Why Procurement Now Sits at the Centre of Supply Chain Risk

Send me a messageProcurement has come a long way, from back-office cost-cutting to a central role in driving sustainability, risk management, and supply chain resilience. In this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I sat down with Pierre Laprée, Chief Product Officer at SpendHQ, to unpack what that transformation looks like in practice.Pierre shares sharp insights on how procurement teams can baseline and reduce scope 3 emissions, track supplier diversity, and manage supply chain risk, not with static spreadsheets, but with actionable, real-time data. We explored how supplier risk has expanded from purely financial to include cyber threats, ESG exposure, and geopolitical volatility, and how too many organisations are still flying blind.He explains how SpendHQ’s performance management platform helps procurement leaders move from annual targets to rolling forecasts, enabling faster course correction and real impact, not just reporting.We also discussed:Why ESG issues like forced labour and deforestation are no longer just reputational risks, they’re operational liabilitiesHow procurement can help suppliers get better, not just cheaperThe critical role of data quality in turning AI from buzzword to business toolIf you’re in supply chain, procurement, or sustainability and trying to make sense of today’s risk landscape, this episode is for you.🎧 Listen now and find out why procurement needs to think more like sales, and why data might be your most undervalued supply chain asset.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous Subscribers:Alicia FaragKieran OgnevGary LynchAnd remember you too can become a Resilient Supply Chain+ subscriber  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one and give you access to bonus episodes of topical, timely supply chain resilience analysis.🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on supply chain resilience, AI, and sustainability?I help leaders understand the forces reshaping global supply chains, from geopolitical disruption and climate risk to AI and real-time decision-making. Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpckFinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.