Jennifer believes the next generation of CEOs will come from procurement because CPOs uniquely connect internal strategy with the external marketplace. Drawing on 30 years of experience across multiple industries, she is leading Google’s shift to an "agentic hybrid workforce" – where goal-based AI handles the process so humans can drive strategy. She is redefining the role from a transactional function to a strategic force that orchestrates the entire business.

Adebowale has an extensive academic and professional background in public procurement and supply chain management. As the director general of the Bureau of Public Procurement in Nigeria he advocates using procurement as a strategic lever for national development.

Kevin is embedding procurement at the heart of one of Asia’s largest and most significant infrastructure transformation projects – the Tuas megaport in Singapore. As such, he and the team he leads at PSA International is at the forefront of cutting-edge developments in procurement, including AI. A deep thinker about the future of procurement, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to strategically integrate procurement inside organisations and move the function up the value chain.

Elouise is challenging outdated procurement models and championing the transformation we need to redefine the function as a strategic force for the future. As a self-proclaimed “supply chain futurist”, she uses her historian training to look for clues in the past about where the profession is heading – and applies it to insights she shares through books, podcasts and her work as a partner at global consultancy Kearney. 

Sulaiman is a public sector procurement known for driving digital, ethical, and strategic procurement in his role of director of the administrative affairs department at the Federal Tax Authority in the UAE. He is a regular commentator on how procurement will look in the future and the skills needed to be a relevant chief procurement officer.

Stefanie is championing an AI-powered, data-first transformation at Kraft Heinz – ditching outdated processes and advocating a “fail fast” culture to build agile, innovation-driven teams. Her vision centres on the principle that AI is only as smart as its supplier data foundation, and her trial-base methodology is designed to move beyond simple automation toward leveraging agents for strategic insights like supplier innovation and value. 

Herve has a bold vision for the future of the function. He is leading innovation in AI and aggressive decarbonisation plans at Heineken. By challenging adversarial supplier models, he’s developed a reputation for raising standards. His approach provides a scalable, global template for procurement leaders to reshape standards across the profession.

Cassie is responsible for the visionary transformation that successfully shifted procurement from a traditional support function to a strategic value driver at Etihad Airways. She is determined to elevate the entire function, which won a raft of CIPS excellence awards in 2025 – and led to Cassie also being named CIPS MENA Leader of the Year (female) 2025.

Marvin is driving procurement innovation in NASA’s highest echelons, leading transformative acquisition strategies that push the boundaries of technology, sustainability, and mission-critical supply chain excellence within a highly regulated environment.

John is a transformative procurement leader driving global impact at biosolutions company Novonesis. His approach blends commercial focus with sustainability and innovation to future-proof supply chains in an increasingly complex world. His team recently launched a easy-to-use AI-powered purchasing tool for the organisation, effectively positioning procurement as a highly accessible business partner.

Sope is a renowned procurement and anti-corruption scholar, whose work is showing how ethical, anti-corruption, transparency imperatives push the function to be more central–making procurement a lever not just for cost, but for human rights too. 

Marcelo is remodelling PepsiCo’s global procurement function into a key and strategic business partner. Making the leap from finance at Unilever to CPO at PepsiCo, he advocates connecting dots within the business, bringing outside voices in and seeking out “people that think differently”.

Ashish has been actively driving improvements in sourcing, vendor development, and cost optimisation, which are critical for the ship operations and shipbuilding industry today. His end-to-end exposure helps him take balanced and practical decisions in procurement and supply chain. His involvement with industry bodies and academic institutions also shows his commitment to developing future talent and contributing to the sector. He reflects the kind of knowledgeable and forward-looking leadership our profession needs.

Lora is a very active and outspoken procurement influencer who runs her own software blog the Supply Chain Shaman and LLC AI Supply Chain Insights. She is a shrewd supply chain commentator, whose sharp analysis and insight has commanded a following of nearly 350,000 procurement and supply chain professionals.

The public sector is often ahead in procurement policy, risk and ethics. Tod is shaping public procurement standards, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and how public procurement becomes a lever for broader social and economic resilience at the Department of Corrections in New Zealand. Tod is also CIPS ANZ Leader of the Year 2025.