Does Dirk Karl's New Role Signal 'Next Era of Procurement'?

Dirk Karl has joined HUMAIN as Chief Procurement Officer & Senior Vice President.

After announcing his departure from MTN Group three weeks ago, HUMAIN has announced he will be joining the company in a journey to embed AI into procurement and supply chains around the world.

Dirk has worked at MTN for eight years as CPO. He transformed the procurement function into a strategic, value-driven engine and advanced sustainability measures across supply chains. 

A history of procurement strategy

Dirk has more than 25 years working within procurement, supply chain, strategy and management, eight of which were at MTN Group. He has an expansive career working across a range of sectors, with time spent at Deutsche Telekom, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and ING. 

He announced his departure from MTN in a post to LinkedIn, writing: "As I prepare to turn the page to an exciting new challenge, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible journey I’ve had as Chief Procurement Officer at MTN Group. Leading our global procurement efforts across 17 markets, driving innovation and building a responsible supply chain with a talented team has been truly inspiring.

"My time at MTN has been a remarkable ride filled with lot of growth, impactful collaborations and award achievements I’ll always cherish. I am grateful for the support, friendships and shared successes along the way."

At the company, he worked in the Global Procurement division - Global Sourcing and Supply Chain - which he helped transform into an innovative and agile business and lead a dedicated team of professionals. He and his team worked to drive cost savings while driving ethical and innovative sourcing practices, with a commitment to sustainable value creation.

In a farewell post to Dirk, MTN wrote: "As our Chief Procurement Officer, Dirk Karl embarks on his new journey, he leaves behind an incredible legacy, one that will continue to inspire us for years to come.

"Thank you, Dirk, for leading with care and purpose. You’ll always be part of the MTN GSSC family." 

A new venture

Dirk's new position at HUMAIN was announced on its LinkedIn page, welcoming Dirk to the company.

The post read: "We’re delighted to welcome Dirk Karl to HUMAIN as our Chief Procurement Officer. 

"A true industry pioneer, Dirk has transformed procurement functions into strategic, value-driven engines, championed next-generation technologies and advanced sustainability across global supply chains.

"At HUMAIN, he will lead our mission to embed AI DNA into procurement and supply chain strategy to drive intelligence, innovation and impact."

HUMAIN is a new artificial intelligence company, working to unite scalable infrastructure, multimodal foundation models and applied intelligence in a way which drives real-world change. It offers a range of solutions and products aimed to provide real-time insight and sustainability intelligence.

The move from telecommunications to artificial intelligence marks an exciting step for Dirk.

As procurement teams and supply chains embrace AI throughout operations, a demand for technological transformation is underway. At HUMAIN, Dirk will help with intellectual innovation around the world.

HUMAIN is an AI-native company, creating fast and fair supply chains through AI, data and partnerships. 

In his post celebrating the move, Dirk stated: "I’m excited to share that I’ve joined HUMAIN as Chief Procurement Officer & Senior Vice President. The next era of procurement and supply management is now about to be redefined: From efficient to intelligent, from cost-driven to purpose-driven. 

"It’s time to recode the future with intelligence, innovation and impact which has never been seen before."

With HUMAIN's focus on transforming supply chain and procurement processes, this move signifies an important and exciting step for Dirk's career.

Dirk concluded: "I thank everyone who has been part of my journey up to this point. I’m just getting started!"