Meet IFMA’s 2025 Emerging Thought Leader Drew Shields
IFMA’s 2025 Emerging Thought Leader, Drew Shields, brings forward a clear and practical vision for how manufacturers can unlock real value from the data and systems they use every day. As Solutions Director at iTradeNetwork, Drew has built his career on creating alignment across complex data environments, strengthening forecasting accuracy, and helping teams adopt AI in ways that support real operational work. His recognition from IFMA reflects not only his technical expertise but also his ability to translate that expertise into guidance that manufacturers can act on immediately.
A practical lens on data and forecasting
Drew often describes data as something that only becomes valuable when it is influenced. For manufacturers, that influence starts with the basics. Item data, contracts, and pricing have to be accurate, consistent, and accessible before they can support smarter forecasting or margin protection. When information is fragmented or duplicated across systems, it introduces risk into every plan, promotion, and price change.
At IFMA, Drew emphasized that the real opportunity is not more data, but better-connected data. When operators, distributors, and manufacturers share a reliable view of what is being bought, sold, and promoted, leaders can move from guesswork to informed decisions about demand, trade programs, and investment.
AI with a purpose
From there, Drew sees AI as a tool that belongs inside everyday workflows, not as a separate experiment. He encourages focused use cases that improve how work gets done, such as earlier visibility into margin erosion, automated checks on trade spend performance, faster detection of exceptions that need human attention, and improved visibility into financial performance. When AI is applied this way, it becomes a complement to strong operational habits rather than a replacement for them.
What this enables for manufacturers
The pressures facing manufacturers today require both precision and clarity. Margin protection depends on accurate inputs. Trade spend efficiency depends on transparency and alignment. Timely decision-making depends on data that is ready for action. Drew’s approach gives leaders a path to move closer to these goals by:
- Strengthening control over pricing and profitability
- Bringing discipline and structure to trade spend management
- Converting raw data into insights that teams can use in daily decision-making
If your organization is looking to protect margin, modernize trade spend, and turn scattered information into meaningful action, iTradeNetwork can help. Explore how our team partners with manufacturers to build the data foundation and AI strategy needed for confident decision making across the foodservice value chain.
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Meet IFMA’s 2025 Emerging Thought Leader Drew Shields
IFMA’s 2025 Emerging Thought Leader, Drew Shields, brings forward a clear and practical vision for how manufacturers can unlock real value from the data and systems they use every day. As Solutions Director at iTradeNetwork, Drew has built his career on creating alignment across complex data environments, strengthening forecasting accuracy, and helping teams adopt AI in ways that support real operational work. His recognition from IFMA reflects not only his technical expertise but also his ability to translate that expertise into guidance that manufacturers can act on immediately.
A practical lens on data and forecasting
Drew often describes data as something that only becomes valuable when it is influenced. For manufacturers, that influence starts with the basics. Item data, contracts, and pricing have to be accurate, consistent, and accessible before they can support smarter forecasting or margin protection. When information is fragmented or duplicated across systems, it introduces risk into every plan, promotion, and price change.
At IFMA, Drew emphasized that the real opportunity is not more data, but better-connected data. When operators, distributors, and manufacturers share a reliable view of what is being bought, sold, and promoted, leaders can move from guesswork to informed decisions about demand, trade programs, and investment.
AI with a purpose
From there, Drew sees AI as a tool that belongs inside everyday workflows, not as a separate experiment. He encourages focused use cases that improve how work gets done, such as earlier visibility into margin erosion, automated checks on trade spend performance, faster detection of exceptions that need human attention, and improved visibility into financial performance. When AI is applied this way, it becomes a complement to strong operational habits rather than a replacement for them.
What this enables for manufacturers
The pressures facing manufacturers today require both precision and clarity. Margin protection depends on accurate inputs. Trade spend efficiency depends on transparency and alignment. Timely decision-making depends on data that is ready for action. Drew’s approach gives leaders a path to move closer to these goals by:
- Strengthening control over pricing and profitability
- Bringing discipline and structure to trade spend management
- Converting raw data into insights that teams can use in daily decision-making
If your organization is looking to protect margin, modernize trade spend, and turn scattered information into meaningful action, iTradeNetwork can help. Explore how our team partners with manufacturers to build the data foundation and AI strategy needed for confident decision making across the foodservice value chain.
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