By Carly Guenther, managing director, supply chain & operations, Accenture

An inability to keep toilet paper on the shelves in March 2020 was just the beginning of an ongoing breakdown of global supply chains over the past year. The pandemic highlighted the sheer fragility and complexity of a vast network of supply players and gave rise to one of the C-suite’s most important roles: the Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO).

CSCOs have become integral across executive leadership teams, responding to ongoing crises during the pandemic as they’ve worked to control one of the most important elements of their businesses: product development and distribution. As a result, companies are prioritizing restructuring their supply chains and swiftly reinventing their approaches to production, according to Accenture’s Business Futures report. Adding further complexity for CSCOs is the purpose-driven consumer with quickly evolving needs.