Auto Supply Chain Champions

As self-proclaimed “quality nerds,” Rocky Pinheiro and Mike Payionk of fastening solutions manufacturer PennEngineering speak about quality with exactly what nerd implies — passion, expertise, and arcane knowledge.  Rocky, who holds a Ph. D. in management, spent 25 years in manufacturing before arriving at PennEngineering. Most of his career was in the automotive industry, including 13 years...

Maps & Metrics When Jd Marhevko speaks about how to measure performance, apply solutions and improve overall quality, suppliers listen.  Currently, Vice President of Quality for a major Tier 1 automotive supplier, Jd built her reputation over decades in the automotive industry. Starting college at just 16, Jd studied engineering, which she saw as a road out of poverty. Around the same tim...

Moving Parts: A Framework for Improving Automotive Supply Chain Performance Without context, strategy, and systems, the current automotive supply chain can seem like a complex web of disjointed parts. Combine that with the pressure to deliver on the promise of delivery and you have a recipe for disorder, bottlenecks, confusion, and frustration.   Fortunately for OEMs everywhere, Cathy Fi...

With the supply chain industry in the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, it might make the idea of choosing it as a career path seem counterintuitive for college students. However, the field still presents excellent opportunities for young professionals and recent graduates.  One of the primary challenges is that most students are unaware that majoring in supply chain management is e...

Sometimes you have to look back in order to propel forward. Download our summary of the "one thing" actionable items from each episode. Browse our back catalog of episodes: Episode #1 - Can the prophets really see the future? with your hosts Cathy Fisher and Terry Onica Episode #2 - The Farm Girl Takes on the Supply Chain with Jan Griffiths Episode #3 - A Clearer Look Into Today’s Murky Supply Cha...

Paul Eichenberg has his finger on the pulse of the automotive industry. With an engineering background and three decades of automotive experience, the former Vice President of Corporate and Strategic Planning at Magna Powertrain, Inc . is now the head of his own consulting firm, which advises auto executives around the world on how to make the most of an era of disruption and the rise of electric...

General Motors’ former Executive Director of Global Supply Chain Operations Bill Hurles is back to share more insight on the current dynamic supply chain landscape.  In a wide-ranging discussion, Bill (who spent almost four decades in the automotive industry before he retired) reflects on his time working with GM's former head of purchasing Ignacio Lopez . He also talks about the qualities he...

It’s a good thing Julie Dedene likes to think on her feet. In her role as a supply chain manager for industrial lubrication supplier Eastern Oil Company , she’s had to contend with everything from the COVID shutdown to a demand spike, labor shortages, and natural disasters. Julie describes her job as “a constant battle,” but as someone who loves a good puzzle and solving problems in real-time, she...

Over the course of nearly four decades in the automotive industry, Bill Hurles has seen a lot. With a mechanical engineering degree and an MBA in hand, he began working at General Motors in the 1980s. Eventually, he moved from the engineering side of the organization into manufacturing, and when an opportunity arose in supply chain management, he took it.  When Bill retired, he was GM’s Execu...

In the last episode of Auto Supply Chain Prophets, host Jan Griffiths and guests Cathy Fisher and Terry Onica discussed the evolution of supply chain management in a global marketplace. They agree that the pandemic served as a wake-up call for business leaders who thought Industrial Age management systems were good enough for the 21st century. This time around, Cathy and Terry turn the tables and...

In the automotive industry, supply chain is typically not viewed as a driver of profits — but that needs to shift.  Over the years, the supply chain has evolved from a mostly local or regional operation into a sprawling, diverse, global enterprise. And as the pandemic proved, it can make or break an organization.  In the premiere episode of Auto Supply Chain Prophets, co-host Jan Griffit...

Do you want to escape the neverending costly cycle of supply chain disruptions? Are you looking for proven secrets to supply chain success to give your organization a competitive advantage? Join the Auto Supply Chain Prophets Podcast with your co-hosts Terry Onica of QAD , and Cathy Fisher of Quistem to get actionable insights for finding real profits in your supply chain. Listen in as Terry and C...