better to evangelise the profession I love than at Coupa ,” he says .
His advice for those wanting to assume leadership positions is to be prepared to deal with the challenges and ambiguity the profession can bring .
“ I think the most important thing in my opinion is do not be afraid to get some scars along the way ,” he says , reflecting how this has allowed him to build character and resilience .
His second piece of advice is for CPOs to ask from a business what they think they need , rather than just what they think they can get approved .
“ I often see CPOs saying their operating model , resources or the technological landscape they have are suboptimal , but that they will never get what they truly need . So they are just going to ask for things that will give them small incremental improvements instead or settle for mediocracy ,” he explains . “ I always encourage CPOs to be bold , have a clear vision , articulate our unique value proposition and execute ”.
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