Supply chain consultancy GEP joins WEF as a partner
Global supply chain consultancy GEP has joined the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a partner – putting itself among a prestigious list of consulting firms including McKinsey & Company, BCG, Deloitte and Marsh McLennan.
Among the most well-known non-profit organizations in the world, WEF acts as a meeting point for business and public sector efforts worldwide – facilitating high-level meetings, conducting in-depth collaborative research, and working with corporates and consulting firms to advance business, government, and society.
An integral part of the global agenda for the next few years is to reinvent supply chains and align them with broader considerations of social and environmental responsibility. Armed with over two decades of experience in supply chain transformation, New Jersey-headquartered GEP will now work with WEF to support this change at a global level.
A GEP statement explained how global supply chains are currently geared towards conventional business objectives such as cost-saving and performance – with little transparency on waste, emissions, inclusivity, and ethics. With advanced tech such as AI and machine learning taking center stage in decision-making, this one-dimensional approach is at risk of intensifying.
GEP has expertise in supply chain practices and advanced technology – leveraging this combination to ensure supply chains operate in line with global fair trade values; support minority businesses; and protect the environment.
According to GEP co-founder and CEO Subhash Makhija, similar principles will inform the firm’s collaboration with WEF – with a focus on better systems for accountability and transparency as enablers of more responsible practice.
“Without energetic leadership, technologies like AI and machine learning have the potential to do great good and great harm — perhaps most especially with the supply chain — against the important environmental and social goals that we in the global business community have set for ourselves,” said Makhija.
“It’s imperative that we provide leadership that guides how organizations select suppliers to drive sustainability, diversity and ethical practices, as well as value,” he concluded.
