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

Digitizing Procurement - Sopan Shah, Global Chief Procurement Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts

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

Success Case Study - John Gordon, SVP, Raw Materials and Sustainable Resources, U.S. Steel

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

Lunch  

Combating Value Leakage and Tariff Disruption - Paula Glickenhaus, Chief Procurement Officer, Bristol Myers Squibb

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  

Welcome and Kick-Off

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.

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 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.

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

Success Case Study

Closing Address

Lunch

Hear directly from leading enterprises as they share firsthand experiences, challenges, and successes in transforming procurement and supply chain. These discussions provide practical insights and peer-to-peer learning you can apply in your own organization.

• 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 S2P Automation Challenges
  Joe Torres, Senior Manager, Indirect Procurement – Mattress Firm
• Tim Lonas, Supply Chain Management Portfolio Manager – Kiewit Corporation

Networking Break