Nada Sanders

Global Business Futurist, Supply Chain Authority & AI Expert

Nada Sanders

Global Business Futurist, Supply Chain Authority & AI Expert

Add to List Availability & Fees

Biography

Dr. Nada Sanders is an internationally recognized thought leader and expert in forecasting, global supply chains, risk management and human-technology integration. She is a Distinguished Professor, Supply Chain Management, at Northeastern University. Her expertise is identifying best practices in forecasting, developing an enterprise technology strategy, digital transformation and creating resilient supply chains. She has been listed in top 2% of scientists by Stanford multiple years in a row.

Dr. Sanders now predicts a “new normal” economic environment filled with crises and the need for organizations to quickly become more resilient—and tells companies how to do this. She knows exactly what companies need to navigate past the hype to adopt AI to achieve business goals. Leveraging experience with a range of industries (retail, CPG, pharma, medical supplies, high tech, agriculture, food and more), Dr. Sanders is a frequent keynote speaker and tailors her presentations to address client focus and unique concerns. Her ability to cut across silos stems from her diverse academic background and extensive research partnerships with companies spanning multiple sectors.

Throughout her career, Dr. Sanders has successfully held a range of leadership roles in both academic and professional organizations, is an award winning teacher and scholar and has served on numerous executive boards. She has consulted with numerous Fortune 100 companies and leading organizations, including Amazon, Dell, Kinaxis, Lego and many others. She received the prestigious CSCMP Dissertation Award for her research on forecasting in supply chains.

She has been a regular contributor to numerous news outlets, including CNN, BBC, CNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, Fortune, Fast Company and The Boston Globe. She has also been published in every influential source of intelligence for today’s corporate directors — predicting economic and business outcomes — and leading scholarly journals, including Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, Production and Operations Management Journal and Journal of Operations Management.

Dr. Sanders is the author of seven books, including the multi-award-winning The Humachine: Humankind, Machines, and the Future of Enterprise, and is ranked as the World's Top 2% of Scientists in a Stanford Study.

Dr. Sanders was awarded the prestigious Robert D. Klein Lecturer Award by Northeastern University. She is a Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute and is a member of the Board of Economic Advisors of the Association of Industries of Massachusetts. She has served on the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Forecasters, Decision Sciences Institute, and has served as President of the Production Operations Management Society (POMS). POMS created an award in her name and she was given the prestigious POMS Sushil K. Gupta Distinguished POMS Service Award.

Dr. Sanders holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, an MBA in Finance, and a Ph.D. in Operations and Supply Chain Management. She also won the award for the CSCMP Dissertation award on forecasting in supply chains. Nada Sanders works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.

Speaker Videos

Introducing Nada Sanders

It's Just Good Business

Sizzle Reel Nada Sanders

After Words with Peter Goodman C SPAN

Hedging Against the Big Three | CNBC

The Key is Relationship Building

Companies are Making This BIG Mistake

Connecting with Business Partners through HUMAN SKILLS

The PEOPLE Element

Do We Trust Humans or AI to Make Decisions?

Why Did Global Supply Chain Fail?

COVID-19 Resilience Talk: Supply Chain Disruption in the Pharmaceuticals Industry

The New Normal

Virtual Keynote: The Role of Humans in the Implementation of AI

See Fewer Videos

Speech Topics

The Agentic AI Enterprise: What Every Leader Should Know

The next phase of AI is not about adding more tools. It is about redesigning how organizations think, decide, and operate. Drawing from her book, The Agentic AI Enterprise, Nada Sanders shows leaders how to move beyond isolated AI experiments and build organizations where intelligent systems work alongside people to strengthen strategy, accelerate innovation, and improve decision-making. Nada explores what effective human-AI collaboration looks like in practice and why human judgment must remain central as AI takes on more autonomous roles. She also examines the leadership, culture, and organizational shifts required to turn AI capability into meaningful enterprise value. This forward-looking keynote gives leaders a practical framework for building organizations that are more adaptive, innovative, and prepared to compete in an increasingly agentic world.

Audiences will learn:

How to move from isolated AI experimentation to organization-wide impact
How agentic AI can strengthen strategy, innovation, and decision-making
How to combine human expertise with AI capabilities while keeping judgment and accountability at the center

Lean Principles in the Age of AI: People, AI & Continuous Improvement

AI can accelerate great processes, but it can also automate inefficiency at scale. Nada Sanders explores why Lean principles are becoming even more important as organizations integrate artificial intelligence into operations and decision-making. Drawing on research and real-world examples, Nada shows how leaders can combine AI’s analytical capabilities with human expertise to identify problems earlier, improve workflows, and strengthen a culture of continuous improvement. She challenges organizations to look beyond automation and focus instead on redesigning work so that people and AI contribute where each adds the most value. This practical keynote offers a framework for using AI to enhance process excellence without losing the judgment, learning, and accountability that drive lasting performance.

Audiences will learn:

How to use AI to strengthen Lean practices without automating waste
How to design workflows that combine human judgment with AI capabilities
How continuous learning and process improvement can create lasting competitive advantage

Global Economic Uncertainty: What Every Business Needs To Do Now

Uncertainty is no longer a temporary disruption. It is a defining condition of the global business environment. Dr. Nada Sanders examines the forces reshaping markets, from changing trade policies and tariff pressures to supply chain vulnerability and uneven economic conditions across regions. Rather than attempting to predict every disruption, Nada shows leaders how to identify their most consequential risks, prepare for multiple scenarios, and build organizations capable of responding quickly when conditions change. She explores how resilience, operational flexibility, and stronger decision-making can help companies protect performance while uncovering opportunities amid volatility. This timely keynote gives leaders a practical framework for moving from reacting to uncertainty to preparing for it strategically.

Audiences will learn:

How to identify and prioritize the global risks most likely to affect their business
How scenario planning can strengthen decision-making amid uncertainty
How to build more resilient and adaptable organizations prepared for disruption

AI Investments That Deliver: From Hype to Payoff

The best AI investments are not always the biggest. They are the ones tied to a clear business need, a measurable outcome, and a realistic path to implementation. Dr. Nada Sanders cuts through the hype to show leaders how to identify high-impact AI opportunities, prioritize the right use cases, and avoid chasing technology for technology’s sake. She explores why successful adoption depends as much on change management, cross-functional alignment, and clear KPIs as it does on the tools themselves. Drawing on real-world examples, Nada shows how organizations can start small, prove value quickly, and scale what works. This practical keynote gives leaders a disciplined framework for turning AI investment into measurable business results.

Audiences will learn:

How to identify AI use cases with the strongest potential for business impact
Why implementation, change management, and KPI alignment are critical to ROI
How to start with focused investments and scale successful AI initiatives sustainably

The Skills You & Your Employees Need to Work with AI

The workforce challenge of AI is not simply learning how to use new tools. It is understanding which human skills become more valuable as work is redesigned around them. Drawing on her award-winning research published in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, CEO Magazine, and other leading business outlets, Dr. Nada Sanders examines how jobs are increasingly being reshaped around skills and tasks rather than traditional titles. Nada identifies the capabilities employees and leaders need to work effectively with AI, make stronger decisions, and contribute value in increasingly intelligent organizations. She also shows businesses how to rethink workforce development, reskilling, and talent strategy so their people are prepared for changing roles rather than reacting after those changes arrive. This practical keynote gives leaders a clearer roadmap for building an AI-ready workforce while strengthening the distinctly human capabilities technology cannot replace.

Audiences will learn:

Which skills become more important as employees work alongside AI
How to rethink jobs, roles, and workforce development around evolving tasks and capabilities
How leaders can prepare employees to make better decisions and create greater value with AI

Managing the Enterprise of Today: The “Humachine”

The organizations best positioned to thrive with AI will not be the ones that replace people fastest, but the ones that combine human strengths with machine capabilities most effectively. Drawing on her award-winning book, The Humachine, Dr. Nada Sanders explores a new model of enterprise in which people and AI work side by side, each contributing what they do best. Nada shows why the most important investments in an AI-enabled organization are often not technological at all, but focused on leadership, culture, reskilling, and continuous learning. She examines the organizational traits that allow human creativity, judgment, and innovation to complement the speed and efficiency of intelligent systems. This forward-looking keynote gives leaders a practical roadmap for building a “Humachine” where people and technology strengthen one another and create greater value together.

Audiences will learn:

How to design organizations where people and AI work together effectively
Why leadership, culture, and workforce development are central to AI success
How reskilling and lifelong learning can strengthen long-term organizational competitiveness

Testimonials

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

- Michael Jacobs, Chief Logistics Officer at Keurig

“You were a huge hit today! I know more than 500 were listening, and I’m sure we’ll have many more watch on-demand. One of my colleagues told me you were her favorite speaker of the conference. So thank you again for a great contribution and for adding such a powerful message to our lineup. You are a pleasure to work with.”

- Kinaxis

"I can’t say enough in praising the Supply Chain Vulnerabilities presentation by Dr. Nada Sanders for PLMA’s Virtual Washington Conference. Her knowledge and insights impressed everyone who took part. Not a second of her talk was wasted, as she ably addressed some of most critical issues our audience have been confronted with during these extraordinary times. It was obvious Dr. Sanders put a great deal of thought and focus into her remarks based on the preparatory session with us. Her presentation had a feeling of immediacy and familiarity with our industry, which came across with clarity and ease in the Zoom setting. I owe you a big debt of gratitude for recommending her to speak for this event."

- PLMA

“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

"I think the session was excellent, Nada is a very good speaker. We had very good engagement and the content was interesting. We are definitely interested in having Nada join our future sessions."

- Sphera Solutions Inc.

"We had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Nada Sanders as the keynote speaker at our annual Supplier Summit & Golf Event, benefiting City of Hope and its mission to advance cancer research. For more than two decades, this two-day event has brought together our suppliers from around the world to strengthen relationships and foster long-term strategic growth. Dr. Sanders delivered an insightful and engaging presentation on the challenges facing today’s global supply chain, including ongoing uncertainties, system strategy and optimization, and the thoughtful integration of AI into supply chain ecosystems. Her depth of knowledge and practical perspective resonated so strongly with our audience. Dr. Sanders also made herself available to both guests and staff throughout the event for further discussion, demonstrating a genuine commitment to engagement and collaboration. I highly recommend Dr. Nada Sanders for any speaking engagement where her expertise, experience, and approachable leadership would add exceptional value to the audience."

- City of Hope