60 Seconds with...Major General Christopher J. Sharpsten, Operation Warp Speed

We spoke to Major General Christopher J. Sharpsten, Director Supply, Production and Distribution, Operation Warp Speed, ahead of this year’s LogiPharma in Nice (5-7 April). Operation Warp Speed was a public–private partnership initiated by the United States government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Read on to discover how he played a crucial roll in vaccine deployment, plans for the future, and why he’s looking forward to attending LogiPharma 2022.

Following two years of upheaval due to Covid-19, which are the biggest goals for you in your role currently?

The race to help end the pandemic has proven the need for greater collaboration among all stakeholders within the pharmaceutical supply chain to maintain product quality. The primary goal of Operation Warp Speed was to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021. We met this goal and greatly surpassed this milestone in the following months. Looking forward, I want to apply this to our broader, long-term strategy to enable the development, manufacturing, and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics and to maintain a reliable supply chain.

What is your primary challenge in building the supply chain of the future?

The lack of end-to-end supply chain visibility has created a challenge for stakeholders to identify and mitigate risks, minimize product waste, and drive continuous process improvements. A lack of real-time information limits businesses' ability to make data-driven decisions since those details are received at the endpoint of the product journey and often after product degradation or waste has occurred; too late for intervention. Without real-time visibility, companies are unable to prevent waste and proactively intervene to facilitate corrective action if a temperature deviation occurs and before any unsafe products reach their destination. Partnership throughout the supply chain is paramount to optimize the overall system and deliver results.

What are you most looking forward to at LogiPharma 2022?

For many of us, it will give us a chance to meet or reconnect with our colleagues and participants in person which has been tricky during the pandemic. I look forward to learning more about how pharmaceutical companies have coped during the pandemic, how they have adjusted to supply chain challenges, and what lessons they have learned.

Biography

Christopher Sharpsten, Strategic Advisor for Executive Leadership & Supply Chain Security

Chris Sharpsten is a 33-year veteran of the United States Army who culminated his career as a Major General. He is a premier leader and professional logistician with experience across a broad spectrum of positions during peace, war zone deployments, and humanitarian assistance operations. In addition to his extensive experience in both conventional Army and special operations, Chris led a myriad of cross-service and U.S. Government interagency teams focused on solving national level issues. Most recently, he served as the Director of Operations for the U.S. Presidential COVID-19 Task Force, Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development and delivery of vaccines and therapeutics to America and its partner nations. Chris is now working with Controlant, a leader in real-time monitoring and supply chain visibility solutions, as he continues his important work in the healthcare sector.

Chris thrives on leading teams. Throughout his Army career, he optimized the performance of his teams to achieve results for his organization. Prior to his service on the COVID-19 Task Force, Chris was the Director of Logistics and Engineering for U.S. Central Command, responsible for Department of Defense logistics, engineering, and government contract management across the 20-country region of the Middle East. Previously, Chris also served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and Director of Logistics Readiness and Plans on the U.S. Army General Staff.

Chris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University, and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College in Washington DC. 

Chris will be taking part in the following panel discussion with other supply chain experts:

PANEL DISCUSSION – Final Mile & Distribution Lessons Learnt from Covid19 - How can you better communicate with customers to drive connection to the patient, understand how to reduce shortages and exceed expectations in your service?

• What opportunities exist for improving the experience of the patient as a result of communication and transparency between producers and the final node in the supply chain? 
• What key lessons learned can be garnered from the monumental efforts associated with global vaccine distribution and administration?
• What additional improvements in planning, and efficiency can be derived from improving communication and digital connectivity?
• How large is the ‘shortage’ issue in pharmacies and hospitals and why do these shortages come about?
• What collaborative efforts can be made to significantly reduce the risk of shortages and what is required in order to deliver them?

Major Gen. Christopher J. Sharpsten, Director Supply, Production and Distribution, Operation Warp Speed

David Ruiz Peret, Global Head of Customer Integration, MSD

Matthew Roberts, VP Global Logistics, GE Healthcare (former UK Vaccine Taskforce)

Diego Lauritano, Director Logistic Centre, Bologna University Hospital

Do you want to hear this discussion? If so, you can secure your ticket to LogiPharma here, but make sure to get your pass before they sell out.