ProcureCon Indirect East 2021
May 18 - 20, 2021
12:00PM ET
DAY 1 - Monday, March 23, 2020 The Future Is Ours: Accelerating Digital Transformation In Your Organization (Practitioner Only)
DAY 1 - Monday, March 23, 2020 The Future Is Ours: Accelerating Digital Transformation In Your Organization (Practitioner Only)
DAY 2 - Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Driving Procurement And Supplier Innovation – Bringing Fresh Ideas To An Established Function
DAY 3 – Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Team And Stakeholder Excellence
7:15 am - 8:15 am Registration And Breakfast (Practitioner Only)
8:15 am - 8:30 am Welcome Remarks
8:30 am - 8:40 am Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

Michael Shaw
CEO and Executive Board ChairpersonAmerican Council of Sourcing and Procurement Executives ( ACSPE)
8:40 am - 9:25 am Keynote Panel: Digital Transformation And Stakeholder Excellence - Keeping Procurement In The Driver’s Seat for 2020 and Beyond
Speakers:
Joseph Martinez Global Chief Procurement Officer BNY Mellon
John Fafian Director, Head of Strategy and Sourcing PwC
Perneet Malhotra Head of Category Management Vanguard Investments
Jill Robbins Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services Elanco Animal Health
Michael Shaw CEO and Executive Board Chairperson American Council of Sourcing and Procurement Executives ( ACSPE)
Joseph Martinez Global Chief Procurement Officer BNY Mellon
John Fafian Director, Head of Strategy and Sourcing PwC
Perneet Malhotra Head of Category Management Vanguard Investments
Jill Robbins Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services Elanco Animal Health
Michael Shaw CEO and Executive Board Chairperson American Council of Sourcing and Procurement Executives ( ACSPE)
With increasing levels of stakeholder demands, technological advances, and drive for additional efficiency, you can’t afford to be behind the curve during the ever-increasing pace of change and disruption affecting the procurement function. To kick things off, we’ll have leading procurement practitioners will provide their vision and action steps to help you on your digital transformation journey. Key discussion points include:
•Which trends are worth the cost and risk? What is the hype vs. reality? Which are gaining traction in 2020?
•Creating a blueprint for digital transformation
•Building a circle of internal influencers to help build the case for digital transformation
•How emerging tech will change the sourcing teams of tomorrow - and the role of the CPO

Jill Robbins
Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & ServicesElanco Animal Health


Michael Shaw
CEO and Executive Board ChairpersonAmerican Council of Sourcing and Procurement Executives ( ACSPE)
9:25 am - 9:30 am Transit Time
Now that you have some coffee it’s time to meet up with some like-minded colleagues so you can make the most out of the conference. No signup required however we’d politely ask that if a room is full you go to your second choice.
ProcureCon Spring Training Meet Ups (Self-Led)
9:30 am - 10:10 am Rookies (Conference First Timers and Those Recently Transitioned Into Indirect)
New to ProcureCon and/or Indirect itself? Check out this meetup and compare notes!
Still trying to figure out all the terminology, nuances, and issues within the Indirect Procurement field? We’ll have a few members of our advisory board/experienced professionals in the room that can get you on the right track.
9:30 am - 10:10 am Hall of Famers (Attended ProcureCon 5+ times)
Have you attended ProcureCon more than 5 times? Reconnect with similar experts who are familiar with the conference and the profession to share updates, stories, and more.
9:30 am - 10:10 am Small But Mighty (Small Procurement Teams)
As a small procurement team (1 – 5 FTEs focused on Indirect), you have your own set of unique challenges and issues. This meetup allows you to identify similarly-minded practitioners who are likely facing some of the same issues and constraints as yourself.
9:30 am - 10:10 am ProcureCon MVPs (Rising Stars/Career Developers)
Have some words of wisdom to share? Or looking for “next steps” guidance? Whichever category you fall into, this meetup will bring together both sides for some meaningful mentorship.
9:30 am - 10:10 am High Velocity (Silicon Valley/High Tech Sourcing Leaders)
Are you part of a high tech firm looking to make the most out of the conference? Or gain some insight from those who do? This meetup will help you connect with all of those who work in Silicoln Valley and/or High Tech firms making the trek to the east coast.
9:30 am - 10:10 am From the Minors to the Majors (Recently Promoted to Head of Indirect/CPO)
New to your role and/or managing staff for the first time? Trying to figure out what your first 60/90/120 days should look like? You won’t want to miss this meetups with like-minded colleagues!
9:30 am - 10:10 am ProcureCon Fitness Club (Fitness Minded Individuals)
Looking for a like-minded fitness lover to take a jog or work out with during the conference? A member of the Omni fitness team will be on hand to talk to you about all the different ways you can ensure your fitness goals are maintained during the next few days.
9:30 am - 10:10 am The Bleachers (Everyone Else)
Don’t feel comfortable choosing one of the other 7 meet-ups? Well come here, where anything goes! Perhaps you’ll all figure out what you have in common after 50 minutes of chatting.
10:10 am - 10:30 am AM Break
These in-depth, interactive workshop sessions led by subject matter experts will guide you to actionable strategies you can use immediately use back in the office. Each group is limited to 40 participants to ensure personal interaction and practical takeaways.
Deep Dive Workshops
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 1: Advancing Indirect’s Value And Contributions In A Direct-Oriented Company
Typically (but not exclusively) in manufacturing firms, you might find yourself outmatched in influence by your direct procurement colleagues. How does one take advantage of this opportunity and make a difference in world of indirect procurement?
This workshop will provide you with support of other like-minded individuals and help develop a roadmap for success.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 2: Getting Your Head(s) In The Game: Making The Business Case For Procurement Headcount
Your CFO and executive team is likely inundated with headcount requests across your company – so you better make your requests stand out in order to get results.
This workshop will focus on the preparation, research and delivery required to get the results you need.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 3: KISS – Finding Ways To Simplify Procurement Processes
We’re all familiar with the seven (or is it eleven) step sourcing process. While good intentioned, are there ways to simplify your procurement processes to make life a bit easier for you and your stakeholders?
This workshop will focus on approaches taken by procurement to simplify its processes and make them more stakeholder friendly.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 4: Procurement System Implementation War Stories – The Good, Bad And The Ugly
Lets face it, at any given point your either in the RFP phase, Blueprinting, Pre-implementation phase, Phase I, II, etc. of an eSourcing system implementation.
Swap stories, techniques, lessons learned in this practitioner-only forum to set yourself up for future success in any eSourcing implementation.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 5: Culture Shock: Managing Expectations And Workload During An Acquisition
Given ongoing merger and acquisition activity, it’s a question of when (not if) you’ll encounter a similar circumstance in your own career.
As procurement professionals, what are some best practices to consider when being acquired, meeting your ‘new’ team for the first time, and handling all the underlying contractual changes that go along with a merger/acquisition? Not to mention keeping your team’s morale up during this difficult time?
This workshop is critical for anyone undergoing a merger/acquisition or just wants some insight on what to expect in such a situation.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 6: Saving Big With Sustainable Sourcing And Supplier Diversity
Sustainable sourcing and supplier diversity may seem like two separate sourcing methods, but in the modern age of procurement, these innovative programs have become more interwoven, as social and environmental responsibility are now vital to a company's reputation.
This workshop will focus on key success stories and challenges encountered by sourcing professionals in developing supplier diversity and sustainability programs.
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 7: Managing A Geographically Remote Team
Feeling lonely in the office, with everyone spread out over multiple geographical regions? Having difficulty communicating with everyone on your team all at once? This is becoming more and more common in today’s procurement world. This session will provide a forum to listen to (and share) some techniques and approaches for you and your team to achieve success.
Jason Cammorata
Vice President, Strategic SourcingMDC Partners
10:30 am - 11:50 am Deep Dive Workshop 8: Providing Value In An Extreme Cost-Cutting Environment
If you’re business is facing a challenging financial crisis or recently bought out by private equity, how do you continue to motivate your team and yourself to be seen as more than just a cost-cutter to your stakeholders? This workshop will discuss some tools, techniques, and therapy to get you through this difficult time.
11:50 am - 11:55 am Transit Time
For the first time, we’re hosting practitioner only support groups for some of the major technology providers. Led by an experienced procurement professional you’ll have the chance to swap stories with others who are using similar technology within their own organization. You’ll have the opportunity to get a first hand perspective on how well (or not so well) the technology is working for other procurement teams – valuable input if you’re looking to enhance your own relationship with your supplier or looking for alternatives.
For the first time, we’re hosting practitioner only support groups for some of the major technology providers. Led by an experienced procurement professional you’ll have the chance to swap stories with others who are using similar technology within their own organization. You’ll have the opportunity to get a first hand perspective on how well (or not so well) the technology is working for other procurement teams – valuable input if you’re looking to enhance your own relationship with your supplier or looking for alternatives.
Procurement Tech User Groups (Practitioner Only)
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 1: SAP – Ariba
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 2: Coupa
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 3: VMS Technology For Contingent Labor (Fieldglass/Beeline/Others)
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 4: Ivalua
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 5: Zycus
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 6: JAGGAER
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 7: Basware
11:55 am - 12:40 pm Tech User Group 8: NetSuite and Other Technology Providers
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm Lunch
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm Private Lunch Sponsored By Coupa
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm Private Lunch Sponsored By OverSight Systems
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm Keynote Presentation: Developing High Performance Humor That Builds Trust
Brian's thrilling workshop (built on over 4 years of Ph.D. research and experience as a procurement leader at Biomarin), you'll learn how to use collaborative humor to build a trusted ‘superteam’ where you feel more like a family, supporting one another to achieve big goals together.
We'll cover the 4 major humor styles, their mechanisms, and the science behind why humor builds trust if done correctly. After you leave this session, you’ll boost engagement and levels of trust anytime with this deeply educational, wildly fun, and fiercely inspiring leadership session.

Brian Harman
Leadership Coach and Expert and Author of “How To Support Women At Work”ProcureCon
2:10 pm - 2:30 pm CFOs Don't Trust Procurement’s Reported Savings...and Guess What? They’re Right.
Up to 40% of procurement savings evaporate post-sourcing for a myriad of reasons (it could be supplier gamesmanship, maverick spending off contract, etc.). Whatever the reason, the savings aren't impacting the bottom-line like procurement leaders are promising, and as a result there is a serious distrust of procurement that forms within the mind of the CFO. We're here to help change that. This session will focus on bridging the gap between Procurement and Finance, helping procurement leaders earn the proverbial "seat-at-the-table," expand their internal influence, and become the valuable asset that everyone turns to. We'll focus on:
- Understanding your CFO’s mindset and aligning procurement to the overall corporate mission
- Identifying the failure points keeping the savings from hitting the bottom-line
- Develop a metrics-driven approach to tout and defend procurement’s value
- Diving into our playbook for leveraging category analytics to track savings to the P&L
- How to go beyond your savings targets and achieve an additional 5-20% incremental savings each year
2:30 pm - 3:10 pm Brews & Bites Networking Break - Grand Opening Of The Solution Zone
Tracks
Procurement On The Edge: Questioning Standard Assumptions
Track A
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm Panel: Challenging Assumptions On Traditional Spend And Savings Analysis: Does Another Model Make Sense?As procurement professionals, specifically those within the indirect space, we know that spend data and related reporting takes up a valuable amount of our team’s time. Whether it be explaining to executives why our data doesn’t match the G/L, or is coded differently than the way A/P does it, etc.,
•Side A. The current method is broken. As Procurement professionals we should focus on Committed (Not Actual) Spend
•Side B. Traditional Spend Reporting should continue, and continue to be enhanced/improved upon.

Laurentino Ibarra
Sr Manager, Strategic Sourcing and ProcurementFederal Reserve Bank of New York

Track A
4:00 pm - 4:20 pm Presentation: Surpassing The Pareto Principle: How To Strategically Tackle Your TailTrack A
4:20 pm - 5:00 pm Interactive Case Study: Challenging Assumptions On Category Experts: Why A Fungible Procurement Team Makes SenseFor years, procurement teams have been organized by defining your team by means of categories – but does that model even make sense anymore? The team at World Bank didn’t think so and came up with a more flexible model that allows them to meet stakeholder demand in a more effective manner. You’ll learn how the World Bank accomplished this feat and gain the know how to do the same at your own organization.
As a part of this session you’ll have an opportunity to create your own procurement team “manifesto” in an interactive exercise.
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You – Category Trends and Updates
Track B
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm Panel: Making The Most Of Marketing Suppliers – Trends, Techniques And Discussion For 2020 And Beyond
Speakers:
Michael Rafferty Executive Director, Global Marketing Procurement Kaplan
Jason Cammorata Vice President, Strategic Sourcing MDC Partners
Bill Michels Vice President of Operations, Americas Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, (CIPS)
Eniola Akindes Global Sourcing Director - Advertising Coty
Michael Rafferty Executive Director, Global Marketing Procurement Kaplan
Jason Cammorata Vice President, Strategic Sourcing MDC Partners
Bill Michels Vice President of Operations, Americas Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, (CIPS)
Eniola Akindes Global Sourcing Director - Advertising Coty
Most people in procurement will tell you: when it comes to marketing suppliers, the old rules may not apply. Procurement’s emphasis on cost savings can cause agencies get unmotivated – they may not put their best people on the job or go the extra mile for those inevitable last-minute changes that marketing teams often need. Additionally, the last few years have seen a boom of digital marketing and technology offerings from innovative service providers. With such complexity, the lines between what each vendor offers are often blurred, making the category even more complex to source - but this panel will explore how to overcome these hurtles and get with the program.
Jason Cammorata
Vice President, Strategic SourcingMDC Partners

Bill Michels
Vice President of Operations, AmericasChartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, (CIPS)
Track B
4:00 pm - 4:20 pm Presentation: Accelerating Procurement Value – Using A GPO As Your Competitive AdvantageIdentifying and capturing greater savings, increasing your spend under management, and improving your internal and external relationships are the foundation of the modern GPO. Today, the world’s leading companies are adopting GPO programs for both direct and indirect goods and services and the results are undeniable.
Track B
4:20 pm - 5:00 pm Workshop: IT Procurement In 2020 -What Every CPO and Head Of Indirect Must KnowIn today’s business environment, just about any critical business initiative involves sourcing technology in some manner. As a CPO or Head of Indirect, what guidance should you be providing to ensure success? Even if you think you know everything about IT Sourcing, you won’t want to miss this engaging discussion with the leader of IT Sourcing at Walmart.
You’ll leave this session with an understanding of:
•Key questions to ask stakeholders when initiating IT-embedded projects or activities
•Current trends and challenges impacting the IT category
•How to set up your IT sourcing function for success
Procurement Process Automation And Digitization
Track C
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm Panel: The Ins And Outs Of Automating Procurement ProcessesDecreasing error, increasing efficiencies. Robotic Process Automation allows you the opportunity to free up time for your team to conduct more strategic, cognitive-intense work. So what are the ins and outs of working with RPA? And what are some real life examples where it’s being used? Find out in this in-depth panel with our panel of leading procurement and technology experts.
Track C
4:00 pm - 4:20 pm Presentation By Procurement AdvisorsTrack C
4:20 pm - 5:00 pm Panel: Leveraging Emerging Procurement Technologies: Finding An Approach That WorksWhether your managing your tail spend, spend analysis, or vendor scorecards, there are a plethora of niche providers that can complement your existing procurement technology?
But how do you separate fact from fiction, and ensure you’re setting your team up for success? This panel will talk through innovative ways to assess and incorporate such technology in your own organization.
First Aid For Your Small (But Mighty) Procurement Team
Boardroom #1
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm Boardroom: Gaining Leverage – Small Procurement Team Negotiation StrategiesLeading a small-midsize firm procurement team creates its own set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to managing suppliers. This session will go through the tools, techniques, and best practices needed to get the most of out your suppliers independent of your companies, size, and presence.
Our presenter, Lara Nichols, has a unique perspective. While currently at mid-market firm NFP, she has 20+ years in global Fortune 200 organizations with authority for $16+ million annual budgets, 150+ employees, 500+ suppliers, and multimillion-dollar cost reductions.
Boardroom #1
4:20 pm - 5:00 pm Boardroom: Small Procurement Team P2P ImplementationsWhile P2P implementations are always challenging, small-mid-size firms have their own unique challenges and constraints that aren’t always addressed or discussed….until now.
George Huffman of the CFA Institute will lead an engaging boardroom discussion, sharing with you his journey and providing some therapeutic discussions for those about to initiate similar initiatives.
Specialized Topics And Activities (Critical Industries and Categories)
Boardroom #2
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm Boardroom: Indirect Procurement In The Pharmaceutical IndustryFrom clinical equipment to regulatory challenges, leading indirect procurement in the pharmaceutical industry presents its own set of unique challenges. This interactive boardroom will allow you to meet, mingle, and discuss some of the pressing issues facing procurement leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.
Boardroom #2
4:20 pm - 5:00 pm Boardroom: MRO Category WorkshopThe MRO category still remains one of the most fractured, especially in decentralized, non-mandated corporations. Discuss with your peers ways to tackle:
•Cleaning up the mismatched data permeating through the MRO category
•Breaking the integrated model so each component can be sourced independently
•Tools to help extract hidden savings that wouldn’t be seen otherwise•Can mandating suppliers in the MRO space yield cost reductions?
•Can outsourcing MRO yield additional benefits?
PRGX Private Workshop
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm PRGX Private Workshop: Contract Audit: The Power of PreventionTraditionally, supplier contract audits have principally focused on finding past billings errors and working to recover those overbillings. However, as organizations gain a more sophisticated appreciation for the deep intelligence gained through contract audits, they are now demanding new strategies that are designed to locate errors sooner and prevent the same mistakes from being repeated. Historical recoveries, while still a desired outcome where they exist, are seen as a byproduct of the central objective, fixing problems that return even more significant value through recurring future cost savings.
In this session, PRGX contract audit expert, Jon Daniells will recommend strategies for enhancing the value of your organization’s supplier audit program, while outlining the steps to help you recover lost profits sooner. Key takeaways include:
- Pathway to prevention: Learn the broad spectrum of where overpayment problems originate and how best to identify and fix the root causes
- Supercharging your results: How evolving the maturity of your contract audit program will exponentially expand value to your company
- From reactive to proactive: Key steps to building a program which identifies issues quicker, leading to immediate and sustained cost savings
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Hot Topic Beer Bucket Roundtable Discussions (2 Rounds: 30 minutes)
Speakers:
Milan Popovic Director, Strategic Sourcing and Global Procurement Tiffany & Company
Adam Fledderman Senior Category Manager - Technical Services Roche Diabetes Care
Jenn Smukler Director of Business Development American Express Global Business Travel
Jill Robbins Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services Elanco Animal Health
John Miller Manager, Indirect Sourcing KONE Americas
Jake Wojcik Executive Vice President Insight Sourcing Group
Milan Popovic Director, Strategic Sourcing and Global Procurement Tiffany & Company
Adam Fledderman Senior Category Manager - Technical Services Roche Diabetes Care
Jenn Smukler Director of Business Development American Express Global Business Travel
Jill Robbins Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services Elanco Animal Health
John Miller Manager, Indirect Sourcing KONE Americas
Jake Wojcik Executive Vice President Insight Sourcing Group
These interactive hot topic roundtable sessions take a deep dive into the specific areas you came to talk about. Sit and learn in an intimate format from the speakers who have had an impact on their company and industry. Take control of your own event experience and don’t be shy! Ask questions (or answer them!) alongside other conference attendees who are dealing with the same challenges as you network with industry peers with very similar challenges, interests and responsibilities.
1. Spend Analysis and Reporting Milan Popovic, Director - Strategic Sourcing and Global Procurement, Tiffany & Company
2. The Procurement Team of The Future Adam Fledderman, Senior Category Manager - Technical Services, Roche Diabetes Care
3. Managing Print Procurement Jill Robbins, Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services & Victoria Pierce, Global Category Lead, Marketing and Sales Procurement, Elanco Animal Health
4. TBD, Jenn Smukler, Director Of Sales Commercial Americas, American Express Global Business Travel
5. CFOs Don't Trust Procurement’s Reported Savings...and Guess What? They’re Right, Jake Wojcik, Insight Sourcing Group
6. Continuous Improvement Of Indirect Leadership: How Do We Develop Ourselves John Miller, Manager, Indirect Sourcing, KONE Americas
(Additonal Roundtables To Be Added)

Jill Robbins
Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & ServicesElanco Animal Health

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Around The World Reception In The Solutions Zone
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Women In Procurement Dinner
Let’s make a difference together! We’re thrilled to have our leadership keynotes, Charlotte de Brabandt and Brian Harman, co-lead the women’s dinner this year.This energetic session will not only focus on empowering women and underrepresented groups but also celebrate their achievements in the workplace.
In 30 short years, Charlotte de Brabandt has led a life that most people could only dream of. She speaks 5 languages, has traveled to more than 60 countries over 5 continents, and has led expeditions across the Swiss Alps. All this while maintaining her day job in the procurement field, with 10+ years managing global procurement teams at leading consumer goods, automotive, and other leading brands.
Brian Harman is a leadership professor that has been inspired by women his whole life, starting early on with his single mother. While researching behavioral psychology and humor as a fun way to finish his PhD, he never knew it would uncover the disturbing truths about gender equality in the workplace.
***An invitation to RSVP will be sent in mid-January to procurement practitioners registered for the conference. However, if you would like to confirm your spot earlier you may do so by emailing Michael.Dunlap@wbresearch.com after registration.

Brian Harman
Leadership Coach and Expert and Author of “How To Support Women At Work”ProcureCon