How Great Procurement Teams Manage Risk Before Problems Happen with Kris Stasukaitis

Kris Stasukaitis shows why procurement is not just about finding a lower price. It is about protecting the business, building the right supplier base, and making smart sourcing decisions before risk, quality issues, or supply disruption turn into much bigger problems.Kris is the Associate Director of Mechanical Commodity Management at Shure. With nearly two decades at the company and years of consulting experience before that, he brings a grounded view of what strong sourcing really looks like, long term thinking, close cross functional work, and supplier relationships built on trust, not just transactions.In this episode, Kris breaks down why supplier diversification matters more than ever, how tariffs, COVID, and the chip shortage changed the way companies think about risk, and why dual sourcing can be worth the cost when one missing part can stop everything. They also talk about working closely with engineering without creating vendor lock in, how to judge whether a supplier price is truly fair, and why the best procurement teams do more than cut cost, they help the business stay resilient, competitive, and ready for what comes next.Key Topics:-Why supplier diversification matters before a disruption forces your hand-How to weigh cost, quality, and risk without making short sighted sourcing decisions-Why the lowest price is not always the smartest move in high quality products-How close engineering and procurement alignment helps prevent supplier lock in-Why dual sourcing can be worth it when one missing part can stop everything-How strong supplier relationships become a real advantage during shortages and market shocksTimestamps:02:23 The seminar that quietly changed his whole future03:18 The surprising classes that made procurement feel exciting04:38 How procurement became one of the most important roles in business05:39 A breakup, a flight to London, and a career turning point06:35 Why smaller consulting firms can teach you more, faster07:32 The personal reason he left consulting for industry08:28 A honeymoon phone call at 3 a.m. changed everything10:18 The bold decisions that helped Shure grow through uncertainty11:04 How COVID became an unexpected growth moment for Shure11:42 How Shure stayed people first while becoming more data driven13:06 Why sourcing in China is not the same game anymore13:49 The rush to Mexico is real, but the reality is messy15:03 Why Shure’s standards make supplier selection brutally hard16:31 The bigger risk is not change, it is staying too comfortable17:37 Tariffs got attention, COVID forced action20:06 Why long term thinking gave Shure a real edge20:58 The expensive backup plan that can save millions21:56 The product level visibility that helps prevent supply shocks23:00 The fine line between supplier collaboration and supplier lock in23:46 The team structure behind better sourcing decisions25:22 Why supplier performance should decide future business27:12 Why trusted networks still beat cold outreach28:15 His honest take on why most suppliers get ignored29:47 What really helped Shure through the chip shortage30:46 The mix of trust, redesign, and speed that kept products moving32:04 When paying way more is still the smartest move34:46 The real way top teams know if a price is fair35:18 Why cosmetic quality matters more than most buyers realize36:04 How to cut cost without damaging the supplier relationship37:59 Why supply chain is still a smart field to enter39:26 The career advice he gives his kids instead of copying his path40:35 What made industry work more fulfilling than consulting42:37 Why purpose, people, and problem solving still keep him energized44:19 At Shure, 18 years is still not considered long tenure45:44 Why family and stability mattered more than chasing money49:19 The missing LightSource feature he believes could change everythingConnect with - Kris StasukaitisLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/kris-stasukaitis-2071b92Connect to Lightsource.aiLinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightsource-aiWebsite: https://lightsource.ai/