The World Procurement Congress 2026 in London is set to be the largest yet, with senior procurement executives joining us from all four corners of the world. It will be a perfect opportunity to reset, recharge and swap ideas with peers from across the ecosystem.
With hundreds of CPOs in attendance, the InterContinental London O2 will be transformed into a procurement playground, with new connections taking place, challenges being shared and real value being created. It really is the best opportunity to absorb new ideas and challenge your beliefs.
I’ll be facilitating several conversations throughout the week, but one session on day one of the Congress will get straight to the current issue at hand: managing through structural uncertainty.
Structural uncertainty can be defined as a sustained period in which the very fabric of the global business and political landscape is in flux, when disruption is constant and volatility the norm.
During such times, how do CPOs balance their commitment to long-term strategy with the need to react to the latest crisis? And what are the leadership and functional muscles that must be developed in order to win?
To help us think through these difficult questions, I’ll be talking to three CPOs who are dealing with hugely complex challenges, whether as a result of the Iran war, commodity volatility, or root and branch business-model reinvention.
Cassie Mackie of Etihad Airways, Nestlé’s Jacob Busk Nielsen, and Carel Aucamp of BAT are all facing challenges. The complex nature of their roles, businesses and supply chains demand laser-like focus, personal resilience and bold leadership.
But there are two questions I’ll be asking the trio that I think all CPOs should spend time thinking about during these chaotic times. First, what leadership muscle have you spent time developing to help cope with the current business landscape? And, second, what opportunities have emerged as a result of the ongoing structural uncertainty?
And every CPO would do well to give these questions some thought, whether they are attending WPC or not.
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