In this fantastic episode, we’re joined by Jason Cipriano, a seasoned CPO/Procurement Executive who has built organizations at Fortune 500s such as Nike and startups alike, and now the Founder of Tivore consulting. 

With 15+ years of experience and $15B+ impacted sourcing, Jason sat down with Sam to share his insights about procurement leadership, strategy, supplier relationships & diversity, ESG, procuretech adoption, and much more! 

(00:39 ) - Introducing Jason

(02:38 ) - What does Jason think are the differences between direct and indirect Procurement? 

(4:47 ) - What made Jason decide to work in Procurement & Sourcing? 

(07:29 ) - What’s Jason’s advice for starting up a Procurement organization?

(08:52 ) - How can a Procurement team start making strategic sourcing a reality?

(11:09 ) - Where should a Procurement team start to create a Category Management strategy?

(12:35 ) - What are the pros and cons of sourcing for a valuable logo? 

(15:11 ) - What still makes Jason excited about working in Procurement?

(17:50 ) - When is it time for a Procurement team to challenge their organization with a Supplier Diversity plan? 

(20:52 ) - Does Jason think that DEI will become as popular in Europe & APAC as it is in America now? 

(24:10 ) - How does Jason empower Procurement teams with Tivore consulting? 

(28:13 ) -  When it comes to selling Procurement tech, what makes a great sales pitch? 

(30:16 ) - How can Procurement learn about how Sales sells to buy better?

(32:48 ) - Which B2B podcasts has Jason found most valuable to listen to? 

(34:58 ) - How valuable is a reference when making buying decisions? 

(37:03 ) - Where are the majority of Procurement teams still immature? 

(38:37 ) - Why aren’t Procurement teams investing enough in SRM programs?

(40:52 ) -  Does Jason think that the US is behind Europe on ESG?

(43:20 ) - Does Jason believe that Procurement should have the responsibility of making a sustainable impact? If so, are they equipped to do so? 

(46:57 ) - Jason answers our round of quick-fire questions