From the Director’s Desk

Welcome to the latest edition of Supply Chain Link from the Centre for Supply Chain Management. As always, we aim to bring together perspectives from industry and academia that inform, challenge, and support the ongoing development of supply chain practice.

In this edition, we begin with insights from Dean Buttel of Air New Zealand, who explores developments and challenges within the aviation supply chain. This is followed by an article from Sree Balasubramanian from Middlesex University Dubai, highlighting the growing importance of AI-powered digital twins within manufacturing supply chains. We are also pleased to include a piece from Viv Young of Intransit Recruitment, focusing on recruitment and job searching, with practical tips for students and recent graduates seeking roles in supply chain management.

In addition, we take this opportunity to welcome two new members of staff to the Centre: Haokun Du and Xiaowei Dong. We look forward to the contributions they will make to our research, teaching, and engagement activities.

It has been a particularly active period for the Centre. On 16–17 April 2026, we hosted the Supply Chain Workshop 2026 at the University of Auckland Business School, with over 45 participants attending. Highlights from the first day included a plenary from Andy Windsor from Health New Zealand, contributed presentations from academics across New Zealand and beyond, and a panel discussion on Current Challenges in Global Supply Chains by Moderator Professor David Robb and panellists Dr Maryam Mirzaei from AUT, Dr Carel Bezuidenhout from IPU New Zealand and Simon Crook from UniServices. The day concluded with an After 5 industry networking event with over 70 people, where Richard Marshall, GM Supply Chain at Air New Zealand, shared valuable insights into the future of work for supply chain professionals. You can view a recording of the event here.

On the second day of the workshop, a smaller group of 28 participants visited a range of organisations across Auckland, including Ports of Auckland, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Cardinal Logistics, the James Pascoe Distribution Centre, The Warehouse Distribution Centre, and Air New Zealand. We are grateful to all participating organisations for their support and openness in sharing their operations and insights.

Finally, a few reminders on how to stay connected with the Centre. We encourage you to follow us on LinkedIn for updates on our activities and events. We also host the Supply Chain Network Linked community group, where we welcome contributions, discussion, and the sharing of ideas. If you are not already on our mailing list, we invite you to join to receive future editions and updates.

As always, we welcome your feedback, comments, and suggestions.

Sarah Marshall
Director
Centre for Supply Chain Management