2026 Annual Conference: Supply Chain

International Trade and the Macroeconomic Environment: Staying Ahead of the Game

Pete Mento, Director of Global Trade Advisory Services, Baker Tilly

The international trade environment – and related tariff policies – have been ever-changing in the past 18 months. Thankfully there are experts like Pete Mento who help companies navigate complex international trade and customs challenges and turn policy risk into measurable financial and operational value. He has amassed 34,000 followers on LinkedIn who watch for his frequent and insightful updates, often more timely and easier to understand than those from major news outlets.

Pete will share his thoughts on the macroeconomic environment and specifically international trade policies and what they mean for your business. He offers practical advice to stay ahead of future updates and how to leverage your partners to make timely and savvy decisions to minimize trade risk in your organization.

Key Takeaways:

• How to stay on top of trade updates, and who to partner with to make timely and savvy decisions.
• How leaders can support their trade compliance teams and partners to achieve the best business outcomes.

Pete Mento

Director of Global Trade Advisory Services, Baker Tilly

Pete Mento knows an incredible amount about trade. In his role at Baker Tilly, he helps companies navigate complex international trade and customs challenges and turn policy risk into measurable financial and operational value.

Pete is a licensed U.S. Customs House Broker with broad experience across U.S. and global trade policy. Based in Washington, D.C., he regularly serves as a senior, client-facing advisor on complex customs matters and maintains longstanding relationships with senior government and trade officials, frequently engaging with regulators and trade agencies to help clients resolve high-stakes issues efficiently and compliantly. He has over 34,000 followers on LinkedIn, where he regularly posts updates that help simplify trade updates and provide valuable insights on their impacts to organizations.

He also serves as a Board Member and Chair for Customs with the International Trade Council (ITC), where he works closely with governments, law-enforcement agencies, and shippers to streamline trade processes and advance practical, compliant trade solutions.

Leadership, Partnership, and Solving Problems over Glorifying Solutions

Sean Halligan, Executive Vice President of Operations, Medline

As an executive supply chain leader at some of the top companies – Target, Nike, Cardinal Health, Wayfair and now Medline – Sean has led cross-functional teams focused on global logistics, warehouse automation, and much more. In each role, Sean modeled the way with team-first leadership and strong internal and external partnership, showcasing his skills as a clear communicator.

Sean will share with us some of his leadership lessons, using stories from these experiences as practical examples. He’ll also share one of his most important lessons in the age of AI and Automation: how to focus on solving problems without getting distracted by the promise of idle solutions.

Key Takeaways:

• How leadership and partnership help you tackle the most complex supply chain challenges and disruptions.
• Find the right tool for the right job – with the right team – as a recipe for supply chain success.

Sean Halligan

Executive Vice President of Operations, Medline

Sean Halligan is the Executive Vice President of Operations at Medline, the largest provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving all points of care. Sean has had a broad range of global supply chain leadership experiences across multiple industries, including senior roles at Target, Nike, Cardinal Health, Wayfair and Republic National Distributing Company. In each of these experiences, Sean developed a strong track record of developing strategies, solving problems, developing leadership talent, establishing strong cultures and delivering outstanding results.
 
 
 
 

Leadership Lessons on Business Transformation

Kari Mahaffey, Senior Vice President – North America Applications, Oracle

Whether it’s called a “Supply Chain Transformation”, “Business Transformation”, or “Digital Transformation”, most companies are undergoing major change. Supply chain leaders need to make sure their teams are ready for these changes, applying new ways of thinking, and fully adopting and leveraging the technology investments their companies are making.

As Senior Vice President of North America Applications at Oracle, Kari Mahaffey has had a front row seat to some of the largest, most complex business transformations. She has seen what works in these large endeavors, and what doesn’t. She will share some frameworks and implementation scenarios to help participants apply these learnings to their own business transformations.

Kari will focus on key concepts like how to assess your team’s readiness for transformation, the mindset shift needed to maximize your transformation, and what continuous improvement looks like after the implementation date.

Key Takeaways:

• Common pitfalls in business transformation—and where companies are maximizing their technology investments.
• New ways of thinking in the modern “business-first” transformation environment.

Kari Mahaffey

Senior Vice President – North America Applications, Oracle

Kari Mahaffey is Senior Vice President, North America Applications at Oracle, leading a portfolio spanning High Technology, Industrial Manufacturing, and Consumer Products. She guides digital transformation through executive governance, steering committee leadership, and strategic vision alignment.

Kari holds dual B.A. degrees in Communication and Marketing from the University of St. Thomas and an M.A. in Communication Management from USC’s Annenberg School. She is a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and has served as a guest speaker and panelist for Women in Manufacturing, Women in Logistics, KPMG, Oracle Women’s Leadership, and Oracle Leadership in Finance and Operations. Kari also serves on the National Diversity Council, lectures in Cal State Fullerton’s MBA program, and mentors leaders through Oracle, USC Annenberg, and the University of St. Thomas.