LEADERSHIP FORUM: BUSINESS PLANNING, FORECASTING & S&OP/ IBP

Executive Level Forum

IBF's Leadership Forum is where executives and leaders in S&OP/ IBP, forecasting, demand planning, supply chain and analytics come together to discuss key developments, challenges and opportunities. It is designed to provide high-level management and their associates with the latest best practices.

You’ll be able to put your questions to our expert panelists featuring senior directors and VPs at Fortune 500 companies, many of whom have overcome the same challenges you are facing now.

The Forum will have 3 Executive Discussion Streams:

Executive Stream 1: Establishing S&OP/ IBP as Your Organization’s Compass

Executive Stream 2: Leveraging Demand Planning, Business Forecasting & AI: People, Process, and Technology in the New Age of Planning

Executive Stream 3: Optimizing Supply Chains to be More Efficient, Agile, and Sustainable: Key Pillars of a Resilient Supply Chain in the Face of Disruption

Get An S&OP Assessment & Review with an Expert

When you register for IBF’s leadership Forum, you get the option to carry out a self- assessment of your S&OP process using IBF’s proprietary maturity model, plus one-on-one time with an IBF expert who will review the findings. Your IBF expert will identify strengths and weaknesses, and where you have gaps in your process. During the review they will provide actionable recommendations to improve your S&OP process, or to set up a new process. You’ll receive valuable guidance and direction along with resources to help your journey to S&OP maturity. All IBF experts have extensive experience in leadership roles in multi billion dollar companies at senior director or VP level.

Get Cost of Forecast Error Template

Choose the GOLD PACKAGE to receive the Cost of Forecast Error Template to build a business case for investing in your company’s forecasting and planning function. This valuable resource will reveal how much your company will save by improving under- or over-forecasting.

Get Benchmarking Research

During the forum, IBF will share some of its global research that will help you know where you and your company stand with others. Those that register with the GOLD PACKAGE, get access to IBF’s research reports, which includes valuable research across forecast error in major industries, metrics used, data used, salaries, new product planning, S&OP cadence and other best practices.

Access Members Only Demand Planning & Forecasting Workshop

Choose the GOLD PACKAGE with IBF Membership and you’ll get access to the pre-forum, 1-Day Forecasting and Planning Tutorial. This high-level workshop offers the perfect grounding in forecasting and planning, serving as a fundamental course with the latest best practices. You’ll get other members only benefits, including the Journal of Business Forecasting delivered to your door quarterly, as well as discounted entry to IBF conferences and training.

Supplement the Leadership Forum with IBF’s Best Practices Conference

Taking place the following 2 days at the same location after the Leadership Forum is IBF’s Business Planning, Forecasting, and S&OP/ IBP Conference. These 2 days are geared for planning professional at all levels.

Discounts at Walt Disney World! For those attending the IBF conference in Orlando, enjoy discounted opportunities at the Disney parks only a few miles away.

Reserve Your Space Without Obligation

Need time to get approval? No worries.
Reserve seat, lock-in discounted rate, and pay later.

Event Speakers

Rudy Colberg

The Clorox Company

Vice President of Integrated Business Planning

Rudy Colberg is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in global strategy, planning, and transformation across the consumer and retail sectors. He currently serves as VP of Integrated Business Planning at The Clorox Company, where he leads the IBP Center of Excellence and oversees the company’s end-to-end planning transformation, including its AI/ML-enabled demand forecasting capabilities. Prior to Clorox, Rudy held leadership roles at BCG, EY-Parthenon, Accenture Strategy, and PwC, advising C-suite executives on strategy, innovation, and enterprise transformation. He holds an MBA and MS from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Puerto Rico, Rudy enjoys watersports, tennis, and outdoor adventures with his family.

Cynthia Trevino, CPF

Mexilink Inc.

CFO

With a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and over fifteen years of experience, Cynthia is a seasoned Certified Public Accountant with a diverse skill set. She is currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Mexilink, Inc., where she provides operational and programmatic leadership across various domains, including accounting, finance, tax, and risk management. Cynthia’s responsibilities include strategic planning, budgeting, margin analysis, ERP implementation, risk mitigation, asset management, and audit and tax management. Before joining Mexilink, she held positions as Finance Coordinator and Accounting Analyst at GE in Monterrey, Mexico, where she honed her expertise in financial management and analysis. Passionate about supply chain and demand planning, Cynthia is also an IBF Certified Professional Forecaster (CPF) and is currently leading an S&OP process.

Tim Hotze

Target

SVP Enterprise Capacity Planning

Tim leads the Enterprise Capacity Planning Team at Target, reporting into the COO. Prior to this he served for five years as SVP, Network Planning, Global Intelligence and Last Mile where he oversaw Target’s Supply Chain intelligence products and applications as well as end-to-end strategic and operational functions for Network and Topology Planning. Before joining Target in 2017, Tim held a number of leadership roles at Amazon covering Supply Chain Execution, Capacity Planning and Management, Inventory Placement and Labor Planning. He also spent more than a decade at Panalpina World Transport where he had responsibility for worldwide logistics and supply chain solutions. Tim sits on the Advisory Board for the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning (IBF) and is a former Executive Director of The Warehouse Education and Research Council. Tim holds a Master’s degree in Electrical and Industrial Engineering as well as a degree in Logistics and Supply Chain from the University of Technology in Darmstadt, Germany.

Patrick Bower

Actylis

Sr. Director of Supply Chain

Pat Bower has a wide area of expertise, including S&OP, Demand Planning, Inventory, Network Optimization, and Production Scheduling. A recognized expert on demand planning and S&OP, and a self-professed “S&OP geek” - he was previously Practice Manager of Supply Chain Planning at the consulting firm, Plan4Demand where his client list included Diageo, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Foster Farms, Cabot Industries and American Girl. Pat’s experience encompasses tenures with Cadbury, Kraft Foods, Unisys, and Snapple. He also worked for the supply chain software company - Numetrix and was Vice President of R&D at Atrion International. Pat was the recipient of IBF’s 2012 award for Excellence in Business Forecasting & Planning.

Brian Nagy

West Marine

Sr. Director, Planning and Replenishment

Brian Nagy is an innovative leader in Demand Planning and S&OP with a proven track record of driving operational excellence at organizations such as Starbucks, Hershey, and Chewy. As a Managing Partner at Glade Solutions Group, he specializes in delivering customized planning solutions that enhance forecasting accuracy, optimize inventory levels, and improve cross-functional collaboration. Brian’s expertise in data-driven decision-making and process improvement helps clients achieve greater profitability and predictability.

Misty Eldridge

GE Appliances

Sr. DT Manager, Planning and Fulfillment Systems

Misty is the Senior DT Manager, Planning and Fulfillment Systems for GE Appliances. She leads the digital team supporting planning and fulfillment systems across the organization. Prior to joining GE Appliances in 2022, Misty held several leadership roles in multiple industries ranging from food and packaging to CPG companies. She has a wide area of expertise including S&OP, Demand Planning, Inventory, and Supply Planning. She has been a driver of process improvements and leading digital transformations. Misty holds a degree from the University of Illinois. In 2022, she received the Excellence in Business Forecasting & Planning award from IBF.

Jim Barnes

Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions

Vice President, Global Sales & Operations Planning

Jim Barnes is a supply chain planning and transformation executive, currently leading the global implementation of S&OP at Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, a global organization dedicated to water conservation and re-use. Prior to Veolia, Jim was leading S&OP initiatives for Tecomet, a Private Equity-backed medical equipment manufacturer, and Johnson Controls, a global leader in building systems and products. He has also held executive positions at the Institute for Supply Management, KPMG, and multiple mid-tier consulting firms. His supply chain experience spans 3 decades across a wide variety of companies, including Apple, Cisco Systems, Exxon Mobile, Pepsico, General Electric, Kaiser Permanente, And Pfizer.

Paul Kamprath

SACHEM, Inc.

Vice President of Global Supply Chain

Paul Kamprath is Vice President of Global Supply Chain at SACHEM, Inc., a specialty chemicals business. Previously, he held leadership roles at WilsonArt, C&D Technologies/Trojan Batteries, and Baker Hughes, where he led multi-site manufacturing operations, Quality & Operational Excellence programs, and all aspects of Supply Chain. Besides an MBA from Cornell, he earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

Event Speakers

Rudy Colberg

The Clorox Company

Vice President of Integrated Business Planning

Cynthia Trevino, CPF

Mexilink Inc.

CFO

Tim Hotze

Target

SVP Enterprise Capacity Planning

Conference Schedule

Forum Schedule

Oct 22, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Executive Stream 1: Establishing S&OP/ IBP as Your Organization’s Compass

Over the years, the IBF has identified many companies that lead the way in S&OP/IBP and what it takes to become best-in-class. Successful implementation of S&OP/IBP and sound forecasting principles provides a key competitive advantage—both during normal operations and in crises like Covid-19. For many organizations, this transformation is a struggle, with many unclear about their current state and how to build the right roadmap to planning maturity. This includes maintaining sufficient inventory to increase customer fill rates while improving cash flow.

This leadership stream offers the opportunity to learn how top companies achieve true cross-functional participation, alignment, and accountability. You’ll hear how industry leaders use best practices and forecasting fundamentals to deliver results in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Together, we will address the changing world and how to mature your planning processes and build future capabilities. Learn what most companies have failed to do—deliver a robust, value-adding process that everyone buys into.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

How to integrate internal and external variables into your planning and S&OP/IBP processes
How to better assess risk during times of disruption like Covid-19 and use scenario planning and demand shaping to respond proactively to changing demand
How to achieve true cross-functional participation, alignment, and accountability across all departments, including Finance, Sales, Commercial, Supply Chain, and more
How to track and measure S&OP/IBP and demand planning effectiveness
Tools you can use to help evaluate where you are in your S&OP journey, including IBF’s advanced maturity model
Key pitfalls to avoid when building your S&OP/IBP roadmap
What benchmarks to use and which to avoid
How to measure your S&OP/IBP performance

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Break

2:45 PM - 4:15 PM

Executive Stream 2: Leveraging Demand Planning, Business Forecasting & AI: People, Process, and Technology in the New Age of Planning

As a leader, it is up to you to provide insights and build demand planning and business forecasting capabilities. That’s hard enough at the best of times but is even more challenging when a crisis hits and teams must think outside the box to predict and manage demand. We now compete not so much on price or quality, but on our ability to interpret data. Given that predictive analytics and business forecasting have reached a tipping point, we must look at organizational design for demand planning differently.

In this executive stream, you’ll hear senior-level panelists from a variety of companies and industries sharing strategies that have worked to best recruit required talent, develop sustainable processes, and select technology that enables them to succeed. You’ll see what companies are doing differently now to invest in the future of planning and managing big data and artificial intelligence capabilities. This is a unique opportunity to see how senior leaders see the bigger picture, envision future requirements, and be inspired to adapt your demand planning and business forecasting capabilities.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

How to determine the optimal demand planning structure for your organization
The right balance of specific skills needed to succeed, including the skill sets required to handle disruptions and the “new normal”
How to manage more with limited or fewer people and resources
How to start a technology search and avoid technology pitfalls, along with tips and tricks for quick, easy access to data and decision-making
How to develop an analytics-driven roadmap and sell it to leadership
How to use predictive analytics technology to predict and respond to massive demand disruptions like COVID-19
How to provide analytics insight to all areas of the business
How to identify key demand drivers and incorporate them into your forecasts

4:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Break

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Executive Stream 3: Optimizing Supply Chains to be More Efficient, Agile, and Sustainable: Key Pillars of a Resilient Supply Chain in the Face of Disruption

The supply chain is continually relied upon to deliver value and service, despite the challenges posed by ongoing volatility, disruption, and gridlock. How supply chain leaders are prepared to reduce risk and navigate uncertainty in this increasingly dynamic and difficult environment is crucial, especially as the effects of the recent pandemic, global conflicts, climate change, and other factors persist.

This executive stream will focus on the ability to respond to and adapt to changing economic and environmental circumstances, while achieving customer and business objectives. This informative leadership panel will examine how planners have led during times of disruption and how they are currently developing strategies for regeneration and expansion. Learn how to manage risks and navigate uncertainties in today’s complex environment. Discover how planners are guiding through change and preparing for regeneration and growth by looking at real-world examples. Learn how to establish flexible and robust supply chain skills to position your company for the future.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

How to optimize supply chain operations for efficiency and sustainability
Strategies to mitigate risks and navigate uncertainties in a dynamic environment
Real-world examples of how supply chain leaders are planning for renewal and growth
The key pillars of a resilient supply chain: efficiency, agility, and sustainability
How to lead through disruption and plan for supply chain renewal and growth
How to address challenges and uncertainties impacting supply chains globally
Strategies to enhance efficiency, agility, and sustainability in your supply chain
Business models to build resilience and set your organization up for future success

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

VIP Leadership Dinner

Pricing

Leadership Forum Only

$1,699.00

$1,499

Member’s discount: -$100

Leadership Forum Only Group

(2 PERSONS)

$3,348.00

$2,948

SILVER PACKAGE

$1,999.00

$1,799

Member’s discount: -$100

GOLD PACKAGE

$2,249.00

$2,049

PLATINUM PACKAGE

$2,699.00

$2,499

Member’s discount: -$100

DIAMOND PACKAGE

$2,949.00

$2,749

4TH FREE - DIAMOND GROUP

(4 PERSONS FOR PRICE OF 3)

$8,847.00

$8,247

DIAMOND CERTIFY PACKAGE (CPF)

$4,199.00

$3,999

DIAMOND PACKAGE GROUP

(2 PERSONS)

$5,798.00

$5,398

PLATINUM GROUP PACKAGE

(2 PERSONS)

$5,298.00

$4,898

ADD-ON: Certificate in S&OP/ IBP

$899.00

$899

ADD-ON: Certificate In Supply Chain Planning

$899.00

$899

LEADERSHIP FORUM OCTOBER 22, 2025	VIP LEADERSHIP DINNER & RECEPTION OCTOBER 22, 2025	BEST PRACTICES CONFERENCE OCTOBER 23-24, 2025	BREAKFAST & LUNCH	COCKTAIL RECEPTION OCTOBER 23, 2025	FUNDAMENTALS OF S&OP, DEMAND PLANNING & FORECASTING TUTORIAL OCTOBER 21, 2025 (ACTIVE IBF MEMBERS ONLY) Member registration	IBF MEMBERSHIP (1 YEAR)	CPF CERTIFICATION EXAMS 3 EXAMS	BOOK: FUNDAMENTALS OF DEMAND PLANNING & FORECASTING (FREE SHIPPING)	CERTIFICATE: S&OP/ IBP - INCLUDES EXAM FOR KNOWLEDGE-CHECK	CERTIFICATE: SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNING - INCLUDES EXAM FOR KNOWLEDGE-CHECK
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