Anghami OSN+

Procurement with Purpose: Mario Khalil on Driving Strategic Value at Anghami OSN+

In the fast paced world of digital streaming, procurement is no longer just a back office function; it’s a strategic driver of agility, innovation and sustainable growth. As Procurement Director MENA at Anghami OSN+, Mario Khalil plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s procurement strategy across a highly dynamic and diverse region.

In this exclusive interview, Mario shares how his team delivers impact across technology, marketing and content functions, while navigating the unique challenges of media and tech procurement. From embracing digital tools and ESG integration to fostering supplier partnerships and managing risk, he offers a forward looking perspective on how procurement can enable competitive advantage in the streaming industry. His insights are a powerful reflection of what it means to lead with both strategic precision and a passion for progress.

 

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Career Journey: Can you share your career journey and what led you to your current role as Procurement Director MENA at Anghami OSN+? What have been the pivotal moments that shaped your approach to procurement and leadership in the media and tech industry?

My procurement journey has been built on curiosity, adaptability and a passion for problem solving. Over the years, I’ve worked across a variety of industries, which gave me a broad perspective on how procurement can deliver both cost savings and strategic value. Landing the role of Procurement Director MENA at Anghami OSN+ felt like a natural progression – it brought together my passion for innovation with the fast paced challenges of the streaming and digital media space.

One pivotal moment in my career was leading a digital procurement transformation initiative. It not only elevated the function’s role within the business but also changed the internal perception of procurement from a support role to a strategic partner. That experience significantly shaped my approach to leadership and confirmed my belief in the power of procurement to drive real business impact.

 

Procurement’s Role in Streaming Services: Procurement plays a significant role in supporting digital platforms. How does your procurement team at Anghami OSN+ contribute to ensuring the seamless operation and growth of the streaming service in the MENA region?

Procurement is a strategic enabler at Anghami OS+, operating quietly yet critically behind the scenes to support the seamless operation and growth of our streaming service across the MENA region. Our role extends far beyond cost control we’re actively engaged in supporting the business by negotiating value driven agreements across both technology and creative functions.

Our collaboration with the Marketing team is equally important. We ensure their campaigns are executed with agility by procuring digital and production services quickly and effectively, contributing to timely and impactful delivery.

By aligning procurement with overall business objectives, we help drive scalability, operational resilience and user satisfaction. In doing so, we contribute directly to the platform’s ability to innovate and grow sustainably in a competitive and fast evolving digital landscape.

Sustainability in Procurement: Sustainability is becoming a key focus for businesses globally. How is Anghami OSN+ integrating sustainable practices within its procurement processes, especially in sourcing technology and services for its platform?

Sustainability isn’t a checkbox it’s a mindset. At Anghami OSN+, we’re fully aware of the environmental impact of our technology and vendor choices. We’re committed to integrating sustainability into our procurement practices by selecting partners who share and reflect our environmental values.
It’s an ongoing journey, but it’s one we’re fully dedicated to. Our aim is to support the business while making smarter, more responsible decisions that benefit not only our operations but also the planet and future generations.

 

Supplier Relationships and Collaboration: In a fast moving industry like streaming, strong supplier relationships are critical. How do you ensure transparent and mutually beneficial relationships with your suppliers to support the continuous growth and innovation of Anghami OSN+?

We don’t just manage vendors we build partnerships. In an industry where timelines are tight and innovation moves fast, transparency and mutual trust are absolutely essential. We prioritise open communication, align KPIs from the outset and regularly review performance together to ensure we’re on the same page.

Whether we’re working with a global technology provider or a regional partner, we treat our suppliers as true extensions of our team. This collaborative approach leads to better responsiveness, greater flexibility during challenges and ultimately, shared success that supports the continuous growth and innovation of Anghami OSN+.

 

Technology and Procurement Transformation: As technology evolves, so do procurement practices. How is Anghami OSN+ using digital tools and innovations to streamline its procurement operations, improve efficiency and stay ahead of the competition in the digital streaming space?

We’ve embraced digital tools not just for the sake of innovation, but to genuinely enhance how procurement delivers value. At Anghami OSN+, we leverage digital solutions to streamline our processes, enable data driven decision making and improve visibility across all procurement activities.

These tools help reduce friction, free up time for more strategic work and allow us to operate proactively rather than reactively. The result is a more agile, insight led and business aligned procurement function one that supports the speed and complexity of the digital streaming space while helping us stay competitive.

 

Regional Adaptation in Procurement: Given the diverse cultural and business landscape across the MENA region, how does your procurement strategy account for regional variations in demand and regulatory requirements while ensuring consistency across the Anghami OSN+ platform?

Procurement across the MENA region is anything but one size fits all. Every market has its own regulations, cultural expectations and level of maturity. Our strategy is built on flexibility – we ensure compliance with local requirements while tailoring supplier engagement to fit each market’s unique dynamics.

At the same time, we maintain centralised oversight to ensure consistency across the platform and to leverage group level economies of scale. It’s about striking the right balance: being locally responsive while maintaining regional cohesion. That balance allows us to operate efficiently and effectively across a diverse and complex landscape.

 

Managing Cost Efficiency: In the competitive streaming industry, managing costs is crucial. What strategies do you use to ensure cost efficiency in procurement while maintaining high quality products and services for Anghami OSN+ users in the MENA region?

We approach cost efficiency as an ongoing mission, not a one time target. Through strategic demand planning, consolidated sourcing and disciplined negotiations, we focus on securing the best possible value for the business.

However, cost saving doesn’t mean cutting corners. We consistently evaluate ROI, focus on the total cost of ownership and cultivate long term vendor relationships that deliver continuous savings and added value. This disciplined, value driven mindset helps us remain competitive in a fast moving industry where costs can easily escalate without proper control.


Risk Management in Digital Media Procurement: With global supply chain disruptions and technological changes, how does Anghami OSN+ manage risks in its procurement processes to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and platform stability?

In our space, disruptions can come from anywhere whether it’s technical issues, supply constraints or regulatory changes. That’s why risk management is embedded into every step of our procurement approach.

We conduct thorough assessments of our partners, plan for contingencies and build flexibility into our agreements to adapt when needed. By staying closely aligned with internal teams and continuously monitoring market dynamics, we’re able to respond quickly and effectively.


Our top priority is to ensure uninterrupted platform performance, regardless of the external challenges we may face.


Challenges in Media and Tech Procurement: What are some of the unique challenges you face in procurement for a digital streaming platform, and how does Anghami OSN+ address these to stay ahead in an ever evolving market?

One of the biggest challenges is the sheer pace of change. Technologies evolve rapidly and the business environment is highly dynamic demanding constant adaptation and innovation.

We address this by staying curious, collaborative and closely connected to both our internal teams and the external market. Agility is key. The ability to pivot quickly while remaining compliant and cost conscious is what allows us to stay ahead in a competitive and fast moving industry.


Future Trends in Digital Media Procurement: What trends do you see shaping the future of procurement in the digital media and streaming industries, and how is Anghami OSN+ preparing to adapt to these changes in the years ahead?

We’re entering an era where procurement needs to be smarter, faster and more strategic than ever before. Emerging technologies will continue to reshape the procurement landscape, and sustainability will remain a major focus area across the industry.

At Anghami OSN+, we’re already laying the groundwork for this future. We’re testing new technologies, strengthening our data governance and building innovation focused partnerships. For us, the future isn’t just about automation it’s about being truly future ready: adaptable, forward looking and aligned with evolving business and consumer expectations in real time.

Calix

Driving Smart Sourcing: Iwan Kwak on Building a Resilient, Tech Enabled Procurement Future at Calix

In an era where supply chain agility and innovation are more critical than ever, Iwan Kwak is leading the charge at Calix by reimagining what sourcing can and should look like. As AVP of Sourcing, he brings a career shaped by global operational expertise and a passion for continuous improvement. Under his leadership, the sourcing function has become a strategic enabler, supporting Calix’s mission to help broadband service providers simplify, innovate, and grow communities.

In this interview, Iwan shares how his team is leveraging AI, risk intelligence platforms, and cross functional collaboration to drive greater value, compliance, and sustainability. From proactive supplier risk mitigation to long term partner development and future focused investments in generative AI, he offers a clear eyed view of what it takes to stay ahead in a fast moving, highly technical procurement landscape.

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Professional Journey: Can you share your career path and what led you to your current role as AVP of Sourcing at Calix?

I began my career in Customer Care with Lucent Technologies, followed by operational roles in supply chain, sales operations, material planning, fulfillment, and program management.

While most roles in the supply chain can be very gratifying, I gravitated early on toward Sourcing. It requires a person to gain expertise in multiple business areas and to build strong partnerships both cross functionally and with external third parties. My first sourcing role came in 2004, when Avaya centralised international procurement in the UK. In 2007, I relocated to the US and managed Avaya’s Contract Manufacturing business, followed by roles overseeing OEMs, raw materials, and NPI program management.

In 2016, I joined an embedded computing company in Oregon, leading the supply chain organisation. This was a great opportunity to put into practice everything I had learned throughout my career to date.

Talking to procurement leaders at cross industry events, I’ve come to really appreciate having landed in the technology sector. The constantly changing environment allows for continuous learning. For my next move, I knew I wanted to stay in tech but I was looking for a company with a growth mindset and the right culture. Calix checked all these boxes, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity in 2020 to lead Sourcing and Procurement Operations.

Calix supports a wide range of broadband providers from traditional BSPs like WWZ in Switzerland, to wholesale operators such as CityFibre in the UK, Eurofiber in Germany, to over the top experience providers like LitFibre. We work with municipal networks, tribal operators, and rural cooperatives.

That variety means we must be globally scalable, regionally agile, and capable of supporting providers at very different stages of growth and complexity.

 

Sourcing at Calix: How does the Sourcing function at Calix support the company’s mission to help broadband service providers innovate to deliver experiences and grow value for the communities they serve?

The Calix mission is to enable broadband service providers (BSPs) of all sizes to simplify their operations, innovate for their subscribers, and grow value for themselves and their communities. Sourcing plays a pivotal role in aligning our suppliers to that mission. We help foster the right partnerships, ensuring that innovative technologies are delivered in a timely and cost competitive manner, while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability and efficiency across our supply chains.

We ensure access to forward looking solutions that BSPs can leverage to deliver differentiated value. These technologies support experiences across residential, business, and community markets, enabling smaller, rural communities to thrive. Many of our customers began as electric cooperatives. While they’ve evolved to deliver broadband connectivity, their core mission remains the same: to do good for their communities.

Sourcing at Calix identifies, evaluates, and collaborates with Product Line Leadership and Engineering to adopt innovative components and systems. With the right technologies and well developed partner relationships, we deliver impactful solutions that empower our BSP customers to simplify, innovate, and grow.

We also recognise the importance of sustainability for the communities we support. By prioritising environmentally responsible suppliers and materials, the Sourcing function helps our BSPs reduce their carbon footprint and promote green initiatives.

 

Sustainable Procurement Practices: With Calix’s emphasis on empowering smart communities, what sustainable procurement practices have you implemented that align with broader environmental and social goals?

As part of our commitment to society and our people, Calix appointed Martha Galley as our Chief Sustainability Officer. Martha is a pioneer in broadband, known for her expert leadership in driving customer engagement through data driven strategies and a strong focus on the broadband experience. She brings strategic vision to ensure that sustainability is not only part of Procurement but embedded in everything we do at Calix.

Sustainability is a core element of our supplier onboarding process. Most Calix suppliers not only participate in EcoVadis self assessments but also receive recognition for completing training through the EcoVadis Academy. By partnering with EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of sustainability ratings, we create transparency within our supplier network and work toward a more sustainable future for all.

We’ve made clear commitments across three focus areas. First, through leadership and compliance, Calix audits suppliers to ensure alignment with our Code of Conduct. Second, sustainability is embedded into every step of the supply chain, from onboarding to continuous performance reviews, fostering a culture of ongoing improvement. And third, our supply chain and sourcing managers are trained in sustainability and are empowered to innovate and improve products and processes.

We also provide our suppliers with access to the EcoVadis Academy and actively encourage them to use these tools to drive continuous improvement, focusing on areas such as environmental practices, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.

 

Supplier Relationship Management: What strategies do you use to build and maintain long term, value driven relationships with suppliers in a highly technical and competitive landscape?

Building long term, value driven relationships is critical to maintaining a resilient supply chain. It begins with selecting the right suppliers, a task that is often more complex than it seems.

While the fundamentals like technical capabilities, quality, certifications, footprint, and financial stability are essential, once those appliances are checked, it ultimately comes down to relationship building. And like all meaningful relationships, it takes time, honesty, clear expectations, trust (with some degree of “trust but verify”), and frequent, open feedback.

We focus on maximising the time we spend with our suppliers. We want them to feel like an extension of our team because our success is their success. By sharing more about why we do what we do, we enable suppliers to suggest solutions we may not have otherwise considered, and to reframe discussions around cost reductions. For example, reducing costs enables us to sell more appliances, which ultimately results in more appliances for them to manufacture.

We’ve also designed our business performance scorecard to make it easier for suppliers to understand how they’re being evaluated. It allows them to see exactly where they stand and how they rank against others. This level of transparency has increased competition, boosted performance, and strengthened trust.

In the end, collaboration, clear communication, and mutual investment are key to fostering trust and achieving shared goals. These partnerships must be nurtured because when done right, they become a powerful source of competitive advantage and long term success.

 

Supplier Risk Management: How do you assess and mitigate supply chain risks, especially in the context of geopolitical tensions, component shortages, or regulatory changes?

Supply chain challenges are inevitable in today’s dynamic environment, but we manage them through proactive assessment, strategic mitigation efforts, and strong supplier collaboration.

Continuous communication with our suppliers—who are upstream and often closer to potentially impactful events—ensures that we receive timely information to inform our Supplier Risk Management (SRM) strategies and address material shortages effectively.

Proactive risk management is part of our DNA. We’ve developed a dashboard that provides visibility into all risk areas critical to our operations. We also leverage tools from industry leading partners for business continuity planning, cybersecurity, ESG monitoring, and financial health, such as Rapid Ratings for financial analysis and Resilinc’s Resiliency Risk Score for operational insights. These tools proactively push risk data to our supplier managers so they can act quickly and with precision.

In 2021, we implemented Resilinc, a global leader in supply chain risk intelligence. Their autonomous AI driven solution helps predict disruptions, evaluate their impact, suggest response strategies, and support execution. With this platform, we often notify our manufacturers of potential risks to their operations before they’re even aware of them.

Alongside technology, we use traditional methods like product and raw material buffers, and have started expanding regional manufacturing.

For Calix, supply chain risk management is not just an operational necessity, it is a strategic advantage in a volatile world.

 

Technology and Procurement Integration: How has Calix integrated digital tools or platforms into its sourcing and procurement processes to improve efficiency, visibility, and compliance?

Process compliance is a critical component of procurement at Calix, and we’ve implemented a range of digital tools and third party services to automate compliance checks, ensuring that all sourcing and procurement activities meet our internal standards and ethical guidelines.

We leverage the Supply Chain Management module within our ERP software suite to simplify and accelerate supplier onboarding and procurement compliance. This system works in tandem with our Supplier Risk Management platform, allowing us to evaluate suppliers before they are approved for purchasing. Together, these tools not only ensure process compliance but also provide the visibility needed to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.

Additionally, we use an AI supported contract lifecycle management platform for contract negotiations. This system streamlines document control, e-signatures, and secure digital contracts, while also offering analytics and automated alerts for both Procurement and Legal teams.

 

Partnerships and Collaborations: Can you discuss how Calix engages with strategic partners and suppliers to co innovate or drive joint value creation in product development or supply chain initiatives?

Strategic collaborations thrive when built with a long term mindset. This level of commitment fosters deeper integration, greater innovation, and the ability to overcome challenges collaboratively.

By sharing our current product lifecycle, long term roadmap vision, and software ecosystem requirements with our ODM and silicon partners, we enable them to adjust development schedules and prioritise design features that align with our market and customer needs. This collaborative approach drives value in the form of increased customer retention and market competitiveness, while also ensuring meaningful value generation for our partners.

Our investments in risk mitigation tools such as Resilinc’s EventWatch also provide significant advantages to our contract manufacturers by alerting them to potential disruptions within their supply chains. These proactive insights allow all parties to respond quickly and efficiently, strengthening our collective resilience and agility.

 

Adaptability in Procurement: How does your sourcing team stay agile and resilient in response to rapid market shifts, such as changes in telecom infrastructure needs or global logistics disruptions?

We continuously monitor changes in market dynamics to anticipate and respond effectively to new challenges. With limited resources, we rely on multiple digital platforms to push critical information to the right stakeholders, enabling faster reaction times to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical risks, and environmental impacts.

Business continuity planning is part of our annual planning cycle not just a check the box exercise. We conduct simulations to test our preparedness, and we expect the same from our suppliers. We don’t just ask for documented processes, we verify and test them to ensure real world effectiveness.


In today’s volatile global environment, scenario planning is a top priority. We proactively explore potential disruptions and build contingency plans in advance. Our digital platforms provide rapid alerts, so we make sure mitigation strategies are ready to activate as needed.

A well trained team is key to our resilience. Calix provides ongoing training in areas such as emerging technologies, negotiation techniques, and risk management, ensuring our sourcing professionals are equipped to handle complex challenges with confidence.

In 2024, Calix was ranked 16th out of 140,000 companies in the electronics, telecom, and semiconductor industries for supply chain excellence by Resilinc, a global leader in supply chain risk intelligence. This recognition reflects our proactive and holistic approach to building a resilient and agile supply chain.

 

Team Development and Knowledge Sharing: What initiatives do you have in place to ensure continuous learning, upskilling, and collaboration within your sourcing and procurement teams?

At Calix, we are committed to ensuring that employees continuously learn and grow throughout their careers. We recognise that skill development can take many forms, including formal education, hands on experience, feedback, and coaching.

We provide team members with a wide range of learning resources and subscriptions to help deepen their knowledge whether it relates to their current scope of responsibility or supports a desire to grow into new areas of the business.

Within the Sourcing and Procurement function, our entire Supply Chain organisation is provided with membership to the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). This membership offers access to certifications and credentials that can be achieved through online courses and certificate programmes, supporting both professional development and industry best practice.

 

Future Vision for Sourcing at Calix: Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for evolving the sourcing function at Calix, particularly in areas like sustainability, digital transformation, or supplier collaboration?

I’m particularly interested in solutions that make greater use of artificial intelligence to process data and deliver insights, or even actions, in real time or near real time.

Accelerating supplier onboarding and controlling off contract spend are important goals. An AI driven solution that can integrate data sources and establish relationships across databases would provide much deeper insight into supplier disruptions, geopolitical risks, supply constraints, cost reduction opportunities, value engineering initiatives, and design input to support greater manufacturing automation and potential nearshoring strategies.

Generative AI has the potential to transform how we work. It can help automate tasks, analyse vast datasets, and support better decision making ultimately driving efficiency, cost savings, and risk reduction. I envision this capability enabling sourcing teams to conduct rapid should-cost analysis, perform early design iterations based on high level requirements, improve BOM grading for lifecycle and multi source resilience, and evaluate regulatory risks more effectively.

These are exciting times for sourcing, and with the increased flow of data and intelligence comes a new challenge: deciding how to harness that information and turn it into value generating actions for the business.

Canva

Procurement Beyond Playbooks: Vinod Kumar on Leading with Curiosity, Clarity, and Courage at Canva

 

In a company where creativity and speed drive everything, from design to deployment, procurement must do more than keep up; it has to lead. As Technology Sourcing Lead at Canva, Vinod Kumar has embraced this challenge head on. With a background that spans luxury hospitality, banking, and tech, Vinod brings a rare mix of customer centricity, commercial insight, and operational sharpness to the world of technology procurement.

In this interview, he shares how Canva’s fast paced, collaborative culture shapes his sourcing strategy, how AI is already transforming the way procurement adds value, and why building authentic relationships across the business matters more than ever. From navigating SaaS complexities to enabling scale through smart vendor partnerships, Vinod offers a grounded yet future focused perspective on what it really takes to lead procurement in one of the world’s most dynamic tech companies.

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Career Journey: Can you share your career path and what led you to your current role as Technology Sourcing Lead at Canva? What experiences have most influenced your approach to technology procurement?

I started my career in luxury hospitality, working across India, the Middle East, and on cruise lines, an experience that instilled in me a deep focus on customer centricity, cost consciousness, and operational excellence. After a decade, I moved to Australia with the goal of transitioning into the corporate world. I joined one of the country’s largest banks to help transform its Corporate Services team.

That role led me to manage an accelerated supplier consolidation program following a major M&A, and eventually into technology procurement after navigating a particularly challenging software audit. Since then, I’ve led complex negotiations with major software vendors, service integrators, and cloud providers, always with a focus on creating long term value.

Looking back, three key experiences have shaped my procurement approach. Hospitality taught me to always put the customer first. That principle now guides how I design procurement processes, building everything around what internal users truly need, while aligning with the company’s broader strategy. I’ve also learned that success in procurement isn’t about squeezing vendors; it’s about understanding usage patterns and unlocking real ROI. And finally, working at Canva has shown me how essential it is to stay tech savvy and market aware. In a fast growing tech company, procurement must enable innovation, not slow it down.

 

Why Canva: What attracted you to Canva?

I wanted to join a company that moves fast, solves meaningful problems, and gives me the freedom to truly own my work. Canva delivered on all of that and more.

The first thing that drew me in was the culture. It’s young, dynamic, and deeply collaborative. Everyone thinks like a founder: bold, curious, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. There’s no red tape and no sacred cows. We set a high bar, celebrate wins loudly, and always push for progress over perfection.

That mindset is matched by the scale of what we’re building. Over 243 million people use Canva each month, with more than 35 billion designs created to date. We’re also one of the top AI design platforms globally, and our AI tools have already been used over 18 billion times. As Canva expands into the enterprise space with customers like Salesforce, DocuSign, and eXp Realty embracing Canva Enterprise we’re tackling even more complex and impactful challenges.

From a procurement perspective, that means operating at the intersection of velocity, innovation and real impact. We’re not just ticking boxes. We’re helping shape the future of how people design, collaborate and create. That’s what makes coming to work every day genuinely exciting.

 

Technology Procurement Strategy: As the Technology Sourcing Lead, how do you align Canva’s technology procurement strategies with the company’s mission to empower everyone to design?

Canva’s mission is to empower everyone to design, and that means technology procurement can’t become a roadblock to innovation.

Our strategy is straightforward: be a trusted partner, understand what teams actually need, and then step back while keeping the right guardrails in place.

We take a growth first approach. We’re not just negotiating for today; we’re planning for the millions more people who will use Canva tomorrow. That means building flexible, scalable agreements that won’t hold us back as we grow.

Second, we aim to make procurement as seamless as possible. While some friction is inevitable in a fast moving environment, our goal is to eliminate unnecessary hurdles. We’ve simplified approvals and created frameworks that empower teams to make swift, sound decisions.
Finally, we prioritise real partnerships, not just vendor relationships. We look for partners who share our values and vision. In some cases, we’ve even invested in these partnerships because we believe in their long term potential.

At Canva, procurement is a catalyst, not a blocker. My role is to ensure our teams have what they need to keep pushing forward so anyone, anywhere, can design with ease.

 

SaaS Procurement Challenges: Given Canva’s extensive use of SaaS solutions, what are the primary challenges you face in SaaS procurement, and how do you address them to ensure optimal value and compliance?

As a born in the cloud company, SaaS has always powered the way we work, giving our teams instant scalability and access to world class tools. But after a decade of rapid growth, we’ve also learned that the convenience of SaaS comes with its own set of challenges, particularly around cost visibility and control.

AI driven and usage based pricing models make forecasting difficult. SaaS and cloud costs are becoming increasingly intertwined. And with every team able to spin up their own tools, fragmentation and security risks begin to scale quickly.

We’ve addressed this by focusing on volume right sizing, buying only what we need, when we need it and by building a strong Cloud FinOps capability that helps us surface the true cost of our technology decisions.

Our engineering culture is also a major strength. We know what good looks like and use that expertise to negotiate better deals. On the compliance side, we work closely with our Security Trust and Legal teams, using automation and proactive risk assessments to stay ahead of potential issues.

SaaS isn’t going anywhere, but getting the most out of it means treating it like a strategic investment, not just a convenience.

 

Vendor Selection Criteria: What criteria do you prioritise when selecting technology vendors to partner with Canva, and how do you ensure these partnerships support the company’s growth and innovation goals?

There’s a saying: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” That mindset shapes how we approach vendor selection; the upfront work helps avoid downstream surprises.

The cheapest tool rarely delivers the best value, especially at our scale. We prioritise scalability without the drama of no surprise usage caps, rigid licenses, or inflexible terms that can’t adapt as we grow. A solution that works at 500 people needs to perform just as well at 5,000 and beyond.
We also look for a strong technical fit and a genuine partner mindset. Our engineering teams move quickly, so we need vendors who can keep pace and ideally grow with us. That often leads us to emerging tech companies where we’re among the first major customers. The shared ambition usually results in deeper collaboration than we typically see with larger, more rigid providers.

Security and compliance are table stakes, especially as we expand our AI capabilities. We also value cost transparency, seamless integration, and long term alignment. But above all, we look for partners who make our teams more effective, not just better equipped.

 

Negotiation Best Practices: Can you share insights into your approach to negotiating technology contracts? What strategies have you found effective in achieving favorable terms for Canva?

Honestly, the best negotiations start long before you’re in the room. It’s less about being tough at the table and more about doing your homework, understanding your goals, the market, and the other side’s levers.

I begin by getting clear on our business priorities, growth plans, and deal breakers. Then I dive into the market, what’s available, what the tech actually delivers, and what likely drives the vendor’s costs. That context helps me understand where there’s room to move.
Before any meeting, I align internally and get signoff on what I can and can’t agree to. That allows me to make real time decisions rather than deferring with a “let me get back to you.”

I’m a firm believer in “don’t ask, don’t get,” but I’m also ready to make smart concessions. The best deals aren’t one sided. When both sides walk away feeling like they’ve won, that’s when you build real, long term partnerships.

And ultimately, the strongest leverage comes from being willing to walk away because you’ve already mapped out your limits.

 

Cross Functional Collaboration: How do you collaborate with other departments within Canva, such as IT, Legal, and Finance, to ensure a cohesive and efficient technology procurement process?

One of the biggest misconceptions in procurement is thinking we are the decision makers. We are not. We are facilitators, helping smart people make better decisions together.

At Canva, cross functional collaboration comes naturally. Our culture is agile, fast moving, and focused on progress over perfection. We use visual docs (made in Canva, of course) to align on ideas, decisions, and outcomes. Everyone contributes Legal, IT, Finance, Security and Trust so we draw on collective wisdom, not just one perspective.

Our purchase workflow functions like a town square. All teams review requests through their expert lens in a transparent flow. If something stalls, it is never a mystery. Anyone can see what is needed to keep things moving.

For larger purchases, we create dedicated channels with all stakeholders. Everything questions, decisions, trade offs happens in one place. And when the deal is done, we celebrate. A little recognition goes a long way in keeping people energised for the next big project.

The secret is simple. Respect everyone’s expertise, make collaboration seamless, and always share the wins. That is what keeps the engine running.

 

Risk Management in Tech Sourcing: What measures do you implement to manage risks associated with technology sourcing, particularly concerning data security, compliance, and vendor reliability?

Risk management in tech sourcing isn’t about eliminating risk. It’s about understanding it and making smart trade offs. With millions of users trusting us, we can’t afford to get this wrong.

We’ve embedded risk assessment into our procurement workflow, not as a blocker but as a way to move faster with confidence. Vendors are classified based on the type of data they will access. A design tool that interacts with user content is very different from a backend productivity app, and we treat those risks accordingly.

With AI vendors, we pay particular attention to privacy and data ownership. We want to be crystal clear that user content should never end up training someone else’s model.

On the security front, we work closely with our Security and Trust team. Instead of overwhelming vendors with endless questionnaires, we focus on what matters most encryption standards, data residency, and incident response protocols. For cloud native tools, we dig deeper into multitenancy models and data isolation.

Vendor reliability is about future proofing. We evaluate financial stability, operational resilience, and how vendors have handled past outages or service disruptions.

We know perfect security doesn’t exist, but transparency builds trust. We would rather work with vendors who are honest about their limitations than those who overpromise.

Most risks aren’t technical. They are communication failures in disguise. So we focus on clarity, alignment, and open dialogue from day one.

 

Impact of AI on Procurement: With the rise of AI and machine learning, how do you see these technologies influencing the future of procurement at Canva? Are there specific AI driven tools or processes you are considering adopting?

AI is already beginning to reshape how we work in procurement, and at Canva, we’re genuinely excited about the potential it holds.

We’re still early in the journey, but adoption has been fast and surprisingly smooth. We’re already using AI to review contracts more efficiently, boost team productivity, and gather sharper market insights. It handles much of the repetitive work, which frees us to focus on strategy, relationships, and better decision making.

Looking ahead, one area we’re particularly excited about is agentic AI tools that don’t just assist but act. We’re testing ways it could support smaller tasks, such as triaging purchase requests, comparing vendors, or kicking off low risk renewals. These processes still involve human oversight, but the goal is to have AI handle more of the heavy lifting.

We’re also exploring how AI can help us stay ahead of vendor risk, streamline documentation, and eliminate busywork throughout the sourcing lifecycle.

AI won’t replace the human side of procurement, but it’s already making us sharper and more proactive. For us, it’s not about whether we’ll use AI, but how far we can take it responsibly and how quickly we can unlock real value.

Advice for Aspiring Procurement Leaders: What advice would you offer to professionals aspiring to lead technology sourcing in dynamic and fast growing companies like Canva?

If you want to lead tech sourcing in a fast growing company, get comfortable being uncomfortable. You will face problems with no playbook, and honestly, that’s the fun part.

Start by getting curious about technology. You don’t need to know how to code, but you do need to understand how things work and why they matter. Spend time with engineers. They love talking about what they’re building, and those conversations will teach you more than any course ever could.

Build strong relationships across the business. Some of the best insights come from casual conversations. People are usually happy to share what they know if you show genuine interest.

Always remember you’re not just negotiating, you’re solving business problems. Be honest about what you don’t know. I’ve learned the most by asking questions, not by pretending to have all the answers.

And finally, invest in your people skills. Procurement is all about relationships. Great leaders know when to push, when to pause, and when to partner.

If you love variety, solving puzzles, and making a real impact, this is the role for you.

In Association with:

Snowflake is a cloud-based data platform that empowers organizations to mobilize their data with scale, speed, and flexibility. Built for the cloud, Snowflake enables seamless data collaboration across multiple clouds and regions while eliminating data silos. The platform supports diverse workloads such as data warehousing, data lakes, data engineering, data science, and secure data sharing. Snowflake’s architecture separates compute from storage, delivering high performance and concurrency. Thousands of organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, rely on Snowflake to drive insights and innovation. Headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, Snowflake continues to lead in the data-driven future.

www.snowflake.com

Cloudflare is a global cloud platform built to make everything you connect to the Internet secure, private, fast, and reliable. With a network that spans over 330 cities in more than 100 countries, Cloudflare protects and accelerates millions of websites, applications, and networks around the world. The company provides a wide range of services, including DDoS protection, web application firewalls, zero trust security, and performance optimisation. Founded in 2009, Cloudflare is committed to helping build a better Internet. Whether you’re an individual developer or a Fortune 100 company, Cloudflare delivers scalable, enterprise-grade solutions for the modern digital world.

www.cloudflare.com

AWS Marketplace is a curated digital catalog that simplifies the discovery, procurement, deployment, and management of third-party software, data, and professional services. Designed to help organizations streamline operations, AWS Marketplace enables faster solution discovery, accelerates procurement processes, and reduces time-to-market. A recent Forrester study highlights a 377% ROI and payback within six months for enterprises using the platform. With features like pay-as-you-go pricing, free trials, and centralized vendor management, AWS Marketplace empowers businesses of all sizes to drive cost savings, improve financial controls, and increase productivity—all within a secure and scalable cloud environment.

https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/

Agility with Purpose: Jeanette Hübsch on Redefining Strategic Procurement

As Global Procurement Lead Jeanette Hübsch brings a human-centered, strategic mindset to indirect and marketing procurement. With nearly two decades of experience, she believes procurement’s true power lies in creating connections — across functions, with suppliers, and through change. In this interview, Jeanette shares her insights on balancing flexibility and structure, turning supplier relationships into value partnerships, and why emotional intelligence is the heartbeat of modern procurement.

How do you adapt your procurement strategies to respond to changing market conditions?

In Marketing Procurement, agility isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a necessity. The landscape shifts constantly with evolving consumer trends, digital innovation, and now AI-driven content creation. Procurement must move beyond being a cost controller; it needs to be a business enabler, a partner, and a source of innovation.

I start with close collaboration with Marketing, Commercial, and Omnichannel teams to deeply understand their needs and challenges. Procurement can’t operate in isolation. We need to be embedded in the business, anticipating demand shifts and proactively shaping supplier ecosystems that deliver flexibility, creativity, and speed.

 

Agility, for me, means curiosity, responsiveness, and the ability to turn change into opportunity—so procurement is not just seen as a function, but as a strategic contributor to brand success.
How has agility helped you overcome supply chain disruptions?

In indirect procurement, disruptions don’t always look like delayed shipments—they might be sudden campaign pivots, regulatory changes, or shifting budgets. Agility means being able to respond without slowing the business down.

I focus on building an adaptable supplier ecosystem—trusted partners with modular contracts, alternative sourcing strategies, and the ability to flex with us. Strong relationships, clarity, and scenario planning make a big difference.

Agility also comes from mindset: seeing the bigger picture, staying calm under pressure, and building procurement processes that can flex in real time. That’s how we support business continuity—even when the unexpected hits.

What strategies do you use to maintain flexibility while ensuring cost-effectiveness?

One of my key strategies is modular sourcing. Instead of locking into rigid long-term agency contracts, I advocate for flexible frameworks where we can pull in the right talent at the right time—full-service support, on-demand creatives, or AI content tools. This controls cost while maximizing impact.

I also track agency performance consistently based on outcomes, not just perception. Too often, agencies are misjudged because they’re tasked with something outside their core strength. That’s why structured, simple evaluations are essential—to protect relationships and ensure value delivery.

Most importantly, I see Procurement as a strategic enabler. Cost-effectiveness isn’t just about cutting—it’s about spending wisely, with the flexibility to adapt and innovate.

 

How do you balance agility with long-term supplier relationships?

The key is mutual trust and visibility. Long-term success depends on understanding each other’s goals and being able to adapt together. That’s why I advocate for regular check-ins, open dialogue, and a culture of feedback.

I also like to spotlight suppliers by inviting them to share innovations or trends with our teams. These lunch sessions help create knowledge-sharing moments and deepen collaboration beyond transactional discussions.

We need to value our suppliers as partners—not just vendors. When they feel secure and respected, they’re much more likely to flex with us and bring their best to the table.

Can you share an example of how procurement agility helped your organisation?

Agility isn’t just about reacting fast—it’s about listening deeply, understanding what really matters, and sometimes breaking the rules to get the right outcome.

In one case, a campaign was at risk due to internal misalignment and supplier confusion. Instead of forcing the process, I brought everyone together—including the agency—and facilitated a joint alignment session. We re-scoped, clarified expectations, and re-launched within days. It was a moment where emotional intelligence, not process, made the difference.

Agility is about being business-minded, human-focused, and confident enough to adapt—without losing control.

Redefining Procurement Performance: Dr. Pascal Evertz on AI, Metrics, and the Best Value Approach

In an era where data driven decision making is reshaping procurement, Pascal Evertz, CEO and Founder of GoBeyondProcurement along with AI tools like Juriaan.ai, brings a bold and unconventional perspective to the conversation. Drawing from the Best Value Approach AI (BVA AI), Pascal emphasises simplicity, transparency, and performance metrics as the foundation for procurement and project management success. In this Executive Insight, he shares how advanced analytics reduce risk, predictive models outperform traditional processes, and why true expertise lies not in managing complexity, but in eliminating it. His approach challenges long standing norms and offers a new blueprint for building efficient, resilient, and value focused vendor centric procurement systems.

 

How are you leveraging advanced analytics to improve procurement decisions?

I apply the Best Value Approach AI (BVA AI)—an artificial intelligence performance system that simplifies procurement processes, increases transparency, and predicts project management success. Transparency is achieved through the use of metrics: observable and countable performance information.

These metrics help us identify patterns and predict the likely outcomes of a project or service. By analysing historical vendor data from past projects, we can forecast future performance. For example, we can examine a vendor’s track record on similar projects and assess how their services contributed to successful outcomes delivered on time, within budget, and with high client satisfaction.

Metrics enable a more objective evaluation process, reducing the need for subjective decision making. Once it’s evident that a vendor has strong performance metrics that demonstrate expertise, the choice becomes clearer. Risk is minimised through transparency, and cost becomes a secondary concern, because true expertise naturally leads to cost efficiency.

 

What data do you prioritise when evaluating supplier performance?

Decision making often arises from a lack of information and becomes more difficult as complexity increases. The best data, therefore, reduces the need for decision making by providing clarity and predictability, enabling clients (buyers) to know less, think less, and decide less.

I prioritise data, specifically metrics, that clearly differentiate vendors, predict future performance (e.g., on time delivery, staying within budget, high client satisfaction), and demonstrate expertise. The best data is simple to understand, requires no technical knowledge, is objective and unbiased, relevant, specific, comparative, and supported by documented performance. Most importantly, it should be predictive of future outcomes.

We should only measure what is truly relevant. Metrics and minimum standards are not the same. Traditional KPIs or minimum standards are often generic, non-specific, and imposed without input from the experts doing the work. By focusing on meaningful, vendor generated performance metrics, we enable more informed, effective procurement decisions.

 

How has data analytics helped you mitigate risks in your supply chain?

Risk arises when expectations do not match reality. It occurs when someone is non-observant and unable to foresee future conditions. In procurement, risk is often, about 90% of the time, caused by the client (buyer) and the procurement system itself. Expert vendors don’t cause risk. Instead, the expert vendor’s project manager should use simplicity and metrics, observable and countable performance information, to help the client’s stakeholders see into the future and avoid creating risk.

When expert vendors are hired, empowered to pre-plan, and allowed to track their own time and cost deviations, risk is reduced to almost nothing. Risk mitigation is a direct result of transparency, and transparency comes from metrics.

To compare vendor performance effectively, we use a simple reporting tool that documents and tracks time and cost deviations, along with identifying who created the deviation (the problem or risk), based on a few core performance metrics. This approach not only reveals root causes but also makes the entire procurement process and project delivery more predictable and controlled.

 

How do you ensure data accuracy and reliability in your procurement process?

Transparency and confusion cannot coexist. It’s like shining a flashlight into a dark, unused room and watching all the cockroaches scatter, clarity drives out ambiguity. In a truly transparent environment, it’s not necessary for everyone to understand the technical details. What matters is that non-experts can clearly see that the expert vendor has done the service before, and can do it again for the specific project at hand.

Transparency means that the expert is able to communicate their expertise simply and clearly, in a way that non-experts can understand. Performance metrics are key to this. They should be observable, countable, and verifiable, supported by documented performance from previous projects.

In short, data becomes accurate and reliable when it is tied to clear, expert provided evidence that is easy to understand and difficult to dispute.

 

Can you share examples of how predictive analytics has improved procurement outcomes?

Industry testing has shown that project costs can be reduced by up to 50%, with client satisfaction reaching as high as 9.8 out of 10 through the application of predictive analytics within the Best Value Approach AI (BVA AI) framework.

The BVA AI structure is designed to:

  • Minimise the bureaucratic burden of traditional procurement practices (zero waste).
  • Emphasise the use of performance metrics to reduce complexity and the need for management, direction, and control.
  • Enable expert vendors to fully pre-plan the project from beginning to end.

A strong example comes from a 2023 IT procurement project for an airline company. Using BVA AI—including predictive analytics—the procurement process was completed 67% faster, reducing the timeline by 121 days. Additionally, project costs were reduced by 38%, resulting in a highly competitive price aligned with the client’s scope.

Further evaluation highlights BVA AI’s performance against traditional procurement across several critical criteria, including simplicity, risk mitigation, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction. In every category, BVA AI outperformed traditional methods, with some criteria showing performance improvements of over 80%.

While stakeholders rated the BVA AI process highly, its real value becomes clear during project execution: delivering results on time, within budget, and with consistently high client satisfaction. As with all successful projects, this is not coincidental, initial conditions and final outcomes are intrinsically connected.

Sustainability with Purpose: Kartik Iyer on Embedding Environmental Responsibility into Supply Chain and Procurement

As Vice President and Head of Supply Chain & Procurement at TotalEnergies, Kartik Iyer brings a strategic yet pragmatic lens to sustainable procurement. With decades of leadership across complex global supply networks, he shares how sustainability can be integrated into core procurement processes without compromising on cost efficiency or operational resilience. In this Executive Insight, Kartik outlines the challenges of supplier alignment, the power of collaboration, and the long term value of sustainable practices, from emissions reduction and renewable packaging to supplier audits and green energy adoption. His approach reflects a clear belief: sustainability isn’t just a corporate objective, it’s a business imperative that drives performance, compliance, and innovation across the entire value chain.

 

How do you ensure sustainability is prioritised throughout your procurement process?

Prioritising sustainability at all stages of the procurement process involves several key measures. First, it is essential to define clear sustainability criteria and standards for suppliers, such as environmental footprint, ethical behaviour, and resource utilisation, and incorporate these criteria into supplier selection and assessment processes to ensure sustainability is a central consideration.

Close collaboration with suppliers is also critical. We work with them to support sustainable practices and provide guidance to help with their implementation. Regular monitoring and auditing ensure that suppliers are meeting sustainability standards, allowing us to address any concerns promptly.

Technology and data analytics play an important role as well, enabling us to track sustainability metrics and make informed decisions. Additionally, engaging stakeholders, including employees and customers, helps foster a culture of sustainability and drives continuous improvement.

By embedding sustainability into every phase of procurement, businesses can not only achieve their environmental goals but also ensure operational efficiency and long-term value.

 

What challenges have you faced in aligning suppliers with your sustainability goals?

Aligning suppliers with sustainability objectives can be challenging for several reasons.

Suppliers often have differing priorities, focusing more on efficiency and cost than on sustainability. Some may lack awareness or understanding of sustainable practices, making it difficult for them to adapt. Others may be discouraged by the upfront investment required to adopt sustainable methods, as they may be reluctant to incur additional expenses.

Tracking and maintaining compliance with sustainability standards across a diverse supply chain is also resource intensive and complex. Additionally, geographical and cultural differences can result in varying levels of commitment to sustainability, requiring region specific approaches.

Overcoming these challenges requires ongoing engagement, training, and collaboration with suppliers to help align their practices with sustainability goals. Building long term partnerships and supporting suppliers through this transition is essential for lasting impact.

 

How do you balance cost effectiveness with the need for sustainable practices?

Balancing affordability with sustainability requires strategic thinking and creative approaches. The first step is to identify areas where sustainability efforts can directly result in cost savings, such as energy conservation, waste reduction, and resource optimisation.

It’s also important to view sustainability as a long term investment. While the initial costs of adopting sustainable technologies or practices may be high, they often yield significant long term benefits and efficiencies.

Sharing the costs and benefits of sustainability programs with suppliers and stakeholders can help distribute the financial burden. Additionally, leveraging government incentives and grants for sustainable operations can help offset some of the expenses involved.

Educating and engaging employees and customers on the value of sustainability can enhance brand reputation and boost customer loyalty, leading to increased revenue over time.

Ultimately, by embedding sustainability into the core business strategy, organisations can strike a balance between cost effectiveness and environmental responsibility, achieving both financial and sustainability goals.

 

Can you share any successful examples of working with suppliers to achieve sustainability?

One notable success was the implementation of rail transport, which significantly reduced carbon emissions in our logistics operations. We are also currently engaging with suppliers to encourage the use of green energy as part of their service portfolio.

To further support our sustainability goals, we conduct sustainability audits with Tier 1, and in some cases, Tier 2 suppliers. These audits help raise awareness, assess current practices, and identify opportunities to elevate their sustainability performance.

In addition, we are exploring the integration of re refined oil into our supply portfolio and planning to introduce reusable plastics in our packaging materials. These initiatives represent a collaborative effort to drive sustainability across the value chain while fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

 

How do you measure the impact of sustainable procurement on overall business performance?

Evaluating the impact of sustainable procurement on overall business performance involves tracking several key metrics.

Start by recording cost savings from resource conservation, waste reduction, and energy efficiency. Assess improvements in supply base resilience and risk management, as sustainable practices are often linked to more stable and secure supplier relationships.

Monitor the effect on brand reputation and customer loyalty, as sustainability initiatives can enhance a company’s public image and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Measure compliance with regulatory standards and the avoidance of potential fines or penalties.

Employee engagement and satisfaction are also important indicators, as a strong sustainability focus can boost morale and retention. In the long term, evaluate the financial returns of sustainable investments such as reduced operating costs and increased profitability.

Finally, use established sustainability reporting frameworks to provide a holistic view of the company’s performance in this area. By tracking these metrics, businesses can clearly see the tangible value that sustainable procurement contributes to both operational and strategic outcomes.