“Persuasion is about your intent. If your intent is solely to win at the other person’s expense, that’s manipulation. If you want the other party to also benefit from the conversation, then that’s collaborative, and that’s ethical persuasion.” - Martin John
Procurement leaders know that success often depends on more than just negotiating skills or cost models; it demands the ability to influence people at every level.
But what does it take to move from presenting facts to truly persuading suppliers, stakeholders, and executives to take action? This is a question that’s more urgent than ever in today’s complex business environment.
In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Martin John, a seasoned procurement pro and licensed ethical persuasion trainer. Martin shares tools and science-backed frameworks that chief procurement officers and their teams can use right away. He pulls back the curtain on Cialdini’s principles, real-world negotiation stories, and how to avoid crossing the line into manipulation.
In this episode, Martin discusses how to:
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“Direct materials is the most under-innovated, untouched by modern technology of any spend area.” - Spencer Penn, Co-Founder and CEO, LightSource
Direct spend makes up the lion’s share of the procurement budget, but all too often, it’s still managed in spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Today’s volatile supply market and relentless cost pressures demand more.
What is holding companies back from real transformation in direct procurement, and where do the smartest teams focus their innovation efforts?
In this AOP podcast episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Spencer Penn, co-founder and CEO of LightSource. Drawing from his hands-on experience at Tesla and Waymo, Spencer explains why direct procurement's digital journey has lagged behind indirect, and what it takes to move from manual, reactive “firefighting” to scalable, collaborative value creation.
If you’re wondering how to unite engineering, procurement, and finance to drive structural cost reduction, or how to leverage tech for more than basic automation, this episode is a must-listen.
In this episode, Spencer talks about how to:
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“AI has fantastic value when you look at spend analytics, sourcing decisions, and process efficiency, but to replace the infancy stage that allows you to have a relationship with stakeholders, I think, is a mistake.” – Brad Keighley
Digitization and automation promise so much for procurement, but what gets lost if we let technology run the show? As organizations scale and regulatory pressure mounts, the ability to connect on a human level can become a procurement superpower. Ignore it, and procurement risks becoming just another system, not a strategic partner.
As a multiple-time CPO and procurement transformation leader, Brad Keighley has built teams for startups, pre-IPO rocket ships, and tech giants. In this episode, he shares how to structure procurement for growth while staying close to stakeholders, explains why focusing only on savings is a mistake, and offers practical approaches to scaling service without losing the personal touch.
In this conversation, Brad discusses how to:
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“Efficiency should fund the future, not erase the people needed to deliver it.” – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement
2026 is going to be another year of volatility, but it will also be a year of immense opportunity for procurement pragmatists, the ones who are willing to do the work to build the future rather than just waiting for it to arrive.
In a tradition that dates back to 2018, Art of Procurement rings in the new year with Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson’s Annual Message. Each year’s perspectives are shaped by hundreds of conversations with procurement leaders, providers, subject matter experts, and people both inside and outside the world of procurement.
This year, Philip reflects on changes being felt across the professional community and also shares his vision for the next evolution of Art of Procurement.
In this episode, Philip elaborates on:
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