Nada Sanders

Global Business Futurist, Supply Chain Authority & AI Expert

Nada Sanders

Global Business Futurist, Supply Chain Authority & AI Expert

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Biography

Dr. Nada Sanders is an internationally recognized thought leader and expert in forecasting, global supply chains, risk management and human-technology integration. She is a Distinguished Professor, Supply Chain Management, at Northeastern University. Her expertise is identifying best practices in forecasting, developing an enterprise technology strategy, digital transformation and creating resilient supply chains.

Dr. Sanders now predicts a “new normal” economic environment filled with crises and the need for organizations to quickly become more resilient—and tells companies how to do this. She knows exactly what companies need to navigate past the hype to adopt AI to achieve business goals. Leveraging experience with a range of industries (retail, CPG, pharma, medical supplies, high tech, agriculture, food and more), Dr. Sanders is a frequent keynote speaker and tailors her presentations to address client focus and unique concerns.

Throughout her career, Dr. Sanders has successfully held a range of leadership roles in both academic and professional organizations, is an award winning teacher and scholar and has served on numerous executive boards. She has consulted with numerous Fortune 100 companies and leading organizations, including Amazon, Dell, Kinaxis, Lego and many others.

The originator of the term “Coronavirus Downturn,” she has been a regular contributor to numerous news outlets, including CNN, BBC, CNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, Fortune, Fast Company and The Boston Globe. She has also been published in every influential source of intelligence for today’s corporate directors — predicting economic and business outcomes — and leading scholarly journals, including Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, Production and Operations Management Journal and Journal of Operations Management.

Dr. Sanders is the author of seven books, including the multi-award-winning The Humachine: Humankind, Machines, and the Future of Enterprise, and was ranked as the World's Top 2% of Scientists in a 2020 Stanford Study.

In 2022, she was awarded the prestigious Robert D. Klein Lecturer Award by Northeastern University. She is a Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute and is a member of the Board of Economic Advisors of the Association of Industries of Massachusetts. She has served on the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Forecasters, Decision Sciences Institute, and has served as President of the Production Operations Management Society (POMS). In 2020, POMS created an award in her name and in 2023, she was given the prestigious POMS Sushil K. Gupta Distinguished POMS Service Award.

Speaker Videos

Introducing Nada Sanders

It's Just Good Business

Sizzle Reel Nada Sanders

After Words with Peter Goodman C SPAN

Hedging Against the Big Three | CNBC

The Key is Relationship Building

Companies are Making This BIG Mistake

Connecting with Business Partners through HUMAN SKILLS

The PEOPLE Element

Do We Trust Humans or AI to Make Decisions?

Why Did Global Supply Chain Fail?

COVID-19 Resilience Talk: Supply Chain Disruption in the Pharmaceuticals Industry

The New Normal

Virtual Keynote: The Role of Humans in the Implementation of AI

See Fewer Videos

Speech Topics

Navigating Tariffs and Supply Chain Resilience

Increasingly senior leaders lead in a time of radical uncertainty. How do conscious leaders lead when issues like your logistics and supply chain dynamics are so unclear?

In this talk Dr. Sanders offers deep, actionable insights into what it takes to build truly resilient supply chains in today’s unpredictable world. From integrating technology and AI to designing strategies that adapt to geopolitical flux, Dr. Sanders will show you how to think long-term while managing short-term shocks.

If you care about building a future-proof business model, Dr. Sanders will give you the framework – and the urgency – to make it happen.

Global Economic Uncertainty: What Every Business Needs To Do Now

Uncertainty is the new normal. Dr. Sanders identifies key forces shaping the global business landscape - and then outlines the actions every company must embrace to remain resilient, agile, and competitive.

From shifting trade policies and renewed tariff tensions to fragile supply chains and economic divergence across regions, uncertainty is no longer an occasional threat—it is a defining feature of the global marketplace.

Businesses today are not just navigating uncertainty—they are operating in it.
The global outlook may appear fractured, but with the right strategies, companies can find growth amid volatility. The leaders who thrive will be those who act, adapt, and build organizations that can withstand and even capitalize on global disruption.

In this talk Dr. Sanders will outline exactly what every company needs to do now – from identifying real risk to scenario planning – to survive and thrive in the environment of global uncertainty.

AI Investments That Deliver: From Hype to Payoff

Companies don’t need to boil the ocean to get value from AI. They need to focus on targeted, needs-driven investments in AI that solve real business problems, capture value quickly, and scale sustainably.

In this talk Dr. Sanders explains how companies can solve real high-impact business problems and get ROI on AI investment - not merely chase shiny objects.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with the AI hype. Yet there are companies that get huge value from small but targeted AI investments. They focus on implementation, change management, and cross-functional buy-in, as well as alignment with KPIs.

Dr. Sanders explains how to get the most of AI and move from hype to payoff.

The Skills You & Your Employees Need to Work With AI

What are the skills you and your employees need to succeed in the age of AI? Based on award winning research – as published in Harvard Business Review, CEO Magazine, Chief Executive Group, Fortune, Leader to Leader - this talk presents exactly what organizations and all employees need to do to be ready.

The key opportunity for every enterprise is to prepare their organization and people for the AI era. This talk tells every organization what to do and how to do it. Jobs are being redefined as a collection of skills and tasks, not titles- and the skills everyone has to invest in to make the best decisions with AI are not what you think.

This engaging talk tells business leaders exactly what to do to prepare – and some of it may surprise you. You will walk away knowing exactly what to do to get ready to work with AI and prepare your workforce for the future.

Managing the Enterprise of Today: The “Humachine”

The “Humachine” is an enterprise that thrives in the age of AI - by combining the unique talents of people (creativity and innovation), with the mechanical efficiencies of machines and AI. Machines and humans are coworkers – working side by side — leveraging their unique strengths in a symbiotic relationship.

Leading companies are already exhibiting “Humachine” traits and enterprises need to evolve or they will perish. Dr. Sanders’ research uncovers that “Humachine” traits actually focus less on technology and more on people. In fact - the single differentiator of enterprise success lies in having the right human resources – leaders, managers, doers. It also requires having the right organizational culture. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the best way to take advantage of AI is for enterprises to invest more in their human resources – in reskilling, upskilling and lifelong learning.

With invaluable insights for business and industry, Dr. Sanders draws upon her award winning book The Humachine (2nd ed 2024 Routledge) and offers a roadmap for every organization to follow to become the enterprise needed in the AI era.

Testimonials

"Nada is a true visionary in her strategic view."

- Michael Jacobs, Chief Logistics Officer at Keurig

“You were a huge hit today! I know more than 500 were listening, and I’m sure we’ll have many more watch on-demand. One of my colleagues told me you were her favorite speaker of the conference. So thank you again for a great contribution and for adding such a powerful message to our lineup. You are a pleasure to work with.”

- Kinaxis

"I can’t say enough in praising the Supply Chain Vulnerabilities presentation by Dr. Nada Sanders for PLMA’s Virtual Washington Conference. Her knowledge and insights impressed everyone who took part. Not a second of her talk was wasted, as she ably addressed some of most critical issues our audience have been confronted with during these extraordinary times. It was obvious Dr. Sanders put a great deal of thought and focus into her remarks based on the preparatory session with us. Her presentation had a feeling of immediacy and familiarity with our industry, which came across with clarity and ease in the Zoom setting. I owe you a big debt of gratitude for recommending her to speak for this event."

- PLMA

“She is a fantastic presenter with great content.”

- Dr. Bernd Huber, Head Sourcing Center of Excellence, Google

“She is an outstanding speaker, committed teacher, and innovative scholar. Her work in forecasting is on the cutting edge addressing key business issues in times of change.”

- Kate Vitasek, Author, educator and architect of the Vested Business Model

“She brings boundless energy, brilliant thinking, and fresh insights. It is an absolute pleasure to work with her.”

- Siri Terejesen, Chair and Associate Professor at American University