For decades, global commerce was built on a simple premise: optimize for efficiency. Businesses designed supply chains to move products faster, cheaper, and more predictably—fueling unprecedented economic growth and global connectivity. But today’s world operates by a different set of rules. Geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, climate events, and evolving customer expectations have fundamentally changed how organizations compete and collaborate. In this keynote, Laura Ritchey, President & CEO of GEODIS in the Americas, explores why adaptability, not efficiency alone, has become the defining competitive advantage for businesses, communities, and nations.
Drawing on her leadership at one of the world’s leading logistics providers, Laura offers a compelling perspective on how resilient supply chains have become a lens for understanding economic security, innovation, workforce development,
artificial intelligence, and public policy. Attendees will gain insights into the forces reshaping global commerce, the strategic opportunities emerging for Tennessee and the broader region, and what it will take for business leaders, policymakers, educators, and students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.
Wednesday, September 2 I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
* Luncheon Event *
Venue:
501 Commerce St, Nashville, TN 37203
Register Now
Featured Speaker: Laura Ritchey (President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GEODIS Americas Region)
Laura Ritchey joined GEODIS in July 2025 as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Americas region. Laura is responsible for overseeing the region’s freight forwarding, contract logistics, and transportation business units, along with engineering and technology, IT, and ProVenture (U.S.-based subsidiary of GEODIS focusing on industrial real estate) and Material Handling Resources (one of the country’s leading material handling distributors owned by GEODIS). In total, Laura oversees GEODIS Americas’ expansive operations, including nearly 20,000 employees and more than 230 sites across eight countries.
Laura brings over 30 years of experience to GEODIS, with 15 focused on supply
chain management in both retail and third-party logistics. Laura began her career
in finance before transitioning to supply chain operations, including sourcing,
distribution, and strategic transformation. Prior to her current role, Laura was most recently CEO at Radial, Inc., a leader in e-commerce fulfillment solutions, where she drove revenue growth and profitability through operational excellence. At Radial, she led the North American P&L for a $1.4B e-commerce logistics division, responsible for relationships with over 170 clients across four service lines.
Before joining Radial, she held leadership positions at L Brands, FullBeauty Brands and Centric Brands. Laura is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and is an active board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Nashville Branch. Additionally, she is actively involved with C200 whose mission is to inspire, educate, support and advance current and future women leaders. Laura earned her J.D., MBA and bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. Additionally, Laura is accredited as a certified public accountant and admitted to the bar in Ohio.
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