From November 4 to 6, the Global Supply Chain Institute and the Department of Supply Chain Management hosted another successful Supply Chain Forum, welcoming more than 600 business professionals, industry executives, top scholars and students—including more than 200 partner company employees—to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Below is a summary of everything you need to know about the event.
Relive the best of the forum
In the Partner Portal, attendees can access video recordings of Main Sessions as well as slide decks and other resources from presenters. While in the portal, click the Event Survey to rate each session and provide feedback. Your response goes a long way to ensuring we offer attendees the best experience this upcoming spring.
To maximize the value partner organizations receive from forum membership, GSCI does not make written or recorded sessions publicly available. However, we have provided recaps of two popular sessions.
- “Translating Military Leadership to Today’s Supply Chain Challenges,” where retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and national security expert Kevin Sweeney spoke with Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby about the geopolitical landscape, his 30-plus year naval career, and how military leadership principles apply to a complex business environment. The session also served as the debut episode of Season 4 of the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management podcast
- “Tariffs, Protectionism, and Uncertainty,” a conversation between GSCI co-executive director Tom Goldsby and international trade and economics expert Georg Schaur, in which he discussed the hidden costs of trade disruption and how economic policy in the United States affects global supply chains.
We’ve also assembled photo galleries with hundreds of shots from all three days. Look for yourself and share your favorites on social media. When you do, make sure to tag us on LinkedIn and Instagram and use the #Fall2025SCF.
Grow as a supply chain professional
If you want to access the expertise that has consistently placed UT among the world’s top supply chain education institutions, apply to participate in one of our upcoming SCM Academies. We currently offer short, virtual courses on Leadership (Jan. 30–May 10), Finance (March 2–May 3) and Planning (March 11–May 10), with customizable options for corporate partners. The SCM Future-Ready Procurement Academy will return in the Fall of 2026.
Participating in the Academies not only earns you valuable industry credentials while expanding your network and driving value for your business. It also fast-tracks your path to earning our highly regarded Master of Science in Supply Chain Management Online, with up to 6 course credits. Plus, GSCI partners get a 15% discount!
At the forum, attendees heard from faculty working with our Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative, a think tank that partners UT researchers with corporate leaders to address advanced concepts in supply chain management. You can download “Reshoring the Workforce: Bridging America’s Manufacturing Talent Gap” by Alan Amling and Darrell Edwards and “The 5Ps of Returns Management: An Integrative Approach” by Tom Goldsby and Huseyn Abdulla for free, along with more than 30 other industry-relevant white papers.
Good news: Your company doesn’t have to be a GSCI partner for you to keep up with the latest industry insights, trends, and research from UT. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Save the date
The Spring Supply Chain Forum will be held April 21–23, 2026, at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown. We have a strong feeling that it will only get bigger and better for attendees.
In the meantime, consider participating in our next big event, the SCM Career Expo on February 16, for a chance to recruit the best emerging talent in North America. The $1000 registration fee is waived for partners.
If your company is not an GSCI partner, contact us to speak with a team member about either of our two corporate partnership options.
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