Nada Sanders

Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management & D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University

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Biography

Dr. Nada Sanders is an internationally recognized expert in forecasting, enterprise digital transformation, and global supply chain management. Her expertise is in identifying best practices in forecasting, developing a corporate technology and supply chain strategy, and creating resilient supply chains. She is Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at Northeastern University, Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) and President of the Production & Operations Management Society (POMS). She is author of the books The Humachine, Operations Management 7^th edition, Foundations of Sustainable Business, 2^nd edition, Supply Chain Analytics, Supply Chain Management, 3rd edition, and Big Data Driven Supply Chain Management. Read More >

Dr. Sanders is an award-winning keynote speaker, author and scholar. She was ranked in the top eight percent of individuals in the field of operations and supply chain management and is the author of over 100 articles appearing in top tier journals. Her paper titled “How to Use Big Data to Drive Your Supply Chain,” (California Management Review) was the most downloaded paper for 2017 and listed as a “must read.” She holds a Ph.D. in Operations Management and Supply Chain Management, and an MBA, from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, as well as a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Dr. Sanders has extensive consulting and executive training experience, having worked with companies such as NIKEiD, IDC, AT&T, MTC Corporation, and others. She is a frequently called upon as an expert witness and has worked with firms such as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Jones Day Reavis & Pogue, and Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease, among others. She has been part of The Gordon Cook Conversations at Windsor Castle, an invitation-only group that brings together top leaders from around the globe seen as 'stars' in their field to develop strategies on how to impact society in the coming decade.

Throughout her career Dr. Sanders has successfully held a range of leadership roles in both academic and professional organizations and has served on numerous executive boards. She has provided training and consulting to a range of Fortune 500 companies, including IDG, Nike, AT&T, CIBA Corning, Mattel, Schottenstein Corp., Cognitive TPG, MTC Corp., Dell, and many others, and is a frequently called upon keynote speaker and expert witness having worked with firms such as Jones Day; Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease; and others. Most notably she served for Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP providing expert testimony and deposition in the Mattel vs. MGA case regarding forecasting process, information technology use and impact of data presentation on decision making. Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

Utilizing Big Data

Speech Topics

Bracing for the “Coronavirus Downturn”

As the world’s leading authority on forecasting and global supply chain management, Dr. Nada Sanders has become the go-to expert on the massive impact and implications of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on our highly interdependent and interconnected world. The originator of the term “Coronavirus Downturn,” she has been interviewed by numerous news outlets on the subject, including The New York Times, Fortune, The Boston Herald and AgendaWeek, the most influential source of intelligence for today’s corporate directors. She has also written articles for ValueWalk, Industry Week, and CEOWORLD. In this comprehensive talk, which can be tailored to the concerns of specific audiences, Dr. Sanders provides a worldwide assessment of the state of the pandemic—with riveting forecasts of what’s likely to come and how to respond. Read More >

Subjects include: Read Less ^

How the COVID-19 disruption differs from SARS, influenza or other global disruptions
The impact of global supply chain disruption on business, economy, and all of us
Which industries and segments are the most vulnerable?
How to activate a crisis management plan to reassure stakeholders and all stakeholders
Is a global recession coming? If so, what should companies do to prepare – in the short and long run?

This is the Human Era

Forget your fears about the rise of AI, robotics, blockchains, IoT and other technologies “botsourcing” our jobs. Instead, get ready for a golden age when humans are empowered to flourish, emotional connections are paramount and authenticity is essential. According to futurist, AI expert and business professor Dr. Nada Sanders, we are at the dawn of the Human Era. In the Human Era, machines are just tools doing automated, repetitive, and standardized tasks. Uniquely human qualities such as creativity, innovation, adaptability, empathy, integrity, and imagination will not only rule the day, but be heightened by technology. Afterall, machines will never fix bad processes, poor management practices, or failing employee morale. Innovation, strategy and connections with co-workers and customers will never be taken over by machines. Dr Sanders. provides an illuminating look ahead at a people-focused future in which humans and uniquely human qualities continue to advance our enterprises, society and economy.

The Future of Work

Technology is changing every aspect of how we work. Robots are quickly becoming our new co-workers and many jobs are being ‘botsourced’ – with human jobs now being done by machines. However, the future is actually exciting for humans. There are so many human skills that machines will not be able to acquire. There are also many new jobs being created that we would never have imagined in the past. Read More >

In this cutting-edge presentation, Dr. Nada Sanders helps you get ready. She forecasts what the future of work will really look like, including: Read Less ^

Key trends that will shape work in the coming decade.
What everyone in the workforce needs to do to prepare
How to “robot-proof” their career--from lifelong learning to developing key human literacies
The human advantage in the technology era, such as creative problem solving, critical thinking, communication, teamwork, systems and entrepreneurial thinking, and developing their emotional intelligence

Humachines are the Future of Enterprise

The “Humachine” is the enterprise of the future. It combines the unique talents of humankind (such as creativity and innovation), with the mechanical efficiencies of machines (economies of scale, big data processing, and artificial intelligence). Here, machines and humans are coworkers – working side by side—leveraging their unique strengths. This new organizational form combines humans and machines in a symbiotic relationship. Read More >

The Humachine is not science fiction. It is already here. Many leading companies are already exhibiting Humachine traits and enterprises need to evolve or they will perish. Dr. Sanders’ research uncovers that Humachine traits actually focus less on technology and more on human talent. In fact, the single differentiator of technological enterprise success lies in having the right human resource qualities at all levels – leaders, managers, doers. It also requires having the right organizational culture. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the best way to take advantage of emerging AI technology is for enterprises to invest more in their human resources – in reskilling, upskilling and lifelong learning.

With invaluable insights for business and industry, Dr. Sanders unveils what the future of enterprise will look like, key enterprise traits of a Humachine, and what everyone must do to prepare for this tectonic shift in the competitive landscape. Read Less ^

Leadership in the Digital Age

The digital era requires all enterprises to evolve or they will perish – and this rests on the shoulders of leadership. Leadership in the digital age requires a different set of skills than in the analog age. Dr. Nada Sanders’ research finds the key to enterprise success in the digital age rests on the right human qualities and the right organizational culture. It also finds that many executives are still taking either a “wait and see approach” to technology or seeing it as a “plug and play” solution. According to Dr. Sanders, neither are going to work. Leading an enterprise in the digital age requires understanding the seismic shift occurring in the competitive landscape. Read More >

Dr. Sanders examines: Read Less ^

The importance of a vision beyond profits that everyone can rally around
Selecting and nurturing the right talent—and its critical role
Championing a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and empowering others
Creating a fluid and flexible organizational structure

Testimonials

"Nada is a true visionary in her strategic view."

- Michael Jacobs, Chief Logistics Officer at Keurig

“She is a fantastic presenter with great content.”

- Dr. Bernd Huber, Head Sourcing Center of Excellence, Google

“She is an outstanding speaker, committed teacher, and innovative scholar. Her work in forecasting is on the cutting edge addressing key business issues in times of change.”

- Kate Vitasek, Author, educator and architect of the Vested Business Model

“She brings boundless energy, brilliant thinking, and fresh insights. It is an absolute pleasure to work with her.”

- Siri Terejesen, Chair and Associate Professor at American University