Supply Chain
Research & Education
Where I Stand Today
I am Professor and Chair in Decision Sciences at the University of Sydney, where I lead interdisciplinary research and education in supply chain management.
My work focuses on building efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply chains by integrating digital technologies, AI, and behavioural insights. I work closely with industry leaders, government agencies, and international organisations to develop solutions that respond to real-world challenges — whether they arise from climate disruptions, economic uncertainty, or technological shifts.
Over the years, I have led major industry projects, published widely in leading academic journals , and received recognition for both research innovation and teaching excellence. For me, teaching and supervision are not just about passing on knowledge, but about guiding others to see the world differently, find purpose, and build confidence in their own thinking.
I also serve as a Director for the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA) , where I chair the national committee for supply chain training and education. In this role, I help shape workforce development strategies, strengthen industry-academia partnerships, and ensure that education keeps pace with industry needs.
Whether through research, teaching, mentoring, consulting, or public speaking, my aim is the same:
"To equip individuals and organisations with the tools, insights, and confidence to make better decisions."
Finding My Way to Supply Chain Management
My professional journey into supply chain management reflects a series of conscious and deliberate choices. Interestingly, this journey mirrors the evolution of the discipline itself: from Mechanical Engineering, to Operations Management, to Supply Chain Management. In many ways, I feel as though I have lived the history of the supply chain field within my own life.
I began with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, specialising in product and machinery design, automation, system dynamics, and applied mathematics. It was during my internships and work placements that I began to realise that I was more fascinated by the decisions behind the processes than the mechanical systems themselves. That was the first turning point.
It was a gradual but confident shift as I moved from engineering into management. Pursuing a Master's degree in Operations Management in my early twenties allowed me to combine engineering with decision sciences, which sharped my focus on how organisations manage and improve performance.
By the time I completed my Master's degree, it was evident that I belonged in academia; a place where I could research, teach, and collaborate with industry while continuing to learn. Around this time, another important realisation emerged. While operations management answered many of the internal organisational questions, it was the broader, then-emerging, field of supply chain management that truly captured my attention and imagination.
The world I observed was rapidly changing. I witnessed global competition shifting from firm versus firm to supply chain versus supply chain. Specifically, in the post-globalisation era, and with the accelerating influence of the internet, organisations were no longer operating in isolation but increasingly collaborating across industries, geographies, and cultures. The industry focus on information sharing, cooperation, and integrated decision-making made supply chain management an irresistible field of study for me. I was certain, even then, that this was a space where I could not only succeed but find real fulfilment. Why? Because not only did I possess the required analytical and technical skills, but also a deep passion for optimisation and efficiency. By my mid-twenties, as I began writing my first academic articles on supply chain topics, I was already confident I had found my professional and intellectual home.
To remain in academia and contribute to this evolving discipline, I embarked on a PhD. My doctoral research was my first major industry project undertaken as an academic, and marked the beginning of a research journey that continues today — albeit in broader capacities and at larger scales. It was during my PhD that I developed a deep interest in the applications of AI in supply chain optimisation. I became particularly fascinated by how advanced analytics and AI-powered tools could be used to improve efficiency, manage disruptions, and address environmental and social challenges in supply chains.
"I was convinced that AI and digital technologies could help us optimise processes, improve productive systems, and enable organisations to work smarter and more effectively."
Beyond Optimisation:
Putting Humans Back at the Centre
Every now and then, it’s worth stepping back and asking: Where am I heading? What’s the bigger picture? This is what I refer to as the constant process of “zooming out” and “zooming in”. Zoom out to see the big picture: how the world is evolving, how humanity is moving. Then zoom back in to see whether my day-to-day work and choices actually line up with that bigger picture. It’s a bit like working in Photoshop or other professional editing tools: you zoom out to check the whole composition, then zoom in to fix the tiny details. Or like putting together a huge puzzle: you keep the box cover in front of you while fitting the individual pieces.
Back to the story of my career journey… the early part of my career was dedicated to optimisation, using AI models and analytical tools to cut waste, boost efficiency, and manage risks. It was exciting work, because industry needed it, and it felt like progress. But then came one of those “zoom-out” reflections that changed my trajectory.
I began exploring psychology, sociology, and most eye-opening of all, “digital anthropology”. These disciplines reframed my understanding of the bigger picture. Particularly, digital anthropology’s focus on how humans shape AI and decision tools, and how those same tools reshape us. I slowly realised that the important question isn’t just “what can AI solve?” but “how does AI affect the way we, as humans, think and decide?”
This realisation shifted my work and research toward placing the “human factor” at the core. I moved from pure optimisation and industry-driven solutions toward something more human-centred: designing AI systems that work along with human intuition rather than replace it. This is commonly referred to as human-centred AI.
"At the end of the day, it’s not about technology for its own sake. It’s about making sure the small things that we do today (our “zoomed-in” work) still align with the larger purpose of humanity’s journey (the “zoomed-out picture”)"
The Road Ahead
Today, my work continues at the intersection of supply chains, AI, and human behaviour. I still study resilience, risk, and sustainability, but always with a focus on the human dimension. How do people make decisions under uncertainty? How can behavioural insights shape better systems? And, perhaps most importantly, how can humans and AI complement one another to achieve better outcomes?
This people-centred outlook has also shaped my ventures beyond academia. With Chance & Choice Lab, I help individuals discover their strengths and align their capabilities with purpose-driven career paths. With Sound of Silence Productions, I explore the similarities between managing complex supply chains and producing creative projects, both requiring orchestrating diverse talents, resources, and constraints to deliver meaningful outcomes.
Along the way, I came to recognise another dimension of my professional identity: a deep passion for leadership, strategic thinking, fostering collaboration, and guiding innovation. Leadership and mentoring are central to my identity. I find deep fulfilment in guiding people, shaping ideas, and building collaborative initiatives that connect disciplines and communities. Looking forward, I see my role less as a problem-solver and more as a connector of people, ideas, and opportunities.
"My career began with machines, but it found its true meaning in people, collaboration, and purpose. That’s the journey I’ll keep following."
Awards and Presentations
Colleagues and Students
