Mindset Traits of Effective Risk Leaders

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton welcomes Alex Pillow, Senior Director of Partnerships & Acquisitions (Corporates & Government Unit) at Moody’s and host of the podcast KYC Decoded, for a practical breakdown of how “know your customer” (KYC), third-party due diligence, and third-party risk management map directly onto modern supply chain realities. Alex demystifies integrated risk assessment, connects KYC practices to supplier onboarding and end-tier visibility, and shares where orchestration logic and high-quality data (master data management, beneficial ownership, and external risk signals) meaningfully cut time-to-decision.

Alex explores today’s most active threat patterns: organized fraud at scale, cyber supply-chain intrusions, and freight fraud, and how to translate visibility into action with clear mitigation pathways. Alex also spotlights lessons from investigative journalism (think massive crypto heists executed via vendor compromises), a “good team vs. bad team” mindset for program design, and why continuous improvement or the “infinite game” is the only sustainable posture for risk leaders. If you’re building or leveling up TPRM and supply chain risk programs, this episode is a masterclass in combining people, data, and tooling to get ahead of disruption.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(01:27) Meet Alex Pillow from Moody's

(02:14) Alex's podcast KYC Decoded and personal insights

(04:49) Marathon training and personal goals

(07:56) Understanding Moody's and integrated risk assessment

(12:46) What is KYC and why is it important?

(17:04) Parallels between KYC and supply chain management

(26:09) Fraud and cybersecurity risks

(31:59) Combating financial crime and corruption

(34:08) Challenges faced by regulators and practitioners

(35:34) The role of vendors and consultants

(36:22) The Infinite Game: A call to action

(39:09) Mindset shift for risk mitigation

(42:48) The importance of a risk-based approach

(47:54) Building a successful digital transformation toolkit

(55:27) The impact of cybercrime on supply chains

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Alex Pillow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-pillow/
• Check out the KYC Decoded podcast: https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/podcasts/kyc-decoded.html
• Learn more about Moody’s: https://www.moodys.com 
• Connect with Scott Luton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com 
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now  
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join  
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
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This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/integrated-risk-assessment-supply-chain-1501