Meet the Industry Expert Panel
Jason Kra, Ph.D.
President of Li & Fung
Jason Kra currently serves as President at Li & Fung Limited, overseeing the trading arm primarily focusing on the factory direct, wholesale, and distribution import businesses for the North, Central, and South Americas markets. In addition, he serves on the CEO’s advisory council, and leads several strategic projects.
Jason joined Li & Fung in 2012 as part of the acquisition of Foreign Resources Corporation (FRC), a company he owned and operated for 16 years. Before integrating into Li & Fung, FRC was a global apparel design and sourcing company with an office presence in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Korea, and UAE. FRC serviced North American retailers and wholesalers on a factory-direct model anchored by New York based management and design teams. Joining Li & Fung enabled the FRC business to further excel by leveraging Li & Fung’s global scale and resources. Ten plus years into the acquisition, FRC has proven to be one of the most successful acquisitions of Li & Fung, with double-digit CAGR year after year with a solidly established sourcing footprint in Asia and Africa. In addition, Jason’s strong entrepreneurial mindset and change management abilities have brought tremendous value and synergies to the transformation journey of Li & Fung. Since 2020, Jason has assumed additional responsibilities to head LF Americas (US Wholesale) and LATAM (Latin America) businesses, bringing further scale and leverage to support each of the three unique businesses he runs.
In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and business leader with over 30 years of experience in the global supply chain, Jason is a co-founder of More Than Capital, actively engaged with multiple universities, businesses, and charity organizations.
Jason is an alumni of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at the Harvard Business School. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in Marketing from American University and in 2023 completed a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a specialization in supply chain at Florida Atlantic University. Jason’s passions include aviation, holding licenses as a private, instrument and multi-engine rated pilot for over 30 years.
Akhil Agrawal
Managing Partner of Litera Capital
Akhil Agrawal is a co-founder and managing partner of Litera Capital, an early-stage venture capital and middle market healthcare investment company which started in 1999. Mr. Agrawal is a serial entrepreneur. Mr. Agrawal has played a vital role in funding dozens of successful capital investment ventures over the past two decades.
Mr. Agrawal has had the honor of being appointed to several government commissions over the last three decades. Mr. Agrawal is an active member of and has served in leadership roles in numerous professional groups, corporate boards, and trade associations, including the American Heart Association, U.S. Small Business Administration National Advisory Council and currently serves on the Broward College Board of Trustees.
Mr. Agrawal is also active in the Agrawal Family Foundation, which funds educational and technology-based initiatives to improve the heath and well-being of women, children and those with special needs around the world.
Mr. Agrawal received his degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University. Mr. Agrawal and his wife, Mavara, have two children and reside in Weston, Florida.
Bob Buehler, Ph.D.
CEO of LifeSync
Bob Buehler is the CEO of Coral Springs-based LifeSync, a leading provider of cardiac EKG lead wires and neurodiagnostic patient connections, and a major contract manufacturer of medical wire and cable products at its facilities in the US and China. LifeSync is owned by HealthEdge Investment Partners, a Tampa-based private equity firm focusing exclusively on the healthcare industry.
Bob previously held senior executive positions at two high-growth private equity-backed companies and was actively involved in several liquidity events. Before joining LifeSync, Bob was Chief Commercial Officer at RespirTech, a company specializing in airway clearance products for various chronic respiratory conditions that was sold to Philips. Before that, he held senior executive positions at Arizant Healthcare, a company focused on patient temperature management sold to 3M Healthcare. As President of Arizant International, Bob was responsible for the business outside the U.S. With his family, he spent seven years living and working in Europe. Following the sale to 3M, Bob was Vice President and General Manager of the Arizant subsidiary. After integration, he was Vice President of US Sales for 3M’s Infection Prevention Division. Bob began his career at Cargill.
Bob is on the Board of Directors of Transcend, a private company specializing in sleep apnea treatments, and on the boards of various non-profit organizations. He received a BS from Ohio State University, an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and he recently completed his Ph.D. in Business Administration at Florida Atlantic University.
Steven Carnovale, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management
Director of the Masters in Supply Chain Management program
College of Business, Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Carnovale is a supply chain strategist specializing in interfirm networks, risk management and global sourcing/production networks with a specific focus on equity-based partnerships. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, and an Associate Editor at the Journal of Supply Chain Management. His research has appeared in the Journal of Supply Chain Management, the Journal of Business Logistics, the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, the Journal of International Business Studies, the International Journal of Production Economics, the European Journal of Operational Research and Annals of Operations Research among others.
Featured Graduate Degree Program
Professional Master's in Supply Chain Management
Available On Campus, Live Virtual, or Fully Online
The Professional Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM) is a 30-credit program catered to working professional students. Supply Chains are essential for the trade, retail, manufacturing, and service industries and are expanding geographically and in scope. Continued globalization, advancements in digital technologies, and the more recent emphasis on Blockchain have resulted in an increased focus on supply chain and its risks.