The Zero100 Podcast

For years, the default rule of global logistics was simple: when a shipping lane gets blocked, you reroute. But with the Strait of Hormuz functionally closed, the Red Sea facing persistent conflict, and drought constraining the Panama Canal, the “just reroute it” playbook is officially broken. This week, Geraint John (VP, Research & Advisory) sits down with Oliver Sawbridge (Senior Director, Research & Advisory) to unpack why temporary workarounds and inventory buffers are no longer enough, breaking down how compounding climate and geopolitical risks at key global chokepoints are forcing leading operations teams toward regionalized network design for true resilience.

With AI evolving month-on-month and boardrooms demanding instant tech strategies, the old binary choice of “build versus buy” is starting to look like a trap. On this episode of The Zero100 Podcast, Justin Gillebo (Senior Director, Research & Advisory) sits down with Kelly Coutinho (VP, Research & Advisory) and Rahul George (Director, Data Products) to unpack why enterprise tech strategy has shifted into a new triad: build, buy, or partner. Tune in as they explore why building has become cheap while ownership hasn’t, how to evaluate when a “bolt-on” AI solution makes sense, and why your ultimate goal shouldn't be predicting 2029, but building the operational agility to adapt when it arrives.

Enterprise leaders are facing a massive dilemma: AI bills are exploding, yet finance leaders are struggling to see where any of that money is coming back to the business. But are companies making a fundamental mistake by treating AI like just another IT project chasing quick savings? This week on the podcast, Cody Stack (VP, Data & Analytics) is joined by Geraint John (VP, Research & Advisory) and Justin Gillebo (Senior Director, Research & Advisory) to unpack why it’s time rethink the true value of AI.
Drawing from real-world examples – from Walmart’s autonomous tail-spend agents to multi-hundred-million-dollar commodity cost intelligence – they challenge the trap of chasing isolated 90-day ROI and simple headcount cuts. Instead, they outline how mature operators are managing token costs, metrics like decision latency, and end-to-end workflow orchestration to move past quick-win science fairs and build true, lasting enterprise value.

For most of his 20+ year career, Josh White watched supply chain get treated like every other retailer treats it: a cost to be minimized. But as Chief Supply Chain and Logistics Officer at CVS, he's spent his tenure rewriting that narrative: repositioning supply chain as a growth enabler that his Chief Merchandising Officer now calls “his supply chain.” This week, Josh tells Zero100’s Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah how he pulled off both transformations at once. The growth piece required automation that punches above its weight, AI-powered demand sensing, and flexible systems built for future capabilities. But winning over merchandising required something harder: a shift from “that plan will break our network” to “here's what it would take to make that possible.”

Should companies bet on US or Chinese AI models – and is that even the right question? How can teams push past “too small to matter” AI pilots and ambitious projects that never ship? And is “our data isn’t ready yet” still a valid reason to delay AI adoption? This week, Chief Content Officer Matt Davis sits down with VP, Research & Advisory Caroline and Senior Research Director Oliver Sawbridge to unpack these questions, alongside others from the Zero100 community, getting into everything from process debt to overhyped fears we think will change drastically over the next twelve months.