AI is dominating industry conversations. Where do you think procurement teams can create the most value with AI today, and where is the hype outweighing reality?

AI is probably both one of the most important and one of the most overused topics in procurement right now. There is of course a lot of potential, but sometimes I think we jump too quickly to AI before asking what problem we actually want it to solve.

For marketing procurement, I think the biggest opportunity is reducing transactional work, making better use of data and giving procurement teams more time to understand the business, challenge the brief and make better commercial decisions.

Also it is not a question if AI changes procurement – it will. It is whether we use the created capacity to become better business partners, or just to process more procurement activity.

As procurement becomes a more strategic business partner, what skills and capabilities do leaders need to develop within their teams?

Commercial skills, negotiation and category knowledge are must haves, but not enough. We need to understand what the business is trying to achieve and understand how our decisions affect the business and the brand.

It is easy to get caught up in procurement KPIs, project deliverables and processes and lose sight of why we are doing it in the first place. The best partnerships happen when Marketing and Procurement move away from "your KPIs and my KPIs" and focus on the business outcome we are trying to achieve together.

Procurement should bring a different perspective to the table, not just another step of process.

Marketing budgets remain under pressure. How can procurement balance cost optimisation with supporting innovation, creativity and long-term brand growth?

I don't wouldn't see cost optimisation and innovation as opposing forces. Budget pressure can actually push us to rethink how we buy and operate.

The role of procurement is not simply to take cost out of an existing solution. Sometimes the bigger opportunity is to challenge the solution itself.

The same goes for suppliers. If we only ask them to deliver the same thing for less, at some point there is nowhere left to go. Giving suppliers the business challenge and asking them to bring ideas can lead to both better commercial results and more innovation.

For me, it is ultimately about optimising value, not only cost.

What's one piece of advice you would give to marketing procurement leaders navigating today's rapidly changing landscape?

Stay curious about the business. Understand how your company makes money, what matters to Marketing and what your stakeholders are trying to achieve. Procurement earns influence long before an RFP starts.

Anna will be joining us at ProcureCon Marketing Connect 2026, alongside other senior marketing procurement leaders.

Download the agenda to explore the full speaker line-up, sessions and networking opportunities