Roger Oakden

Roger is the Principal of REN Services, a consulting firm dedicated to improving their clients’ supply chains, business systems and processes. Formerly Program Manager at RMIT University in Melbourne, Roger was responsible for the development of the largest postgraduate supply chain logistics program in the Asia–Pacific region, with centres in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. While at RMIT Roger was appointed Ford Motor Company Procurement Fellow in Australia, a two-year fellowship.

Roger’s extensive industry background includes significant high-level roles. As Associate Director of a global consulting firm, he led teams in assisting clients to improve their manufacturing operations, systems, logistics and strategic procurement. He was then appointed Regional Manufacturing Industry Applications Specialist for a multinational computer company, providing pre-sales analysis of customer requirements and project management for the implementation of ERP/MRP and other applications.

 His industrial management experience covers industrial engineering, management accounting, procurement and operations in the shipping, chemical, metals and food industries.

Roger holds a Masters degree in Logistics Management, a first class Honours degree in Finance and Accounting, is a Certified Production and Inventory Manager (CPIM) and a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM).

He is also certified in Assessment and Workplace Training.

He is a past President of the Australasian Production and Inventory Control Society in Australia (APICS), and has written articles for the business press and presented papers at logistics industry conferences in Australia, Asia and Europe.

Katia Leonaite

Katia is a supply chain professional with industry experience ranging from agricultural to retail. She is passionate about managing change in the complex supply chains context.

Katia began her career in a ‘point-to-point’ transport courier environment. Upon completing her MBA at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, she managed a key logistics services portfolio in a government railway, as it went through the privatisation process. Since then she has been successfully engaged in various supply chains and logistics management roles, ranging from large events to contract management with some of Australia’s leading organisations.

Katia is currently the Course Convenor for the Graduate Certifi cate in Supply Chains at Swinburne University in Melbourne. Through her own consulting firm she has developed learning materials and provided lecturing services in the area of supply chains and logistics for Monash University, University of Ballarat, Central Queensland University and Victoria University.

Katia holds an MBA (Operations and Logistics) from Macquarie University and a BA/BEd (Maths/Computer Science) from the University of NSW.