SMU Community Chat with Tom Derry of ISM

Date/Time: July 23 2025, 11:00 am

Guests: Tom Derry

Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), was the featured speaker on SMU’s recent Community Chat webinar.

ISM is the first and largest supply management association in the world. That means Tom is in a great position to talk about how President Trump’s tariffs – and their on-again, off-again nature – are impacting supply chains.

SMU last checked in with Tom at the Tampa Steel Conference in February and again in April in the newsletter. He always has good insights to share, and this time around was no different.

And didn’t just talk about tariffs. We’ll discuss everything from the ramifications of the administration’s immigration crackdown to increased tensions in the Middle East.

Also, are we finally going to see more nearshoring, and when? What would that look like if bringing back 1960s style factories isn’t realistic? (Unless you have a time machine.) And could the unpredictability of US policy keep big investments from happening here?

Maybe the biggest question is this: Is it really possible to put the genie of globalization back in the bottle?