Companies around the world have faced incredible disruption during the last year’s events. Against this pressure, procurement leaders and their teams proved their value by getting critical PPE, office equipment for remote work, and other materials that were in extremely short supply. Their extraordinary efforts have raised the profile of CPOs and the procurement function with executive teams and boards. 

As the economy recovers and leaders think beyond the pandemic, mounting concerns about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues and the need to support the business with innovation have moved to the top of the CPO’s agenda. These items must be addressed on top of long-standing, pressing concerns around margin impact, risk management, agility, and digital readiness.