How to manage stakeholders who see you as a bottleneck

Share insights on how to sharpen your influence, align procurement goals with corporate strategy, and leverage other better resourced teams within the organization for maximum value. Find winning ways to position procurement as the go-to driver for innovation and growth.

• The art of influencing executives and cross-functional leaders – to get agreement that benefits all sides
• Translating procurement into business impact everyone cares about
• Brainstorm bold new ways to embed procurement in strategic decisions and planning from the outset – how do you convince people that you need to be in those meetings?
• Share stories on managing the tricky stakeholders and find new ways to get the results you want

Freya Hurwitz, Director of Procurement, Tripadvisor

Calling all solo and small team leaders. Step into the future with a look into bleeding-edge tools and techniques which can be utilized in our organizations. We’re talking vibe-coding, agentic, AI copilots, and more. No rules, no roadmap — just a high-signal jam session on what’s next and how to ride the wave. Bring your bold ideas, hot takes, and curiosity.

Paul Nilsen, Pack Leader, Procurement Pack

In this session, we unpack how a smarter, smoother intake process can drive better outcomes across the board. From automated triage to user-friendly portals and AI-assisted routing, we’ll explore how modern intake is evolving from a bottleneck to a strategic asset. Whether you're reinventing your workflows or just want to stop the intake chaos, join us to talk tools, tactics, and transformation.

The future of procurement isn’t just digital — it’s human. Building next-generation procurement teams and rethinking how we hire, train, lead, and inspire talent in a world that's fast, remote, and constantly evolving is the focus of this session. We’ll dive into strategies for upskilling teams, motivating the next wave of procurement professionals, and managing distributed workforces without losing culture or momentum. Whether you're growing a team or redefining what leadership looks like, this conversation is your blueprint for what’s next.

Making Procurement Integral to Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Business Decision-Making: Policy to Practice
As data breaches and cyber threats grow more sophisticated, procurement is on the front line of protecting organizational data. Join this session to explore how procurement is embedding data privacy and cybersecurity requirements into supplier selection, contracting, and vendor management processes. Benchmark how teams are operationalizing privacy policies, conducting due diligence on third-party vendors, and using contract clauses to enforce compliance with security standards. Real-world examples will highlight how procurement is collaborating with IT, legal, and risk teams to assess supplier risk, ensure secure data handling, and respond proactively to emerging threats.

Michele Malenfant, Sr Procurement Manager, Coveo

What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Use It

Agentic AI is redefining how systems make decisions and take action. But what does it really mean for you? Come equipped with your questions at this back-to-basics learning session, designed for anyone looking to understand the core concepts, practical applications, and real-world potential of Agentic AI. From foundational principles to deployment tips, you’ll gain the clarity and confidence needed to explore how Agentic AI can drive autonomy, productivity, and innovation in procurement.

We Know Why, But How? Advanced strategies your peers are utilizing today

Explore proven strategies for reducing vendor costs through smarter procurement planning, supplier consolidation, and value-based negotiations. Gain insights into optimizing contract terms, leveraging volume commitments, streamlining sourcing processes, and aligning internal demand to reduce fragmentation. The session will also address methods for identifying cost-saving opportunities across the vendor lifecycle—from onboarding to performance management. Gain actionable approaches to drive sustainable savings while maintaining supplier quality and value.

In this session, we will explore critical data strategies that elevate procurement effectiveness. Topics include the development of a centralized database for contractual language, advanced spend analysis tools, and the implementation of custom category maps created through cross-functional collaboration. Understand the pivotal role of contract management repositories in capturing essential data to meet cybersecurity standards and support robust risk management practices. Discuss how to build a data-driven procurement framework that aligns with enterprise goals.

Aashish Patel, Director Procurement, Grant Thornton International