ELC & Zero100 Convene Event Around the Future of Supply Chain Talent

On September 11, 2024, The Estée Lauder Companies was proud to partner with Zero100, a membership-based research and intelligence organization focused on digital supply chain transformation, to convene global operations and supply chain leaders in New York City.

The 40 attendees from companies across industries were united around the purpose of “architecting human-machine teams” and creating a future where supply chain is “zero percent carbon and 100% digital.”

A highlight of the event was a fireside chat between William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, and Roberto Canevari, Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain, where they discussed the importance of balancing technology and human connection as supply chains evolve for the future. While technology is driving growth and resilience for many companies, including ELC, William was quick to recognize and acknowledge the importance of employees who work in supply chain.

“Machines are only as good as those who operate them,” he said, recollecting his early days on the shop floor, where products were manually picked, packed, and loaded.  “I was able to see how the magic really happens,” he said, adding that lipsticks were hand-flamed by employees swiping the products over Bunsen burners and every lipstick was inspected by hand. 

He recalled that Mrs. Estée Lauder herself would visit employees on the line. She impressed upon William that if the company doesn’t give employees and consumers the very best, they won’t give the product or the brand another chance.

Roberto reiterated that ELC’s strength can be found both in its great brands and its great people. “People are our multiplier or competitive advantage, and we need to invest in and value human capital over other tangible assets,” he said.

With people at the core, ELC is seeing that the fusion of operations and technology is making the supply chain journey more efficient and effective. This perspective laid the foundation of the event with Zero100 and inspired the focus on human-machine teams. 

“Technology is the connector, giving us the ability to see information in a different way to make better decisions,” William said, adding that the digitization journey must always be balanced with human connection and teams that are empowered to do their best work.

Throughout the day-long event, attendees had an opportunity to hear from other ELC leaders including Michael Bowes, Senior Vice President, Global Talent, among others. The attendees also received a tour of ELC’s archives.

“It was a privilege to partner with The Estée Lauder Companies team to deep-dive into how technology is changing the work in supply chain for leaders and their teams,” said Olly Sloboda, CEO and Co-Founder, Zero100. “Community and collective learning create a flywheel that evolves our profession. But it requires bold leadership to experiment and share the lessons learned across the industry, which is what we’re all about at Zero100.”

Interested in learning more?

• Read Zero100’s new report, Meet the Supply Chain Worker of the Future. Non-members can read a preview of the report.
• You can also read or listen to ELC and Zero100’s case study on navigating the future of supply chain talent.