498: Tariffs, Turbines, and an Information Super Highway: Behind the Scenes at the Port of Long Beach
Release Date: 10/27/2025
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Jennie Malafarina talks about her career journey; collaboration & community; building businesses; & turning marketing from a cost center into a revenue driver. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.30] An introduction to Jennie and her businesses Virago Marketing and FR8MVMT. [05.03] Why Jennie pursued a degree in communications, and how having three kids under five during her final year at university led her to a marketing career. “Communication, psychology and marketing all tied together… it’s a passion for understanding why people do what they do.” [07.55] Why...
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Kendra Tanner talks about her career journey; what she's learned about leadership, making an impact on boards and conference stages; & inspiring women. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.35] An introduction to Kendra and her company, Allstates WorldCargo. [03.40] Kendra’s education and how her marriage to her high school sweetheart impacted her career path. “I wanted to get my business finance degree, but I was adamant that I was not taking one more accounting class – so I switched to marketing!” [05.47] How a family connection led Kendra to Consolidated...
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Nermine Saad talks about her career journey; fostering a culture of learning; moving from Egypt to Canada; mentorship; & the future of digital transformation. [03.48] What sparked Nermine’s interest in logistics, and how it led her to seek out a career that connected strategy, people, and operations. “I realized there’s an entire industry behind the movement of goods, and it involves shipping lines, airlines, ports, and so much more. The more I read, the more I was fascinated.” [05.46] The early years of Nermine’s career in Egypt and the big lessons she learned,...
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Rob Finch talks about Rapid Link Repairs, boosting customer satisfaction with response times; a fresh approach to cost; safety; & reducing downtime for drivers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.11] An introduction to Rob, his background, and his role at DCLI and RapidLink Repairs. “Most of my career has been figuring out how to bring commercial and operations together.” [03.09] An overview of RapidLink Repairs – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “It’s about three things: we want to improve productivity, be cost-effective, and...
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Steven Delperdang of Google Cloud talks about trust; evolution of visibility; & and the big opportunities for logistics providers taking an AI-first approach. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.08] After years spent at Caterpillar and Penske, how Steven is now using the 'One Google' approach to run Google’s own internal supply chain and solve the legacy pain points he faced in his past roles, and exactly what’s so transformative about this approach. “In my previous roles, many of the frustrations stemmed from fragmented systems and data siloes. You have a warehouse management...
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Zera Zheng talks about her career journey; being open to opportunity; the importance of understanding risk; & what she learned, moving from China to Europe. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.36] How Zera began her career, going from University to a graduate program at Kuehne and Nagel, and how it allowed her to learn all about logistics. [07.20] Why it’s important to try different things during your career, why Zera felt like she was getting a new challenge every day at Kuehne and Nagel, and the importance of expanding your comfort zone if you want to strengthen your...
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Allen Thomas of Lynxis talks about two new products; demystifying AI; the biggest challenge & opportunity in intermodal; & why terminals need to work better. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.12] An introduction to Allen and Lynxis. “We have the tech, services and infrastructure to make terminals work better.” [02.48] Why we need terminals to work better. [03.16] Why Union Pacific's proposed merger with Norfolk Southern is top of mind for the intermodal industry right now. [04.43] Why investment is a key area of opportunity for intermodal organizations, and how Lynxis...
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Freek Aertsen & Bart Paridaen of EyeOn talk about digital transformation: value discovery, creation & realization; the big challenges; & key success factors. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.17] An introduction to Freek and Bart, their backgrounds, and roles at EyeOn. “I have a background in economics, took a wrong turn somewhere - and ended up in supply chain!” Freek [07.13] An overview of EyeOn – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “Response is all about planning.” “We connect data, systems, data science and AI with people...
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Andrea Morgan talks about her career journey; the similarities between supply chain & astrophysics, innovation, and why women need to bloom where they land. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.37] Andrea’s degree in astrophysics, and why curiosity was her biggest driver. “I had a deep interest in the origins of the universe… It gave me the training to ask the right questions.” [5.14] How a post-graduate placement at IBM exposed Andrea to a range of business areas, and ignited a passion for supply chain. “I learned that I didn’t want to be a researcher, I liked...
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Jason Murray of Shipium talks about AI: its impacts, now and in the future; common misconceptions; investment; developing new skills; & changing your mindset. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.04] An introduction to Jason, his career, and why he founded Shipium. “Lots of companies are going through an Amazon-ification. Amazon was really good at dealing with this complex multi-source, multi-destination supply chain, and everything is evolving towards that.” [07.04] Jason’s take on the factors that sit behind his success, and how he got to where he is today. ...
info_outlineNoel Hacegaba of the Port of Long Beach talks about tariffs, sustainability, infrastructure investments & the creation of a Supply Chain Information Highway.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[02.02] An introduction to Noel, and his role at the Port.
“Our tagline is ‘the port of choice.’ And one of the reasons we are the port of choice is because we have a team that’s committed to excellence.”
[03.19] An introduction to the Port and what sets it apart, from sustainability to customer service.
[04.51] The Port’s record-breaking year – why they achieved the busiest year in their 114 year history and what made 2024 different.
“What’s even more remarkable about our record year is not the number of containers we processed, but the fact that we did so without any congestion, backlogs or delays... Last year set a new standard.”
[06.33] The Port’s perspective on tariffs and why, despite the challenges, the Port is still thriving.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s what slows investments… In spite of that uncertainty, 2025 is on track to be another record year for the Port of Long Beach… But all these record volumes are not translating across the supply chain.”
[09.22] What the remainder of 2025 will bring for the Port.
[10.16] From upgrading infrastructure to capacity expansion, the strategic projects and big investments being made by the Port as they look to enable growth over the next 10 years.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
[13.24] The Port’s Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project, its purpose, and why it matters, not just for the region but for the nation’s transportation system.
[15.43] The Port’s Supply Chain Information Highway, and the impact it will have for the industry.
“We’re trying to leverage the power of data sharing… The Supply Chain Information Highway was designed to bring value to the industry by maximizing visibility, velocity, and value. And, by pairing technology with collaboration, we’re unleashing the power of data sharing.”
[18.30] The importance of sustainability and the Port’s commitment to green initiatives, including a new wind turbine project.
[22.14] Noel’s prediction for the industry in 2026.