Globality's Keith Hausmann on the new Breed of CPOs
Keith Hausmann is Globality’s Chief Customer Officer. Previously, he served as Accenture’s Global Head of Procurement and Supply Chain Operations, leading a team of more than 15,000 and managing US$300bn in spend.
His experience spans both the buy and sell sides of procurement, including co-founding Procurian. At Globality, he works with some of the biggest companies in the world as they embrace the power of Glo – its advanced AI Agent – to better manage company spend.
Keith spoke to Procurement Magazine about a new breed of CPOs at the forefront of generating new sources of value creation for their companies.
How are forward-thinking CPOs transforming the value of the function?
The growing appeal of the procurement profession is closely linked to a new generation of tech-savvy CPOs—leaders who are redefining the role with AI-powered sourcing strategies.
Among them is Cyril Pourrat at BT Sourced, a strong advocate for the "digital native company" vision, who firmly believes that "technology will enable procurement to change".
At Prudential, Oliver Gall prioritises user experience, strategic enablement and modern operating models. Recognising the profession’s evolution, he has stated, "we stand at an exciting inflection point in procurement history".
Meanwhile, UCB’s Katiana Lavarone has repositioned procurement as a growth driver, emphasising that procurement "must ideate initiatives that contribute to the business vision.”
Jorge de la Vega of Santander is similarly leading the charge in AI-driven sourcing while also launching an Ambassadors Program to promote new technology adoption.
And Paula Glickenhaus of Bristol Myers Squibb is a vocal advocate for the shift from transactional to transformational procurement, declaring last October, “procurement is becoming a key driver of strategic change".
Together, these forward-thinking leaders are shaping the future of procurement, proving that the role is far more than just cost management across purchasing operations. It is increasingly a catalyst for innovation and business growth.
How are they leveraging AI-driven sourcing to revolutionise their organisations’ spending strategies and embracing cutting-edge, digital-first methodologies?
They are using AI-powered autonomous sourcing platforms to transform the way their teams manage all their spend from tail spend through to complex, strategic sourcing.
By automating repetitive, manual tasks their teams are freed up to spend their time on higher-value, more strategic work such as business partnering, supplier collaboration and scenario planning that helps drive growth across the enterprise.
With autonomous sourcing, business stakeholders can self-serve within workflows, rules and guardrails put in place by procurement.
Again, this allows sourcing teams to spend less time in spreadsheets and emails, enabling them to focus on more “human” tasks that add strategic business value, moving procurement from a back-office transactional cost centre to the heart of the organisation.
Is there a buzz within the profession? What is causing this?
This tech-driven transformation is fundamentally reshaping procurement, making it a modern and dynamic place to work. As a result, the field is attracting a fresh wave of talented professionals, drawn by its growing strategic business importance and innovative edge.
Dr. Elouise Epstein, a Partner at Kearney and author of Trade Wars, Pandemics and Chaos: How Digital Procurement Enables Business Success in a Disordered World, highlights how this transformation is finally revealing the true power of a long-underestimated function.
“Very strong leaders [are] coming into the procurement profession,” she explains. [So, instead] of people who simply ended up there, we’re seeing a new generation of motivated, highly capable difference-makers.”
This shift is not only redefining perceptions of procurement but also cementing its role as a critical driver of business success.
What does the future hold in regards to more CPOs following this trend?
As all companies seek tangible business use cases for Agentic AI and Gen AI, the role of the CPO will continue to gain prominence. This evolution is set to attract a new generation of digital-first professionals, bringing fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and energy to the function.
In practical terms, this shift cements the CPO’s seat at the “top table,” earning the full attention of the C-suite. Early adopters of AI in procurement are delivering such extraordinary value that their contributions are now being highlighted to investors and customers alike.
A prime example is BT: the UK telecom giant’s 2024 full fiscal year report emphasises the transformative role of generative AI in procurement, demonstrating just how profoundly AI-driven strategies are enhancing efficiency and strategic impact.
As AI-powered procurement continues to gain traction in the enterprise buyer market, we can expect more announcements of this kind in the months ahead.
