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As the cement industry continues to face new and evolving pressures, the IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference is expanding its lens. This year’s Tuesday General Session reflects that broader focus—shifting beyond technical content to also address strategic and operational challenges impacting the industry today.

The Managing Supply Chain and Logistics in a VUCA World session will explore strategies for navigating Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity—factors that are reshaping global supply chains and business operations across the cement sector. Our featured speaker is David Simchi-Levi, a globally recognized thought leader in supply chain management and analytics. He is the William Barton Rogers Professor in Energy, and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems at MIT. He also serves as the head of the MIT Data Science Lab.

This will be followed by a moderated panel discussion featuring senior leaders from across the supply chain landscape. Panelists will share insights on real-world challenges, innovations, and approaches to building more resilient and agile logistics networks.

Panel Participants:

• Marc Hapionek, President and CEO, Conceptum
• Carlos Hoyos, VP Procurement, CRH Americas Cement
• Raman Kadevari, Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing, CalPortland
• Frank Osterhagen, Director of Global Supply, Refratechnik
• Moderator: Robert McCaffrey, Editor of Global Cement Magazine

From raw material sourcing to international shipping and demand forecasting, this session will provide timely perspectives on how the cement industry can respond to global pressures with smarter supply chain strategies.