The Future-Ready Procurement Team: Building the Talent Behind the Mandate
Procurement leaders are under increasing pressure to do more than reduce costs. Today’s function is expected to influence business strategy, accelerate AI adoption, strengthen supplier relationships, and deliver measurable enterprise value. Yet ProcureAbility’s latest benchmarking research reveals a widening gap between these expectations and the talent, capabilities, and leadership needed to meet them.
In this conversation, Tom Mills, Founder & CEO, Procurement Protagonist, joins Darshan Deshmukh, President, ProcureAbility. Together, they discuss the findings from the 2026 ProcureAbility CPO Benchmark Study and what they mean for procurement leaders. They also explore how leading organizations are preparing their teams for the future, balancing workforce development with automation, and building the capabilities required to thrive in an increasingly AI-enabled environment.
Watch the replay to uncover:
- Why procurement’s strategic role is expanding faster than organizational readiness
- The capability gaps most commonly holding back transformation efforts
- How leading organizations are approaching upskilling, AI, automation, and targeted hiring
- Why influence, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership remain critical differentiators
- Practical actions leaders can take today to build a future-ready procurement organization
Watch the full discussion to learn how top procurement organizations are closing talent gaps, strengthening leadership capabilities, and creating the operating models needed to deliver greater business impact.
