Brenda Brajkovich is fighting hunger, and gender norms in Supply Chain

Heightening geopolitical tensions and war have been presenting supply chain leaders with new challenges. The Russian War on Ukraine and the Hamas-Israeli war have created fresh challenges for global supply chains. Tensions have reached a boiling point in the regions in recent months. The war on Ukraine that started in 2014 and escalated with a Russian onslaught in 2022 has put severe limitations on one of the world’s major grain producers.

The Russian war on Ukraine has been a devastating pressure cooker for global trade. Major global corporations like Boeing and Ford pulled operations out of Russia. Hundreds of ships stocked with corn and wheat have sat stranded in Ukrainian ports with war-imposed restrictions on shipping in the Black Sea. These restrictions have created food shortages and only added to global inflation rates. The price hikes directly impact raw material costs in specific markets and transportation spending across the board, creating fresh challenges across industries, not limited to technology, food and beverage, and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, ongoing conflict in the Middle East inciting disruptions in the Red Sea is wreaking havoc on global maritime logistics. Shipping companies forced to reroute around the African continent are grappling with a profound and—let’s face it—expensive detour. They must bypass the Suez Canal for the longer Cape of Good Hope Route instead. The change in direction marks a powerful shift in international shipping dynamics, especially for Southern European nations. Experts are finding themselves grappling with questions about the positioning of Mediterranean ports and the future of global trade flows. These trends are causing a halting decline in traffic for the Suez Canal, a globally celebrated trade touchstone.

And with elections underway across the globe, international dynamics still in flux, and wars raging on with little sign of stopping, geopolitical tensions promise to have a powerful impact on supply chains for the foreseeable future. These novel supply chain challenges require diversity in thought and in the workforce. We know that organizations employing more women in leadership eclipse competitors. At Let’s Talk Supply Chain, we’re privileged to honor Women In Supply Chain™ and their achievements in logistics and manufacturing. We believe that Women In Supply Chain™ elevate business growth and transformation.

Let’s Talk Supply Chain’s Women In Supply Chain™ program, and our blog and podcast series explore the importance of nurturing gender diversity with intention, including investing in woman leaders and our nonbinary counterparts. We hope our Women In Supply Chain™ blog series motivates our readers to overcome traditional professional gender barriers for a profound impact and rethink what they can achieve.

Let’s Talk Supply chain is honored to highlight Brenda Brajkovich this month. Brenda is the Marketing Director at Polaris Transport where she brought seven years of agency experience. Since 2019, she has been driving palpable outcomes at the company and has continued to help the organization combat hunger in and outside of local communities.