GEP INNOVATE 2025 - AGENDA

Breakfast and Registration

Welcome and Kick-Off - Paul Blake, Senior Director, GEP

Subhash Makhija, CEO, GEP

Fareed Zakaria, World’s #1 Speaker on Global Affairs, Author, CNN Host

Discover how IHG’s Global Procurement team is redefining procurement as a strategic enabler. Digital transformation is powering this shift by redefining roles across a digital ecosystem, treating data as a product and empowering people to lead change. In this session, gain practical insights and real-world examples to accelerate your digital journey.

To kick off the technology agenda for GEP INNOVATE 2025, GEP's VP of Product, Karim Jumma, will explore the innovations set to reshape procurement and supply chain. From breakthrough capabilities to the next wave of digital transformation, he’ll highlight what’s coming and why it matters now.

Networking Break

Nuclear Growth and Supply Chain Resilience – Paul Lorskulsint, Chief Nuclear Officer, Urenco

John Gordon, U.S. Steel’s senior vice president of raw materials and sustainable resources, explains why innovation, talent management, technology and agility are key to building an effective, high-performing procurement organization.

Developments in Procurement Tech  - Micky Keck, Director Analyst, Gartner

Lunch  

In this fireside chat, CPO Paula Glickenhaus joins GEP President Roopa Makhija to share how BMS is using AI, master data management and bold decision-making to protect margins, elevate procurement’s profile and deliver results that resonate in the C-suite. Expect candid insights, lessons learned and practical takeaways you can apply in your own organization.

Breakout A | Unlocking S2P Potential: Boost User Experience, Adoption & Quantum ROI with Whatfix

Procurement transformation begins with user adoption and seamless change management. As S2P platforms evolve into AI-native powerhouses, success depends on how effortlessly users can adapt, navigate and act.

Whatfix, GEP’s Technology Partner of the Year, empowers enterprises with intelligent in-app guidance, behavioral insights and seamless change acceleration. Its AI-powered Context & Intent Engine recognizes what users are doing, understands what they need, and responds in the moment, turning complex S2P workflows into intuitive user experiences.

From streamlining onboarding and boosting compliance to accelerating adoption and delivering actionable analytics, Whatfix AI agents help procurement teams achieve measurable ROI. In this session, Raghav Mehta will showcase how Fortune 500 leaders are using Whatfix to reduce cycle times, improve compliance and accelerate time-to-value.

Breakout B| Embedded Virtual Cards in GEP SMART: Driving Efficiency, Enhancing Control and Security, Unlocking Value

Embedded virtual card solutions are transforming procurement by eliminating the need to onboard low-volume suppliers, raising procurement’s profile, and strengthening payment controls while reducing fraud.

In this session with Mastercard’s Sameer Aggarwal and GEP, you’ll learn how this integrated approach delivers faster, more reliable payments, frees up working capital, and creates new revenue opportunities through rebates. See how leading organizations are applying virtual cards to improve efficiency, compliance and financial impact, and finally solving the long-standing challenge of tail-end supplier onboarding.

Networking Break

Breakout A | Unlocking S2P Potential: Boost User Experience, Adoption & Quantum ROI with Whatfix

Procurement transformation begins with user adoption and seamless change management. As S2P platforms evolve into AI-native powerhouses, success depends on how effortlessly users can adapt, navigate and act.

Whatfix, GEP’s Technology Partner of the Year, empowers enterprises with intelligent in-app guidance, behavioral insights and seamless change acceleration. Its AI-powered Context & Intent Engine recognizes what users are doing, understands what they need, and responds in the moment, turning complex S2P workflows into intuitive user experiences.

From streamlining onboarding and boosting compliance to accelerating adoption and delivering actionable analytics, Whatfix AI agents help procurement teams achieve measurable ROI. In this session, Raghav Mehta will showcase how Fortune 500 leaders are using Whatfix to reduce cycle times, improve compliance and accelerate time-to-value.

Breakout B| Embedded Virtual Cards in GEP SMART: Driving Efficiency, Enhancing Control and Security, Unlocking Value

Embedded virtual card solutions are transforming procurement by eliminating the need to onboard low-volume suppliers, raising procurement’s profile, and strengthening payment controls while reducing fraud.

In this session with Mastercard’s Sameer Aggarwal and GEP, you’ll learn how this integrated approach delivers faster, more reliable payments, frees up working capital, and creates new revenue opportunities through rebates. See how leading organizations are applying virtual cards to improve efficiency, compliance and financial impact, and finally solving the long-standing challenge of tail-end supplier onboarding.

Close

Breakfast  

The event MC, Paul Blake, kicks off Day Two with opening remarks.

Oscar Munoz, former CEO & Executive Chairman, United Airlines

Honda’s groundbreaking Resource Circulation program is a bold initiative to redesign, reclaim, dismantle and reuse materials from unused car parts, MRO goods and equipment. Developed in collaboration with GEP, the program redefines procurement’s role, proving how supply teams can drive sustainability, innovation and value creation far beyond traditional sourcing.

Matt Daniel, director of procurement sustainability at Honda, will highlight the insights behind its development and what it signals for the future of procurement-led transformation.

Jason Dean, global category manager at GrafTech International, will share how he and the team built a state-of-the-art indirect procurement operation from scratch at the leading edge of materials innovation.

Join Aaron Lieto and Ashley Meeks from Acuity Brands as they reveal how their team consistently delivers significant savings in the midst of ongoing M&A activity — no small feat. Discover the strategies behind their success and how you can apply them.

Networking Break

Michio Kaku, Renowned physicist, futurist and best-selling author of "Quantum Supremacy"

AI is going to dominate everything. Or so we're told. But what does the roadmap look like, and what should we expect, when? How can we best deploy agents into the process, and what will that mean for us? GEP’s Global Head of Growth, Santosh Nair, will answer these critical questions and outline what the future of AI-powered procurement means for leaders today.

Closing Address

Lunch

Roundtable Sessions: Where Real Conversations Happen
Join three concurrent roundtable discussions, each led by a senior procurement executive from a GEP customer and supported by GEP facilitators. These hour-long interactive sessions go beyond presentations, offering a candid, peer-to-peer exchange of ideas, challenges and solutions across industries.

For many attendees, the roundtables are the highlight of GEP INNOVATE, providing a chance to connect directly with senior practitioners, share experiences and gain insights you will not find in any keynote or webinar.

Innovations in Direct Materials Procurement
Scott Kellogg, Global Category Procurement Manager – Caterpillar Inc.
Cassie Osborne, Senior Procurement Solutions Manager – Caterpillar Inc.

Applying Analytics and Integration
Nathan Fernandez, Director, Procurement Operations – Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

Navigating Challenges Implementing S2P Automation
Joe Torres, Senior Manager, Indirect Procurement – Mattress Firm

Networking Break