ConnectChains – Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference 2023

The focus of the first ConnectChains - Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference, which celebrated its premiere on November 29 at the Federal Ministry of Transport in Berlin, was the transfer of knowledge and the networking of all players in humanitarian and commercial supply chain management with the aim of being able to manage crisis situations even better.

The target group of the summit are logistics and supply chain experts in humanitarian and development aid organizations as well as logistics companies. Representatives from foundations, academia and governments as well as international donors were also invited.

Review of the ConnectChains conference 2023

Program

9.30	Registration and coffee
10.00	Welcome (Oliver Luksic, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Ministry of Digital and Transport, Berlin, D)
10.10	Talk: What is the aim of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal and Fritz Institute? (Dr. Anisya Thomas Fritz, Co-Founder Fritz Institute, Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer, San Francisco, USA)
10.30	Keynote: The most important challenges in humanitarian supply chain management (Lynn C. Fritz, CEO, Fritz Institute)
11.00	Presentation: Winning project of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics (David Alarcon, Vice President Corporate Finance, Paul Nguyen, Director of PMO, Marin Tomas, Senior Advisor for Logistics and Supply Chain, Dr. Mohammed Zurga, Director Global Pharmaceutical Services Unit – all International Medical Corps, USA)
11.20	Q&A: Winners of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal will answer questions
11.30	Coffee break
12.00	Impulse: Political risk indicators - How to predict crises using data analytics (Nicolas Schwank, Chief Data Scientist of Political Risk, Michael Bauer International, Heidelberg, D)
12.15	Panel discussion: Supply chain management – opportunities and challenges Ben Safari (Head of Supply Management Service, UNHCR, Budapest, H) Sara Penniman-Morin (Chief Global Supply Chain Officer (CGSCO) International Rescue Committee (IRC), NYC, USA) Prof. Sander de Leeuw (Chair of Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, NL) Joep Kusters, (Head of Europe Coyote Logistics, Amsterdam, NL) Umer Khan, (Team Leader, SCM MENAE-A, USAID – BHA, Washington D.C, USA)
13.15	Summary and outlook: Application for Lynn C. Fritz Medal 2024 (Thilo Jörgl)
13.20	Light lunch, networking opportunities
14.30	End

ConnectChains – Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference 2024

The focus of the second ConnectChains - Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference, which will take place at NRW State Representation to the Federal Government, Hiroshimastraße 12-16, Berlin on December 5, 2024, is the transfer of knowledge and the networking of all players in humanitarian and commercial supply chain management with the aim of being able to manage crisis situations even better.

Review of the ConnectChains conference 2024

Program

9.00	Registration and coffee
9:30	Welcome Thilo Jörgl, Conference Director ConnectChains
9:40	Presentation: Public Private Partnerships First presentation of the results of a current study of Prof. Sander de Leeuw and Prof. Dr. Stephan Wagner Prof. Sander de Leeuw, Chair of Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen
10:00	Panel: Public Private Partnerships Martijn Blansjaar, Head of Logistics & Supply, Oxfam, Oxford/London Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer, Fritz Institute, San Francisco Prof. Sander de Leeuw, Chair of Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Mayyada Ansari, Global Head of GoHelp, DHL Group, Bonn
10:50	Introduction: Lynn C. Fritz Medal 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 Marin Thomas, Senior Advisor Supply Chain, International Medical Corps, Split, HRV
11:05	Presentation: Winning project of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics Charles Lomali Iria, Business Development Manager, Strategies for Northern Development, Kenya Ibrahim Ali Dida, Executive Director, Strategies for Northern Development, Kenya-Ethiopia
11.20	Q&A Winners of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal answer your questions (Strategies for Northern Development, Kenya)
11.30	Coffee Break
12:05	Impulse and panel discussion: Infrastructure and processes – how ports and airports can better facilitate humanitarian logistics Dr. Florian Eck, Managing Director, Deutsches Verkehrsforum, Berlin Benjamin Brich, Chairman of the Board, humanilog, Hamburg Markus Bangen, CEO. duisport, Duisburg Johannes Peter, Managing Director, humedica, Kaufbeuren
12.45	Panel discussion: sustainability Ignazio Matteini, Principal Coordinator, Sustainable Supply, UNHCR, Budapest Sarah Penniman-Morin, Chief Global Supply Chain Officer (CGSCO), International Rescue Committee (IRC), NYC Dr. Beatrix Becker, Head of Sustainability Region Europe, DB Schenker, Frankfurt Dro André Gonsi, Regional Medical SC Administrator, International Committee of the Red Cross, Learner of the Year, Abidjan Prof. Dr. Yuehwern Yih, moderator, Professor of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
13.45	Outlook: Application for Lynn C. Fritz Medal 2025 Thilo Jörgl, Chairman of the Jury Lynn C. Fritz Medal
13.55	Light lunch networking opportunities
14.30	End

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. During the conference, a (virtual) working group was established in which companies and humanitarian organizations exchange ideas on the opportunities AI offers in humanitarian logistics. If you want to participate, please send an email to the conference director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Review of the ConnectChains conference 2025

Program

9:00	Registration at entrance and coffee

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 Julian Schneider, Managing Director, duisport logistics & port services, Duisburg 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 Lado Gvilava, Director of the Supply Chain Division, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva Christian von der Schulenburg, VP Logistics Innovation & Sustainability, Siemens, Erlangen Sophie Gligorijevic, Head of Logistics Division, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva
13:00	Impulse and panel: Collaboration, sharing, outsourcing: Best practices Sarah Penniman-Morin, Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, International Rescue Committee, NYC Prof. Dr. Mojtaba Salem, Assistant Professor, Humanitarian Operations and Management Practice, Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg Ahmed Khalifi, Global Bid Coordinator, DHL Global Humanitarian Logistics Competence Centre, Dubai Edgar Chatupa, Technical Director, mobile children´s heart clinic, Kinderherzen, Bonn 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

ConnectChains – The Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference 2026

The focus of the 4th ConnectChains – The Humanitarian Supply Chain Conference, which will take place on December 4, 2026, at the Vienna Airport Conference & Innovation Center (Runway 1 room), Towerstrasse 3, 1300 Vienna Airport, will be on knowledge transfer and networking among all stakeholders in humanitarian and commercial supply chain management. The goal: to manage crisis situations even better in the future. The international conference is unique in that representatives from the commercial sector and humanitarian organizations will present best practices for collaboration and partnerships and develop strategies for the future in the field of supply chain management. One of the main topics will be increasing efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence in humanitarian logistics.

The number of tickets (free of charge) is limited. Dress code: smart casual. Premium sponsors of the event are Fritz Institute (USA), duisport (Germany), and Vienna AirportCity (Austria).

The conference is aimed at logistics and SCM experts in humanitarian and development aid organizations as well as logistics companies. Representatives from foundations, academia, and governments as well as international donors are also invited. Representatives from the target group can request a free ticket by emailing the conference organizer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., stating their position.

Program

9:00	Registration and coffee
9:30	Welcome: Thilo Jörgl, Conference Chair, ConnectChains
9:45	Welcome:
9:50	Keynote: TBD
10:10	Impulse: TBD
10:25	Panel discussion: TBD
11:10	Presentation: Winning project of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics 2026
11:30	Q&A: The winner of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal answers questions
11:40	Coffee break
12:15	Keynote speech and panel discussion: TBD
12:45	Keynote speech and panel discussion: TBD
13:45	Outlook: Application for Lynn C. Fritz Medal 2027
13:35	Light lunch, networking opportunitiy
14:30	End

Review of the ConnectChains conference 2025

Submitting proposals

What projects can be submitted for the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics? What are the minimum components a proposal must include?

How to apply correctly:

A humanitarian organization may submit a completed supply chain management/logistics project with demonstrable results. Several organizations can also propose a project. The results must not be older than three years.
Justification must be provided as to why a project is innovative or sustainable, improves efficiency, and serves as a role model for the humanitarian logistics field.
A nomination is independent of an organization's name recognition or size. What matters is that the project was sustainable, had a positive impact, and serves as a role model for the sector.
The justification should describe online what actions were taken, how they were implemented, and what demonstrable results were achieved. The following structure with three headings should be used: Challenges, actions, and demonstrable results. Integrate facts and figures wherever possible.
Each proposal must be justified and be demonstrable. Sources and links should be provided online at the end of the application to substantiate statements.
Proposals are free of charge and can only be submitted online at www.logisticshalloffame.net.
Only applications in English or German are valid.