Ep 5: Building Procurement Careers with Meaning feat. Lauren Feery and Kathryn Thompson
Release Date: 04/29/2025
Ep 25: Procurement a Global Profession feat. Ben Farrell (CIPS CEO)
Love Procurement: The Podcast
As business changes, procurement must change with it. There are many voices that want to weigh in on how change happens, what it looks like, and where it is led from. Making sure those voices are heard, and that their message resonates in C-suites around the world, is an ongoing effort being supported by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain (CIPS). In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Vishal Patel welcomes Ben Farrell to the show. Ben is wrapping up his first year as the Global CEO of CIPS after spending 20 years in the British Army and over a decade in...
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EP 24: Data in the Age of AI feat Joseph Yacura & Alex Saric
Love Procurement: The Podcast
Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, but even though data is a critical input to AI, automation, and analytics, it remains a secondary (or tertiary…) priority for most procurement organizations. If they want to realize the full potential impact of cutting-edge tech, that prioritization is going to have to change. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Kelly Barner welcomes Joseph Yacura and Alex Saric to the show. Joe is a senior advisor to M.I.T.’s Chief Data Officer Information Quality Program and was CPO at several leading financial services firms, and Alex is the...
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EP 23: Leadership is a Marathon: Inside the Reality of a CEO Role feat Franck Lheureux
Love Procurement: The Podcast
Making a change at the highest level of leadership a company has - the CEO - means that it is possible for unexpected consequences to follow. In the case of Ivalua, and the passing of the reins from David Khuat-Duy (who is now the company’s Founder, Chairman & Chief AI Officer) to a new CEO, the transition has been smooth and seamless. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Philip Ideson welcomes Franck Lheureux back to the show. Frank is just wrapping up his first year as Ivalua’s CEO, and he takes this opportunity to share some of his learnings and experiences before...
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Ep 22: Experimenting with AI feat. Joel Andersson (Ikea)
Love Procurement: The Podcast
Change is a given in life and in business. The nature and scope of each type of change, as well as how the people affected by it respond, determines whether it is an obstacle to growth or an opportunity. The most obvious example of this playing out today is the embrace (or avoidance) of AI. Some people are diving in head first while others wait to be forced, and the early ROI is starting to create an advantage to those open to new possibilities. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Vishal Patel welcomes Joel Andersson to the show. Joel is the Process development and...
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Ep 21: Transformation at Konica Minolta ft Luca Sopranzetti
Love Procurement: The Podcast
All procurement journeys have to start somewhere, but the approach taken can lead each one in a different direction. While legacy companies often have plenty of resources, they also have well-worn ways of doing things that can be hard to change - unless, of course, the team leading the transformation has a clear vision for the future and takes an open mind on how to reach it. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Vishal Patel welcomes Luca Sopranzetti to the show. Luca is the Director of Sourcing and Procurement for Konica Minolta Business Solutions, an organization working to...
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Ep 20: Keeping the “Bad AI” Out feat. Dr. Cari Miller
Love Procurement: The Podcast
In most organizations, no one person knows everything there is to know about AI. That means everything related to its selection, implementation, use, and impact has to be managed in a team setting. This creates an opportunity for procurement to keep the business focused on their core objectives, and to properly and thoroughly evaluate every new piece of technology. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Vishal Patel welcomes Dr. Cari Miller to the show. Dr. Miller is the Executive Director of the AI Procurement Lab, an organization with a mission to create, share, and promote...
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Ep 19: Ivalua NOW 2026: Shaping New Horizons feat. Alex Saric
Love Procurement: The Podcast
For an in-person event to be a powerful gathering, the content and structure must reflect and support the needs of the attendee community. For procurement, this means actionable advice, connecting locally and globally, and keeping up with all of the changes they will have to face once the event is over. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Kelly Barner welcomes Alex Saric to the show. Alex is Ivalua’s Chief Marketing Officer, which means he has the inside line on the upcoming Ivalua NOW in-person events. Alex shares how procurement’s ever-evolving role is driving the plans...
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Ep 18: 2026 and Beyond: The Future of Procurement feat. Ari Stone
Love Procurement: The Podcast
Q4 is always an interesting time of year - like standing between two worlds. On the one hand, everyone is pressing forward, trying to hit or exceed current year targets. On the other hand, it is very hard not to let your imagination wander ahead to the brand new year getting closer by the day. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Vishal Patel welcomes Ari Stone, Ivalua’s Global SVP of Value Engineering, Solution Consulting & Services, back to the show to identify and describe what he sees as the biggest trends in procurement this year before looking forward to...
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Ep 17: Scaling Success: Lessons from Central & Northern Europe’s Procurement feat. Jan-Hendrik Sohn
Love Procurement: The Podcast
If you are not prepared to deal with the unexpected and continually challenge yourself, then maybe procurement is not the right place for you to work. But… if you thrive on opportunity and adventure, there is no better part of the business to work in. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Kelly Barner welcomes Jan-Hendrik Sohn to the show. Jan-Hendrik is Ivalua’s Vice President of Sales for Central and Northern Europe. Jan-Hendrik joins the show to share unique trends, successes, and challenges from his part of the world: How he went about building and then...
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Ep 16: Modernizing & Scaling Aerospace & Defense Procurement feat. Kevin Framer (Accenture)
Love Procurement: The Podcast
There has been no shortage of news headlines related to aerospace and defense in recent years, whether that is world events driving demand or news coming out of manufacturers themselves. This industry is used to dealing with risk, but it seems like the stakes - and procurement’s role in finding a way forward - have never been higher. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Paul Zammit welcomes Kevin to the show. Kevin is a Business Architect Manager at Accenture, where he is focused on supply management in the aerospace and defense industry. Kevin and Paul talk about how current...
info_outlineProcurement leaders are notorious for finding varied paths into the function, often bringing with them a depth and breadth of experience that the teams they join benefit from. Just as important as the knowledge they gather are the people they meet along the way - mentors and trailblazers who inspire them and open doors ahead of them, clearing a path for them to do the same.
In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Lauren Feery and Kathryn Thompson.
Lauren is the Group Procurement Director at DS Smith, a leading global sustainable package company. With extensive experience in procurement across 30 countries, Lauren has been instrumental in aligning procurement strategies with overall business objectives.
Kathryn is a leading figure in procurement as well, currently heading the procurement practice for Deloitte EMEA. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in digital procurement and has led numerous transformation programs across various sectors, including consumer products, oil and gas, retail, financial services, and life sciences.
In this episode, Lauren and Kathryn speak openly about:
- The professional journey and background that brought each of them to this point in their career
- The professional skills and personal traits that set procurement leaders up for success
- How they think about (and benefit from) working with diverse teams