The Future of Supply Chain

Episode 151: The importance of data with Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro

The Future of Supply Chain

Show Notes

In this episode, we are joined by Maria Clara Sayeg from the World Economic Forum to discuss the transformative impact of AI and data on modern supply chains and how its role creates a responsive and transparent supply chain.

Download the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode transcript⁠⁠

=====

In this episode, we are joined by Maria Clara Sayeg from the World Economic Forum to discuss the transformative impact of AI and data on modern supply chains and how its role creates a responsive and transparent supply chain. We will discuss the importance of real-time data and the need for cross-industry collaboration. The episode also addresses future trends in manufacturing, focusing on autonomous systems, circular resource flows, and augmented workforce capabilities.

=====

Guest: Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro

Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro is an industrial AI strategist and product builder who's spent the last decade at the intersection of management consulting and technology, first at DuPont Sustainable Solutions, where she led engagements across industrial clients and built a global SaaS portfolio, and now at the World Economic Forum, where she leads AI and Data Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains.

With a background spanning four languages, an Executive MBA from EPFL, and deployments across 190+ industrial sites globally, Maria brings a rare mix of strategic perspective and hands-on product instinct to every conversation. She's passionate about making industrial AI real, not just a slide deck, but a working system that drives measurable outcomes in sustainability, resilience, and operational performance.

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Host 2: Sin To

Sin brings over 15 years of experience in the digital media and technology industry – primarily in marketing, business development, thought leadership, and editorial. At SAP, they ensure that SAP's supply chain solutions are properly visible with a focus on future trends and sustainable innovations as part of the Thought Leadership & Awareness Supply Chain Team.

=====

Show Links: SAP Digital Supply Chain: www.sap.com/scm

World Economic Forum (WEF): https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/factories-that-think/ https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-advanced-manufacturing-and-supply-chains/lumina https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Value_Chains_Outlook_2026.pdf https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Lighthouse_Network_2026.pdf

Follow Us on Social Media : Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaclarasayeg/

Richard Howells: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardjhowells

Sin To: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sin-to-5334208

SAP Digital Supply Chain: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/sapdsc/

Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

=====

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction to Future Supply Chains 00:00:43 Meet the Guest Maria Clara Sayeg 00:02:18 AI and Data in Modern Supply Chains 00:04:08 Real-World AI Implementations 00:10:03 Transparency and Sustainability 00:12:41 Data Integration Challenges 00:16:04 Cross-Industry Collaboration 00:20:20 Future Trends in Manufacturing 00:24:12 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

More from The Future of Supply Chain

Oct 21, 2026

What if your supply chain system didn't just answer questions but took action? In this episode, Lukas Huber from Deloitte explains the real difference between conversational and agentic AI, shares concrete use cases from shortage mitigation to transport disruption, and makes the case for governance by design.

Oct 14, 2026

Kearney's Suketu Gandhi joins us to discuss why the supply chain is now central to corporate strategy—from COO growth optimism and resilience as a competitive weapon to AI industrialization and sustainability's renaissance.

Oct 7, 2026

Transportation is no longer just a last-mile function. This week we, together with Tushar Bhalla from CloudPaths, and Dmitry Antanovich from LeverX explore how it's becoming the nerve center of modern supply chains.

Sep 30, 2026

Can your supply chain make decisions faster than your competitors? We sit down with Brooks Noonan of NTT DATA to explore the shift from digital visibility to true autonomous execution—and what it actually takes to get there.

Sep 23, 2026

In this episode Amy Brachio explains why product-level carbon accounting is reshaping how supply chains buy, invest and compete. And why two factories with identical operations can legally report completely different carbon figures.

See all episodes →