Exploring the forces that are about to shape the lives of procurement and supply professionals, with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
A critical supplier goes into administration. There are only eight weeks of stock left, yet it will take nine months to switch to a new supplier. What would you do? In this episode, we hear how the NHS Supply Chain's head of supply chain resilience, Tom Brailsford, and his team responded to ensure hospitals and healthcare providers never ran out of the stock they needed after an essential hand hygiene supplier went bust.
Brailsford also explains how the NHS Supply Chain have transitioned to a sophisticated resilience model to ensure that 600,000 healthcare products and services a year make it to the frontline of patient care. Plus, we uncover the "cliff-edge" risks keeping healthcare procurement professionals up at night and how a UK cross-government initiative is helping to map multi-tier supplier risk.
Further reading:
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
We're joined by Nick Nanos, chief supply chain officer and SVP of wholesale at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), an organisation on the frontline of navigating tariffs, labour disruption and complex global logistics. Hear how his team is spearheading change and innovation in practice to become the strategic lever the crown agency now relies on to respond to challenges and consistently deliver value.
Nick reflects on the qualities required of procurement and supply chain leaders amidst today's volatility. And, as a member and advocate for both the National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL) and CIPS, the role he feels professional bodies play in developing those skills.
Related links:
- Discover more about the National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL)
- Find out how you can achieve NISCL-CSCL and MCIPS dual designation and what it can do for you
- About the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Monday Feb 09, 2026
Monday Feb 09, 2026
Are we witnessing a "rupture" of the rules-based international order? How have tariffs and geopolitical events played out on the ground? And what does this all mean for procurement and supply chain professionals? CIPS global economist Dr John Glen and Fastmarkets commodities expert Ross Yeo make sense of all the noise.
Related links
- CIPS Pulse results Q4 2025: Procurement professionals sound the alarm for sustained consumer price increases in 2026
- Find out more about commodity-pricing experts Fastmarkets, a CIPS Official Knowledge Partner
- Read Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's full speech at Davos
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Modern slavery survivor Moe Turaga shares his personal story of forced labour in the Australian horticulture sector. Moe offers a rare and vital insight into this complex crime as part of his mission to place people with lived experience at the centre of the global response to modern slavery.
His message for procurement and supply professionals is clear: you hold the leverage to make a real difference in the fight against human exploitation in supply chains. His advice? Ask uncomfortable questions, look deeper into your suppliers and partner with expert remediation services when you do encounter potential victims.
Further reading
- Find out more about modern slavery support services Domus 8.7 and Unseen
- Read more about the work the CIPS Foundation does
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Departing CIPS Chair Alison Barto on horizon scanning, co-innovation with suppliers and why procurement's role is now about bringing the outside world in. Plus, the remarkable sense of belonging that CIPS members enjoy as part of a global community.
Alison also shares her proudest achievement as CIPS' Chair and the biggest changes she's made during her tenure.
Related links
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Monday Oct 06, 2025
An estimated 28 million people are employed in forced labour in supply chains. Procurement professionals are on the frontline of this global crime - one estimated to be worth half a trillion dollars. It is a challenge the CIPS Foundation is working with UK-based modern slavery charity Unseen to tackle head on by providing funding to turn data from its Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline into actionable insights for procurement professionals.
In this CIPS Foundation special we lift the lid on an issue that exposes organisations to significant financial, legal and reputational risks - where "plausible deniability" is no longer an option and fundamental human rights are at stake. Andrew Wallis OBE, CEO of Unseen, and Sodexo's Madeline Fitton MCIPS, founder and chair of the BSA Modern Slavery Council, share what progress has been made 10 years on from the UK's landmark Modern Slavery Act.
We uncover the scale of the challenge facing procurement, address why effective legislation must be designed as a "spiky carrot", and provide essential advice on how to identify and respond to modern slavery in your own supply chain.
Further reading:
- Learn more about the CIPS Foundation
- Read: How the CIPS Foundation is supporting Unseen
- Watch: CIPS Foundation & Unseen tackling modern slavery together
- Find out more about Unseen and the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Is AI the answer to resolving disputes with your suppliers? Yes... and no - as we find out in the final instalment of this mini-series. While the human input and experience of professionals remains critical to forging and maintaining supplier relationships that keep businesses running, we explore where AI is reshaping procurement roles when it comes to negotiation, contract management and resolving conflict.
Hear from resolutiion's Fayola-Maria Jack and Katarzyna Hewelt on how AI is reducing costs caused by disputes by up to a third, and making contract management faster and more accurate at identifying risks - removing future sources of conflict at source. Acting as a co-pilot, AI gives procurement the time to focus on the strategy and relationships that drive true value for their organisations, explain our guests.
Additional reading:
- Download: CIPS & resolutiion Breaking the Deadlock report
- Read: CIPS Intelligence hub - supplier relationship management
- Watch: Leveraging AI to improve conflict management in procurement
- Read: Interview with resolutiion CEO, Fayola Maria-Jack on how AI is benefitting procurement and supply
This podcast mini-series is brought to you by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), in partnership with resolutiion.
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Part two of the CIPS Futures navigating supplier disputes mini-series puts conflict resolution skills and capabilities in the spotlight. We're once more joined by CIPS trainer, Kurt Warren, as he reveals the foundational strategies that procurement and supply professionals must hone to better manage commercial conflict. Realignment of responsibilities and expectations, understanding your "walk away point" and a strong grasp of accurate data are all critical, he advises.
Plus, how do you spot the signs of a dispute early? Fayola-Maria Jack, CEO and founder of resolutiion and experienced dispute negotiator reveals the key indicators to watch out for.
Additional reading:
- Download: CIPS & resolutiion Breaking the Deadlock report
- Read: CIPS Intelligence hub - supplier relationship management
- Watch: Leveraging AI to improve conflict management in procurement
- Read: Interview with resolutiion CEO, Fayola Maria-Jack on how AI is benefitting procurement and supply
This podcast mini-series is brought to you by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), in partnership with resolutiion.
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Commercial conflicts are increasing, taking longer to resolve and costing more. And it is procurement and supply professionals on the frontline of supplier disputes. Listen to part one of this CIPS Futures mini-series where we delve into this critical challenge facing the profession. We unravel the common causes behind supplier disputes and ask whether this is a result of bad practices, or simply an inevitability of complex commercial contracts...
CIPS fellow and experienced global trainer in conflict management and negotiation, Kurt Warren, joins us for the first episode of this three-part series, alongside Joanna Ingram, chief revenue officer at resolutiion. Both guests underline the evolving role procurement practitioners are playing in conflict management and why effective resolution helps professionals demonstrate true value to their organisations.
Additional reading:
- Download: CIPS & resolutiion Breaking the Deadlock report
- Read: CIPS Intelligence hub - supplier relationship management
- Watch: Leveraging AI to improve conflict management in procurement
This podcast mini-series is brought to you by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), in partnership with resolutiion.
Monday Sep 01, 2025
Monday Sep 01, 2025
How do you bridge the gap between today's urgent requests and your long-term, strategic goals? What tools and strategies can you use to plan and lead change better? And why is the simple act of writing things down the best habit to learn to become more confident in your decision making? Procurement futurist and leadership keynote speaker Dr Graham Norris is our guest for this episode. He offers practical and plain-speaking answers to those challenging questions.
A guru in organisational psychology, Norris shares how practical strategies like 'backcasting' and 'mental time travel' can help procurement and supply professionals unlock their inner strategists, even amidst a backdrop of uncertainty.
Further reading:
- Find out more about Graham Norris
- DOWNLOAD: the CIPS Global State of Procurement & Supply 2025 report, supported by GEP
- READ: The seven skills of strategic foresight
- READ: Graham Norris' emerging AI trends in procurement