Not many conferences begin with an Eminem quote (“Look, if you had one shot…would you capture it or just let it slip?”) but that’s how Catalyst Detroit set the tone last week: we’re in an exciting period of change and this is our shot to ‘next level’ our impact. Are we ready for it?
I was fortunate to participate and present (on “Future-Proofing the Practitioner For a Post-AI World”) at the event and I thought I’d recap my most prominent takeaways.
First, we don’t lose because we don’t have the best technology; we lose on intent, speed, alignment and our relationship models with suppliers (adversarial where our competitors are synchronized).
Second, stats and observations that really stayed with me:
Last year, there were 30 new US vehicle programs versus 300 in China. (”While we’re still in clay, they’re launching!”)
From Deloitte’s 2026 survey: Most companies use AI traditionally (i.e., to automate tasks) & only a third treat it as transformational, rethinking the operating model itself. Those who implement digital transformation well gain about 21% more influence over strategic make-versus-buy decisions.
Employees are still worried about AI and their jobs, and this fear of job loss is making adoption patchy (I heard this time and again throughout the day).
Third, where Procurement should focus:
Rethink How We Embed Tech:
Strong AI implementation is a prerequisite for the function to become a true value orchestrator.
That said, AI will only help if Procurement rethinks how it works rather than simply focusing on automating our old models.
There is real value, then, in redesigning the org from a clean sheet rather than layering AI onto legacy structures.
Align Our Scorecards and Data:
There can’t be a procurement scorecard that is separate from the business scorecard.
Don’t wait for perfect data - start with what you have and let AI show you where the gaps are.
Rethink Our Roles:
Develop our people to operate as a new breed of Mini CFOs running Procurement.
Walk into the C-suite talking cost savings and you won’t last 15 minutes; talk value (in the customer’s language) and you’ll have a real conversation.
CPOs need to spend less time “doing procurement” and more time listening to stakeholders, understanding them and marketing the function’s value and impact.
As I mentioned, I also presented on Future-Proofing The Procurement Practitioner for a Post-AI World, where I talked about the evolving landscape and how Direct Procurement is changing. I also dove into the apprenticeship crisis and how AI is taking away the foundational work that trained so many of us to become senior practitioners. Lastly, I presented my model for how we can future-proof the practitioner in this changing world. There was a real appetite for, and discussion about, how we develop and transform our people for a post-AI world.
I’ll close with Spencer Penn quoting Ayrton Senna: “You can’t overtake 15 cars in the sun, but you can overtake 15 cars in the rain.”
His point: we’re in the thick of it as change ‘rains’ down around us. This is the moment for progressive practitioners to take charge.
Are you driving in the rain, or waiting for the sunshine?