“AI is not an end in itself. Procurement leaders need to think what they want to achieve and what tools must be implemented to get there. Value isn’t created by simply accumulating data; it comes from transforming that data into insights, priorities and judgment. Procurement is not just a function, but an engine for resilience, value creation and trust,” says Laurent Jeanmaire, Chief Operating Officer, Synertrade.

Synertrade is a service provider at the Marcus Evans Chief Procurement Officer Summit 2026.

How has the role of CPOs increased in complexity in recent years?

The paradox facing CPOs today is that they have more data than ever, but less clarity. The procurement function used to be all about delivering cost savings but now CPOs are expected to support CFOs in prioritization, decision-making and governance. The supplier ecosystem is getting more and more risky, fragile and global. CPOs are struggling to get meaning out of the huge amount of data they have. They need a unified tool to help them on the day-to-day basis, and that is what we aim to do. AI is part of that evolution but not an end in itself. We do AI with a purpose, and added a decision-support layer to help the procurement team prioritize decisions.

Risk is no longer exceptional. Companies are confronted with a range of risks, including compliance, ESG, and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a major concern for CPOs. It can put an entire organization at risk. For example, in 2025, Jaguar Land Rover had to halt production for almost six weeks resulting in a EUR 2 billion impact on the British economy. This pressure has now shifted to CPOs.

How can they leverage their data to gain a competitive advantage? What is the first step?

They need to move from data to insight, and from insight to accountable decisions. They need a solution that manages the full cycle, from supplier risk to source-to-contract and procure-to-pay. All that data must be unified.

How should they adopt AI in their day-to-day operations?

CPOs have started looking at AI in a more pragmatic way, and not trying to automate everything as they used to. They must focus their attention on what really matters, prioritizing actions and identifying risk signals. When we launched Synertrade 5, we built it to support procurement decisions in complex environments. We don’t add features for the sake of it; it already has all the features CPOs need for their day-to-day operations. What we want procurement leaders to do is to ask themselves what they want to gain from AI. Where do they want to go and what is the best way to get there? AI is just one of the tools they can use. It’s not an end in itself. They need to build their path and make their decisions in the right order. If they start with AI, what is the next step? That is what we had in mind when we built Synertrade 5.

How do you differ in terms of speed of implementation?

We do everything in-house which allows us to go faster than any other competitor. That is one big difference. The fact that we’re able to implement a solution from scratch in six to nine months, instead of two years, results in cost savings. Choosing a procurement solution is never a buy and use, but we have the experience to know what works for customers based on their level of maturity and industry. This helps us go faster than anyone else.

How can they strengthen the supply chain against risk?

We need to acknowledge that risk is permanent and systemic. All CPOs can do is manage it. Covid, and the war in Ukraine and now in Iran have a huge impact on supply chains. We were out of sunflower oil in France for months because Ukraine is one of the biggest producers. This shows that depending on your suppliers, selecting the wrong ones, or failing to manage them properly, can put a business at risk, as it may no longer be able to produce or sell its products. It is now the responsibility of the procurement department to anticipate all risks. Risk management cannot stay at the buyer level. They need to be aware of certain risks when selecting their suppliers. That decision can have a huge impact on their operations at the end of the day.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, Marcus Evans, Summits Division, press@marcusevanscy.com