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Top takeaways from Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago 2025

Author: Kathy Presto

Region

Global

Date

2 July 2025

In May 2025, the global supply chain industry’s major players landed in Chicago for Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago. The two-day event presented powerful discussions with top executives from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, AstraZeneca, Bosch, Mars, Unilever and many more.

Proudly among them were HH Global’s Chief Procurement Officer Kathy Presto and Director of Sustainability for the Americas Sean Carr—lending their expert insights to the topics of Women in Procurement and Sustainable Supply Chains.

Check out our top takeaways from the show to discover the core themes shaping the future of global procurement.

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1. AI is reshaping procurement—but people and process come first

As an enabler of procurement transformation, AI can be unrivaled. Yet the most resonant thread of the show was AI’s future success depending most on how we invest in the human element—adopting hyper-smart change management approaches alongside the innovative technology.

2. Inclusive and human-centered leadership is a strategic advantage

Inclusive leadership and soft skills like empathy, advocacy and storytelling are essential senior competencies for building resilient, high-performing teams. From the Women in Procurement Breakfast Briefing featuring our own Kathy Presto to the Leadership is the Algorithm keynote with Westfall Technologies’ David Schultz, sessions urged a people-first approach.

3. Supplier collaboration has never been more critical for innovation

Strategic supplier relationships are no longer purely about cost and savings—they’re a critical source of innovation, agility and long-term value creation. Multiple sessions explored how suppliers have evolved into strategic partners, with close collaboration and sustainable wins showing the way forward.

4. Sustainability is now a business imperative—powered by AI, data and collaboration

With 70% of CSOs now reporting to the CEO, sustainability has become a value-generating board-level priority. Discussions across several sessions spotlighted tactics to manage environmental footprint—and the tools and resources of the future that will help the industry tackle this vital issue.

5. Data alone isn’t enough—to really matter it must be trusted and shared

High-quality, accessible and shared data is the backbone of successful AI, sustainability and procurement strategies. Without it, transformation efforts stall. Sessions at the show and its partner event Sustainability LIVE detailed the need to evolve from a “don’t share unless” culture to a “share, unless” mindset.

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Kathy Presto

Chief Procurement Officer

Kathy is responsible for defining and implementing the overall strategic sourcing and category management approach globally. She is a skilled senior executive with over 30 years of experience in procurement and supply chain management. Kathy leads the Strategic Sourcing function to significantly increase value through client discovery and the development of supplier capabilities across the broad range of HH Global’s operational, service and delivery channels. She oversees supplier governance including the establishment and expansion of our diverse and sustainable supply chain, as well as supply chain risk mitigation. Her team is also responsible for client and supplier business and sourcing analytics, management information and business intelligence reporting and guides our ESG and Sustainability initiatives to shape a more responsible future for generations to come.

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