AIMMS Connect Day - Chicago
Join us for a focused day of learning and practical discussions on how teams are building, scaling, and sustaining optimization capabilities in real business environments.
Date: September 15, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM CT
Drinks & Networking: 4:30 – 6:00 PM CT
Venue: Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook, View map
Please note that the seats are limited to keep the discussion focused and interactive. If you are interested, please register now.
Agenda for the day
The 5th Revolution Starts With Your Supply Chain
Juan-Carlos Mani, Chief Revenue Officer at AIMMS
Tyler Heard, Senior Supply Chain Network Design Modeler, CBRE Supply Chain Advisory
Speaker bio
Tyler Heard has been with CBRE for more than 20 years and has focused on supply chain and network modeling since 2020. His work brings together supply chain analytics, network strategy and industrial real estate to help organizations make stronger long-term decisions.
Session description
Tyler will share how CBRE brings network modeling and industrial real estate together to sharpen supply chain decisions using the AIMMS platform.
Moderator:
Aanand Pandey, Senior Product Expert, AIMMS
Panelists:
- Bill Welch, SAP
- Sedhu Krishnamurthy, COO and Chief of Staff, US Retail and Consumer Goods, Microsoft
- Evgenia Kerzhentseva, Head of Engineering, AIMMS
Session description:
A cross-industry discussion exploring the opportunities created by generative AI alongside the questions of trust, governance and accountability that come with enterprise adoption. Panelists will discuss how organizations can move quickly without sacrificing substance, where to begin with AI adoption and how the role of humans is changing as AI becomes more deeply embedded in decision-making.
Jake O’Neal, Corporate Vice President, Supply Chain & Logistics, Ace Hardware
Speaker bio
Jake O’Neal leads end-to-end supply chain strategy, distribution, transportation and logistics at Ace Hardware. In 2026, he marks 31 years with the company and brings deep experience in operational performance, network strategy and long-term supply chain planning.
Session description
Jake will share how Ace Hardware is using AIMMS to support network design, distribution strategy and long-term supply chain planning, including the evaluation of complex scenarios, capacity, transportation and customer service tradeoffs.
Evgenia Kerzhentseva, Head of Engineering, AIMMS
Session description
AI has made building and using optimization applications easier, shifting the value toward something AI alone cannot provide: a decision you can trust. Evgenia will share how AIMMS is approaching optimization that is auditable by design, with AI integrated throughout the platform so organizations can move from simply building models toward confidently owning the decisions behind them.
Madison Ogrey, Senior Analyst, Network Strategy and Optimization, Ulta Beauty
Session description
Ulta Beauty is constantly evolving — from product assortment, store and distribution footprint, and channel shifts. Network optimization enables Ulta Beauty to adapt to the changing customer demand, streamline fulfillment network, and enhance the guest experience.
As their DC and store network changes, how do they ensure the best service for their guests? During this presentation, Madison Ogrey will share how Ulta Beauty leveraged SC Navigator to solve an important business problem: DC to store assignment. She will first discuss the problem scope, then present the modeling approach, and finally demonstrate how Ulta Beauty unlocked the savings potential by comparing the baseline against the optimal solution.
Speaker bio
Madison Ogrey joined Ulta Beauty in May 2025 as a Senior Analyst on the Network Strategy and Optimization team. She supports strategic supply chain initiatives through network design, optimization modeling, center-of-gravity analysis and scenario planning. Prior to Ulta Beauty, Madison worked in third-party logistics and brings experience across transportation, procurement and fulfillment.
Agenda for the day
