Throughout last week, the World Procurement Awards judges came together for a series of calls to help decide the winners of Procurement Leaders’ 2026 programme.
We had powerful debates about the entries vying for the ultimate prize, with a genuine sense of pride in the function and a tangible admiration for the work being done. It was an energising and reaffirming experience.
During the calls, however, it struck me that just a few days prior, many of those same individuals had attended a CPO Connect session on the Gulf crisis that allowed members to share their approaches and learnings as they continue to mitigate the war’s effects.
Here, we discussed many things. First, the human element and workforce well-being; how CPOs were adopting a flexible approach to help staff manage the strains and stresses that such a situation creates. This is true for those operating in the region itself, but also for those managing complex situations from further afield.
Second, the sheer difficulty of managing the financial impact. With the price of oil creeping to $120/barrel and suppliers trying to pass on price increases, both legitimately and opportunistically, procurement is caught in a pinch point of escalating third-party costs at a time when the business is desperately seeking the opposite.
Third, CPOs’ longer-term strategies as they look to further derisk their operations. Here, the concepts of more regional supply chains and a greater focus on friendshoring were discussed, which are part of a much larger, longer-term rewiring of global trade. While this process is already underway, it will be accelerated by this war – regardless of how events unfold over the coming days and weeks.
But what these recent calls have made crystal clear to me is that CPOs have enormous reserves of mental resilience and are able to switch from crisis, act-now mode to thoughtful planning mode, seemingly at will.
An important aspect of this is CPOs ensuring they manage their own well-being and make time to recharge the mental batteries. As importantly, perhaps, having access to a trusted community of like-minded leaders facing similar challenges – be it finding trusted second sources of key materials or choosing a winner from two standout initiatives – can provide support and inspiration in equal measure.
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