2026 LeeAnn and Walter Muller Distinguished Lecture Series, Eddie Capel
Leading with Purpose and Innovation: Manhattan Associates' Journey
ISyE Main
Thursday, February 26, 2026
3:30-4:30PM
Reception to follow.
RSVP here: https://eforms.isye.gatech.edu/2026-distinguished-lecture-series
Abstract: Eddie Capel, Keynote Speaker
Over the past 25 years, Manhattan Associates has played a pivotal role in transforming global supply chains, enabling many of the world’s largest retailers, brands, pharmaceutical distributors, and logistics providers to operate faster, smarter, and more reliably.
In this lecture, Eddie Capel, chairman of the board at Manhattan Associates, will reflect on Manhattan’s journey and evolution during a period of continuous technological disruption, from the early days of the internet, through the shift to cloud-native platforms, and into today’s AI-driven era. He will discuss how being an early adopter of emerging technologies, combined with disciplined engineering thinking and foundation, allowed Manhattan to build and continuously reinvent its solutions, and sustain industry leadership.
The session highlights how strategic technology choices, long-term R&D investment, and a strong culture enabled Manhattan to deliver significant gains in supply chain efficiency and productivity. Eddie will also share leadership lessons for the next generation, emphasizing curiosity, adaptability, and the importance of embracing new technologies early to shape, rather than react to, the future of the overall industry.
About: Eddie Capel, Keynote Speaker
Eddie Capel serves as the executive chairman of the board at Manhattan Associates. He previously served as executive vice-chairman for three months from February 2025 until end of 2025. Before that, beginning in 2013, Mr. Capel led the company as its president and CEO, driving innovation and growth. Prior to that, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. With more than 30 years of experience in supply chain strategy and operations, Mr. Capel has played a pivotal role in shaping industry-leading solutions.
Before joining Manhattan Associates in June 2000, Mr. Capel held key leadership positions at Real Time Solutions (RTS), where he served as chief operations officer and vice president of operations. In these roles, he led teams that supported the supply chain strategies of major companies, including Walmart, Amazon.com, and J.C. Penney. He also served as director of operations at Unarco Automation, an Industrial Automation/Robotics systems integrator. Earlier in his career, he worked as a project manager and system designer for ABB Robotics in the United Kingdom.