In today’s rapidly changing global environment, supply chains are increasingly exposed to a wide range of disruptions. These include geopolitical conflicts, technological advances, environmental crises and shifting economic conditions.
Traditional approaches to supply chain management often struggle to keep up with these dynamic challenges, leaving organizations vulnerable. To move beyond disruption, strategic foresight becomes an important arsenal. It enables a forward-thinking approach for building resilience and navigating potential risks in the operating environment.
On Nov. 20, University of Pretoria faculty member Faith Mashele presented on this topic as part of CARISCA’s Distinguished Lecture Series. She explored how organizations can leverage business tools and frameworks to assess external influences, prioritize risks and implement adaptive strategies.
The session also covered the fundamental building blocks for evaluating supply chain context, empowering organizations to better understand and navigate dynamics in the operating environment.
Using examples from practice, Mashele shared insights on strategic foresights and a toolkit for building resilience and anticipating future disruptions within the supply chain environment.
About the speaker:
Faith Mashele teaches in the areas of sustainable supply chains and operations management at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science. She also is a fellow of the school’s Centre for African Management and Markets.
In addition to her academic career, she has extensive corporate experience. Mashele has held diverse roles in both the public and private sector, spanning the banking, consulting, development finance, education and information technology industries.
Known as a procurement ninja, she has been widely recognized as one of the leading women in the field. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and former head of the Procurement Centre of Excellence for Nedbank.