If Procurement is still a ‘your wish is my command’ function at your company, you’re leaving value on the table.

In this episode, host Mike Jansen speaks with Niels Walberg, CPO at K+S Aktiengesellschaft. With over 25 years in procurement, Niels shares how he’s driving the shift from reactive service provider to strategic partner at a €1.5 billion spend organisation.

He explains why clear KPIs and supplier performance management matter, why stakeholder buy-in is the true lever for lasting change, and how Procurement can embed itself into complex CapEx projects to deliver real business value.


You’ll learn:

1. How Procurement can shift from service provider to strategic partner
2. Why strategic coverage outperforms savings as a steering KPI
3. The role of stakeholder engagement in driving lasting change
4. What makes performance management with contractors effective
5. Practical lessons from digitising and simplifying procurement processes

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Get in touch with Niels Walberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niels-walberg-023308b0/


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About the host Mike Jansen:
Mike Jansen is Partner at H&Z Management Consulting with over a decade of experience enhancing the value that procurement delivers to organisations. Driven by a passion for tackling challenges, Mike thrives on competition—whether with others or himself. Outside of work, Mike enjoys quality time with his wife and children.


Get in touch with Mike Jansen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansen-mike/

Digitalisation succeeds when people lead the change, not just the tools.

In this episode, host Mike Jansen speaks with Kai Dittberner, VP Global Procurement at Giesecke+Devrient, about how Procurement at the global security technology company has evolved to drive resilience, innovation, and ESG impact.

He explains why successful digitalisation depends on strong processes and people engagement, how G+D leveraged “digital heroes” to embed change, and why regional diversification and supplier collaboration are must-haves in a fractured geopolitical environment. Kai also makes the case for ESG to become a measurable KPI in Procurement, with Scope 3 emissions one day sitting alongside savings and spend.


You’ll learn:

1. Why strong processes must come before digitalisation
2. How to leverage “digital heroes” to drive cultural change
3. Practical strategies for navigating global supply chain risks
4. How supplier collaboration builds true resilience
5. Why Scope 3 emissions should become a core Procurement KPI

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Get in touch with Kai Dittberner, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-dittberner-13b8aa29/


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About the host Mike Jansen:
Mike Jansen is Partner at H&Z Management Consulting with over a decade of experience enhancing the value that procurement delivers to organisations. Driven by a passion for tackling challenges, Mike thrives on competition—whether with others or himself. Outside of work, Mike enjoys quality time with his wife and children.


Get in touch with Mike Jansen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansen-mike/

Procurement transformation isn't just about systems. It's about scale, culture, and strategy.

In this episode, host Richard McIntosh speaks with Karl Poulsen, CPO at Hiscox, about leading a greenfield procurement transformation by leveraging digital tools not just to modernise, but to embed excellence at scale.

Karl shares how he moved the organisation from spreadsheets and silos to a centralised, tech-enabled function. He explains how automation, governance, and scalability were built with compliance in mind—but designed to support consistency and growth across a complex, international business. From reducing a 10,000-supplier sprawl to navigating cultural change across regions, Karl reveals what it takes to turn procurement into a true engine of business value—and why the hardest part wasn’t the technology, but shifting mindsets and ways of working.


You’ll learn:

1. How to build a business case for procurement tech from a greenfield start
2. Why cultural change is harder and more important than system implementation
3. How automation drives compliance, risk management, and sustainability
4. Where the biggest financial gains come from in digital procurement
5. What to prioritise post-rollout to improve adoption and user experience

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Get in touch with Karl Poulsen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-poulsen-a6bb2112/


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About the host Richard McIntosh:
Richard McIntosh, Partner at H&Z Management Consulting, has spent over 23 years helping procurement leaders succeed. Richard is an avid rugby fan, and a children's rugby coach, with a passion for helping children to become their best selves through sports. He spends his time outside of work with his wife and children.

Get in touch with Richard McIntosh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcintosh-richard/

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The Procurement Initiative Leaders Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.

When you relish the hard problems, courage, culture and vision turn challenges into the spark of business success.

In this episode, host Martina Buchhauser speaks with Barbara Stolle-Amedick, Global Head of Supply Chain Management, Transformers Business at Hitachi Energy, about the journey of repositioning procurement inside a 100-year-old organisation.

Barbara explains how her team moved beyond being seen as “order writers” to becoming recognised as business enablers. She shares how silos were broken down and replaced with a truly end-to-end organisation, why culture and leadership proved just as vital as process and KPIs, and how recognition was built step by step, both internally and externally.

This is a story of transformation driven not by big-bang change, but by consistency, transparency, and the courage to push for more. It shows how procurement can thrive as a trusted partner and become a key driver of company-wide success.


You’ll learn:

1. How transparency, vision and courage can dismantle silos and build trust
2. Why people, culture and leadership matter as much as processes
3. How to move from “order writing” to enabling business success
4. How end-to-end structures and KPIs deliver speed and recognition
5. How to grow supplier partnerships into long-term success factors

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Get in touch with Barbara Stolle-Amedick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-stolle-amedick-45a381156/

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About the host Martina Buchhauser:
Martina Buchhauser is a global leader with extensive knowledge of the automotive industry, and its shift towards sustainable technologies and low-carbon business practices. Her leadership journey includes executive roles in Global Procurement and Supply Chain Networks at General Motors, MAN, BMW, and Volvo Cars, where she served as Chief Procurement Officer and on the management board. She is a senior advisor at H&Z Management Consulting and a non-executive director on several company boards. Martina enjoys hiking, golfing, and skiing, and values time with her family and friends from around the world. She is passionate about leadership and actively engaged in developing and promoting talent.

Get in touch with Martina Buchhauser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-buchhauser/

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The Procurement Initiative Leaders Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.

Navigating a volatile world with a calm mindset, a collaborative spirit, and a drive for continuous reinvention—that's what true procurement leadership is all about.

In this episode, host Richard McIntosh sits down with Gaël De Martelaere, Head of Direct Procurement at Dow, for a candid exploration of how procurement can thrive in times of disruption and transformation.

Gaël unpacks Dow’s journey as it shifts from relentless cost-out and pandemic-era capacity scrambles to a new era of collaborative, digitally enabled cost reduction. He reveals how a culture built on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion continues to endure, even when the market demands resilience above all.


You’ll learn:

1. How agile, digital procurement adapts to margin pressure and supply volatility
2. What it takes to build a resilient culture—staying true to the long-term ambition while managing the short-term realities
3. How calm, transparent leadership drives focus and clarity when disruption strikes
4. How true supplier collaboration creates value and resilience in an unpredictable market

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Get in touch with Gaël De Martelaere on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaeldemartelaere/

Gaël’s book recommendation:
Shocks, Crises, and False Alarms by Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak and Paul Swartz | https://www.amazon.de/Shocks-Crises-False-Alarms-Macroeconomic/dp/1647825407

Learn more about Women in Logistics, an initiative to promote gender balance in the logistics sector, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-logistics-eu/ or visit the website https://www.essers.com/women-in-logistics-fostering-male-female-parity/

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About the host Richard McIntosh:
Richard McIntosh, Partner at H&Z Management Consulting, has spent over 23 years helping procurement leaders succeed. Richard is an avid rugby fan, and a children's rugby coach, with a passion for helping children to become their best selves through sports. He spends his time outside of work with his wife and children.

Get in touch with Richard McIntosh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcintosh-richard/

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The Procurement Initiative Leaders Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.

What if the secret to resilient procurement leadership starts with daring to be vulnerable?

In this episode, host Martina Buchhauser speaks with Dieter Dehoorne, Group Senior Vice President and CPO of Global Procurement at Vestas, about the human side of transformation, and what it takes to lead through uncertainty.

Dieter shares his leap from Volvo to Vestas, navigating a new industry amid global crisis, and the moment he began to question his leadership for the first time in decades. His story doubles as a playbook: how to stay the course by building a strong team, leading with authenticity, and anchoring the function in trust, strategy, and partnership.


You'll learn:

1. Why vulnerability can be a leadership strength in complex environments
2. How to build a high-performing team after a crisis of trust
3. Dieter’s strategy to stay the course: team, clarity and partnerships
4. How to create impact by reducing complexity and strengthening collaboration
5. Why modern procurement needs early and deep supplier collaboration


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Get in touch with Dieter Dehoorne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dieter-dehoorne-48885623/


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About the host Martina Buchhauser:
Martina Buchhauser is a global leader with extensive knowledge of the automotive industry, and its shift towards sustainable technologies and low-carbon business practices. Her leadership journey includes executive roles in Global Procurement and Supply Chain Networks at General Motors, MAN, BMW, and Volvo Cars, where she served as Chief Procurement Officer and on the management board. She is a senior advisor at H&Z Management Consulting and a non-executive director on several company boards. Martina enjoys hiking, golfing, and skiing, and values time with her family and friends from around the world. She is passionate about leadership and actively engaged in developing and promoting talent.

Get in touch with Martina Buchhauser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-buchhauser/

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The Procurement Initiative Leaders Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.

Procurement doesn’t need a rebrand. It needs structure, speed, and people who take ownership.

In this episode, host Mike Jansen sits down with Demetrios Kappos, Management Consultant and former VP Global Procurement at EagleBurgmann, to explore how to shift procurement from a reactive service provider to a structured value driver.

Demetrios speaks plainly about what works—and what doesn’t. For him, transformation begins by separating operational efficiency from strategic effectiveness. It’s about knowing where buyers truly add value, making bold organisational decisions, and empowering teams to drive change—not wait for it.

From practical insights on ERP harmonisation and applying AI as a tool, to clear-headed reflections on leadership, resilience, and volatility, this conversation is as grounded as it is actionable.


You'll learn:

1. Why splitting operational and strategic roles creates real value
2. How to empower teams to lead transformation from within
3. The right (and wrong) ways to apply AI in procurement
4. What building resilience looks like beyond buzzwords
5. How to future-proof procurement with a data- and mission-driven mindset

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Get in touch with Demetrios Kappos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demetrios-kappos-94aa94147/


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About the host Mike Jansen:
Mike Jansen is an Associate Partner at H&Z Management Consulting with over a decade of experience enhancing the value that procurement delivers to organisations. Driven by a passion for tackling challenges, Mike thrives on competition—whether with others or himself. Outside of work, Mike enjoys quality time with his wife and children.


Get in touch with Mike Jansen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansen-mike/

If five purchase orders go wrong, suddenly everyone’s looking at procurement.

That’s the reality Ottobock CPO Gao Kwintmeyer knows well—and it’s why he’s spent his career building a procurement function that delivers far more than just cost savings.

In this episode, host Mike Jansen talks with Gao about what it really takes to lead procurement at a global scale. From navigating supplier quality issues and regulatory complexity to integrating AI with intention, Gao shares how he balances operational excellence with strategic impact. With over 27 years of experience, Gao offers a pragmatic, long-term perspective on elevating procurement’s role in the business—proving its value not just through process, but through purpose.


You’ll learn:

1. How to align procurement’s role with top management’s vision and expectations
2. Why relationship-building still outperforms AI with strategic suppliers
3. When (and when not) to invest in new procurement tech
4. How to tackle regulatory complexity with a pragmatic, risk-based lens
5. What makes a strategic buyer truly valuable in today’s procurement landscape

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Get in touch with Gao Kwintmeyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gao-kwintmeyer-23890158/


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About the host Mike Jansen:
Mike Jansen is an Associate Partner at H&Z Management Consulting with over a decade of experience enhancing the value that procurement delivers to organisations. Driven by a passion for tackling challenges, Mike thrives on competition—whether with others or himself. Outside of work, Mike enjoys quality time with his wife and children.


Get in touch with Mike Jansen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansen-mike/

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The Procurement Initiative Leaders Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.