493: Women In Supply Chain™, Natalie Walker
Natalie Walker is the Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations at Cobot, bringing multi-sector expertise from the utilities, oil and gas, clean tech, and EV industries. She intentionally built her career by moving through these different sectors, including a role at Tesla, to gain a deep understanding of energy and technology infrastructure. Natalie is a strong advocate for women in supply chain, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and intentional career planning. She believes collaboration is the future of business and technology, a vision she implements at Cobot to advance human-machine partnerships.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain™ I’m joined by Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations, Natalie Walker.
With knowledge of the utilities, oil and gas, clean tech and EV industries, Natalie’s strong multi-sector expertise enables her to optimize complex supply chains in fast-evolving, high-tech environments.
Today Natalie and I will be talking all about her career journey; the importance of mentors in creating space for women; the changing face of workplaces; and the future of robotics.
SHOW SPONSOR
The Women In Supply Chain™ Forum was created by Marina Mayer and Jason Desearle to foster real connections—bringing men and women together to network, learn, and build lasting bonds beyond traditional conferences. It’s about strengthening pipelines, creating a community of advocates, mentors, and trusted peers. Similarly, the Women In Supply Chain™ Award was born from a need to recognize female leaders navigating challenges and driving change. Since its inception five years ago, it has grown to nearly 400 submissions, celebrating the achievements of women shaping the future of supply chain. Find out more at Supply and Demand Chain Executive.
Natalie’s education journey, how a family friend inspired an interest in supply chain, and why international business is a crucial, but sometimes overlooked, component of the industry.
Why supply chain is often misunderstood, and why it’s a great career choice for women looking to drive meaningful change.
Natalie’s career journey, how her intentional decision-making built a foundation for where she is now, and the biggest lessons she learned in her early years.
Why collaboration is the future of technology, and the vision for how humans and machines collaborate at Cobot, Natalie’s place of work.
Natalie’s perspective on where supply chain is at, as an industry, with robotics.
Natalie’s role as Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations at Cobot.
Natalie’s experience, as a woman, working across the utilities, oil and gas, clean tech, EV and robotics industries.
The importance of mentors, and the role they’ve played in Natalie’s career so far.
Natalie’s experience of boards, and her advice for young people looking to pursue board opportunities.
How workplaces are changing, and why collaboration and communication is key.
The future for Natalie.
Resources & Links Mentioned
- You can connect with Natalie over on LinkedIn or Instagram.
- If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about robotics, check out 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics, 465: Your Fulfillment Transformation Starts Now, with TGW Logistics or 308: Stabilizing Safety in the Workplace, with Ideal Warehouse Innovations.
- Check out our other podcasts HERE.
