Recognition from Kinaxis®, a software company and global leader in modern supply chain planning and orchestration, spotlights the disciplined operating model within our medical network.
Pictured above: Stacey Kong, director, global supply chain planning, and Daniel Londono, director, application development and maintenance for GMPD. Kong and Londono are also shown in the story image on the home page with Pete Bennett, SVP, global supply chain (far left) and Pete Jenny, VP, application development and maintenance for GMPD (second from right).
Our Global Medical Products and Distribution (GMPD) business was presented with the Center of Excellence (COE) Catalyst Award during the June Kinexions global conference customer awards ceremony. The award recognizes our success in building an integrated IT and business COE within our medical supply chain: We’ve optimized the use of the Kinaxis Maestro™ AI-driven platform, which has driven better visibility, more proactive decision-making and improved distribution performance for the providers we serve.
The Kinaxis awards recognize customers who are not only “navigating complexity; they’re turning it into competitive advantage, using AI-driven planning and decisioning to drive measurable impact across their operations with support from Kinaxis,” said Kinaxis CEO Razat Gaurav in a press release announcing all 2026 customer awards. “Their leadership, innovation and results are setting a new benchmark for what’s possible in modern supply chains.”
Within GMPD we leverage the Kinaxis Maestro™ for supply chain planning and operational decision-making support, which helps our teams respond to disruptions more quickly, coordinate complex operations in real time and improve accuracy.
Pete Bennett, senior vice president, global supply chain for GMPD, said, “The recognition of our COE reflects the commitment of dedicated teams across the business and IT to champion our modernization strategy and drive consistent use and standardization with the platform. We have built a strong foundation for scalable processes and smarter decisions, helping us deliver improved service to our customers.”
Driving impact through the COE
Our integrated COE brings together people, processes and technology — and a scalable operating model designed to strengthen resilience, drive long-term value and support continuity of patient care in a complex healthcare environment. Close collaboration between business and technology teams is critical, ensuring that digital capabilities are aligned with operational priorities.
Pete Jenny, vice president, application development and maintenance for GMPD, said, “We’ve built a connected operating model that aligns technology with the needs of the business. This approach has strengthened governance, accelerated adoption and created a foundation for continuous improvement so we can deliver reliable service to providers and support better outcomes for patients.”
Cardinal Health began building a foundation for automation and AI years ago. In 2021, we formed an Enterprise AI COE to identify promising use cases for the application of AI technologies, and to test potential solutions.
Today, teams continue to collaborate across Cardinal Health to ensure AI initiatives address a defined business need, deliver anticipated results, rely on high‑quality and relevant data and enhance our customers’ experience.
Our relationship with Kinaxis® and the use of its Maestro platform are aligned to the goals of our Enterprise COE and how such AI solutions should be responsibly integrated into our organization to support providers, strengthen employee capabilities and safeguard our data.