Webinar/Podcast
Navigating the Supply Chain During Global Conflicts
Global conflict isn’t just a news headline or a distant concern. It’s actively reshaping the restaurant industry’s cost structures and access to the foodservice supply chain. From the war in Eastern Europe to instability in the Middle East to ongoing trade tensions worldwide, geopolitical events are disrupting our commodity markets, increasing transportation costs, and creating volatility in pricing and availability of items.
Join us for this webinar connecting global developments to the real-world operational challenges restaurants now face. Dr. Chad Moutray Ph.D., the Association’s Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Economist, Laura Abshire, Senior Director of Food and Supply Chain Policy, and Bill Lapp, President of Advanced Economic Solutions, will provide practical insights on how these disruptions affect sourcing, menu- and long-term planning, and staffing—plus actionable strategies that build resilience in this increasingly uncertain environment.
Key Takeaways
- Discuss how global conflicts influence the key commodities restaurateurs rely on (e.g., grains, oils, energy)
- Identify impacts on product sourcing, distribution, pricing, and availability
- Highlight near-term disruptions and their long-term risks to the industry
- Share strategies for resilience, including:
- Supplier diversification
- Menu flexibility
- Risk management and contingency planning
We’ll also outline the Association’s advocacy priorities related to trade policy, supply chain stabilization, and regulatory considerations as well as how policymakers can support restaurant operators in this time of global uncertainty.
*Please note this webinar is closed to press.
Register Here
***Additional Note: After this webinar takes place, it will be available for on-demand viewing. Please register even if you cannot attend the live presentation. You will receive a link to the on demand presentation where you can watch at your leisure.
About the Presenters:
Chad Moutray
SVP of Research and Chief Economist,
National Restaurant Association
Chad Moutray is Senior Vice President of Research & Chief Economist at the National Restaurant Association. He provides thought leadership and data and analysis to business leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industry. He also serves as a subject matter expert on economic issues, commenting on conditions affecting the restaurant industry via professional presentations and media interviews. He has appeared on various news outlets, including CNN, CNBC, and NBC’s Today show.
Before joining the Association, Dr. Moutray served as Chief Economist at the National Association of Manufacturers, and as Director for the Center for Manufacturing Research at the Manufacturing Institute. He was Chief Economist & Director of Economic Research for the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Dean of the School of Business Administration at Robert Morris College in Chicago.
Today, Moutray also serves as an adjunct professor of applied econometrics at George Washington University. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Eastern Illinois University.
Bill Lapp
President, Advanced Economic Solutions
Bill Lapp is President & Founder of Advanced Economic Solutions. For more than 30 years, he has served as an analyst, forecasting economic conditions and commodity markets, and has a wealth of experience in providing comprehensive economic analysis of commodity markets.
He has been a featured speaker at numerous national forums, including the restaurant industry’s semi-annual Supply Chain Management conference, Sosland’s Annual Purchasing Seminar, the National Institute of Oilseed Products, the Canola Council of Canada, and the USDA Annual Outlook conference.
Before forming Advanced Economic Solutions, Lapp was Chief Economist for ConAgra Foods and served on numerous boards, including the Kansas City Board of Trade, Kansas City Federal Reserve Board’s Center for the Study of Rural America, the Farm Foundation, and the Food and Agriculture Committee of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. He also is a former member of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Advisory Board and participates in the Harvard Business Industrial Economists’ Round Table.
Lapp holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University.
Laura Abshire
Senior Director, Food & Supply Chain Policy,
National Restaurant Association
Laura Abshire is the National Restaurant Association’s Senior Director of Food and Supply Chain Policy. She leads the Association’s policy work in the areas of nutrition, sustainability, agriculture, and supply chain on both the federal and state levels. Her work is currently focused on the tariff, MAHA, and packaging regulations that are affecting the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Before joining the Association, Laura served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), where she specialized in handling agricultural and environmental policy issues.
Laura received her bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from Louisiana State University.
