Bernard Gracia’s Farewell Conference

Procurement & Supply Management Today & After

December 12 – 13 at the Movenpick Hotel Airport, Geneva

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime event that celebrates a legacy of learning, growth, and transformation in the world of Procurement and Supply Management. After more than four decades of shaping the careers of thousands of professionals across the globe, Bernard Gracia, Founder of EIPM, is hosting his Farewell Conference—an unmissable two-day journey through the past, present, and future of Procurement.

Why Attend?

This isn’t just a conference; it’s the culmination of over 45 years of passion, expertise, and dedication. From playing a pivotal role in launching the world’s first Master in International Purchasing (MAI) in 1976, to founding EIPM in 1990, Bernard Gracia has been a driving force behind the education and development of Procurement professionals worldwide. His career has focused on building a thriving community of experts, many of whom have gone on to become not only CPOs, but also CEOs, General Managers, Sales Leaders, and more. With a deep understanding of how this critical function has evolved, Bernard is now ready to share the ultimate lessons learned throughout his remarkable journey.

Through his insights and those of a carefully selected group of industry leaders, this conference will explore not just the current state of Procurement but also its potential as a springboard for future career growth. “Procurement & Supply Management Today & After” will challenge you to consider: What’s next for you?

Key Highlights:

  • Lessons from the Top: Hear from former Procurement professionals who have risen to the ranks of CEO, GM, and Sales Leaders, sharing the strategies and mindset shifts that helped them succeed. These leaders will also provide unique insights into how they view Purchasing today from their current roles, offering valuable perspectives on the evolving relationship between Procurement and overall business strategy.
  • Future-Proofing Procurement: Dive into pressing topics for today’s CPOs, including AI, Decarbonation, and Mergers & Acquisitions.
  • Category Manager Insights: What does it take to excel as a Category Manager in today’s dynamic landscape?
  • AI in Action: Explore cutting-edge, AI-based tools designed to support and revolutionize Procurement processes.
  • A Legacy of Learning: Celebrate Bernard’s extraordinary career through inspiring success stories from the global Procurement community he helped create.

More Than Just an Event—A Celebration

This conference is about people—those who have been mentored, trained, and inspired by Bernard Gracia. It’s a celebration of the success stories, the challenges overcome, and the shared passion for advancing Procurement as a strategic function. Beyond the thought-provoking sessions, expect to enjoy the 15th EIPM-Peter Kraljic Awards Ceremony, Gala Dinner, plenty of networking with peers and industry experts.

 

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Programme

Virginie Vast

Global Head of Procurement I Social & Community Impact, AMAZON

Herve Legenvre

Research Director, EIPM

Salvatore Bernabei

Head of Enel Green Power and Thermal Generation, CEO of Enel Green Power

Claudia Viohl

CEO, E.ON Czech

Gianluca Colombo

CPO, DSM FIRMINICH

Elda Simonaska

Top Management Advisor, Affiliate Professor, HEC Paris

Antonio Trotta

Purchasing Powertrain & Transmission Manager, Ferrari

Bertrand Conqueret

CPO, President HENKEL Supply Chain, Co-Founder Together for Sustanability, Co-Founder Procurement Sustainable Pledge

Jean-Francois Baril

Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at HMD and Founder and Managing Partner at Ginko Ventures

Heinrich Berger

VP Global Raw Materials Procurement & Global Procurement Center, ICL Group

Melanie Lehoux

Founder & CEO, ISYBUY

Philippe Roger

VP Business Development, JABIL

Alinur Mukatayev

Supply Chain Director, KATKO Orano

Lily Xu

WW Indirect Purchasing POS Category Lead, L'OREAL

Dominique Lebigot

CPO, LVMH Wines & Spirits

Suresh Balan

Global Head for Business and New Products, Life Science & Environment, MANN+HUMMEL

Karim Chaiblaine

CEO, NESMA Mobility

Dieter Lott

Director Corporate Development, RLDATIX

Xavier Sarrat

Group CPO, PANDROL

Alex Martin

Supplier Collaboration & Innovation Manager, SAP

Maxi Glas

Director Service +, SAVILLS

Shengli Zhang

Managing Director China, SEW EURODRIVE

Hani Alsaigh

Board Member, Saudi Supply Chain and Procurement Society

Roque Carmona

Group CPO, THALES

Sponsors:

Akiro (Category Management Software)

Akirolabs offers an AI-powered category management SaaS platform that transforms procurement from a tactical role into a strategic value creator.Empowers procurement teams to generate 4-5 times more business value than traditional procurement methods.Enables the creation, execution, and monitoring of procurement strategies aligned with overarching business objectives.

Moves procurement beyond cost-saving goals to deliver multifaceted value by connecting procurement efforts with organizational priorities. Offers a user-friendly, guided methodology and a highly innovative and collaborative toolkit that redefines category management practices. Harnesses AI to enhance strategic decision-making and close capability gaps within procurement.

MEOGROUP, your trusted partner for executive committees, supports clients in all their performance and competitiveness challenges.

With our innovative “one-stop servicing” organization, we bring together specialized expertise in Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, and Project Management.

We offer tailored and responsible solutions that can be combined to meet your needs: from strategic consulting to operational implementation, as well as gain measurement, training, and recruitment.

With over €100 million in revenue, a presence in 10 countries, and nearly 1,000 employees, MEOGROUP is an international player dedicated to your success

AI-native Contract Lifecycle Management Platform

Sirion is the world’s leading AI-native CLM platform, pioneering the application of generative AI to help enterprises transform the way they store, create, and manage contracts. The platform’s extraction, conversational search, and AI-enhanced negotiation capabilities have revolutionized contracting across enterprise teams – from legal and procurement to sales and finance. The world’s most valuable brands trust Sirion to manage 7M+ contracts worth nearly $800B and relationships with 1M+ suppliers and customers in 100+ languages. Leading analysts such as Gartner, IDC, and Spend Matters have consistently recognized Sirion as a leader in CLM for its focus on category-leading innovation.

Generative AI powered S2P Platform

Zycus is the leader in Source-to-Pay (S2P) solutions, pioneering the world’s first Generative AI (GenAI) powered platform that helps procurement achieve 10X speed and efficiency. 

Its Merlin GenAI Suite automates tactical tasks, empowering procurement teams to focus on strategic initiatives. Additionally, it offers one-of-its-kind conversational AI, Merlin Assist, for business users, integrated with Microsoft Teams to streamline intake management with a user-friendly experien

5th December 2024. Webinar: From Silos to Synergy – Building strong Procurement-Finance Teams 

During this webinar we’ll look at the evolving relationship between Procurement and Finance—two crucial functions within any organization, often working in parallel yet sometimes in isolation.

We’ll examine areas where Procurement and Finance have overlapping interests, such as cost control, supplier management, risk mitigation, budget setting.

Further, we’ll look at the challenges faced in integrating Procurement and Finance.

Often, they have different metrics, systems, and priorities. Yet, the benefits of overcoming these hurdles are substantial, including streamlined operations, better financial visibility, and enhanced value creation.

Finally, we’ll explore strategies to successfully integrate Procurement and Finance.

Speakers

Manish Shanbhag

Manish Shanbhag has over 18 years of International experience in supply chain consulting  in the retail sector, Sourcing / Procurement in the Energy (manufacturing) and Transport sectors. Manish has several years of experience in defining and managing Sourcing and Performance methodologies, tools and key initiatives.

31st October 2024. Webinar: Intercultural Intelligence and Negotiation.

Negotiations become significantly more challenging when conducted between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Differences in approach may arise: some may spend more or less time exploring ideas, others may place varying levels of importance on the negotiator’s personality, manage time differently, or communicate with nuances—saying exactly what they mean, more than they mean, or sometimes less.  

So, how can you create value in negotiations without being hindered by biases or misunderstandings? 

In this webinar, we will begin by offering an insightful definition of culture—including company culture, generational culture, and professional culture—and introduce the concept of intercultural quotient. From there, we will dive into practical strategies, focusing on how to prepare for intercultural negotiations, adopt culturally aware behaviours, and resolve potential conflicts arising from cultural differences. 

What Will You Learn? 

In this webinar, we will cover the following topics: 

  1. What is Culture?

   A deeper understanding of culture as a factor that can shape our strategies, influence business conduct, and affect negotiations.  

  1. Preparing for Intercultural Negotiations

   Key considerations for buyers when framing and structuring negotiations across cultures.  

  1. Resolving Intercultural Conflicts

   Effective methods to address and resolve conflicts arising from cultural differences.  

  1. Developing Intercultural Competence

   Tips on identifying cultural differences and ensuring that your business practices don’t lead to cultural clashes.  

  1. Q&A Session

Speakers

Francois Dousset

François works as a consultant and trainer for Supply Management. He specialises in Procurement leadership and strategy and Category strategies. He is also an expert in Negotiation and Organisational Change Management. Over the last 10 years he has been delivering conferences, trainings & coaching around the world for Companies in diverse industries.

Maria Albao Moncanaz

Lawyer with over 7 years of experience in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional negotiation, serving as a trusted business legal counsel in the dynamic landscape of the Tech Industry, with international experience within the Americas and Europe.

She is currently on a transformative journey pursuing an MBA at Grenoble Ecole de Management.

As part of her final research project for her MBA at Grenoble Ecole de Management she has surveyed to uncover how cultural intelligence shapes negotiation strategies in global business settings.

Maria will be with us to share her analysis and discuss how Cultural Intelligence can help better outcomes and stronger relationship when negotiating globally.

5th Sept. 2024: Circular Economy, 6 initiatives procurement can lead! An EIPM webinar.

Are you ready to dicover a key approach to sustainability that is transforming industries worldwide?

Join us for an engaging and insightful webinar on the circular economy, what role procurment can play in its implemnetion while discovering how it is reshaping the automotive sector!

What is the circular economy?

The circular economy represents a significant shift from the traditional linear economic model of ‘take-make-dispose’ to a more sustainable ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ approach. this innovative model aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

Why the automotive industry?

The automotive industry is at the forefront of this transformation. by embracing the circular economy, car manufacturers and some of their suppliers are reducing their environmental footprint, lowering costs, creating additional revenue streams and reducing their dependency on virgin raw materials.

What will you learn?

In this webinar, we will cover:

  • Understanding the circular economy: gain a clear understanding of the principles and benefits of the circular economy.
  • Application in the automotive industry: explore real-world examples of how the circular economy is being implemented across the automotive sector.
  • Key initiatives for procurement: discover the six critical initiatives that procurement leaders must champion to drive sustainability and efficiency in their supply chains.

Speaker

Herve Legenvre

Hervé blends academic and practitioner thinking to create unique learning experiences.
He continuously looks at the trends that will shape the business world. He believes that the competitive edge of companies will increasingly be co-created with suppliers and other external partners. He has developped methodologies to map business ecosystems and to create IoT vision.

Compete to the 2024 EIPM Peter Kraljic Awards

Are you heading a dynamic Purchasing/Procurement and Supply Chain Management organisation?

Here’s your chance to gain recognition and be celebrated among the best in the industry. Enter the prestigious EIPM-Peter Kraljic Awards competition, which has been honouring exceptional Purchasing/Procurement organisations since 2010.

Why participate? This fact-based award process identifies and celebrates organisations like yours that serve as role models, driving transformative practices within global supply chains.

Here’s how the award process unfolds:

  • Start by assessing your organisation against the EIPM Procurement Excellence Model, using the Bee-Best tool. Access to this platform is completely free of charge. Visit https://bee-best.org to get started.
  • A distinguished Jury, presided over by Dr. Peter Kraljic himself, will carefully select the finalists. If your organisation makes the cut, you will receive a validation visit or interview between mid-October and mid-November. The insights gathered from these visits will be compiled into a detailed report.
  • Finally, the winners will be nominated by the esteemed Jury and honoured during the highly anticipated EIPM Annual Conference.

If you’re new to the EIPM-Peter Kraljic Awards, we encourage you to explore the detailed process, learn about the various categories, and discover previous winners who have set the benchmark for excellence.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to showcase your purchasing prowess. The deadline for assessment submissions is 20th September 2024.

Join the EIPM-Peter Kraljic Award competition today and let your organisation’s achievements shine!

Please, fill in this form to access to the APPLICATION PROCESS & SCHEDULE.

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2024.10.10: People Development Strategies for Procurement Professionals

Join Us at the People Development Workshop!

Are you an HR professional, People Development expert, Training specialist, Chief Procurement Officer, or senior Purchasing/Procurement professional? This exclusive forum is designed just for you!

Why Attend?

Learn Best Practices: Discover cutting-edge strategies and share experiences on developing high-performing procurement teams.

Enhance Team Capabilities: Equip your procurement teams with advanced skills and innovative approaches to deliver substantial value and strategic advantage.

Connect with Industry Leaders: Network with top professionals in HR, training, and procurement, and build valuable relationships.

Share Success Stories: Discover real-world examples of how industry leaders have achieved excellence in team development and procurement.

More INFORMATION & REGISTRATION, please fill in the form:

This workshop serves as a vital meeting point where industry leaders can exchange best practices, discuss advanced strategies, and share challenges and success stories in developing high-performing procurement teams.

In today’s competitive landscape, the role of procurement teams extends beyond mere cost-cutting. Effective team development in procurement not only drives efficiency but also significantly contributes to the top-line growth of companies. By equipping your teams with advanced skills and innovative approaches, they can deliver substantial value and strategic advantage to your organization.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with peers, gain valuable insights, and enhance the capabilities of your procurement teams to foster both operational excellence and business growth.

Speakers

Wojciech Minda

Procurement Excellence Manager, Philip Morris International

Wojciech brings 17 years of corporate procurement know-how to the table to shape the capability development programme for 500 global procurement pros. He’s a strong advocate of pushing past the classical capabilities like negotiations or category management, injecting fresh topics like innovation and risk management into the learning mix. Wojciech deploys an adaptive framework to flexibly feed the function with the blend of what is needed for procurement to be world class business partner.

Dominique Lebigot

Chief Purchasing Officer, LVMH Wines & Spirits

Leading the LVMH Wines & Spirits purchasing team for the last 11 years, Dominique’s unparalleled expertise stands as a beacon of excellence in the global purchasing community. Having held senior purchasing roles across diverse industries, his visionary leadership has solidified his status as an undeniable authority in procurement worldwide.

Herve Legenvre

Research Director, EIPM

Hervé blends academic and practitioner thinking to create unique learning experiences.
He continuously looks at the trends that will shape the business world. He believes that the competitive edge of companies will increasingly be co-created with suppliers and other external partners. He has developped methodologies to map business ecosystems and to create IoT vision.

Sara Bucciarelli

Chief Procurement Officer, Gridspertise

Sara joined the Enel Group in 2014, gaining experience in different areas of the Company. Her journey started in E-distribuzione in the Engineering Department of the Optical Fiber and Smart Meter project. After that, she worked for several years in the Human Resources division, both as Executive Assistant to the Enel Group Human Resources Director and as Head of People Development and Training in the Procurement area.

Finally, she joined Enel Green Power‘s Procurement division as Head of Battery Energy Storage Systems for the EMEA and APAC perimeters.

Francois Dousset

Programme Manager, EIPM

François has been working as a consultant in Procurement strategy(ies) and a trainer for 25 years and focuses on the development of Procurement leadership within companies. He has notably been teaching since 2024, and developed art-based seminars for Procurement seminars.

Human resilience for Supply chain resilience

2024.06.20: “Human resilience for Supply Chain resilience”

The webinar will explore how supply chain resilience depends, in fine, on human abilities and attitude.

Supply chain resilience defined as the ability to respond to unplanned events and sudden changes, can be achieved thanks to a diversity of tools methods and best practices. However, ultimately, it is the ability of humans to react to these changes that makes the difference. The webinar will share some key ideas and some practical industry examples that illustrates the effectiveness of human-centred approaches to managing disruptions.

This webinar delivered by Yann Teste from the Volvo AB Group and Hervé Legenvre from EIPM. Together they will explore the following topics:

  • What are the characteristics of highly resilient organisations?
  • What is the role of humans in navigating supply chain disruptions?
  • What type of human-centric strategies alongside traditional tools and methods can be employed to build resilience
  • What are practical examples from different industries that demonstrate the effectiveness of human-centred approaches.

Speakers

Yann Teste

Yann Teste is an executive in Purchasing and Supplier management with an extensive experience in different countries in the automotive and construction industry.

He is also passionate about Human dynamics, interactions, and impacts on the business.

Since now several years he is also engaged in Sustainability Transition Management and supply chain resilience thanks to leadership and human capabilities.

Yann has been working in Purchasing and Operation jobs in Europe and Asia for the last 25 years. He now manages a global team responsible for the strategic sourcing of a 2.2 Bio $ spend for the Construction Equipment division of Volvo AB group.

He is currently in charge of all Global Categories/commodities purchasing for Volvo Construction Equipment.

Herve Legenvre

Hervé blends academic and practitioner thinking to create unique learning experiences.
He continuously looks at the trends that will shape the business world. He believes that the competitive edge of companies will increasingly be co-created with suppliers and other external partners. He has developped methodologies to map business ecosystems and to create IoT vision.

2024.05.30: “AI in Procurement”, a free webinar by EIPM

Introduction to AI in Procurement

In today’s world, it is difficult to imagine a situation where we aren’t in touch with Technology daily. With the rapid growth of AI solutions in different aspects of our lives, this notion is further strengthened. In this webinar, we dig into understanding some concepts around AI, the benefits that it brings and further, some key application areas within the Procurement function.

In this webinar, we’ll cover:

  • Introduction to AI and some definitions
  • Benefits of AI
  • AI in Procurement
  • Implementing AI solutions in Procurement

Who should attend?

We target curious and ambitious procurement and Supply Chain professionals – CPOs, Supply Chain Directors, Category Managers, Logistic Managers, Buyers Interested in getting an introductory knowledge about AI applications in Procurement.

Choose your session:

Speaker

Manish Shanbhag

Manish Shanbhag has over 18 years of International experience in supply chain consulting  in the retail sector, Sourcing / Procurement in the Energy (manufacturing) and Transport sectors. Manish has several years of experience in defining and managing Sourcing and Performance methodologies, tools and key initiatives.

31st EIPM CPO Round Table: Procurement Frontiers: Shaping the Future with AI, Sustainability, and Talent.

In today’s rapidly evolving business ecosystem, Procurement is not just about transactions—it’s about transformation.

 The EIPM CPO Round Table delves into the dynamic interplay between AI, sustainability practices, and the cultivation of talent, charting new horizons for the procurement profession.

Join us as we navigate the procurement frontiers, harnessing the power of technology, sustainability, and talent to shape a brighter, more resilient future for your organization. Elevate your expertise, network with industry trailblazers, and gain invaluable insights to drive your procurement strategies forward.

Don’t miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to be at the forefront of Procurement innovation. Reserve your seat now and be part of shaping  the future of the industry!

To join the event, please contact Natalia at natalia.savitcaia@eipm.org.

This year the CPO Round Table will be hosted in Lavaux Region, Switzerland.

Webinar: Demystifying Innovation in Procurement: Strategies and Best Practices

What You'll discover

  • Join us for this collaboration between Zycus & EIPM
  • Initiate Procurement Innovation: Discover the fundamentals of starting innovation in procurement.
  • Kill the complexity: Confront the major challenges in the dynamic procurement landscape and gain insights from firsthand experiences.
  • Take the Procurement leap in 2024: Dive into the latest trends in procurement, gaining insights into unlocking new possibilities through Generative AI.

Why attend?

  • A dynamic 60-minute expert-led webinar for the latest in procurement trends and best practices.
  • Close knowledge gaps on generative AI in procurement, ensuring you’re ready to embrace innovation in your processes.
  • Get answers to your concerns and stay ahead in the evolving landscape of procurement innovation. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of procurement innovation!

About Zycus

Zycus is the pioneer in Cognitive Procurement software and has been a trusted partner of choice for large global enterprises for two decades. Zycus has been consistently recognized by Gartner, Forrester, and other analysts for its comprehensive and integrated Source to Pay suite. Zycus helps enterprises drive real savings, reduce risks, and boost compliance, and its seamless, intuitive, and easy-to-use user interface ensures high adoption and value across the organization.