Groundbreakers 2023: Technology, Energy, and Logistics Leaders Convene in San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD), the global leader in logistics real estate, hosted its annual GROUNDBREAKERS thought leadership forum at its global headquarters in San Francisco. The event brought together leaders in technology, global commerce, energy, and supply chain transformation. Prologis Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO Hamid R. Moghadam and The Home Depot Chair, President, and CEO Ted Decker opened the forum by discussing the impact of AI on industries, particularly the global supply chain. Moghadam emphasized the necessity of engaging with AI and digitizing data to harness its value, stating, "I think AI is a big, fast-moving train. You better get on it or you're going to get run over by it. " Decker echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significance of companies becoming technology, data, and data science savvy. Data's Influence on HR Strategy The forum also included a discussion on innovation, talent development, and upskilling for sustainable career paths. Alison Caplan, chief people officer for CBRE; Aaron Demerson, commissioner for the Texas Workforce Commission; Christina Hall, Instacart's CHRO; and Scott Marshall, Prologis' chief customer officer, shared their perspectives on the expectations employers face in a post-pandemic labor market. Caplan emphasized the importance of understanding and improving the employee experience to drive engagement and reduce turnover. Transitioning to Clean Energy A panel of experts explored the rapid evolution of mobility strategies in companies and the challenges they encounter. Stella Li, EVP at BYD Company Ltd.

and CEO of BYD Americas; Dave Merrill, co-founder and CEO of Elroy Aviation; and Laura Renger, executive director at California Electric Transportation Coalition, discussed the areas and pace of change in mobility. Li highlighted the potential for electrifying last-mile logistics vehicles, stating, "We think the first area is last mile logistics; all the light-duty and even heavy-duty trucks that operate at a port can be electrified very quickly in the next three to five years. " Prologis' Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer Susan Uthayakumar interviewed leading figures from various organizations on how they are transitioning to cleaner and more efficient energy solutions and sources. AI's Impact on the Global Economy Brad Stone, author and senior executive editor of Bloomberg Technology, led a conversation on the impact of AI on the global economy. Azita Martin, vice president and general manager of AI for Retail, CPG, and QSR at NVIDIA, and Warren Packard, operating partner at AI Fund, discussed AI's role as an assistant, enabling individuals to leverage vast amounts of data efficiently. The panel underscored that AI would not replace jobs but enhance them, with Packard emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurs who possess sector-specific expertise in driving innovation. Early-Stage Innovation Sineesh Keshav, Prologis' Chief Technology Officer, interviewed representatives from Prologis Ventures partners, including Kyle Bernhardt, chief product officer at TestFit; Gina Chung, vice president of Corporate Development at Locus Robotics; Layla Shaikley, Wise Systems co-founder, and head of product; and Evan Smith, Altana Technologies co-founder, and CEO. These innovative companies showcased their solutions actively impacting the logistics industry. Chung emphasized how AI-powered robots have significantly increased productivity in their operations. The GROUNDBREAKERS 2023 conference was attended by hundreds in-person and thousands virtually, and included additional LinkedIn Live commentary. The keynote and panel discussions from the event can be viewed on demand. GROUNDBREAKERS 2024 is scheduled for October 2, 2024, in London. By signing up, subscribers agree to receive content and newsletters containing unique and relevant information based on their engagement and interests. Withdrawal of consent is possible at any time through the unsubscribe option in received emails.