GEP Europe Tour 2025, Amsterdam: Q&A with JP Lauer
The GEP Europe Tour 2025 got off to a flying start in Amsterdam, as the procurement and supply chain software specialist explored groundbreaking advancements in AI-driven solutions.
Those in attendance were treated to numerous insightful keynotes focused on topics including the evolution of digital and operating models, the transformation of digital payments and the future of procurement.
A Procurement Leaders Panel, featuring executives from Unilabs, Perfetti Van Melle and Versuni, brought the event to a fitting end.
Procurement Magazine caught up with JP Lauer, Vice President Consulting at GEP, who told us what he hopes to achieve from the tour.
Tell us a bit about you and your role with GEP
I'm JP Lauer and I'm one of the Vice Presidents with GEP. I've been with the company for nine years and, in very simple terms, I look after our business in Europe with other colleagues.
Give us a brief overview of GEP
That's a very simple answer – everything we do is about procurement and supply chain. We help clients transform with advisory, with managed services and with digital and technology.
The GEP Europe Tour is growing at an impressive pace. Why is it so important to bring industry professionals together in one place?
As a company we've grown a lot over the past 25 years. We started from scratch, founded by four people, and over the years we've grown as the procurement function has grown.
For us, getting people together, exchanging ideas and building the future – that's essential. It's giving us the vision and giving us the mandate to go ahead and build the next 25 years.
Why do GEP solutions stand out from the crowd when it comes to driving real business value?
Everyone has a choice to partner with whoever they want. I think what's unique about us is that we are bringing a certain culture and innovation to our clients and customers. We've been doing that for 25 years. We've been trying to serve them, serve their interests and also have fun along the way.
What do you hope to achieve from today's event and the rest of the tour?
This is about sharing. We're not here to create business relationships. We're here to exchange ideas as a profession and learn from each other, to create a great network of professionals and to connect people across industry.
On our Procurement Leaders Panel tonight we had people representing companies that manufacture coffee machines, make sweets, fly aeroplanes and carry out testing for the medical industry. That's what we do: connect people to exchange ideas and help them forward in their journeys.
Why should companies join GEP in the era of enterprise AI?
We do a lot of things at GEP but we consider ourselves to be leaders in AI and some of the digital innovation in that space. We have a great product called GEP Quantum on which a lot of AI solutions are being built.
But really, it's about choosing solutions for the future. At GEP, we think we have the solutions to help companies in the coming years.
Remaining tour dates
- London, 5 February 2025
- Munich, 11 February 2025
- Zurich, 25 February 2025
- Paris, 5 March 2025
- Geneva, 6 March 2025
- Copenhagen, 11 March 2025
- Stockholm, 12 March 2025
- Helsinki, 13 March 2025
- Lisbon, 19 March 2025
- Madrid, 20 March 2025
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