Delve: Using International Supply Chains For Peace in Times of War with Juan Camilo Serpa

Risk is a fact of life in business—it’s also an ever-present reality in times of war. Wars and armed conflicts embroil 60% of the developing world, and now Ukraine and Russia, posing a constant threat to commodity production, the flow of international supply chains, and the economic lifeblood of these nations.

On the latest episode of the Delve podcast, Desautels Professor Juan Camilo Serpa discusses how businesses can shield their supply chains in the face of war-related risk and how good international supply chain management keeps the door to peace open.

“Supply chains are perhaps the most important way to suffocate war today,” says Serpa. “Shipping giant Maersk is using supply chains to put pressure on Russia, retailers are using financial supply chains as an extreme source of pressure. For the first time, I’m seeing supply chains used as a weapon for peace. The biggest lesson is that supply chains should not fear war, but war should fear supply chains. If we use them correctly, they can be extremely powerful for this.”

For more insights, listen to the full interview with Professor Serpa on the Delve podcast and read the research paper: Inventory in Times of War.
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Founded in 2019, Delve is the official thought leadership publication of McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. Under the direction of Professor Saku Mantere, inaugural Editor-in-Chief, Delve features the latest in management thinking that stretches perspectives, sparks new ideas, and brings clarity to decision-makers at all levels and across sectors.