World Vision

What if surplus inventory could protect your brand, outperform liquidation, and change lives? Host Russ Shumaker introduces a new B2B podcast where operators and executives share real playbooks for turning excess into impact. Expect practical conversations on disposition vs. liquidation, tariff-trapped SKUs, disaster-relief logistics, and ESG reporting. Subscribe now and get ready for weekly, operator-level insights that boost margins, reduce risk, and deliver humanitarian impact.

Turn surplus into impact. Hear how brands use product donation to protect reputation, outpace liquidation, and support disaster relief. A podcast of World Vision.

The Sustainable Supply Chain Forum Teaser

Sustainable Supply Chain Forum Trailer | World Vision

Turn excess product into advantage. Each episode breaks down donate vs. liquidate decisions, tariff-trapped SKUs, and disaster logistics, boosting margins, brand trust, and humanitarian impact.

Supply chain leaders are under pressure to cut costs, adopt AI, and prove their ESG commitments—all without breaking the trust of partners or consumers. In this episode, Dr. Robert Handfield and Ben Barras join Russ Shumaker to unpack how AI can realistically support planning and decision-making (not just headcount reduction), why tariff stress-testing and scenario planning matter more than ever, and how brands can turn surplus and returns into meaningful impact through reverse logistics partnerships with nonprofits like World Vision. The conversation dives into ethical apparel, transparency, and what it takes to build long-term, trust-driven relationships across the supply chain—from manufacturers and 3PLs to NGOs serving people at the very end of the value chain.

Rob Handfield is the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University, and Executive Director of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (http://scm.ncsu.edu/). Handfield is considered a thought leader in the field of supply chain management, and is an industry expert in the field of strategic sourcing, supply market intelligence, and supplier development. He has spoken on these subjects across the globe, including China, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Latin America, India, Europe, Korea, Japan, Canada, in multiple presentations and webinars. Handfield has published more than 120 peer reviewed journal articles and is regularly quoted in global news media such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Bloomberg, NPR, Washington Post, the Financial Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and CNN. He served on the Joint Acquisition Task Force during COVID which led to published articles on the shortages of PPE in the Harvard Business Review and the Milbank Quarterly Journal, and led a NIIMBL research team studying distribution of test kits during the pandemic. He was also invited to serve on the Biden White House Counsel of Economic Advisors in January 2022, and has worked with many companies through the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative for several years.

Dr. Robert Handfield

Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management, North Carolina State University

Ben Barras leads World Vision’s team responsible for developing and deepening relationships with US-based corporations and providing strategic direction to the Gifts in Kind, cause marketing, and workplace giving teams. 

Ben came to World Vision following more than 25 years of for-profit leadership experience in the Retail, Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Technology industries.  Ben has held leadership roles in global enterprise strategic planning, global supply chain management, customer management, technology product development, enterprise alliance partner creation and management, new business startup, business development, and enterprise marketing strategy. 

Ben did his undergraduate studies at The University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, graduating with a BS in Business Management.  Ben received an MBA from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School.  He remains involved at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and NC State, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in business, supply chain, and entrepreneurism.

Ben has been married to his wife Jamie for nearly 30 years. Jamie and Ben have five children, and they live in Apex, NC. 

Ben Barras

National Director of Corporate Engagement, World Vision

Supply chain leaders are under pressure to cut costs, adopt AI, and prove their ESG commitments—all without breaking the trust of partners or consumers. In this episode, Dr. Robert Handfield and Ben Barras join Russ Shumaker to unpack how AI can realistically support planning and decision-making (not just headcount reduction), why tariff stress-testing and scenario planning matter more than ever, and how brands can turn surplus and returns into meaningful impact through reverse logistics partnerships with nonprofits like World Vision. The conversation dives into ethical apparel, transparency, and what it takes to build long-term, trust-driven relationships across the supply chain—from manufacturers and 3PLs to NGOs serving people at the very end of the value chain.

AI, tariffs, and trust-driven partnerships in sustainable supply chains with Dr. Robert Handfield and Ben Barras

Retailers are under pressure to cut waste, protect margins, and hit aggressive sustainability targets—and the answer may be hiding in their returns, trade‑ins, and donations programs. In this episode of Supply Chain Forum, Rich Bulger explains how circular logistics can turn post‑purchase chaos into a strategic advantage, sharing real‑world examples from major brands that are reclaiming value, reducing landfill, and creating new customer experiences from what used to be pure cost centers. Listeners will learn where most retailers leave money on the table today, what data and partners you actually need to stand up a circular model, and how to get started without disrupting your existing supply chain operations.

Founder & CEO of All Things Circular | Host, All Things Circular Podcast | Chief Circularity Officer, RGX| Former CEO, RecirQ | Author of Going Circular | Former Head of Reverse Logistics at Cisco and Verizon | U.S. Army Veteran | Gartner Award Winner | Circular Economy Strategist | Reverse Logistics Pioneer

Rich Bulger didn’t start in supply chain, he started in uniform. As a soldier in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 1999, Rich developed the discipline, systems thinking, and executional rigor that would quietly shape the rest of his career. What he learned in those early years like structure, accountability, and service would later become the foundation of how he built global logistics systems that serve both the business and the planet.

After his service, Rich began a humble, part-time job at Verizon, not knowing he was stepping into what would become one of the most influential roles in retail logistics. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become Verizon’s youngest-ever Director of Reverse Logistics. But it wasn’t just about the title. In 2009, Rich launched Verizon’s first retail trade-in program, a move that seemed operational at the time but ended up generating over $1.6 billion annually, outperforming even the company’s accessory sales. In doing so, Rich transformed what was once a back-office return process into a profit-driving engine and laid the groundwork for modern retail reCommerce.

This success caught the attention of Cisco, where Rich took on a new challenge: turning a global reverse logistics operation from a cost center into a revenue center. His efforts didn’t just optimize flow, they rewired strategy. Under his leadership, Cisco’s reverse logistics arm became a benchmark for excellence, earning three Gartner Supply Chain awards. It was here that Rich’s influence went global, showing how circular systems could scale without breaking the operational backbone of a Fortune 100 tech company.

But Rich wasn’t done. In 2018, he took the leap into the entrepreneurial world, becoming CEO of RecirQ, a reverse logistics and circular economy startup. Over the next five years, he scaled it from $27 million to $116 million in revenue, driven by a vision of circularity-first infrastructure, modernized warehouse systems, and education that uplifted an entire industry. RecirQ wasn’t just a business, it was a model for what modern reCommerce could become.

True to his systems mindset, Rich didn’t just operate, he studied. In 2023, he became one of the first to earn a Master’s in Reverse Logistics Management from the American Public University System, turning decades of frontline learning into academic rigor. Just months later, in January 2024, he published Going Circular, now a defining read for anyone serious about returns, reuse, and regeneration.

Today, Rich wears multiple hats: he’s a Partner at Capital Growth Partners, a Fractional Chief Circularity Officer at RGX, a podcast host (All Things Circular), a speaker, an author, and a relentless evangelist for turning reverse logistics into business growth.

But if you ask Rich, he’ll tell you he’s still doing what he’s always done: finding value where others see waste, and building systems that make that value repeatable, measurable, and sustainable.

Rich Bulger

Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer, All Things Circular

Discover how Rich Bulger helps major brands turn returns, trade‑ins, and donations into a circular logistics engine that cuts waste, boosts margin, and drives sustainable growth in retail supply chains.

Circular Logistics as a Competitive Advantage: Rich Bulger on Turning Returns, Trade‑Ins, and Donations into Sustainable Profit

What happens when a retailer builds every decision around the customer and backs it up with a disciplined, data‑informed operating model? In this episode of Sustainable Supply Chain Forum, Home Depot legend Jim Inglis reflects on the culture, leadership, and merchandising principles that powered the company’s rise from regional chain to industry giant. He shares stories from the early days, why “bleeding orange” culture still matters, and how store operations, inventory strategy, and vendor partnerships all connect back to serving the customer better. Listeners will gain practical insight into just‑in‑case vs. just‑in‑time inventory, the role of trust between merchants and suppliers, and what today’s retail leaders can learn from Home Depot’s playbook in an era of constant disruption.

James W. Inglis is a world-renowned expert with sixty years of experience in the retail home-improvement industry. He served in executive positions with The Home Depot for thirteen years, where he held the titles of Vice President of Merchandising, West Coast; Executive Vice President of Merchandising; and Executive Vice president, Strategic Development.

He also served as a member of the Corporate Board of Directors. Jim has helped shape the industry worldwide as a special adviser to the boards of leading home-improvement retailers around the world: Sodimac, Santiago, Chile, the largest building material and home center company in South America, operating in seven Latin American countries; Hornbach, Bornheim, Germany, one of the largest home center chains in Germany, operating in nine Western and Eastern European countries; Bunnings Warehouse, Melbourne, Australia, the dominant home center operator in Australia and New Zealand; and Komeri, Niigata, Japan, which operates more than 1,200 stores selling hardware, home, and agricultural supplies in Japan.

He also is a past member of numerous boards of directors: Home World, Tianjin, China, a pioneer in developing home centers and hypermarkets in the Chinese market; for Chamberlain Manufacturing, a producer of garage door openers and other security entry hardware; for K&G a chain of U.S. discount clothing stores; and for the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

In 2015 Jim was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Home Improvement Network and the European DIY Retail Association.

He is a past board member and board chairman of the Atlanta Mission, a member of the executive committee of The Storehouse of World Vision, a board member of Help the Persecuted, and a member of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta. He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and eight grandchildren and maintain residences in Atlanta, Georgia, and Palm Coast, Florida.

Jim Inglis

Author, Breakthrough Retailing

Retail legend Jim Inglis joins Supply Chain Forum to unpack how Home Depot’s customer‑first culture, merchandising discipline, and just‑in‑case supply chain strategy fueled decades of growth in home improvement retail.

Culture, Customers, and Just‑in‑Case Supply Chains with Home Depot Legend Jim Inglis

Jim Inglis on Retail Culture, Customer‑First Merchandising, and Just‑in‑Case Supply Chain Strategy in Home Improvement

The Sustainable Supply Chain Podcast by World Vision

World Vision's B2B podcast for executives and operators. Practical conversations on sustainability, logistics, disaster relief, and product disposition—how brands turn excess inventory into measurable impact.

The Sustainable Supply Chain Forum Teaser

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Russ Shumaker

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