurant Supply Chains	Exploring emerging trends and changing consumer expectations shaping the future of foodservice supply chains.
15	Vendor Scorecards: Tracking Supplier Performance	Building scorecards that drive stronger supplier partnerships, reliability and stronger partnerships.
16	Freight and Logistics Strategies: Cost Savings and Dependability	Examine approaches to manage rising freight expenses through smarter inbound logistics, shipment consolidation, and effective distributor network utilization.
17	Operations & Distribution: Strengthening Collaboration for Better Execution	Explore strategies to strengthen alignment between operations and distribution teams through clear communication and effective supply chain oversight.
18	Showcasing your Supply Chain: Presenting Success to Leadership and Executive Teams	Discuss strategies for translating supply chain productivity into insights and highlighting initiatives in ways that drive executive engagement, support, and informed strategic decision-making.
19	Operations Alignment: Supporting Restaurant Operations Through Supply Chain	Identify ways to align on product availability, simplify execution, and strengthen collaboration to help restaurants operate efficiently and consistently.
20	Supply Chain Commodity Risk Management: Protecting Supply and Costs	Discuss best practices for mitigating risks from commodity price swings, shortages, and supply chain disruptions while maintaining menu consistency through hedging and contracting raw materials.

 

4:35 p.m.   Day One Wrap-Up

4:40 p.m.   Headshots Available

6:00 p.m.   Reception & Dinner - Offshore Rooftop

Friday, May 15, 2026

7:30 a.m.   Breakfast

8:30 a.m.   Opening Remarks

8:35 a.m.   Keynote: Built for Turbulence - Leading Organizations That Strengthen Under Stress

The anxiety is understandable. Artificial Intelligence, Private Equity consolidation, tariff volatility, commodity swings — the disruptions hitting foodservice supply chain aren't arriving one at a time, and no single forecast covers all of it. But anxiety narrows focus, and narrow focus is the enemy of strategic thinking. Pascal Finette reframes the moment: staying the course is no longer a strategy. Drawing on nearly three decades at the forefront of technology and organizational change — including roles at eBay, Mozilla, and Google.org — he introduces a practical framework for spotting weak signals before they become disruptions, maps the state changes already reshaping the industry, and makes a data-backed case that building organizational muscle is what separates leaders who gain from disruption from those who are simply managed by it. You'll leave with a wider lens and a new way of reading what's coming.

Pascal Finette, Co-Founder & Chief Heretic, radical Author, Built for Turbulence (2026)

9:25 a.m.  Hot Topics & Emerging Issues in Supply Chain

This session highlights the issues making headlines right now and their potential impact on foodservice supply chains. From tariffs and shifting commodity prices to new regulations, emerging trade risks, and supply disruptions, we'll examine what's driving uncertainty as we head into the second half of the year. The conversation will focus on how these developments could affect your operations and what you can do to stay prepared in a volatile environment.

A highly interactive session, moderators will use live polling to keep the conversation dynamic and reflect what's top of mind for attendees.

MODERATORS:
Jeff Dorr, Senior Division President - SaaS, Buyers Edge Platform
Kristi Kingery, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Tropical Smoothie Cafe

9:55 a.m.   Networking Break

10:15 a.m.   Pork Under Pressure: Market Outlook and What it Means for Operators

Pork supply is being shaped by forces on multiple fronts: trade policy, evolving regulations, and market pressures that don't stay on the farm. For operators, that pressure doesn't remain abstract. It shows up in availability, cost, and supplier conversations.

Jeff Pigott of the National Pork Producers Council, brings a perspective that spans the full chain, from producer to processor to operator. He'll cover where the market stands today, what's driving cost and supply variability, and what the regulatory environment looks like from the producer's side.

If pork is part of your menu or your supplier mix, this session puts the numbers and the context in one place.

Jeff Pigott, Vice President of Industry Relations, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)

10:45 a.m.   Beef and Poultry Outlook: What's Driving Costs and What to Expect

Markets don't move in isolation. Tariffs, labor trends, Fed policy, inflation, and global conflict are all shaping the cost environment before a single pound of protein changes hands. This session starts there, then gets specific.

Michael Irgang, President of Global Risk Management Corp., brings decades of commodity risk experience to both markets. On the beef side, he'll unpack how cattle herd dynamics, packer margins, global availability, and emerging threats like New World Screwworm are converging in ways that carry real implications for operators. On the poultry side, strong production is running headfirst into surging demand fueled by QSR promotions, trade-down from pricier proteins, and the growing influence of GLP-1 diets on consumer behavior.

This session weighs the major cost drivers across both proteins and gives operators a clearer picture of what to prepare for in the months ahead.

Michael Irgang, President and Owner, Global Risk Management Corp.

11:15 a.m.   A Conversation with Tim McEnery: Scaling the Experience, Growth & Culture at Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk didn't begin with a blueprint for scale — it began with a simple idea: create an experience people genuinely love. What started as a single concept has grown into a distinctive brand that blends winery, restaurant, retail, and a rapidly expanding wine club. With that evolution, complexity is built into the model. As the business has scaled, the supply chain has become a critical enabler — quietly ensuring that every location, every menu, and every bottle delivers the same high-quality Cooper's Hawk experience guests expect.

In this conversation, Tim sits down with Director of Procurement & Supply Chain Dan Gould to discuss growth, culture, and why supply chain is more than an operational function — it's a key stakeholder in delivering a seamless, guest-first experience as the brand continues to scale.

Tim McEnery, Founder & CEO, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants

MODERATOR:
Dan Gould, Director of Procurement and Supply Chain, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants

12:05 p.m.   Lunch

12:35 p.m.   Regulatory Issues

1:05 p.m.   Upstream Intelligence: AI and the Future of Food Supply Chain

Long before a product reaches a distributor or lands on a menu, decisions made in the field shape what's available, at what cost, and when. That's where John Deere operates — and where AI is changing what's possible.Tim Marquis, Senior Product Manager for Data Science and Analytics at John Deere, will walk through how the company has evolved from connected equipment to AI-powered insight, turning data generated in the field into practical decision support for farmers and the broader food system. The result is a supply chain that can see further, plan smarter, and respond faster to the conditions driving availability and cost.

Tim Marquis, Senior Product Manager for Data Science and Analytics, John Deere

1:35 p.m.   New Owners, New Rules: Private Equity, Consolidation, and the Supply Chain Reality - Panel Discussion

Restaurant consolidation is accelerating. Private equity is acquiring chains, some are restructuring to regain control, and others are watching from the sidelines wondering if they're next. Whatever side you're on, ownership changes don't stay in the boardroom - they land squarely in supply chain.

This panel examines what supply chain leaders need to understand when ownership changes hands. The real operational differences between PE-backed, privately held and publicly traded companies, and what those differences mean for how supply chain decisions get made, contracts get structured, and relationships get managed

MODERATORS:
Kirsten Michulka, President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Purchasing Cooperative, a Subway Franchisee-owned Organization
Joel Neikirk, Chief Executive Officer at Restaurant Services, Inc. 

2:05 p.m.   Networking Break

2:25 p.m.   TBA

2:55 p.m.   AI in Foodservice Supply Chain: Where it's Working and How to Get There

Foodservice supply chain has never been more complex, or more ready for transformation. This session goes beyond the concept and into practice, with real examples of how AI is changing the way food moves from supplier to kitchen.

Deborah Matteliano, Global Head of Restaurants at AWS, draws on work with some of the world's largest foodservice distributors and global restaurant brands to show how AWS Supply Chain solutions are driving smarter, more resilient operations right now. From demand forecasting and supplier visibility to logistics and inventory management, she'll give you a grounded picture of where AI is making a measurable difference today.

Whether your organization is just starting to explore AI or looking to move faster, this session gives you the context, the examples, and the next steps to take back to your team.

Deborah M. Matteliano, MBA, Global Head of Restaurants, AWS

4:05 p.m.   Closing Remarks