The Zero100 Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

After 25 years at L’Oréal, Vanessa Clemendot made the leap from beauty to biopharma – and into a workforce being redefined by AI. Now SVP, Global Supply Chain at Sanofi, Vanessa sits down with Caroline Chumakov, Principal, Research at Zero100, to unpack the shift from siloed execution to cross-functional orchestration, the rise of judgment over computation as agents handle the heavy lifting, and why data literacy is now table stakes.

1. Vanessa Clemendot’s career across 25 years, 10+ roles, and 3 continents (00:55)
2. The first 90 days at Sanofi (03:58)
3. Working with AI: where computation ends and judgment begins (06:12)
4. Who owns the tech stack? It’s not one team (09:34)
5. One dataset + real time decisions = planning in orchestration (11:23)
6. M&A and divestitures across newly split supply chains (13:55)
7. Day one advice: trusting your gut (19:08)

While Davos headlines focused on Trump and tariffs, Zero100’s CEO Olly Sloboda and Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah came back with a different perspective. Fresh from four days of meetings with CEOs, COOs and heads of supply chain, they debrief on what they heard on the ground: why leaders are surprisingly optimistic in a time of turbulence, how the AI conversation has evolved from pilots to full workflow redesigns, and why cybersecurity emerged as a top threat to business continuity – even above geopolitical uncertainty.

1. Welcome to Davos: The vibe on the ground (01:02)
2. What supply chain leaders were actually focused on (02:56)
3. Why leaders are surprisingly optimistic despite uncertainty (04:58)
4. From AI pilots to redesigning workflows for an agentic world (08:54)
5. Cybersecurity: The uncomfortable truth COOs see (12:22)
6. What now? Practical moves for operators (15:57)
7. Final thoughts: Why human connection still matters (18:41)

In a world drowning in data and AI hype, the leaders who win aren't the ones with the best algorithms – they're the ones who can tell the best stories. Join Zero100’s Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah and Principal Research Caroline Chumakov as they explore storytelling as a critical leadership strategy for digital supply chain transformation and provide practical tips for winning over skeptical boardrooms. 

• The neuroscience of storytelling (02:53) 
• Why storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI (04:18) 
• The essential ingredients: Conflict, emotion, and a hero at the center (05:50) 
• What we can learn from Indra Nooyi, Sara Blakely, Paul Polman, and Jim Rowan (08:44) 
• The Golden Nugget: How to win over boardrooms with data and narrative (14:10) 
• Understanding storytelling as a change management strategy (19:10) 
• Amazon's PR/FAQ framework: A practical tool for driving multi-year transformations (22:25) 
• Making it stick: How to practice storytelling and build it into your leadership development (24:29) 

Once known for low-cost production, the Asia-Pacific region now sets the global pace in digital integration, real-time orchestration, and AI-powered operations. From China’s consumer-driven factories to Singapore’s strategic investment in talent, APAC has created supply chains where data, decisions, and execution move as one. On this week’s episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team unpacks what’s driving this momentum – and why leaders everywhere can’t afford to ignore it. Featuring: Principal Research, Suzanne Lindsay, Senior Research Analyst, Jalen Thibou, and VP, Research, Kelly Coutinho. 

• What’s driving APAC’s digital edge in supply chain? (00:50) 
• Inside the factories syncing data and decisions at speed (03:19) 
• How real-time orchestration is pushing the region ahead (04:23) 
• Cross-industry collaboration wins in policy, tech, and talent (07:22) 
• The infrastructure powering APAC’s smart production model (10:20) 
• When AI meets skilled labor on the factory floor (15:31) 
• The big lessons global supply chain leaders can’t afford to miss (18:59) 

In the age of AI, the most powerful investment you can make has nothing to do with technology – and everything to do with your org chart. Enter fusion teams: cross-functional powerhouses that combine tech and ops expertise to deliver digital products at scale. In this episode, the Zero100 team looks at the personas that drive success and unpacks how to build, empower, and measure the success of these teams across the supply chain. Featuring: VP, Data & Analytics Cody Stack, Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov, and VP, Research Lauren Acoba.

• What are fusion teams, exactly? (00:58) 
• Meet the key players: Citizens, Translators, and Wizards (01:32) 
• How to spot and grow Translators in your organization (05:50) 
• Fusion team archetypes in action (08:48) 
• From pilot to practice: making fusion teams stick (12:19) 
• How to spot success, and why “failure” is a key ingredient (14:37) 
• What’s next for fusion teams in the age of AI? (19:42) 

The recent digital tech boom has reshaped how supply chains operate – and the skills that powered the last era aren’t the ones that will define the next. This week, Bonnie Fetch, EVP and President, Operations at Cummins, sits down with Caroline Chumakov, Principal Analyst at Zero100, to explore how leaders can develop and empower the supply chain talent of tomorrow and build fusion teams that drive the best tech solutions.

• The role of humans in an automated world (03:05) 
• Spotting and developing tech-ops “Translators” (05:36) 
• Why fusion teams are crucial for innovation (10:11) 
• The human skills that matter most in a tech-driven era (12:47) 
• Learning and development in the age of AI (15:31) 
• Data cleanliness, the limits of AI, and knowing where to scale (18:36) 
• Building a fulfilling supply chain career for the future (21:02) 

Six months after Trump declared “Liberation Day,” tariff revenues are up, and major US investment pledges are rolling in. But at the same time, costs are rising, and global sourcing strategies are shifting fast. This week, the Zero100 team explores reshoring readiness, friendshoring alternatives, and the role of AI and robotics in turning volatility into opportunity, outlining the steps supply chain leaders must take to build resilience in a reshaped global market. Featuring: Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah, VP, Research, Geraint John, and Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov. 

• Breaking down Trump’s tariff playbook (00:05) 
• What the numbers really say about trade deficits and tax revenue (02:01) 
• Moving manufacturing back to the US: Political theater or a real shift? (03:38) 
• The roadblocks slowing a reshoring push (10:17) 
• Non-stop negotiation: How global trade partners are reacting (15:44) 
• Inflation, resilience, and what supply chain leaders must prepare for next (19:14) 
• Trump’s tariffs: a win or a miss? (25:01) 

China's electric vehicle manufacturers are changing the game with seamless ecosystems that blend digital and physical production – and they're scaling without friction. This week, the Zero100 team explores how companies like BYD and Xiaomi are producing high-quality EVs faster and cheaper than Western competitors, and breaks down the operating lessons every supply chain leader needs to know. Featuring: Principal Analysts Suzanne Lindsay and Jenna Fink, and VP, Research Kelly Coutinho. 

• The three waves of China’s EV innovation (00:51) 
• How robotics help Xiaomi produce 1,000 cars a day with just 2,000 workers (02:28) 
• Unpacking BYD's battery advantage (04:26) 
• How STEM talent powers China's automotive transformation (06:03)  
• Understanding China’s EV glut and export strategy (08:54)  
• What Western supply chains can learn from China’s “seamless scale” approach (12:10)

The hype around agentic AI is real, but it’s not the only tech worth watching. This week, the Zero100 team shares the innovations they’re most excited about, including vibe coding, simulation, and AI-enhanced wearables. Tune in to find out how they're being leveraged to cut costs, boost safety, and empower problem solving across supply chain. Featuring: Chief Research Officer Matt Davis, VP, Research Lauren Acoba, and Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov.

• Simulation, digital twins, and ”hacking uncertainty” (05:40) 
• How vibe coding is revolutionizing supply chain innovation (09:26) 
• The AI wearables that could transform human capability (14:14) 
• All together now: Building the next supply chain stack (17:18) 
• “Innovation just got cheaper”: First steps and takeaways (19:20) 

Join Jim Rowan, former CEO and President of Volvo Cars, and Kevin O’Marah, Chief Research Officer at Zero100, as they discuss how supply chain leaders can navigate today's business environment. Jim shares his framework of six interconnected technologies for future relevance, explains how AI is reshaping organizations into dynamic neural networks, and offers practical advice for leaders seeking to become strategic partners to their CEOs. 

• CSCO/COO evolution: From support to strategic partners (01:00)
• The six game-changing technologies that will drive future relevance (03:27)
• Agentic AI’s potential impact on strategy and the org chart (08:20)
• How software-first thinking transforms supply chain strategy (11:31)
• What’s next for Big Tech’s big players? (15:39)
• US-China tensions and Europe’s role in the tech ecosystem (20:06)
• How ops leaders can be effective partners to their CEOs (30:46)