Agenda
Monday, Nov. 3
3:00 PM – 6:00 PMUnlocking the Future: A First Look at the Next Era of Agentic AI in Procurement & Supply Chain
Join GEP’s product management team for an exclusive, early-access preview of our groundbreaking agentic AI platform. In this session, you’ll see firsthand how intelligent agents will be deployed across source-to-pay to transform planning, sourcing, contracting, supplier management, and beyond.
We’ll share the vision, demonstrate early prototypes, and provide insight into the roadmap guiding the integration of agentic AI into our applications. This is your chance to be among the first to explore the direction of GEP’s AI development — and to see how it will unlock new levels of speed, accuracy, and business value for procurement and supply chain leaders.
6:00 PMWelcome Reception - Antoine's: 713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Antoine's: 713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Tuesday, Nov. 4
9:00 AM – 09:45 AMKeynote Address - Fareed Zakaria, World’s #1 Speaker on Global Affairs, Author, CNN Host
Fareed Zakaria, World’s #1 Speaker on Global Affairs, Author, CNN Host
09:45 AM – 10:15 AMDigitizing Procurement - Sopan Shah, Global Chief Procurement Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Digitizing Procurement - Sopan Shah, Global Chief Procurement Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts
10:45 AM – 11:00 AMInnovations in Tech - Karim Jumma, Head of Product Management, GEP and Pooja Patel, Senior Director, GEP
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.
11:00 AM - 11:30 AMSuccess Case Study - Paul Lorskulsint, Chief Nuclear Officer, Urenco
Success Case Study - Paul Lorskulsint, Chief Nuclear Officer, Urenco
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM Developments in Procurement Tech - Micky Keck, Director Analyst, Gartner
Developments in Procurement Tech - Micky Keck, Director Analyst, Gartner
1:30 PM – 2:30 PMBreakout 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.
3:00 PM – 4:00 PMBreakout 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.
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Success Case Study - John Gordon, SVP, Raw Materials and Sustainable Resources, U.S. Steel
Success Case Study - John Gordon, SVP, Raw Materials and Sustainable Resources, U.S. Steel
6:00 PM Gala Dinner - Galeriè de Galatoire: 211 Royal Street, New Orleans LA 70130
Galeriè de Galatoire: 211 Royal Street, New Orleans LA 70130
Wednesday, Nov. 5
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM The Roadmap for AI-Powered Procurement
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.
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM Keynote Address - Oscar Munoz, Former CEO & Executive Chairman, United Airlines
Oscar Munoz, former CEO & Executive Chairman, United Airlines
10:30 AM - 10:45 AMDriving Circular Value: How Honda Is Rethinking the Lifecycle of Indirect Procurement
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.
10:45 AM - 11:00 AMStanding Up Procurement From Virtually Nothing
Jason Dean, global category manager at GrafTech International, will share how he and the team built a state-of-the-art procurement operation from scratch at the leading edge of materials innovation.
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM Keynote Address - Michio Kaku, Renowned Physicist, Futurist and Best-Selling Author of "Quantum Supremacy"
Michio Kaku, Renowned physicist, futurist and best-selling author of "Quantum Supremacy"
