Max HenryFounder & Executive Director, Global Supply Chain Council (GSCC) · Founder & Executive Director at Global Supply Chain Council (GSCC)

Supply Chain Leadership: From Cost Center to C-Suite #shorts

19 Dec 2025 · 1 min

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1:07

In this short discussion, three speakers highlight how the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) role has transformed over the past five years from a primarily tactical, operational function—focused on sales‑and‑operations planning and integrated business planning—to a strategic C‑suite position. They note that the CSCO now influences board‑level decisions, especially around total cost‑to‑serve, and that supply chain insights are no longer confined to finance but are part of joint, collaborative decision‑making. The speakers also stress the need to break down silos, foster cross‑functional and channel‑partner collaboration, and adopt a business‑first model to thrive in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.

I see that, I second Eric and Arinban when they say that in the last 5 years we have got a chair in the C-suite room.
I see the role of Chief Supply Chain Officer evolving from historically we were more involved in the tactical planning, sales and operation, integrated business planning, whatever you want to call it in your company.
Very much involved in a way that we are responsible for cost to serve, total cost to serve. So it's every week, like every occasion, if we are discussing, there definitely there is a weightage given to the supply chain opinion. The board is hearing us. It's no more a finance decision. It is more of a joint collaborative decision, keeping every element in mind. Yes, I agree. There are point of time there is a silo was in the system, but I think the organization also realizing that silo doesn't help and size of the organization, the more bigger. We have to be more collaborative. We are trying to get the business-first model and we are ensuring the collaboration between the organization and the channel partner because, uh, with this current VUCA world, we cannot survive alone.