Procurement must adapt to changing world Michael is a strong believer in the need for procurement to adapt to the rapidly-changing business environment . He emphasises that agility , innovation and continuous improvement are essential for procurement functions to stay relevant and add value .
As a widely recognised and highly regarded industry leader , Michael is open with his message to professionals building a career in procurement and supply chain management .
“ I love this profession ,” he says . “ I think procurement is the coolest thing on the planet today . And I ’ ve been saying this for a long time and I thought where better to evangelise the profession I love than at Coupa .”
His advice for those wanting to assume leadership positions is to be prepared to deal with the inevitable challenges .
“ I think the most important thing in my opinion is do not be afraid to get some scars along the way ,” Michael adds .
The digital revolution Michael believes that the ongoing digital revolution will remain at the heart of Coupa ’ s procurement practices over the next five years .
He continues : “ When you think about AI , Gen AI , LLM and everything that ’ s going to bring us … I think if you ’ re in a fairly repetitive tactical function , which includes things like category management and analytics , I think AI is really going to change the game for us . “ How can we truly leverage AI and the capabilities that it brings to us ? It really allows us to become that strategic imperative for the companies that we support .”
90 February 2025