ConnectChains – Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference 2025
The focus of the 3rd ConnectChains - Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference, which will take place on December 4, 2025 at the Bertelsmann Repraesentanz, Unter den Linden 1, 10117 Berlin, is the transfer of knowledge and networking of all players in humanitarian and commercial supply chain management. The aim is to manage crisis situations even better in the future.
The conference is aimed at logistics and SCM experts in humanitarian and development aid organizations as well as commercial logistics companies. Representatives from foundations, academia and governments as well as international donors are also invited.
One of the goals of the current conference is to show representatives from the commercial sector opportunities for cooperation and business with humanitarian organizations. The number of tickets (free of charge) is limited. Dresscode: smart casual. Anyone wishing to attend should send an email with job title and contact details to the conference director, Thilo Jörgl, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Program
| 9:00 | Registration at entrance and coffee |
| 9:25 | Group picture: All participants meet at entrance |
| 9:30 | Welcome Thilo Jörgl, Director ConnectChains & Chairman of the Jury Lynn C. Fritz Medal, Munich |
| 9:35 | Impulse: Humanitarian logistics – quo vadis? Lynn C. Fritz, CEO Fritz Institute, San Francisco |
| 9:50 | Presentation: CHORD Report 2024/2025 – evolution of disaster response throught 2024 Prof. Dr. Mojtaba Salem, Assistant Professor, Humanitarian Operations and Management Practice, Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg |
| 10:10 | Keynote: AI & Co. How humanitarian organizations can benefit from new technologies for the digital transformation Yuehwern Yih, Ph.D., Direktor des Smart Operations & Systems (SOS) Lab, Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University |
| 10:25 | Panel: AI & Co Yuehwern Yih, Ph.D., Direktor des Smart Operations & Systems (SOS) Lab, Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University Manuel Heinemann, Deputy Head of Logistics, humedica, Kaufbeuren Marin Tomas, Senior Advisor for Logistics and Supply Chain, International Medical Corps, Split Max Meister, Co-CEO Ludwig Meister, Munich |
| 10:55 | 10.55 Introduction: Lynn C. Fritz Medal – topics cooperation and preparedness Lynn C. Fritz, CEO Fritz Institute, San Francisco Dr. Anisya Thomas Fritz, Co-Founder Fritz Institute, San Francisco Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer, Fritz Institute, San Francisco |
| 11:05 | Presentation: Winning project of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics Florent Chane, Project Manager ESUPS, Welthungerhilfe, Bonn Lila Ricart, Deputy Project Manager ESUPS, Welthungerhilfe, Bonn |
| 11:20 | Q&A: Winners of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal answer your questions Florent Chane, Project Manager ESUPS, Welthungerhilfe, Bonn Lila Ricart, Deputy Project Manager ESUPS, Welthungerhilfe, Bonn |
| 11:30 | Coffee break |
| 12:00 | Impulse: Future of humanitarian logistics (consolidation, localization, partnerships) – exclusive results of new interviews Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer, Fritz Institute, San Francisco Prof. Sander de Leeuw, Chair of Operations Research & Logistics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen |
| 12:20 | Panel: Future of humanitarian logistics Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer, Fritz Institute, San Francisco Prof. Sander de Leeuw, Chair of Operations Research & Logistics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Martijn Blansjaar, Head of Logistics & Supply, Oxfam, Oxford Ben Safari, Head of Supply Management Service, UNHCR, Budapest |
| 13:00 | Impulse and panel: Collaboration, sharing, outsourcing: Best practices Sarah Penniman-Morin, Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, International Rescue Committee, NYC Ben Safari, Head of Supply Management Service, UNHCR, Budapest Dr. Alexander Fuchs, Co-Founder DSCN, Nuremberg, Moderator |
| 13:45 | Outlook: Application for Lynn C. Fritz Medal 2025 Thilo Jörgl |
| 13:55 | Light lunch, networking opportunities |
| 14:30 | End |
