This Week’s Top Five Stories in Procurement
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.
Why Procurement Leaders Should Attend Zycus AI World Tour
On 16 September, Zycus will invite the procurement teams from across Denmark to Copenhagen to share their priorities, challenges and ambitions in its latest stop on its AI World Tour.
Zycus wants to bring the energy, insights and innovation of itself straight to the region with a series of exclusive, one-day experiences across Europe—and soon, the world.
Each stop on the tour will offer a wholly unique experience, as it looks to spotlight the climate in each country—examining the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities in procurement.
Attendees can enjoy regionally tailored content, real-world case studies, live demos of Zycus' latest innovations and thought-provoking sessions with global leaders.
Matthieu Tritz, Director Procurement and Administration at Cargolux Airlines who attended a previous date, says: "It was good to meet with other procurement professionals and understand their journey and challenges."
Amazon Business: Streamlining Purchasing for LPL Financial
LPL Financial is expanding its use of Amazon Business, the company's online business-to-business store, to its financial advisors nationwide for their key business purchasing needs.
LPL Financial is a leading wealth management firm in the US, supporting over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions.
In operation since 2015, Amazon Business has empowered organisations of all sizes through vast selection, competitive pricing and a convenient shopping experience.
Amazon Business drives over US$35bn in annualised gross sales and has more than eight million customers worldwide, including 97 of the Fortune 100, 66 of the FTSE 100 and 38 of the DAX-40 companies.
By harnessing Amazon Business, LPL Financial is now in the position of having a single purchasing solution for its advisor offices across the US. These people are now able to purchase key items to meet business needs – which includes everything from supplies for the office to equipment to keep their buildings clean and even food and drink to keep staff fuelled.
How Mars is Fostering Climate-Smart Rice Sourcing
Partnering with rice producers, Mars is helping to implement sustainable farming practices that reduce environmental impact while strengthening supply chain resilience.
Highlighted at the 'In Focus' Zones at the Somerset House exhibition in early 2025, "SOIL: The World at Our Feet" explores the connection between soil, human life and the planet's future.
During the exhibition, Mars showcased its vital work alongside farmers to adopt a climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practice across the globe. For the Food & Nutrition segment at the company, the focus is on making rice farming more sustainable.
Alastair Child, Mars Chief Sustainability Officer, says: "We're firmly committed not just to targets in a distant future but to delivering progress now. In order to do this, societal impact goals have to be built into business decision making.
"And to continue to deliver progress consistently, we need systemic change across our supply chains, with governments, industry and farmers all playing a role. We know we can't do this alone and so we want to bring our partners and peers along, as only large-scale change will deliver on our collective goals."
Proxima: Supply Chain Risks from Geopolitical Conflict
Global procurement and supply chain consultancy, Proxima, has published an analysis on retail supply chains and the threats they face from geopolitical conflict.
As conflict grows, retailers must invest in their procurement processes and build resilient supply chains in order to stay afloat during uncertainty.
To help make the most appropriate change, Proxima analyses millions of data points constantly, looking at commercial analyses, carbon footprints and spend data, all to get the full picture to provide the best solution.
The Global Sourcing Risk Index is a collaborative effort between Proxima and Oxford Economics.
It analyses the top 20 global economies as well as 10 fast-emerging economies, against eight risk dimensions and 10 key sectors.
