Steve Burks

General Manager CPM Pipelines

Steve Burks is the General Manager at CPM Pipelines, where he leads operations, technology integration, and strategic growth for a specialized infrastructure services firm focused on pressure pipeline inspection and rehabilitation. With a strong foundation in field service operations, Steve has built and scaled high-performing teams while developing structured workflows that directly support frontline execution in complex, high-risk environments.

He is known for aligning people, process, and technology to ensure field teams are equipped with the right tools and information to solve challenges efficiently and safely. His work emphasizes workflow optimization as a critical driver of performance—bridging the gap between executive strategy and real-world field conditions.

Steve is also advancing the use of generative AI within service organizations, implementing practical solutions that enhance decision-making, improve operational visibility, and streamline workflows across teams. In parallel, he brings a pragmatic perspective on the challenges of international logistics, cost volatility, and the external pressures that influence pricing and service delivery across the industry.

August 11, 2026

4:40 PM Track A: Mastermind: Tariffs, Trade Shocks, and Stock on the Shelf: Optimizing International Field Service Inventory in a Volatile Tariff World

In an era of sudden tariffs, trade wars, and regulatory jolts, traditional "rule-of-thumb" stocking models are no longer enough to keep global field service operations running smoothly. This session explores how leading service organizations are rethinking spare parts strategy across borders—balancing service-level commitments against unpredictable duties, lead times, and currency swings. Attendees will learn how to blend disciplined mathematical planning with practical levers like forward stocking locations, refurbishment, and 3PL partnerships to protect uptime, margin, and customer trust when tariff regimes can change overnight

Key Takeaways include:

Redesigning global stocking policies (A/B/C segmentation, safety stock, and forward stocking) so service levels survive tariff spikes, supply shocks, and long international lead times
Developing practical tactics: early buys, refurbishment/reprocessing, consignment, and multi-sourcing, to blunt the P&L impact of new duties while keeping critical parts close to the customer
Creating governance and tooling you need (centralized ERPs, regional hubs, reverse logistics, and 3PL/critical parts storage) to continuously re-optimize inventory as trade rules, demand, and project pipelines shift

August 12, 2026

11:30 AM Practitioner-Led Roundtables

Attendees select one table for a deep-dive discussion with their peers

Table #1: Not One-Size-Fits-All: Vetting Systems to Tightly Define Workflows and Put the Right Tools in Your Frontline's Hands

Steve Burks, General Manager, CPM Pipelines

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Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Steve.

Download The Latest Agenda