Coupa Unites Procurement, Supply Chain and Finance Leaders
Following the success of Inspire Las Vegas, Coupa has chosen London for the second leg of its streamlined World Tour, attracting a targeted audience of procurement, finance and supply chain leaders keen to explore the complete Coupa Software suite with particular emphasis on supply chain solutions.
Hosted at Convene 133 Houndsditch, the event combines high-level strategic discussions with detailed technical insights, bringing together leading brands, product specialists and senior decision-makers from across the EMEA region.
The significance of the London gathering is evident from Coupa's senior leadership attendance, including CEO Leagh Turner, EMEA & APAC Regional President Joao Paulo (JP) Da Silva, and Chief Product & Technology Officer Salvatore (Salva) Lombardo.
The calibre of speakers extends beyond Coupa's own team, with presentations from major clients including Barclays, Nestlé, Mastercard, Diageo, HSBC, DS Smith and ABInBev offering real-world perspectives on implementation and results.
Morning Keynotes Set the Strategic Direction
The day kicks off with keynote presentations that establish the overarching themes. JP provides an EMEA-specific perspective on how regional market dynamics influence Coupa's business spend management strategy, while Leagh presents Coupa's broader vision in response to growing demands for agility and transparency from client organisations.
Barclays' Shalini Sahi then shares insights into their regional implementation approach, followed by Salva exploring how product innovation continues to evolve within Coupa's ecosystem.
These opening sessions lead into structured networking opportunities, giving attendees the chance to discuss common challenges and exchange experiences across different industries.
Practical Sessions Explore AI, Compliance and Strategic Implementation
The mid-morning to early afternoon breakout sessions focus on areas where Coupa delivers the most significant impact.
Peter Truman, Senior Director for Solutions Consulting, leads a session on responsible AI deployment, examining how Coupa incorporates artificial intelligence whilst maintaining proper governance, compliance and ethical oversight.
Running concurrently, ABInBev's Global Director for Supply Chain Design, Maria Martha Sole, demonstrates how her organisation uses inbound modelling to optimise their complete supply chain operationsâa sophisticated approach essential for companies managing complex global logistics networks.
Amazon Business adds a commercial dimension through Matthias Zwick's exploration of platform integration with Coupa to enhance procurement effectiveness.
The subsequent session block addresses compliance, procurement transformation and cost reduction. Abigail Myers-Antiaye covers strategies for maintaining global compliance during regulatory changes, whilst HSBC's Marc Jones demonstrates Coupa Pay's direct banking integration across international procurement operations. Deloitte's Kathryn Thompson rounds out this segment with a cost-focused examination of sourcing optimisation capabilities.
Afternoon Focus Shifts to Strategy, Culture and Innovation
The post-lunch sessions blend strategic thinking with cultural considerations.
"Procurement Power Play: Creating Value Amidst Uncertainty" addresses how teams can continue delivering measurable outcomes in challenging conditions. A parallel panel discussion, featuring Barclays' Prakash Fatel and Mastercard's Ashley Bowling, examines virtual card spending strategies, while DS Smith's Simon Trobe discusses inventory optimisation techniques for managing bulky materials like paper reels.
The final breakout sessions offer three distinct pathways. An inclusion-focused discussion features representatives from Haven, Virgin Money and WAG payment solutions, exploring how diverse procurement teams develop more effective strategies.
NestlĂ©'s presentation delves into their supply network digital twin technology, showing how this innovation enhances strategic planning resilience. The NestlĂ© teamâcomprising Jolle Ijkeme, Ferran Punti, Lukasz Kroczewski and Supply Chain Director Alexandre Matzâexplains their use of this technology for agile decision-making across global operations.
For those interested in cutting-edge enterprise technology, Diageo's Chief Information Officer Benedetto Conversano, presents the "AI Innovators Community" session. He outlines the company's progression from basic automation through enhanced decision-making towards full autonomy, where AI systems operate with minimal human oversight.
The event concludes with dedicated time for attendees to consolidate the day's insights, discuss key takeaways, and explore potential future partnerships and collaborative opportunities.
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