Procurement Under Pressure: Making Confident Decisions Amid Complexity
What happens when expectations rise, data multiplies, and everything feels urgent — but teams still lack the structure to respond?
That’s the reality many procurement leaders are facing. And it’s exactly what Linda Grubbström (Scania), Emma Papakosta (NCC), and Maria Kämbrant (Länsförsäkringar) will explore together at CPO Outlook 2025.
Their joint session — shaped by insights from EBG | Xperience STHLM and further developed in follow-up dialogues — dives into what may be procurement’s most pressing question:
“How do we make confident decisions and build relevant skills when complexity is growing, data is overwhelming — and everything is perceived as equally important?”
🔍 What will be shared?
This session is not a high-level vision talk. It’s a grounded, honest dialogue about what it means to lead procurement when:
📊 Data is abundant but difficult to act on
🧩 Expectations are expanding, but roles and responsibilities remain blurred
🔁 Digital tools are evolving fast, while organizational maturity lags behind
Each brings insights shaped by both strategy and struggle:
🔹 Linda Grubbström will share how Scania is working systematically to define roles, clarify expectations, and rebuild foundational competence in an organization shaped by both structural change and regulation pressure. The goal: a workforce confident enough to act, even when perfection isn’t possible.
🔹 Emma Papakosta brings a candid view on enabling decision-making. Her focus isn’t just digital — it’s cultural. She challenges the belief that better systems alone will drive better outcomes, arguing instead for empowered people who dare to decide in the face of uncertainty.
🔹 Maria Kämbrant adds a cross-functional lens: in a world where procurement’s responsibilities keep growing, she reflects on how to keep leadership ethical, adaptive, and anchored in value — not just metrics. Her insights include practical barriers and how to work across silos when roles and ownership are blurred.
Together, they will open a dialogue around:
- What procurement should really focus on in the coming years
- Which capabilities are realistic — and which must be redefined
- What it will take to avoid burning out teams with contradictory expectations
What the EBG pre-surveys revealed
Nearly 90 Nordic procurement leaders (89) shared what they’re experiencing right now. The results reinforce the urgency of this conversation:
- 74% are still developing their digital maturity (CPH 68%, GBG 75% & STHLM 80%)
- 50% are only exploring AI (CPH 55%, GBG 64% & STHLM 60%) — almost none have adopted it at scale
- Top-ranked capabilities?
- Risk & resilience planning
- Digital & automation proficiency
- Supplier collaboration and stakeholder alignment
- Key insight: Nearly all skill areas were rated as equally important — highlighting the growing complexity and the challenge of prioritizing development
Why this session matters
Rather than pushing best practices, this session creates space to reflect on:
- How to define meaningful priorities for procurement roles
- How to structure competence development without overwhelming teams
- How to use technology to enable judgment, not just automate tasks
Following their panel, participants will take part in a follow-up workshop to map capabilities, explore role evolution, and co-reflect with peers — building both clarity and confidence.
Why Join CPO Outlook 2025?
If procurement is truly at a turning point — facing systemic complexity, rising expectations, and disruptive technologies like GenAI — then leaders need more than frameworks. They need real conversations with real peers who are navigating the same uncertainty.
CPO Outlook 2025 is where those conversations happen.
This is not a conference where you sit back and listen. It’s a summit built around active exchange — where strategies are compared, ideas are challenged, and change is made tangible.
- 36+ structured roundtable discussions shaped by what leaders are actually doing
- 4+ in-depth workshops that go beyond the surface
- 150+ senior professionals from across the Nordics ready to co-create solutions
And this year marks 15 years of EBG facilitating those exchanges — making this a special milestone for anyone who believes procurement can be a driver of strategic impact.
Join us in Stockholm, October 15–16, and take part in the only Nordic procurement summit designed to help you:
- Connect with others who are asking — and answering — the same hard questions
- Define what your organization really needs next
- Build the capabilities to deliver it