Art of Procurement

EP 10: Supplier Management as a Connected Discipline W/ Jesse Lee

"If your business is getting bigger, then supplier management is going to be ever more important to you." - Jesse Lee, Co-founder, CEO of Brooklyn Solutions Procurement's role in managing suppliers is transforming fast: scope is growing, expectations are higher, and the risks are real. Getting supplier management right is essential to business resilience, especially when the entire organization depends on partners and external providers. In this episode, Brooklyn Solutions CEO Jesse Lee joins ProcureTech Insider host Jyothi Hartley to zero in on today's big challenges and the practical answers that have worked in enterprise environments. Jesse brings experience across engineering, law, and SaaS product management, giving him a unique vantage point on how supplier management actually drives (or stalls) value. Hear their frank conversation about what "good" truly looks like in supplier management, how to connect data and teams, and which steps CPOs should prioritize right now. In this episode, Jesse discusses how procurement should: -Redefine supplier management to accelerate your business roadmap -Address expanding scope: onboarding, third-party risk, and relationship management -Make operational resilience a built-in feature, not an afterthought -Connect data and policies for seamless end-to-end supplier oversight -Build a holistic roadmap when evaluating new solutions Links: Jesse Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-lee-64310a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-lee-64310a/] Visit the Brooklyn Solutions profile in the AOP Provider Directory: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/brooklyn-solutions [https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/brooklyn-solutions] Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe [https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe] Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement [https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement]

872: Beyond Automation: Accelerating Agentic AI Transformation in Procurement W/ Vishal Patel

"The future of procurement isn't actually AI. It's people using AI to improve business outcomes and improve their own value add." - Vishal Patel, SVP Product & Customer Marketing at Ivalua Many procurement teams have adopted AI in some aspect, but only a few have figured out how to turn those early experiments into sustainable, scalable business value. With market expectations rising and teams overstretched, leaders are being challenged to translate AI's potential into measurable outcomes. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Vishal Patel, SVP of Product and Customer Marketing at Ivalua, at their Procurement Innovation On Tour event. Vishal candidly shares what separates companies truly scaling value from those still spinning their wheels, from focusing on quick wins to treating AI as strategic muscle instead of just another tool. He also shares several practical ways procurement can accelerate their AI journey, without waiting for perfect conditions… or data. In this episode, Vishal discusses how to: -Identify quick-win AI projects that unlock real business value -Turn data challenges into progress instead of roadblocks -Build confidence and trust through transparency and feedback -Avoid "agent sprawl" and focus on scalable skills -Make AI a capability, not just software Links: Vishal Patel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-patel-841574/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-patel-841574/] Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe [https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe] Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement [https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement]

871: The New Rules of Procurement Leadership W/ Gary Mizhir

"I measure success by the number of executives that come to us before they make decisions." - Gary Mizhir, Senior Director Head of Innovation & Excellence, FIS The pressure to move from tactical cost savings to strategic business impact is growing, especially as AI, data, and new business needs emerge faster than ever. But what does it mean to drive innovation with AI and still keep procurement a credible and sought-after partner at the executive table? In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Gary Mizhir, Senior Director, Head of Innovation and Excellence at FIS. Gary brings a holistic perspective, shaped by experiences in the Navy, consulting, product management, and years leading Fortune 500 supply chain and procurement teams. His take on the future, from paradigm-shifting AI to building trust with stakeholders and translating procurement's value into corporate terms, offers practical guidance for CPOs and their teams. In this episode, Gary discusses: -Why we need to challenge traditional procurement roles -How to use AI to redefine value and operating models -The importance of tying procurement's ROI directly to corporate outcomes -How to build trusted partnerships with internal stakeholders -Rethinking process design by experiencing it through your stakeholders' eyes Links: Gary Mizhir on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mizhir-b923344/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mizhir-b923344/] Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe [https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe] Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement [https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement]

EP 09: Provider of the Week: ProcureAbility

In this Provider of the Week episode of the ProcureTech Insider podcast, host Jyothi Hartley speaks with Darshan Deshmukh, President of ProcureAbility. ProcureAbility is a leading procurement and supply chain services provider, offering advisory, managed services, digital solutions, and talent support to help organizations drive measurable value and build sustainable procurement capabilities. In this episode, Darshan shares how ProcureAbility has evolved from a traditional consulting model into a full-service partner, one that not only identifies opportunities but also helps clients execute and sustain results over time. From their focus on procurement-specialized talent to their emphasis on becoming a seamless extension of client teams, this discussion highlights what it takes for high-performing procurement teams to move beyond strategy and deliver consistent outcomes and value to the business. In this episode, you'll learn: -How ProcureAbility structures its services across advisory, managed services, staffing, and digital -Why talent specialization is a core differentiator in procurement delivery -How they measure success through both traditional KPIs and "client implied promise" -The growing importance of revenue enablement and supply chain resilience as procurement metrics -What procurement leaders should expect as AI reshapes service delivery models Links: Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshan-deshmukh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshan-deshmukh/] AOP Provider Directory - ProcureAbility: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/procureability [https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/procureability] Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe [https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe] Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement [https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement]

870: Managing the New Spend Frontier: AI Tokens in Procurement W/ Jon Winsett

"You need to get visibility into the AI tokens, what workloads they are being used for, which users are using them, and what department they're coming out of. Most organizations don't have that visibility yet. They just get the bill." - Jon Winsett, CEO, NPI AI tokens have gone from a niche curiosity to a major line item practically overnight. The cost models are new, spending is climbing at breakneck speed, and most enterprises can't actually see what's driving their biggest AI bills. For anyone tasked with managing technology spend, this is mission-critical territory for the rest of 2026 and beyond. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Jon Winsett, CEO of NPI, to unpack everything procurement leaders need to know about AI tokens. Jon and his team advise some of the world's largest companies on navigating this new category and share what's working (and what's not). From budgeting pitfalls to guarding against runaway costs, Jon explains the challenges and opportunities associated with AI tokens. Jon tackles questions like: Where are organizations overspending? How do you negotiate when the rules keep changing? What practical steps can CPOs take right now? Listen in for a pragmatic, insider's view on: -How and where rapidly rising AI token costs are hitting enterprise budgets -Ways to build practical guardrails and learn from early missteps -How to use open source models and contract negotiation as real levers -Why current consumption-based pricing is likely to change again soon Links: Jon Winsett | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-winsett-0734b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-winsett-0734b/] Enterprise AI Pulse Study: https://arcana-research.com/study/npi [https://arcana-research.com/study/npi] - For Fortune 1000 enterprises that want to participate Governing AI Token Spend - A Five-Layer Defense Framework: https://www.npifinancial.com/knowledge-center/white-paper-governing-ai-token-spend/ [https://www.npifinancial.com/knowledge-center/white-paper-governing-ai-token-spend/] - Whitepaper Learn more about NPI: https://www.npifinancial.com/ [https://www.npifinancial.com/] Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe [https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe] Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement [https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement]