In this episode of Chain Reaction, Michael Ostroumov sits down with Natalia Gandara Vilas, Head of Supply Chain Europe at HCT Group, one of the world’s leading cosmetic and packaging manufacturers. Natalia shares her remarkable journey across fashion, food, and beauty industries, explaining how agility and innovation now define the modern supply chain.

From established giants like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder to emerging TikTok-powered brands, Natalia reveals the operational contrasts shaping today’s beauty market. She discusses forecasting challenges, the importance of European manufacturing, and how AI-driven logistics are reshaping responsiveness. The conversation uncovers how social media has upended demand patterns — and why speed, data clarity, and collaboration are the future of supply chain success.

Guest Bio

Natalia Gandara Vilas is the Head of Supply Chain Europe at HCT Group, a global leader in cosmetic manufacturing and packaging. With a background spanning fashion, food, and beauty sectors, Natalia brings over two decades of experience driving operational excellence and innovation across complex global supply networks. Her expertise lies in managing rapid-growth indie beauty brands and building agile, technology-enabled supply chains that respond to real-time demand.

Key Takeaways

• Supply chain careers can evolve across multiple industries — from fashion to cosmetics.
• Indie beauty brands, often born on TikTok, are driving growth and redefining agility.
• Forecasting is nearly impossible in viral-driven markets; flexibility is key.
• Big brands prioritize price and process, while startups prioritize speed.
• Storing components instead of finished goods reduces risk and waste.
• Localizing production in Europe helps brands scale faster and more sustainably.
• AI is improving logistics efficiency — but it can also overwhelm teams if unmanaged.
• Smaller brands often lack data infrastructure, making tech integration challenging.
• Sustainability efforts must account for logistics choices like air freight.
• Global regulation, especially in the EU, is shaping future supply chain transparency.
• Collaboration between competitors is emerging as a new resilience strategy.
• The future belongs to supply chains that are connected, collaborative, and tech-driven.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Introduction

01:00 Natalia’s Career Journey Through Logistics

03:50 Inside HCT: Serving Global and Indie Beauty Brands

06:30 The TikTok Effect: Speed vs. Predictability

09:10 Strategies to Manage Uncertain Demand

10:30 The Challenge of Real-Time Demand and Viral Sales

13:20 Building Partnerships Across the Supply Chain

15:00 Manufacturing, Warehousing & Distribution Capabilities

17:00 AI in Logistics: Opportunities and Pressures

20:30 The Human Factor in Automated Supply Chains

23:00 Sustainability vs. Speed: The Air Freight Dilemma

26:00 Economic Uncertainty and Order Fragmentation

29:00 Why Size No Longer Equals Security in Business

31:10 Natalia’s Wish: A More Collaborative Supply Chain Future

33:20 Closing Thoughts

LinkedIn Profiles

Guest: Natalia Gandara Vilas

Host: Michael Ostroumov