CPO Outlook 2025 Themes
Agenda structure to enable the most possible experience exchange
Agenda changes may occur as the days unfold and due to incidents beyond EBGs control
Transform while performing.
Procurement leaders today must balance performance, transformation, compliance, and innovation — all at once. At CPO Outlook 2025, we explore nine strategic focus areas shaping the global procurement agenda — supported by insights from EY, Hackett, BCG, GEP and McKinsey. The data points are estimated and deducted by EBG – see each study for verification.
🎯 Strategic Leadership & Value Creation
Themes focused on mindset, organizational influence, and procurement’s evolving role in business strategy.
- From Fragmented to Forward
→ Positioning procurement as a strategic, insight-driven partner - Leadership Under Pressure
→ Leading confidently through uncertainty and constant change - Operating Model Redesign
→ Redefining roles, structures, and governance to scale performance
🤖 Digital & AI-Driven Transformation
Themes exploring the impact, implementation, and scaling of digital tools and GenAI in procurement.
- GenAI & Intelligent Automation
→ Moving from pilots to performance across categories and processes - Digital Risk, Cloud & Compliance
→ Managing exposure and accountability in a platform-first world
👥 People, Skills & Collaboration
Themes addressing evolving capabilities, team design, and supplier relationships.
- Talent, Skills & Role Evolution
→ Building future-ready teams while maintaining performance - Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle
→ Creating value through structured SRM and lifecycle visibility
🛡️ Risk, Resilience & Sustainability
Themes that confront today’s most pressing challenges in a volatile world.
- Resilience and Risk
→ Proactively preparing for disruptions, regulations, and volatility - Indirect Procurement Mastery
→ Bringing visibility and control to fragmented, high-leakage spend
🔹 Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward — Procurement as a Strategic Navigator
Why it matters:
Procurement must evolve from siloed, reactive functions into integrated, insight-driven partners. But most leaders lack real-time visibility, cross-functional alignment, and influence at the strategy table.
Insight:
Only 24% of CPOs say they have the data and tools needed for strategic decision-making.
– EY Global CPO Survey 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What prevents procurement from being seen as a strategic business partner?
- How can leaders create visibility using fragmented systems and data?
- Who owns procurement insights — and should that change?
- To what extent can procurement influence upstream business priorities?
🔹 Theme 2: GenAI and Intelligent Automation — From Hype to Integration
Why it matters:
Generative AI and automation can unlock real value, but most organizations are stuck in pilot mode. The opportunity lies in structured scaling — with use cases, governance, and leadership.
Insight:
80% of CPOs plan to use GenAI, but only 36% have started implementation.
– EY Global CPO Survey 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What GenAI use cases are ready to scale in procurement today?
- How can we implement AI without overwhelming teams or compliance?
- Who should lead GenAI adoption — procurement, IT, or both?
- To what extent is your team and data ecosystem ready for AI?
🔹 Theme 3: Talent, Skills & Role Evolution — The Future-Ready Procurement Team
Why it matters:
Digital transformation is accelerating, but hiring and development still focus on legacy roles. Leaders must rebuild the procurement skillset — and support evolving career paths.
Insight:
84% of CPOs say talent development is critical to value creation, yet few have a clear roadmap.
– EY Global CPO Survey 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What capabilities are missing from your team today?
- How can you upskill while managing workload and change?
- Who is ready to lead digital, ESG, or AI transformation?
- To what extent does your current structure reflect the future of procurement?
🔹 Theme 4: Sustainability in Action — Accountability, Visibility & Shared Value
Why it matters:
Sustainability is no longer just a reporting line or a brand value — it’s a regulatory, reputational, and operational mandate. From the Omnibus Directive to CSRD, DPP, and EUDR, procurement is expected to lead on traceability, data quality, and supplier alignment across multiple tiers. But true sustainability requires more than compliance. It demands collaboration, investment, and new ways of defining value — including who bears the cost: buyers, suppliers, or customers.
Insight:
74% of procurement leaders believe sustainability is critical to competitiveness, but only 28% say their supplier data is ready for regulatory scrutiny.
– Source: CPO Outlook Research + BCG/WEF 2025
Discussion prompts:
- How do you manage sustainability demands across supply tiers with limited visibility?
- Who owns ESG data, compliance costs, and performance measurement?
- How do you navigate the gap between long-term sustainability goals and short-term margin pressure?
- To what extent can procurement drive sustainability without losing agility or increasing supplier burden?
🔹 Theme 5: Resilience and Risk — Building Control in a World That Won’t Slow Down
Why it matters:
From economic volatility to ESG regulation, procurement is on the frontlines of risk and continuity. But most organizations lack real-time data and forward-looking frameworks.
Insight:
Resilience ranks among the top 3 procurement priorities, yet only 35% feel equipped to manage it effectively.
– EY + Hackett 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What risks are becoming systemic across your categories and geographies?
- How can you balance agility and compliance without increasing complexity?
- Who owns supply continuity and mitigation strategy?
- To what extent do you use scenario planning to prepare for future shocks?
🔹 Theme 6: Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle — From Tactical Spend to Strategic Partnerships
Why it matters:
Organizations are under pressure to manage cost, risk, innovation, and ESG — all through suppliers. Yet most lack structured supplier segmentation, performance management, or lifecycle visibility.
Insight:
71% of leaders believe supplier collaboration will drive innovation — but only 23% have full lifecycle insight.
– Hackett + EY 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What defines SRM maturity in your organization?
- How can supplier data and relationships drive value, compliance, and performance?
- Who owns the supplier ecosystem and lifecycle visibility?
- To what extent are suppliers integrated into strategic planning?
🔹 Theme 7: Operating Model Redesign — Performing While Transforming
Why it matters:
CPOs are being asked to do more with less — requiring new ways of working, leaner governance, and smarter tech integration. Traditional procurement structures are under strain.
Insight:
Procurement faces a 9% “efficiency gap” — 10% workload growth vs. 1% budget growth.
– Hackett CPO Agenda 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What must change in your procurement model to stay fit for 2026?
- How can you simplify processes without losing control or value?
- Who owns operating model transformation — and are they empowered?
- To what extent have you shifted decision rights, roles, or platforms?
🔹 Theme 8: Indirect Procurement Mastery — Visibility and Control Across the Tail
Why it matters:
Indirect spend — especially services, SaaS, and tail — remains opaque, fragmented, and unmanaged in many companies. Yet it holds significant potential for value, control, and risk reduction.
Insight:
Only 13% of companies have digitized end-to-end indirect procurement.
– BCG Indirect Spend 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What categories or processes in indirect spend are still unmanaged?
- How can you bring structure without blocking flexibility?
- Who owns indirect governance — and do they have authority?
- To what extent is your indirect landscape visible and optimized?
🔹 Theme 9: Leadership Under Pressure — Confidence Without Clarity
Why it matters:
Procurement leaders must steer teams through transformation, performance pressure, and uncertainty — all while being asked to set direction without full visibility.
Insight:
75% of CPOs say they’re under increasing pressure to lead transformation without full strategic clarity.
– GEP Outlook 2025
Discussion prompts:
- What mindset shifts are helping leaders thrive under pressure?
- How can you balance transparency with decisiveness?
- Who supports leadership alignment and calm in your organization?
- To what extent can you lead transformation while managing ambiguity?
🔹 Special Formats to Ensure High Engagement & Real-World Learning
✅ 🔥 Deep-Dive Roundtables: Senior procurement leaders share insights in confidential, interactive discussions.
✅ 🚀 Practical Insights: Real-world experiences—what worked, what didn’t and why.
✅ 🤝 Leadership Workshops: Hands-on training for procurement teams on AI, sustainability and risk management.
✅ 🔍 Peer Benchmarking Sessions: Compare strategies with other procurement leaders in the Nordics.
Theme Discussion example overview Day 1
| Topic | Theme | Session Block (TD 1 before lunch & TD 2 after lunch) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How can we see and act on supplier risk — beyond tier 1? | Why it matters: Most procurement teams still focus their risk management efforts on tier 1 suppliers — but real vulnerabilities often lie deeper. With hidden ESG violations, disruptions, and dependencies in tier 2 and tier 3, the lack of visibility puts business continuity and reputation at stake. Prewave enables proactive, real-time insights across supply tiers using AI and global media scanning — but integrating this data into decision-making is still a key challenge. Discuss with peers: – How are you uncovering risk beyond tier 1 — and what’s working? – What’s preventing multi-tier risk data from influencing procurement actions? – Who should own sub-tier visibility and accountability in your organization? | Theme 5 – Resilience and Risk | Prewave | TD1 |
| Supplier Data Mastery: Turning Procurement into a Strategic Powerhouse | Data is the backbone of modern procurement, amplified by generative AI. The golden record—a single, reliable source of truth—is more critical than ever. As the steward of supplier data, procurement holds a strategic advantage in today’s dynamic business landscape. How do you take full advantage of this position? And how do you make sure it keeps up with changing requirements? Why It Matters: Ivalua’s unified platform streamlines procurement, enhancing data accuracy and operational efficiency. By consolidating processes, it drives strategic decision-making and agility in a competitive environment. Discuss with peers: – How does a unified procurement platform enhance data accuracy and improve strategic decisions? – What obstacles arise when integrating fragmented procurement processes? – What steps can organizations take to ensure effective adoption of integrated procurement systems? | Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward | Ivalua | TD1 |
| AgenticAI-Driven Procurement: Transforming Operations Through Intelligent Automation | Why it matters: Zycus leverages AI to automate procurement processes, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors. This transformation allows procurement professionals to focus on strategic initiatives and innovation. Discuss with peers: – AI/GenAI/AgenticAI – What are the differences and how can procurement benefit? – What procurement processes are most suitable for AI-driven automation? – How does intelligent automation impact procurement team roles and responsibilities? | Theme 2: GenAI and Intelligent Automation | Zycus | TD1 |
| How can we effectively use AI in Category Management – and where do we currently stand | Why It Matters: Procurement teams face mounting pressure to deliver insight-driven, risk-aware, and ESG-aligned outcomes across every category. Yet most still wrestle with fragmented data, unclear ownership, and reactive ways of working. AI and augmented analytics offer promise — but only if the underlying data is trustworthy and accessible. This discussion invites you to step back from the buzzwords and reflect on what really needs to change — in platforms, processes, and team behavior — to unlock smarter category decisions. What Will Be Shared and Discussed: – What core challenges still limit strategic category work — and how do they show up day to day? – How ready is your organization to use AI — and how much is data still a barrier? – Who owns the roadmap to integrated, AI-enabled category management — and are they empowered? – To what extent can current platforms (like JAGGAER) support the shift — and what more is needed to scale impact? | Theme 2: GenAI and Intelligent Automation Theme 6: Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle | JAGGAER | TD1 |
| How Can Procurement Drive Decarbonization — Without Derailing Cost and Compliance Goals? | Why This Matters: Scope 3 emissions are now front and center — but procurement leaders are still searching for ways to integrate carbon performance into real-world supplier decisions. It’s not just about reporting; it’s about how every tender, contract, and negotiation can help move the decarbonization needle. EcoVadis brings deep insight into how procurement can embed sustainability intelligence into supplier selection, sourcing workflows, and cross-functional decision-making. This session offers a chance to discuss how to balance carbon, compliance, and cost — and how to activate suppliers as real partners in the process. Discussion Questions: What does it take to turn carbon data into actionable supplier selection criteria? How are companies overcoming the challenges of data quality, comparability, and transparency? Who in the organization needs to be involved to align sustainability and sourcing decisions? To what extent can procurement lead supplier engagement and ecosystem-wide decarbonization? | EcoVadis | TD 1 | |
| What does your procurement tech stack really enable — and what gets in the way? | Why this matters: Procurement is flooded with new tools, but integration, usability, and strategy alignment remain messy. Huso refers to this as running a “digital stress test” — uncovering the gaps, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities hidden inside seemingly modern tech stacks. As organizations explore AI, orchestration layers, and custom apps, the real conversation isn’t about what’s possible, but what’s sustainable and effective. Discuss with peers: – What’s the hardest part about making your digital procurement landscape “talk”? – Where have your tools created value — or frustration? – Who should own the tech roadmap: procurement, IT, or someone new? – What role do GenAI and low-code tools play in filling today’s capability gaps? | Theme: Theme 2 – GenAI & Intelligent Automation + Theme 4 – Digital Risk, Cloud & Compliance | Estee Lauder | TD2 |
| How do you build a high-impact indirect procurement team—without creating a new silo? | Why this matters: At Hempel, the Indirect Procurement team is evolving from a fragmented setup to a professionalized structure with category ownership and global accountability. But as Michael notes, building procurement excellence can unintentionally create a new silo unless it’s paired with strong cross-functional collaboration and alignment. This roundtable invites peers to reflect on how to turn operational transformation into real business impact—without losing the glue between teams, systems, and strategy. What to explore with peers: What does it take to build up a functional procurement structure from a low baseline? How do you avoid creating silos when standing up new operating models? Where and how do you embed collaboration and visibility across functions? | Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward Theme 6: Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle Theme 7: Operating Model Redesign | Hempel | TD2 |
| How do you connect insights, ownership, and action across the supplier lifecycle? | Why this matters: Managing 20,000+ suppliers — with hundreds added yearly — in a decentralized organization is no small feat. Tuula and her team are building the bridge between business-side realities and centralized procurement visibility. But compliance pressure, growing supplier risk, and the challenge of collecting both internal and external data (that isn’t always digital) make true supplier lifecycle management difficult. To succeed, procurement must build systems, processes, and relationships that link strategy with execution — turning insight into action and ownership into impact. What will be discussed: How do you ensure risk insights (financial, ESG, delivery, internal intel) are captured and acted on across teams? What makes SRM truly “lifecycle-based” — and how can responsibilities be effectively shared in a decentralized setup? How can internal performance experience and external supplier data be merged to gain visibility beyond Tier 1? | Theme 5: Resilience and Risk Theme 6: Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward | Konecranes | TD2 |
| How do you ensure compliance and agility in IT sourcing when everything’s changing—fast? | Why this matters: In financial services, procurement is increasingly responsible for being the “glue” between legal, IT security, and supplier ecosystems. With rising regulatory pressure from frameworks like DORA, and an expanding dependency on digital platforms (many of which are global and beyond easy governance), the need for synchronized compliance and business agility is greater than ever. Patrik brings first-hand experience navigating this from Handelsbanken—balancing decentralization, legacy systems, and control over complex, multivendor IT landscapes. What to discuss with peers: – How do you structure sourcing processes to meet regulatory speed and depth requirements (e.g. DORA)? – Who owns compliance in supplier ecosystems—and how do you orchestrate input across silos?- – What are practical steps to reduce vendor lock-in and increase visibility beyond tier 1? | Theme 5: Resilience and Risk Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward | Handelsbanken | TD2 |
| Bridging the Procurement Gap: Aligning Strategic Sourcing with Operational Purchasing | Why this matters: In many organizations, strategic sourcing and operational purchasing live in separate worlds—resulting in lost value, inefficient processes, and unclear accountability. At Orion, Juho is working to narrow this gap by connecting upstream strategy with day-to-day execution. This includes clarifying governance, improving data quality, and building awareness across teams of how sourcing decisions impact the entire P2P lifecycle. The goal? Ensuring that negotiated value is actually realized—and that operational realities are accounted for in strategic planning. Discussion Questions: – What practices help ensure contracts and sourcing strategies are actually reflected in daily purchasing? – How can we strengthen collaboration and communication between sourcing and operational teams? – What role do tools, data, and governance play in bridging the gap—and where are the pitfalls? – How can procurement increase awareness of cross-functional dependencies and improve decision quality end-to-end? | Theme 1: From Fragmented to Forward Theme 6: Procurement Excellence & Supplier Lifecycle Theme 8: Indirect Procurement Mastery | Orion | TD2 |
The annual agenda is continuously updated – changes beyond EBGs control may occur
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