AI-Driven Procurement 2026 Summit offers sponsors an excellent opportunity to demonstrate thought-leadership and leverage networking opportunities to build brand-value amongst your target audience. If you would like to know more about sponsorship, exhibition and business development opportunities please just get in touch with us – sponsorship@ibrc.com.au
Early Invited Key Opinion Leaders Includes:
Learn the Speakers of The Autonomous & AI-Driven Procurement 2026 !
Procurement Specialist, Sydney Water
Director - Global Head of Procurement, Technology Practice, Infosys Portland
Chief Information Officer, Lowes Manhattan
Chief Procurement Officer
CEO, Sustainable Procurement Value
National Procurement Manager, GenesisCare
Research Fellow and Lecturer, Applied AI Centre, Macquarie University
Manager Procurement and Supply Chain, Robert Walters
Commercial and Technology Lawyer, Pixel Legal
Advisory Partner, SpendConsole. Former GM Procurement, Woolworths Group.
General Manager Delivery and Procurement, LJ Hooker Group
Director – Procurement & Digital Transformation, KPMG Australia
Sustainable Procurement Lead, IAG
Agentic AI & Operating Efficiency Advisor, Technology Connect Australia
Head of Operations, ProcurePro
Senior Procurement Specialist, Otis Elevator
Global Head of Procurement, Flight Centre
Executive Director, Green Wave Advisory
Co-Founder and CDO, Fair Supply
Head of Strategic Sourcing, Device Technologies
Event Schedule
Learn schedule, program and topics of the 9th annual AI-Driven Super FundTech 2026 Summit
Delegate Registration & Coffee
Welcome by Summit Chair
• Where procurement stands in the AI maturity curve
• From Gen AI tools to autonomous workflows
• Key drivers accelerating adoption in 2027
• What “autonomous procurement” really means
• Prioritising enablement, not abstract frameworks
Senior Executive, Ivalua
• Measuring real ROI vs expectations
• Cost savings and efficiency gains
• Lessons from successful deployments
• Overcoming internal resistance
PANEL MEMBERS:
TOM DISSING
Managing Director, Technology Connect
RACHEL FEENSTRA
Director - Global Head of Procurement, Technology Practice, Infosys Portland
SARANN RYAN
Chief Information Officer, Lowes Manhattan
• What agentic AI means in practice
• Use cases: sourcing, negotiations, supplier interaction
• Human-in-the-loop vs full automation
• Risks and control mechanisms
10:50 Morning Coffee & Networking
• The right leadership mindset for the transformation journey
• Perspectives on AI, procurement and purchasing from the CPO seat
• Balancing innovation with operational stability
• Building AI capability internally and managing change across teams.
ELLE VON DIERER
Chief Procurement Officer
• Common data quality challenges and solutions, including managing legacy systems and transitioning to the new AI world
• Integrating AI with ERP and procurement platforms
• Exploring build vs buy decisions
• Scaling across regions and categories
ROSELYN PEREZ
Procurement Specialist, Sydney Water
PHILLIP MCDONALD
Advisory Partner, SpendConsole
SHILPA MOHAN
Head of Operations, ProcurePro
12:40 Networking Lunch
• AI-driven spend analytics and insights: capturing and creating value, predictive rather than reactive
• Enabling supplier discovery and evaluation
• Harnessing demand forecasting improvements
• AI-led negotiation: early days, but how could this evolve?
• Category strategy optimisation aligned with your targets.
• How roles are changing with AI
• Skills required for the future workforce
• Human + AI collaboration models
• From transactional to strategic procurement
PAUL DIGWEED
CEO, Sustainable Procurement Value
EZELLE VAN DER ZWAN
National Procurement Manager, GenesisCare
DIEGO INTRIERI
Head of Strategic Sourcing, Device Technologies
14:40 AFTERNOON TEA
• Common reasons AI initiatives stall
• Vendor vs internal capability gaps
• Change management missteps
• Practical advice for avoiding failure
MANOO PILLAY
Director, Commercial and Executive Business Partner
In this roundtable, we will explore in groups around a table:
• How far AI has filtered into organisational strategic roadmaps – are CEOs and executive teams AI cheerleaders or more cautious?
• What cultural, budgeting, psychological and structural issues are blocking AI?
• Quick fixes, quick wins versus longer term strategy and incremental uptake – where can victories be had, or potholes to watch out for?
• The role of procurement teams in “walking the talk”
Day 1 Closing Remarks
1 Hour networking Drinks
Delegate Registration & Coffee
Welcome Back by Conference Chair and Day 1 Review
• Moving beyond proof-of-concept
• Embedding AI into daily workflows, and overcoming implementation setbacks
• Governance for scaling AI: process and monitoring
• Measuring long-term value, and highlighting wins to the exec team
• Managing AI risks and biases without hindering progress
• Data privacy and regulatory considerations
• Building responsible AI frameworks
• Effective governance models for enterprises
RAHUL MARWAH
Director, KPMG
• AI-enabled sourcing strategies
• Identifying hidden savings opportunities
• Negotiation support using AI
• Real-world case studies
MOHSEN MOUSAVI
Research Fellow and Lecturer, Applied AI Centre, Macquarie University
10:50 Morning Coffee & Networking
• New roles emerging in procurement
• Upskilling and reskilling strategies
• Collaboration with data and AI teams
• Reporting to exec teams and getting full support
• Talent retention challenges
STUART JELTSEMA
Manager Procurement and Supply Chain, Robert Walters
DAMIEN SHEEHY
Global Head of Procurement, Flight Centre
• Evaluating vendor ecosystems
• Custom vs off-the-shelf solutions
• Managing implementation risks
• Future-proofing your tech stack
12:30 Networking Lunch
• AI-driven contract lifecycle management
• Risk detection and compliance automation
• Collaboration between legal and procurement
• Improving speed and accuracy
CALINA POPOVSKI
Commercial and Technology Lawyer, Pixel Legal
• Achieving real-time supplier risk monitoring
• ESG tracking and reporting with AI
• Ethical sourcing insights
• Aligning sustainability with business goals
CARSTEN PRIMDAL
Sustainable Procurement Lead, Insurance Australia Group
MAT LANGLEY
Executive Director, Green Wave Advisory
ARNE GESCHKE
Co-Founder and CDO, Fair Supply
14:40 AFTERNOON TEA & NETWORKING BREAK
• What full autonomy could, or should, look like
• Timelines: hype vs achievable milestones
• Strategic implications for organisations: what strategic activities should still be human-led, and what routine, data-driven tasks are ideal to be handled by AI?
• Key takeaways and action steps
SOMMER ROLES
Managing Director, Roles Consulting
DAMIEN SHEEHY
Global Head of Procurement Flight Centre
JENNY TALBOT
General Manager Delivery and Procurement, LJ Hooker
• Defining your organisation’s AI maturity path: from legacy systems, to organisational redesign, to BAU in an AI-driven world
• Setting realistic timelines and expectations for users, staff and customers: knowing that your data doesn’t have to be perfect to being AI transition
• Aligning stakeholders to a unified AI vision and operating mode
• Building a phased implementation plan
Closing Remarks and Conference Wrap Up
