Our Team
Ron Volpe
Ron is a global supply chain visionary and design-thinker with a wealth of diverse C-level experiences. Prior to founding Traceology, Ron was Chief Commercial Officer at Danish Traceability Software company PSQR where he led the global business expansion effort.
Prior to PSQR Ron was Chief Supply Chain Officer and Global Vice President of the Apps Platform at Danish Procure to Pay Platform, and unicorn start-up Tradeshift. Prior to Tradeshift Ron was General Manager of a variety of teams including leading Central Supply Chain, Business Unit Transformation, Business Development, and Supply Chain People and Culture at Coles Supermarkets in Melbourne Australia. Prior to Coles Ron was Vice President of Customer Service and Logistics Strategy, Vice President of Global Developing Markets Supply Chain Innovation, and a variety of other roles in several locations at Kraft Foods.
During his time at Kraft Foods Ron partnered with Silicon Valley innovation and design firm IDEO to create a global Retail Supply Chain Engagement Model. His work at IDEO is featured in the best selling books by IDEO’s Tom Kelley The Ten Faces of Innovation, and Creative Confidence.
CEO, Co-Founder
David Stepp
Advisor
A leading international trade lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, David Stepp provides multinational companies with strategic advice on global customs and international trade compliance matters. A trusted advisor, David helps clients navigate the legal and business challenges of operating in an increasingly contentious global business environment. He regularly advises multinationals on international trade regulatory matters such as those related to tariff classification, valuation, country of origin marking, free trade agreements, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Program, and other compliance issues regulating the global trade in goods.
As a member of Crowell’s International Trade Group and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) team, David advises companies on compliance with forced labor and human rights requirements. He has deep experience assisting companies in mapping their supply chains, including linking imported products back to their raw materials using software and other inventory management audit tools. David is highly experienced in forced labor supply chain mapping and risk assessments, and verifying due diligence efforts with on-the-ground visits to client facilities incorporating third party intelligence and audit resources.
Ram Akella
Head of Product
Ram recently joined Traceology from Woolworths Group Limited, Australia where he was the Head of Business Solutions & Tribe Lead - Own Brand & Convenience.
Ram has over 23 years of professional experience focusing his leadership efforts on creating value to customer and business. His leadership experience spans across partnering with business on strategy and delivery of business solutions leveraging people, process and system capabilities.
An accomplished and hands-on digital and technology leader with over two decades of experience delivering large-scale IT transformation, data innovation, and enterprise strategy across complex, high-performing organisations. Ram specialises in building secure, scalable, and data-driven technology ecosystems that enable strategic decision-making and operational excellence. With a career grounded in leading transformation for one of Australia’s largest consumer and retail enterprises, Ram brings deep expertise in aligning technology strategy with organisational goals, embedding innovation, and driving measurable business outcomes. As a collaborative leader, Ram excels at shaping vision, uplifting digital capability, and fostering cultures of accountability and continuous improvement.
Ram has lead the End-to-End Product Traceability for Woolworths Group for more than four years. He was also the Co-Chair of National Traceability Advisory Group for 4 years. He has represented at various forums at National level and was also a keynote speaker on this topic at various events organised by the industry and government agencies.
Ram is privileged to work with great leaders and great teams over the number of years and cherishes the quality of relationships with the leaders, and their senior teams for his achievements. He believes that it is vital to track and monitor the organisational activities on a regular basis to demonstrate the progress and value over a period of time.
Michael Kirkpatrick
Advisor
Michael Kirkpatrick is a seasoned technology executive and strategic advisor with over a decade of experience at the forefront of AI, analytics, and enterprise innovation. His expertise spans product leadership, digital transformation, and go-to-market strategy across supply chain teams.
Michael currently serves as a Global Software Solutions Executive at Zebra Technologies, where he has helped scale advanced AI-driven solutions for global enterprises. Prior to Zebra, he held senior roles at companies like Levadata, Tradeshift, and Determine, where he advised Fortune 500 clients on leveraging machine learning and data science to optimize operations and drive revenue growth.
Michael brings deep domain knowledge in modern sales strategy to help drive Traceology’s mission to bring clarity and control to supply chain traceability.
As an advisor Michael provides guidance on product-market fit, strategic partnerships, and operational scaling, with a focus on aligning innovation to tangible business outcomes.
Michael is San Francisco based but you might find him in any city in the world, depending on what supply chain issue is most pressing.
Leticia Veloso
Business Development
Leticia is a dynamic business development professional with a deep appreciation for multilingual communication and cross-industry impact. She operates seamlessly in international and multicultural settings. She has a deep passion for sustainability and transparency in the supply chain.
In her role at Traceology, Leticia drives business development initiatives to help bridge technology, sustainability, and supply-chain operations. Her adaptability, curiosity and strategic mindset allow her to quickly assimilate new domains and deliver value through building relationships and commercial opportunity.
Leticia also works at Volkswagen Trucks and Bus Brazil, where she immerses herself in the precision, global scale and operational discipline of the automotive industry. This experience reinforces her understanding of how large systems, international teams and rigorous processes interlock to drive performance and innovation.
Outside of her core role, she is committed to continual learning and embracing new tools, frameworks and ways of working and to applying her language-skills and international exposure to help companies expand, diversify and thrive.
Cintia Miyaji
Advisor
Cintia Miyaji is a marine biologist and sustainability strategist with over two decades of experience driving innovation and advocacy in ocean conservation, sustainable seafood systems, and blue economy development. Her work bridges science, policy, and entrepreneurship to empower communities and inform responsible seafood sourcing globally.
Cintia holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Biological Oceanography from the University of São Paulo. She is a biologist and a passionate advocate for women’s leadership in the ocean food system. Based in São Paulo, you can find her working closely with coastal communities—or speaking at international forums—whenever there’s an opportunity to connect science, sustainability, and social impact.
Cintia currently serves as Executive Director and Partner at Paiche Consultoria e Treinamento, a pioneering firm she co-founded to support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Brazil. At Paiche, she leads strategic partnerships and advisory projects for national and international stakeholders committed to transforming seafood supply chains and promoting local, small-scale production.
Prior to founding Paiche, Cintia spent 18 years as a professor of Oceanography in Santos, Brazil, where she helped shape marine science education and led initiatives focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and science communication. She is also the co-creator of Brazil’s first Responsible Seafood Consumption Guide, a milestone project that laid the foundation for consumer education and market transformation in the country.