Procurement Superstar Michael Van Keulen Joins Green Cabbage
Green Cabbage, recognised as a leader in global procurement and workforce market intelligence, has announced the appointment of Michael van Keulen, known affectionately as 'MVK', as its new Chief Client Officer (CCO).
MVK boasts more than 15 years of experience across procurement and supply chain leadership in a range of roles – most recently as the Chief Procurement Officer and then Practice Leader at Coupa.
This has allowed Michael to obtain a wholly unique toolset when it comes to procurement, from a blend of strategic insight, operational excellence and global perspective, which he will bring to the Green Cabbage executive team.
From finance to procurement: A global journey
Born in Amsterdam, MVK has called five countries his home: the Netherlands, Belgium, USA, Canada and now Portugal.
Together with his wife and three children, whose diverse birthplaces span Belgium and Canada, his family proudly embodies what he calls "a true United Nations."
"As a practitioner, I have always believed in making fact-based decisions, doing my homework and establishing strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders," says MVK.
"In the age of AI having reliable, structured, governed and trusted data is critical to understanding the competitive landscape, where there is leverage, while optimising the value of spend requires the right intelligence at your fingertips.
"That is exactly what Green Cabbage has created and this is the perfect time to help scale and grow globally across all verticals.
"I am truly inspired by the measurable value Eric and the team are delivering to the procurement community and excited about the journey ahead."
MVK began his career in finance at Foot Locker, where he came to recognise the repetitive nature of finance. However, handed an opportunity to deploy e-sourcing at Foot Locker, he realised that "putting your finance brain with your business brain, with your outcome driven brain, is typically what procurement and supply chain is".
Over the years, he has built a reputation for leading transformation, driving measurable savings and implementing innovative sourcing strategies.
Including as CPO of Lululemon Athletica, where he played a central role in transforming the company’s procurement strategy. He was also laser-focused on creating a high-performing procurement team, implementing best-in-class procurement practices and leveraging technology to drive operational efficiency.
Strategic appointment signals ambitious growth plans
His appointment is a statement of intent from Green Cabbage, who are continuing their momentum of continued growth following their recent Series A funding and their mission to transform how companies manage indirect technology, contingent workforce, marketing and travel & expense spend.
Eric Cunningham, CEO and Founder of Green Cabbage, shared his excitement about the new CCO, adding: "We are thrilled to welcome MVK to Green Cabbage. His experience as both a practitioner and global leader, combined with his passion for innovation, aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver unmatched procurement intelligence and client value.
"His leadership will be critical as we continue to scale globally and bring the best solutions to our clients at a pace the market has never seen before."
Green Cabbage's appointment of MVK as CCO represents a pivotal moment in its journey to redefine procurement intelligence worldwide, reinforcing its commitment to empowering organisations with the insights, tools and negotiation strategies needed to drive 15–30% savings and sustainable business growth.
Hiring him will help Green Cabbage in its mission to drastically upskill its people and scale the most horizontally diverse platform the market has ever seen.
