Art of Procurement

Chemical procurement's complexity isn't news, but the pace of change – and risk – is climbing fast. With AI sweeping through every corner of the business, leaders charged with sourcing chemicals and raw materials have reached a fork in the road: modernize, or fall behind.
Dheev Arulmani, COO and co-founder of Valdera, brings deep chemical and consulting experience to this Provider of the Week episode of the ProcureTech Insider podcast. He shares how Valdera's AI-powered sourcing platform is transforming the end-to-end procurement workflow, empowering both seasoned category managers and less specialized teams to deliver better costs, reduced risk, and faster innovation. 
If you want practical advice on what "AI-native" procurement looks like in chemicals and where the value is proven, this is an episode to queue up.
In this episode, Dheev discusses:
-Why "one size fits all" tech rarely delivers for chemical sourcing 
-How to equip non-specialists to manage sophisticated materials at scale  
-Digitizing high-impact steps like spec-sheet mapping, tariff estimates, and supplier feedback 
-How to move quickly by starting small (then expand after proving ROI) 
-Balancing cost, resilience, and innovation to drive measurable outcomes

"Resilience doesn't mean a supply chain that doesn't see risk. That's impossible. It means setting yourself up to withstand shocks and disruptions." - Harald Nitschinger, Co-founder and CEO, Prewave
Today's supply chains operate in a world of constant shocks, but the risks that matter most rarely show up on procurement's tier one dashboard. Often, the real trouble is buried further downstream, so procurement leaders have to redefine how and where resilience is built and risk is monitored.
In this episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Harald Nitschinger, CEO and Co-founder of Prewave. Harald's team helps some of the world's largest manufacturers map and monitor their supply chains beyond what's visible, harnessing AI and public data to reveal risks buried at tier two, three, and beyond. 
His insights are especially pertinent for procurement teams wrestling with supply chain visibility or struggling to connect risk data to executive business cases. Harald also shares real-world strategies for unlocking upstream visibility, making the business case for resilience investments, and building an operating model that actually responds when risk hits.
 In this episode, Phil and Harald discuss:
-Surfacing hidden supplier risks using public data and intelligent mapping
-Leveraging supply chain transparency in supplier qualification and negotiations
-Identifying and monitoring bottlenecks in categories like semiconductors and rare earths
-Tying risk scenarios to hard financial impact for practical resilience investments
Links:
Harald Nitschinger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harald-nitschinger-88488280/ 
Prewave company profile in the AOP Provider Directory: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/prewave 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"We need to evolve from procurement professionals into business leaders with procurement expertise." - Israel Santiesteban, Former Chief Procurement Officer and Head of Supply Chain
The next evolution of procurement is about so much more than cost savings. With new digital tools and relentless business change, leaders are being asked to deliver value in new ways and, as a result, develop talent for roles that didn't exist a few years ago.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Israel Santiesteban, a former CPO and supply chain leader with experience across Danone, Kraft Heinz, Schreiber Foods, and more, who's spent decades delivering end-to-end transformation in fast-moving sectors. 
They discuss what it really takes to unlock the power of data and AI, and why the next generation of procurement jobs will look very different. Israel also opens up about the risks and opportunities of working with startups, the reality behind scenario planning, and why high-performing teams need to shift from transactional work to strategic value-creation. 
In this episode, Israel also discusses:
-How to cut through the hype and use AI for quick wins in neglected indirect spend
-Discovering how CPOs can partner with startups for tailored solutions
-Ways to move from reactive firefighting to true predictive scenario planning
-The importance of building new procurement roles that blend digital fluency with business acumen
-Rethinking procurement metrics that show value, not just savings
 
Links:
Israel Santiesteban on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/israel-santiesteban-43627b1b/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"If your business is getting bigger, then supplier management is going to be ever more important to you." - Jesse Lee, Co-founder, CEO of Brooklyn Solutions
Procurement's role in managing suppliers is transforming fast: scope is growing, expectations are higher, and the risks are real. Getting supplier management right is essential to business resilience, especially when the entire organization depends on partners and external providers.
In this episode, Brooklyn Solutions CEO Jesse Lee joins ProcureTech Insider host Jyothi Hartley to zero in on today's big challenges and the practical answers that have worked in enterprise environments. Jesse brings experience across engineering, law, and SaaS product management, giving him a unique vantage point on how supplier management actually drives (or stalls) value.
Hear their frank conversation about what "good" truly looks like in supplier management, how to connect data and teams, and which steps CPOs should prioritize right now.
In this episode, Jesse discusses how procurement should:
-Redefine supplier management to accelerate your business roadmap
-Address expanding scope: onboarding, third-party risk, and relationship management
-Make operational resilience a built-in feature, not an afterthought
-Connect data and policies for seamless end-to-end supplier oversight
-Build a holistic roadmap when evaluating new solutions
 
Links:
Jesse Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-lee-64310a/ 
Visit the Brooklyn Solutions profile in the AOP Provider Directory: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/brooklyn-solutions 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"The future of procurement isn't actually AI. It's people using AI to improve business outcomes and improve their own value add." - Vishal Patel, SVP Product & Customer Marketing at Ivalua
Many procurement teams have adopted AI in some aspect, but only a few have figured out how to turn those early experiments into sustainable, scalable business value. With market expectations rising and teams overstretched, leaders are being challenged to translate AI's potential into measurable outcomes.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Vishal Patel, SVP of Product and Customer Marketing at Ivalua, at their Procurement Innovation On Tour event. Vishal candidly shares what separates companies truly scaling value from those still spinning their wheels, from focusing on quick wins to treating AI as strategic muscle instead of just another tool.
He also shares several practical ways procurement can accelerate their AI journey, without waiting for perfect conditions… or data. 
In this episode, Vishal discusses how to:
-Identify quick-win AI projects that unlock real business value  
-Turn data challenges into progress instead of roadblocks  
-Build confidence and trust through transparency and feedback  
-Avoid "agent sprawl" and focus on scalable skills  
-Make AI a capability, not just software
 
Links:
Vishal Patel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-patel-841574/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement