Insight and Discussion Drive Day One of P&SC LIVE New York

Held across June 5 and 6, Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE New York was the ultimate virtual event for leaders in the US and Canada.

Returning this summer, the event was streamed virtually to attendees. Across two action-packed days, people had the opportunity to hear from leading industry experts as they discussed AI, sustainability, Scope 3, digital transformation, logistics, risk, and resilience, strategic sourcing, and supplier diversity.

Insightful fireside on Day One

Day one of Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE New York had a strong line-up of insightful sessions and panels led by industry experts.

Kicking off the event was Amanda Davies, Chief R&D, Procurement and Sustainability Officer at Mars Snacking, who addressed the audience on the topic of ‘Sustainable Futures’.

Amanda emphasised an integrated approach to sustainability, aligning commitments with executive pay and fostering accountability at all levels within the organisation. “It's about performance, not promises,” she said, speaking in her fireside interview.

“So it is very easy to talk about sustainability and make big promises. Now, it's important to have bold ambitions. We are the last generation of leaders that have time to act on this important topic before it's too late.”

She stresses the importance of turning sustainability strategies into actionable plans, measuring impact, and maintaining a growth mindset. Amanda highlights the significance of partnerships and collaboration, shifting from instructing suppliers to inviting them to collaborate.

She discusses challenges like material sourcing and data quality and advocates for transparency and vulnerability in leadership. Davies offers advice to other leaders, emphasising personal commitment, performance over promises, and the power of partnership. “Impact actually happens through implementation, and you've got to be as available as a leader to support in the implementation as you make yourself available for the coaching on the thinking at the beginning,” Amanda added.

As well as underscore the importance of engaging consumers authentically, ensuring that sustainability messaging aligns with brand values and resonates with consumers.

Also on the day, attendees had the chance to hear from a diverse range of speakers including Ken Bradley, Chief Strategy Officer at Lytica, Dean Ocampo, Director of Products, Finance and Supply Chain at ServiceNow, and Lisa Flores, Director & City Chief Procurement Officer at City of New York.

Panels offering insightful outlooks

Amongst the panels held across the first day was the Procurement Strategy Forum, which featured Cognizant's Melanie Temkin, U.S. House of Representatives Birchard Allen, CBRE's Bob Bruning & ServiceNow's Dean Ocampo. The four experts shared exclusive insights and expert advice on Procurement strategy. The Procurement Strategy Forum, sponsored by ServiceNow, convened industry leaders to discuss crucial topics like supply diversity and inclusion.

The panel discussion covered various facets of procurement strategy, including diversity, technology, transparency, sustainability, and effectiveness measurement.

Melanie emphasised aligning procurement with organisational diversity goals, while Birchard discussed the organic growth of their supplier network. Bob highlighted CBRE's successful integration of supplier diversity, and Dean stressed the importance of making diversity integral to procurement.​​​​​​​

In technology, Birchard discussed the US House of Representatives' move to electronic systems and the need for effective AI utilisation. Bob detailed CBRE's procurement technology investments, and Dean emphasised cross-domain collaboration and AI integration.

Transparency and compliance efforts by organisations like CBRE and the US House were discussed, with Dean advocating for transparency in procurement. sustainability and ethical sourcing were also emphasised, with Melanie and Birchard outlining approaches to integrate sustainability into procurement. The panel highlighted the evolving landscape of procurement, emphasising strategic alignment, technological innovation, transparency, and sustainability.

More to come in 2024…

Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE will be hosting two more events in 2024:

• Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London 
• The Global Procurement & Supply Chain Awards

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