ProcureCon Indirect West (PIW) 2025 concluded in Las Vegas with three days of strategic keynotes, tactical workshops, and comprehensive discussions about the future direction of procurement. Among the numerous industry practitioners who presented, two speakers consistently engaged attendees with their combination of practical experience and actionable insights that procurement leaders can implement immediately.

Both speakers are confirmed to present at ProcureCon Indirect East (PIE) 2025 in Orlando, September 15-17. Here, we’ll explore their key insights from PIW and provide a preview of what attendees can expect when the conversation continues in Orlando.

Tony Gagliardi, Head of Indirect Category & Region (USA), Elekta

Following his participation in the 25th Anniversary Leadership Panel, Elekta's U.S. indirect procurement leader, Tony Gagliardi, discussed how technology's rapid evolution requires procurement teams to maintain a startup mentality even within established organizations. He emphasized that adaptability is essential for professionals managing categories affected by continuous digital transformation.

"I think the pervasiveness of technology is a big change over the last 25 years. I think back when I was in a buyer role, and we had mainframes and green screens—now you’re constantly being approached with new technology… We all have to be comfortable being uncomfortable because the pace of change is so great.”

PIW session: 25-Year Anniversary Leadership Panel
PIE role: Confirmed speaker (Day 2 analytics & automation discussions)

Key Takeaways from Las Vegas

Gagliardi's perspective resonated with both experienced professionals and newcomers to the field. His message focused on two critical points: technology innovations emerge faster than most procurement strategies can adapt, and adaptability must become a fundamental competency rather than an occasional requirement.

He characterized Elekta—a 55-year-old medical technology company—as operating like a five-year-old startup because his team prioritizes agility over legacy system limitations. Gagliardi encouraged leaders to adopt, adapt, and customize solutions from industry peers rather than developing everything internally.

Potential Topics at ProcureCon Indirect East

Gagliardi is a confirmed speaker at ProcureCon Indirect East 2025. Day 2 of the event will feature extensive coverage of predictive analytics and automation, so there’s a good chance he will weigh in on those topics.

Potential topics could include how Electa implements AI solutions safely within a regulated environment, the metrics the company tracks beyond traditional savings measures, and updates on procurement visibility strategies, as well as the role of procurement in the business.

Lenora Sevillian, Director of Procurement, Nova Southeastern University

During the "Doing More With Less" talent panel, Nova Southeastern University's Lenora Sevillian explained how transparency and strategic prioritization enable a lean nine-person team to manage hundreds of millions of dollars in campus spend. She demonstrated how servant leadership principles—supported by weekly team meetings and cost-effective collaboration tools—maintain team morale despite persistent staffing constraints.

"Keeping morale and motivation high is really key for us. For me, that means being transparent, empowering people, giving them autonomy—even when we do not have every resource we’d like. We leverage what costs nothing, and we prioritize stakeholders strategically so we can make the most of the pipeline we have.”

PIW session: "Doing More with Less” Talent Panel
PIE role: Confirmed speaker (Day 3 panel on executive alignment and future-ready teams)

Key Takeaways from Las Vegas

Sevillian addressed the fundamental challenge facing resource-constrained teams: maintaining engagement when headcount remains frozen. Her approach combines servant leadership principles with strategic prioritization. She implements transparency through weekly team meetings where every analyst reviews the complete project queue.

Given higher education's dynamic budgeting cycles, she coaches business stakeholders to forecast six months ahead of time, then adjusts plans in real-time. Her team developed a SharePoint-based project tracker that integrates with SAP Ariba without requiring additional licenses, demonstrating that organizational culture can serve as an effective digital transformation tool.

Potential Topics at ProcureCon Indirect East

PIE will emphasize cross-generational talent development and C-suite alignment—both areas where Sevillian excels. She will likely present a framework for knowledge-transfer initiatives that connect retiring Baby Boomers with Gen Z data analysts.

Procurement professionals struggling with stakeholder confidence or organizational resistance should prioritize Sevillian's sessions.

Other Themes and Topics to Expect at ProcureCon Indirect East 2025

Whether you need quick wins on cost, a roadmap for AI adoption, or guidance on retaining talent, PIE’s agenda blends strategy, hands-on workshops, and peer networking, giving attendees clear next steps to drive performance at the pace of their business.

Here are the biggest topics you can expect to learn about at the event.

AI, Predictive Analytics, and Real-Time Data

Artificial intelligence is already delivering value in areas like spend analysis, risk monitoring, and contract management. Multiple sessions at ProcureCon Indirect East 2025 will examine these applications of the technology and what results it could drive in the future.

Speakers will also explore how predictive models can sharpen performance and how automation can free up teams for more strategic work.

Tariffs, Inflation, and Economic Uncertainty

While it’s impossible to predict what the economy will look like even a couple of months ahead of time, there’s a good chance topics like inflation and taxes will still be important in Orlando.

Workshops and sessions at the event will focus on updating contracts, price-adjustment clauses, and negotiation tactics, so teams can manage cost swings. They will also provide insights on how organizations can safeguard their supply networks and keep stakeholder confidence high.

Leadership, Talent, and Culture

Fireside chats, workshops, panels, and presentations will explore how teams can work through times of uncertainty while maintaining morale, inclusion, and productivity. Speakers will describe their experiences with generational differences in the workforce, including how Gen Z approaches the discipline and what leaders can expect from Gen Alpha.

Executive Alignment and Storytelling

Obtaining buy-in from leadership is one of the most important (and most challenging) aspects of procurement transformation. Leaders at ProcureCon Indirect West touched on how practitioners can use storytelling and transparency to inspire leaders to sign off on change, and even secure budgets for new initiatives.

Attendees at ProcureCon Indirect East can expect to learn additional techniques. These could include translating procurement results into higher-level business metrics, attributing improved metrics to new procurement strategies or technology solutions, and reiterating how procurement deserves a seat at the strategy table.

Prepare for ProcureCon Indirect East

ProcureCon Indirect West demonstrated that procurement's future success depends on purpose-driven leadership, user-friendly process design, and rapid learning capabilities. Tony Gagliardi, Lenora Sevillian, and other confirmed speakers exemplify these qualities.

Their Orlando presentations will provide updated insights into how their strategies have evolved and offer guidance for developing your organization's next strategic initiatives.