The Zero100 Podcast

China's electric vehicle manufacturers are changing the game with seamless ecosystems that blend digital and physical production – and they're scaling without friction. This week, the Zero100 team explores how companies like BYD and Xiaomi are producing high-quality EVs faster and cheaper than Western competitors, and breaks down the operating lessons every supply chain leader needs to know. Featuring: Principal Analysts Suzanne Lindsay and Jenna Fink, and VP, Research Kelly Coutinho. The three waves of China’s EV innovation (00:51) How robotics help Xiaomi produce 1,000 cars a day with just 2,000 workers (02:28) Unpacking BYD's battery advantage (04:26) How STEM talent powers China's automotive transformation (06:03)  Understanding China’s EV glut and export strategy (08:54)  What Western supply chains can learn from China’s “seamless scale” approach (12:10)

The hype around agentic AI is real, but it’s not the only tech worth watching. This week, the Zero100 team shares the innovations they’re most excited about, including vibe coding, simulation, and AI-enhanced wearables. Tune in to find out how they're being leveraged to cut costs, boost safety, and empower problem solving across supply chain. Featuring: Chief Research Officer Matt Davis, VP, Research Lauren Acoba, and Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov. Simulation, digital twins, and ”hacking uncertainty” (05:40) How vibe coding is revolutionizing supply chain innovation (09:26) The AI wearables that could transform human capability (14:14) All together now: Building the next supply chain stack (17:18) “Innovation just got cheaper”: First steps and takeaways (19:20) 

Join Jim Rowan, former CEO and President of Volvo Cars, and Kevin O’Marah, Chief Research Officer at Zero100, as they discuss how supply chain leaders can navigate today's business environment. Jim shares his framework of six interconnected technologies for future relevance, explains how AI is reshaping organizations into dynamic neural networks, and offers practical advice for leaders seeking to become strategic partners to their CEOs. CSCO/COO evolution: From support to strategic partners (01:00)The six game-changing technologies that will drive future relevance (03:27)Agentic AI’s potential impact on strategy and the org chart (08:20)How software-first thinking transforms supply chain strategy (11:31)What’s next for Big Tech’s big players? (15:39)US-China tensions and Europe’s role in the tech ecosystem (20:06)How ops leaders can be effective partners to their CEOs (30:46)

AI is here. Your job is changing. But what skills will actually keep you ahead of the curve? This week, El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Centre for Skills, shares her insights on the most critical skills needed to thrive in an increasingly automated world, and the role executives must play in developing the workforce of tomorrow.Three critical skill categories Fortune 500 CEOs can’t ignore (00:56)The “soft skills” origin story (06:40)How countries and companies are tackling rapid skills development (09:10)What Singapore’s SkillsFuture policy gets right (12:01)What it takes to lead a true AI skills transformation (14:29)Emerging goldmines for AI-ready supply chain talent (18:41)The workplace preparation watch-out executives are missing (21:46)

AI can accelerate a fully digital supply chain, but it can also bring cyberattacks, ethical dilemmas, and sustainability risks. Zero100 Principal Analyst Suzanne Lindsay and VPs, Research Geraint John and Kelly Coutinho explore the threats faced by leaders today and what they can do to protect their organizations.Why cybersecurity is the CSCO’s problem after all (02:47) Fighting AI threats with AI (06:29) A blueprint for cyber-resilient supply chains (09:10) Can AI power true sustainability? (12:01) Safeguarding the human workforce in the agentic AI era (18:01) The dark side vs the gains: Striking the AI balance (20:24) 

Tim Cook has generated more than $3 trillion in shareholder value as Apple’s CEO, yet tariff pressures and the AI arms race are putting his operational rigor to the test. On the Zero100 Podcast, Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah and VP, Research Geraint John dissect whether Cook’s “balanced excellence” can keep Apple relevant and resilient in a morphing trade landscape. Tim Cook vs Steve Jobs: Who was the better CEO? (00:35) From leader to laggard: Apple's product innovation downturn (02:42)  Trade, tariffs, and Trump (06:42) The plausibility of a US-made iPhone (09:26) Reflections of Cook’s big bet on China (11:59) What aspiring COOs can learn from Cook’s legacy (14:09) Is it time for Cook to pass the baton? (19:18) 

The COVID pandemic was a stress test for Pfizer’s vaccine supply chain – and a powerful catalyst for change. This week, Barbara Garcia (VP, Americas Supply Chain) and Fiona Ardagh (VP, EMEA Supply Chain) tell Zero100 Principal Analyst Jenna Fink how they built a more agile, integrated, and resilient supply chain to meet surging demand and prepare for future challenges.  What it was like working at Pfizer during the pandemic (0:52)How the business adapted to meet new challenges (2:43)Addressing global supply chain weak spots (5:11)Powered by people: How talent kept Pfizer moving (7:17)Redefining customer experience and delivering breakthroughs (12:35)How AI and new tech are optimizing Pfizer's supply chain today (16:20)What’s next for Pfizer (19:40)

Caught between margin pressures and looming price hikes? The Zero100 team reveals how supply chain leaders can free up cash and boost profitability without sacrificing customer experience or revenue. Featuring: Research Analyst Jalen Thibou and Principal Analysts Jenna Fink and Suzanne Lindsay. Why companies are struggling to hit cost and growth targets (1:54)Nailing the elusive balance between cost and growth (3:18)How Unilever and Gap model long-term cash flow leadership (4:32)Replicable cost optimization plays from Samsung and Lenovo (6:44)Your best reinvestment bets (8:41)Making the cost optimization mindset stick (12:46)

Given the productivity wins AI and AI agents offer, cutting headcount might seem like an obvious strategic move. But real efficiency, org success, and long-term growth hinge on rightsizing, not downsizing. VP, Research Lauren Acoba and Principal Analysts Jenna Fink and Caroline Chumakov explore why end-to-end workflow reinvention, redefining roles, and reskilling talent are a necessity in the agentic age. The critical difference between downsizing and rightsizing (00:40)Avoiding the trap of short-termism in workforce planning (2:50)Lessons in building human-agent workflows (6:41)How leadership paradigms shift in the agentic era (8:41)Shaping the supply chain worker of the future (12:30)Roles that are growing and declining in the face of AI (14:28)Strategies to cultivate more Translators in your supply chain (16:34)Balancing headcount reduction with mindful reinvestment (18:47)What comes next: culture keepers and skills-based orgs (22:21)

In procurement, tight control over external spend is a golden rule for cost savings. But what would happen if leaders loosened the reins? Malik Akhtar, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer Consumer Health, tells Zero100 VP, Research Geraint John how the company’s "Freedom to Spend Smartly" strategy is putting buying power in the hands of non-procurement users while keeping spend and supplier numbers in check.The why and the how of Freedom to Spend Smartly (00:56) Initial concerns and selling the policy to the CFO (3:20)Managing governance and non-compliance (4:24) How AI is helping  procurement leaders and rookie requisitioners (5:22) Decreasing costs, frictionless service, and other early benefits (7:09) Rethinking procurement skills, responsibilities, and incentives (11:28)What’s next for Freedom to Spend Smartly (15:18)