World Procurement Congress: Key Note Poetry

Opening Address

Nandini Basuthakur

Nandini confidently and with serious intent

Describes war, inflation, a polycrisis, a lament

But when faced with a crisis Procurement is bringing sanity

Enacting roadmaps she says we help save humanity.

In the room we are group of companies-288

We, Procurement have the power to act before its too late.

Neha Shah joins the stage and urges us to take one action

Then our host Natasha arrives, she was the first Strictly champion.

Our hopes are dashed - she's not going to dance...

but 3 celebrity CPOs and a nobel prize winner becomes our new circumstance

Key Note 1

First up is Amanda Davies from Mars

Helping young Luna reach the stars

Providing education through healthy soil?

Procurement lifting her beyond manual toil.

Methane gas is from burps not farts

Mars has taken ESG into its hearts

"We can't say we didn't know"

This generation of leaders need to ESG grow.

You have to make your team safe

provide that psychological place

Seek out "uncommon collaboration"

And use our SUPER POWER of execution

Ending with an exclusive mars bar paper wrapper

she left the stage to loud clapper.

Key Note 2

Then and as almost the only guy in a tie-

Willem Uijen describes how Unilever climate efforts intensify

From Hindustan supply chain?

He's taken on their global CPO reign

With 'local to local' imports are replaced

so say goodbye to non-indian tomato paste.

He's using data to be deforestation free

and a "buyer console" from 70 apps to 1-2-3.

From helping farmers in Iowa

to integration in Indonesia;

with ecosystem pillars 5

his team are helping suppliers thrive

Key Note 3

Finally is Juud Tempelman from JLL

not just offices- they do schools and data centres as well.

We spend 90% of our time indoors

so the built environment can't be ignored

and the crazy london skyline shapes can be adored.

Juuds team manage the non-core

janitorial and more

Dave's solutions to solve the problem of geese

the goosinator - a monster masterpiece.

A big focus on diversity- she spends B$2.3?

Christmas lights don't scale - there are local lights on every tree

Balancing bold and day-to-day you need to automate to be free

And by helping clients achieve, to applause Juud leaves

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Day 2: High performing teams session

What is a high performing team?

Nick Jenkinson Man City *yuk* and he bemoans liverpools shattered dreams

Sarah Willmott get behind business goals

and target the team not individual roles.

Isabel Hochgesand but what is the team?

Building trust not only results builds steam.

Tim Snow focuses on the DNA

but 100 energiser bunnies is not the way.

Sarah: Diversity is needed it's critical to feel included and belong

artificial harmony or personal attack both are wrong

Ask "why do we exist, how do we succeed?"

Tim: include them in building in the vison, then the team will lead

Isobel: Get the vision everywhere, see it locally take flight

change, you have to realise doesn't happen overnight

Day 2 : Conducting An Orchestra Finale

We end with comedy and orchestra

like poetry and procurement- a great formula.

Poor Pablo is made to sing all alone

And then we are shown how bad we all are at metronome

We learn business lessons about briefing a team well

they want info and confidence or you'll fail to cast a spell

And then a finale surprised and then filled with dread,

for Reiner picked the baton to be passed to Pablo, Nandini and Mohammed!

With trepidation they took their turns

we enjoyed a slow "anthem" and a dual-pace 'holiday'

before Nandini with some gutso

"shot the sheriff" and sent us on our way.