Shekar Natarajan

Natarajan was born in Secunderabad, India. He earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2003.{{Cite web |title=Shekar Natarajan |url=https://projectproduction.org/bios/shekar-natarajan/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Project Production Institute |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Trebilcock |first=Bob |title=The SCMR Interview: Shekar Natarajan |url=https://www.supplychain247.com/article/the_scmr_interview_shekar_natarajan |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Supply Chain 24/7 |language=en}} He completed an Executive Certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation and Logistics and an Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.{{Cite web |last=Collman |first=Laura |date=2018-12-12 |title=Shekar Natarajan of Cloudleaf Joins PPI Technical Committee |url=https://projectproduction.org/shekar-natarajan-joins-technical/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Project Production Institute |language=en-US}}

Natarajan began his career as a Corporate Development Specialist at Alliance Rubber Company, working on process optimization{{Cite web |date=2013-09-18 |title=Shekar Natarajan -- Expert |url=https://www.mhlnews.com/shekar-natarajan-expert |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Material Handling and Logistics |language=en}} before joining Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated as a Senior Supply Chain Network Manager. In 2006, he became Director of Supply Chain Planning at PepsiCo{{Cite web |date=2010-04-30 |title=ProsFile: Shekar Natarajan |url=https://www.sdcexec.com/sourcing-procurement/article/10269204/prosfile-shekar-natarajan |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Supply & Demand Chain Executive |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=Shekar Natarajan, Director, Supply Chain, Pepsi Bottling Group {{!}} SupplyChainBrain |url=https://www.supplychainbrain.com/authors/1837-shekar-natarajan-director-supply-chain-pepsi-bottling-group |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.supplychainbrain.com |language=en}} and later joined Anheuser-Busch as North American Senior Director of Supply Chain Planning.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-01 |title=Shekar Natarajan |url=https://www.sdcexec.com/home/contact/10313258/shekar-natarajan |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Supply & Demand Chain Executive |language=en-us}}

Natarajan joined The Walt Disney Company as Vice President of Business Process and Technology in 2013. In 2014, he joined Walmart as Vice President of Last Mile & Emerging Sciences, where he worked on autonomous drone technology and supply chain automation.{{Cite web |title=Target Hires Walmart Supply Chain Executive |url=https://www.supplychain247.com/article/target_hires_walmart_supply_chain_executive |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Supply Chain 24/7 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=trans.info |title=Shekar Natarajan on leading transformation and redefining the logistics sector |url=https://trans.info/en/305506-305506 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=trans.info |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Abrams |first=Rachel |date=2016-06-02 |title=Walmart Looks to Drones to Speed Distribution |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/03/business/walmart-looks-to-drones-to-speed-distribution.html |access-date=2025-03-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=Wal-Mart says it is 6-9 months from using drones to check warehouse inventory |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/wal-mart-says-it-is-6-9-months-from-using-drones-to-check-warehouse-inventory-idUSKCN0YO26M/}} In 2016, he became Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Operational Design at Target Corporation.{{Cite web |date=2016-11-10 |title=Target hires Walmart's Shekar Natarajan as SVP Network Planning |url=https://www.indiaretailing.com/2016/11/10/target-hires-walmarts-shekar-natarajan-as-svp-network-planning/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=India Retailing |language=English}}{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Glenn |date=2016-11-10 |title=Target Hauls In Walmart Exec To Enhance Supply Chain Network |url=https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/retail-movers-and-shakers/target-hauls-in-walmart-exec-to-enhance-supply-chain-network |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Retail TouchPoints |language=en-US}}

Natarajan joined American Eagle Outfitters in 2018 as Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain, Logistics, and Services.{{Cite web |title=Shekar Natarajan, AMP EVP – Chief Supply Chain Officer American Eagle Outfitters |url=https://diversitymbamagazine.com/recognitions/diversity-mba-media-2022-top-100-under-50-shekar-natarajan/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=DiversityMBA |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Rivet |date=2022-10-04 |title=Shekar Natarajan |url=https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/rivet-50/shekar-natarajan-2022/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Sourcing Journal |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Evan |date=2022-03-18 |title=American Eagle-led Logistics Revolution That's Taking On Amazon |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/shekar-natarajan-american-eagle-logistics-quiet-amazon-1235137542/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2022-11-07 |title=How American Eagle Reinvented Its Fulfillment Strategy |url=https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-american-eagle-reinvented-its-fulfillment-strategy |access-date=2025-03-07 |work=Harvard Business Review |language=en |issn=0017-8012}} He was later promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer and served as President of Quiet Platforms, an AEO logistics subsidiary, before resigning in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Next Gen Supply Chain Conference Advisory Board |url=https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Next-Gen-Program-Book-2022-18_AdvisoryBoard.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Speaker Details: Sourcing Journal Fall Summit |url=https://www.events.sourcingjournal.com/sjsummitny/speaker/514797/shekar-na |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.events.sourcingjournal.com |language=en-AG}}{{Cite web |title=Quiet Platforms head departs as American Eagle's logistics arm struggles |url=https://www.retaildive.com/news/American-Eagle-logistics-Quiet-Platforms-president-shekar-natarajan-exits-business/646936/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Retail Dive |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Cosgrove |first=Emma |title=The head of American Eagle's logistics subsidiary is out. Read the internal memo to staff. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/american-eagle-logistics-head-quiet-platforms-shekar-natarajan-exit-2023-4 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Mark |date=2023-04-04 |title=Quiet Platforms president leaves company |url=https://www.freightwaves.com/news/quiet-platforms-president-leaves-company |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=FreightWaves |language=en-US}}

He has also served on the Corporate Board of Advisors for Cloudleaf, Inc., a company specializing in digital supply chain solutions{{Peacock terms|date=April 2025}}, and as a member of the Technical Committee of the Project Production Institute (PPI).{{Cite web |title=Cloudleaf Board of Advisors Adds Shekar Natarajan, One of Supply Chain Management's Foremost Thought Leaders |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191016005252/en/Cloudleaf-Board-of-Advisors-Adds-Shekar-Natarajan-One-of-Supply-Chain-Management%E2%80%99s-Foremost-Thought-Leaders |website=Businesswire}}

Natarajan is the founder and CEO of Orchestro AI, a company focused on integrating artificial intelligence into logistics and supply chain automation.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-13 |title=Shekar Natarajan: Driving Logistics Industry Transformation with Vertical AI Innovation |url=https://ciolookmedia.com/shekar-natarajan-driving-logistics-industry-transformation-with-vertical-ai-innovation/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-17 |title=The Most Impactful Business Leaders To Follow in Supply Chain, 2025 (1) by Insights Success Media - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/insightssuccess22/docs/the_most_impactful_business_leaders_to_follow_in_s |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}

Natarajan has filed over 300 patent applications, with 50 patents issued, covering autonomous systems, AI-driven logistics, and supply chain automation. His patents include developments in autonomous vehicles, predictive buying, and IoT-driven inventory management. His work on "CoolLift" technology focused on reducing workplace injuries and improving transportation efficiency. One of his patents, U.S. Patent 10733444 B2, was issued on August 4, 2020, for "Systems and Methods for Automated Assessment of Physical Objects," assigned to Walmart Apollo LLC.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-09 |title=PATENTS AWARDED {{!}} Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/aug/09/patents-awarded/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.nwaonline.com |language=en}}

He co-authored the paper "Design Considerations for a Reusable Medical Database," presented at the 19th IEEE Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems in 2006, which examines reusable database components for medical imaging systems.{{Cite book |last1=Chandrashekar |first1=N. |last2=Gautam |first2=S.M. |last3=Srinivas |first3=K.S. |last4=Vijayananda |first4=J. |chapter=Design Considerations for a Reusable Medical Database |date=July 2006 |title=19th IEEE Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (CBMS'06) |chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1647548 |pages=69–74 |doi=10.1109/CBMS.2006.72}}

• Natarajan, Chandrashekar, and Lee Hales. Simplified Systematic Network Planning - Six Steps to Effective Network Planning. VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K., (2008). {{ISBN|9783639025460}}.{{Cite web |title=Books by Chandrashekar Natarajan |url=https://www.isbns.net/author/Chandrashekar_Natarajan}}

• The Most Impactful Business Leaders (2025){{Cite web |date=2025-01-21 |title=The Most Impactful Business Leader To Follow in Supply Chain, 2025 January2025 by Insights Success Media - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/insightssuccess22/docs/the_most_impactful_business_leader_to_follow_in_su |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}
• Top 30 Supply Chain Leaders of 2022 (Alcott Global){{Cite web |title=TOP 30 Supply Chain Winners |url=https://gala.makersmovers.com/top-30-supply-chain-winners/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Leaders in Supply Chain Awards |language=en-US}}
• American Supply Chain Leadership Award (2021)
• Visionary Award (2021)
• Retail Innovator of the Year (2020)
• Times Now NRI of the Year Award (2014){{Cite news |date=2014-03-30 |title=Zubin Mehta gets special jury award at Times Now NRI awards |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/zubin-mehta-gets-special-jury-award-at-times-now-nri-awards/articleshow/32935554.cms |access-date=2025-03-07 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}
• Medallion Award (Institute of Industrial Engineers, 2010)
• Supply Chain Innovation Award (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, 2010){{Cite web |title=The pragmatic futurist: interview with Shekar Natarajan {{!}} 2018-03-23 {{!}} DC Velocity |url=https://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/29590-the-pragmatic-futurist-interview-with-shekar-natarajan |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.dcvelocity.com |language=en}}
• DC Velocity Rainmaker (2009)

• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Systems and Methods for Object Matching and Substitution (Application #20230351260 published November 2, 2023) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20230351260 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Systems and Methods for Object Matching and Substitution (Patent #11741395 issued August 29, 2023) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/11741395 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Systems and Methods for Object Matching and Substitution (Application #20220327427 published October 13, 2022) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20220327427 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Systems and Methods for Object Matching and Substitution (Patent #11373118 issued June 28, 2022) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/11373118 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Systems and Methods for Providing Substitute Products in Place of Ordered Products That Are Out of Stock (Patent #11138557 issued October 5, 2021) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/11138557 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Systems and Methods for Object Matching and Substitution (Application #20200302329 published September 24, 2020) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20200302329 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Retail Subscription in Internet of Things Environment (Patent #10762552 issued September 1, 2020) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/10762552 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Systems and Methods for Automated Assessment of Physical Objects (Patent #10733444 issued August 4, 2020) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/10733444 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Systems and Methods for Providing Substitute Products in Place of Ordered Products That Are Out of Stock (Application #20200118067 published April 16, 2020) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20200118067 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for System for Verifying Physical Object Absences from Assigned Regions Using Video Analytics (Patent #10372753 issued August 6, 2019) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/10372753 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Mobile Retail Systems and Methods of Distributing and Stocking the Mobile Retail Systems (Patent #10339514 issued July 2, 2019).. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/10339514 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent for Systems and Methods for Cooling Products During Transportation (Patent #10274251 issued April 30, 2019) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/10274251 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for System and Method for Paying for Goods at a Door (Application #20180047007, published February 15, 2018) – Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20180047007 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Customer Loyalty Program Across Multiple Shopping Channels (Application #20170109774, published April 20, 2017) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170109774 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Systems and Methods for Delivering Goods to Consumers (Application #20170116572 published April 27, 2017) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170116572 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Apparatus and Method for Providing a Virtual Shopping Space (Application #20170116667 published April 27, 2017) - Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170116667 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Retail Subscription in Internet of Things Environment (Application #20170124633, published May 4, 2017) – Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170124633 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Mobile Retail Systems and Methods of Distributing and Stocking the Mobile Retail Systems (Application #20170124547, published May 4, 2017) – Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170124547 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for Apparatus and Method for Stabilizing an Unmanned Aerial System (Application #20170129591, published May 11, 2017) – Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170129591 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=U.S. Patent Application for System for Verifying Physical Object Absences From Assigned Regions Using Video Analytics (Application #20170270360, published September 21, 2017) – Justia Patents Search.. |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170270360 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=patents.justia.com}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=M1dROmoAAAAJ&hl=en Shekar Natarajan on Google Scholar]
• [https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Shekar-Natarajan-2277172317 Shekar Natarajan on ResearchGate]
• [https://patents.justia.com/inventor/chandrashekar-natarajan Shekar Natarajan Patents]

Category:1977 births

Category:Living people

Category:Indian emigrants to the United States

Category:American business executives

Category:American engineers

Category:American technology company founders

Category:Georgia Tech alumni

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Category:Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University alumni

Category:Walmart people

Category:Target Corporation people

Category:Supply chain management

Category:Logistics industry

Category:American artificial intelligence researchers

Category:Inventors