• This award recognizes leaders with outstanding achievements that pave the way for others in the supply chain industry

BERKELEY, Calif. – Ambi Robotics, a leading provider of AI-powered robotics for commercial operations, today announced that Supply & Demand Chain Executive has named Ambi Robotics’ Stephen McKinley and Joe Mahaney as recipients of their 2026 Pros to Know awards. The award honors outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for competitive advantage. ​​

As Co-Founder and COO, Stephen McKinley was honored as a Rising Star, a category recognizing professionals whose early career achievements and vision have shaped the supply chain network. Vice President of Sales Joe Mahaney was recognized in the Leaders in Excellence category, honoring established leaders with over a decade of experience driving outstanding contributions to the supply chain industry.

“Stephen and Joe are leading the work that matters most by deploying systems, strengthening customer partnerships, and driving operational performance, ensuring our solutions deliver measurable value in the most demanding supply chain environments,” said Jim Liefer, CEO of Ambi Robotics. “Their work directly supports our enterprise customers and robot operators on the ground, and reflects the impact they’ve had on the industry and where it is going next.”

Stephen and Joe were recognized for their leadership in bringing physical AI systems into real-world operations at scale. They continue to expand and refine Ambi Robotics’ work with FORTUNE 500 customers, enabling the adoption of automation across complex supply chain environments.

As Vice President of Sales, Joe Mahaney is responsible for driving adoption of AI-powered robotics across an industry under pressure to do more with less. He works closely with enterprise operators to deploy solutions that deliver measurable ROI, helping customers navigate rising costs, labor constraints, and increasing throughput demands. Through these partnerships, Joe ensures Ambi’s technology delivers sustained value at scale.

Stephen McKinley, recently promoted to COO, leads Ambi Robotics’ operational strategy and execution. He built the company’s Field Systems Engineering team from the ground up in 2022 to support its first nationwide fleet, and now oversees a growing network of Field Systems Engineers delivering 99.9% uptime across customer facilities.. Over years of continuous fleet operations, Stephen and his team have translated real-world learnings into product and engineering improvements, contributing to the reliability of Ambi’s systems and the strength of its on-the-ground partnerships.

“When it comes to overcoming supply chain disruption, this year’s pack of supply chain leaders left no stone unturned,” says Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive and co-founder of the Women in Supply Chain Forum. “From AI implementation and warehouse automation to last-mile accuracy and returns management, they innovated, developed and executed on all cylinders, providing solutions, technologies and processes that move products from Point A to Point B in a way that almost seems seamless. And every year, I am honored to celebrate these supply chain professionals.”

Ambi Robotics executives were also recognized in the 2025 awards, Co-founder and CTO Jeff Mahler as a Rising Star and CFO Sandra Kazee as the Overall Leader in Excellence. The full list of 2026 winners can be viewed HERE.

About Ambi Robotics

Ambi Robotics is an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company developing the foundational infrastructure to automate the world’s most demanding physical operations. Powered by AmbiOS, the company’s hardware-agnostic operating system, Ambi Robotics leverages the industry’s largest repository of real-world operational data to deploy high-performance robotic systems at scale. Headquartered in Berkeley, Calif., Ambi Robotics brings together the world’s leading roboticists and AI researchers to help Fortune 500 enterprises scale physical productivity through adaptable AI and industrial-grade reliability. For more information, please visit www.ambirobotics.com.