Supply chain management is essential for ensuring that goods and services move efficiently from producers to consumers. It has progressed significantly, with technology now playing a crucial role in optimizing processes, predicting challenges, and enhancing overall efficiency. The integration of tools like digital twins has allowed businesses to simulate different scenarios, providing data-driven insights that lead to better decision-making. As sustainability becomes more intertwined with global supply chain operations, the industry continues to change, embracing greener and more ethical practices to meet the demands of both consumers and regulators.
In an era where supply chain innovation and sustainability are not only business imperatives but also drivers of global change, Pietro Negri, Partner at Asset, stands out as a visionary leader. His approach blends advanced technology with a deep-rooted commitment to ethical and sustainable solutions. Over a decade of experience, he has developed strategies that enable businesses to tackle intricate supply chain challenges while prioritizing environmental responsibility. His journey is one of passion, perseverance, and continuous learning—a journey that serves as a blueprint for aspiring leaders in this constantly growing industry.
Asset, a consulting firm specializing in supply chain management, has embraced technological advancements to provide customized solutions for businesses of all sizes. By applying digital twin technology, the firm allows clients to simulate potential supply chain scenarios, improving economic and environmental outcomes. With a clear focus on sustainability and innovation, Asset offers its clients the tools they need to steer today’s supply chain challenges while aligning with global standards for ethical and sustainable practices.
Let’s explore Pietro’s journey in supply chain innovation:
Early Career and Expertise in Supply Chain Management
Pietro began his career at 24, joining Asset, a consulting firm focused on supply chain management. He quickly developed an understanding of supply chain operations, laying the foundation for his expertise.
His career included roles at both major consulting firms and specialized boutiques, eventually becoming a partner at Skkip Consulting. There, he embraced digital twins, a technology that allows businesses to simulate different supply chain scenarios for better decision-making.
In 2023, Pietro returned to Asset with a clear vision of how technology could improve consulting while also launching SCNODE.com, a platform for sharing knowledge on supply chain modeling.
Pietro’s career inspiration dates to his childhood, when his grandfather, Giovanni Crespi, a chemical engineer, encouraged his interest in engineering and mathematics. Pietro later studied at Politecnico di Milano, where he explored the impact of Industry 4.0 and was introduced to digital twin technologies. This discovery sparked his career focus on simulation as a tool for innovation.
Pietro’s leadership style is adaptable, focused on staying attuned to external stimuli and upholding ethics. He places importance on maintaining trust and respect, both in client relationships and team dynamics.
His work at Asset and SCNODE.com is grounded in these principles. Creativity is central to his approach, as is collaboration, with cross-functional teamwork being key to developing innovative solutions.
Pietro ensures his team stays updated on technological trends, integrating these advancements into their work. While technology is vital, Pietro believes business objectives must always come first.
He aims to provide supply chain solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes. His commitment to sustainability drives his efforts to apply digital twins to decarbonization strategies, helping businesses evaluate environmental performance and comply with sustainability regulations.
Leading Supply Chain Modeling Initiative
From the very start of his career, Pietro has been drawn to innovation in supply chain management. He began working in supply chain consulting at the age of 24 with a boutique firm, Asset, where he has recently returned after a career journey that exposed him to both large-scale and boutique consultancies. Along the way, he became a partner at a startup consultancy, formerly Skkip Consulting, where he specialized in simulation modeling for supply chain projects.
It was through simulation and digital twin technology that he found the right tools to deliver highly accurate solutions, enabling data-driven decision-making through the simulation of potential scenarios. Now, back at Asset, he applies these skills, confident that the leadership supports this advanced approach. He also collaborates with various Italian universities and leads a personal initiative on supply chain modeling, such as SCNODE.com.
Passion for Management Engineering
Pietro’s grandfather, Giovanni Crespi, a chemical engineer who worked alongside Nobel prize winner Prof. Giulio Natta, guided his early interest in mathematics and directed him toward engineering. He naturally gravitated toward management engineering, particularly in logistics, production, and supply chain management. His time at the Politecnico di Milano was influential, where inspiring professors deepened his fascination with the field.
During his master’s thesis, he had the opportunity to work with a major consulting firm on a research project focused on the impact of Industry 4.0 on Italy’s macroeconomic environment. This was when he first encountered simulation and digital twins, sparking a passion that he has continued to develop throughout his career.
Commitment to Quality and Recognition
For him, leadership means staying attuned to external stimuli—whether from markets, colleagues, media, or life in general—and being able to adapt fluidly to a constantly changing environment. A true leader remains open to change, aligning both customer needs and the growing workplace with natural ease.
A core value he upholds is recognition—from both the academic and business communities—for the quality of work he delivers. This requires continuous learning and collaboration with professors, researchers, and professionals. Equally important is maintaining a strong ethical foundation. In consulting, it’s easy to get lost in the pursuit of revenue and power, but he believes in focusing on integrity, respect, and trust, which are the true pillars of long-term success.
Encouraging an Inquisitive Mindset
According to Pietro, innovation is the core of solving complicated supply chain problems for clients. Creativity often comes from curiosity and a desire to seek out new answers. While there are methods like gamification and structured knowledge-sharing to encourage creativity, he believes the key lies in cultivating an inquisitive mindset and encouraging constant exploration.
Accelerating Learning Curves
He works with small, agile teams, often rotating consultants across different projects and partners. This approach accelerates their learning curve and broadens their expertise across various sectors, enhancing individual and team performance.
Staying Updated with Innovation Trends
Pietro believes that given the pace of innovation, it’s essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. He ensures his team stays informed through regular knowledge-sharing sessions, attending industry events, and analyzing success stories from both industrial partners and clients. These activities help them continuously refine their understanding and application of new technologies.
Strategic Decision for Inclusive Service
In his view, business objectives are always the guiding force. The technical aspects should be customized to meet the specific business needs of each client. For instance, Asset made the strategic decision to serve businesses of all sizes—from startups to multinationals—because it believes that every company, regardless of scale, deserves access to effective solutions. This adaptability ensures that even companies with limited budgets can benefit from the solutions it offers.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
In Pietro’s opinion, having access to the right information is crucial for both personal growth and staying current with technological advancements. That’s why, along with Tommaso Cesati, a former colleague from Skkip, he created SCNODE.com, a free knowledge-sharing platform focused on simulation modeling for supply chain management.
His advice to aspiring leaders is to invest time in identifying reliable information sources and establishing a routine for self-study. Personally, he dedicates 2-3 days each month to learning and deepening his knowledge of specific trends or technologies.
Aligning with Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directives
Looking ahead, Pietro’s focus is on one overarching goal: the sustainable development of the global economy. This concern stems from growing up in a world facing climate change, resource conflicts, pollution, and other serious environmental threats. These issues have instilled in him—and many of his generation—a deep sense of responsibility.
In 2019, he began to explore how his work could contribute to decarbonizing the economy. The answer lay in simulation: by using the same modeling techniques he had mastered, it is possible to assess the environmental impact of a supply chain just as one would analyze financial metrics like profit and loss.
This led him to develop a specialized consulting practice in supply chain environmental sustainability, which he now leads at Asset. Through digital twins, various scenarios and sustainability strategies are simulated, evaluating both economic and environmental performance.
This approach helps companies prioritize interventions and set achievable sustainability targets. Additionally, European companies are assisted in aligning with the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, ensuring that their sustainability strategies are well-defined and actionable.
