Kris Stasukaitis shows why procurement is not just about finding a lower price. It is about protecting the business, building the right supplier base, and making smart sourcing decisions before risk, quality issues, or supply disruption turn into much bigger problems.

Kris is the Associate Director of Mechanical Commodity Management at Shure. With nearly two decades at the company and years of consulting experience before that, he brings a grounded view of what strong sourcing really looks like, long term thinking, close cross functional work, and supplier relationships built on trust, not just transactions.

In this episode, Kris breaks down why supplier diversification matters more than ever, how tariffs, COVID, and the chip shortage changed the way companies think about risk, and why dual sourcing can be worth the cost when one missing part can stop everything. They also talk about working closely with engineering without creating vendor lock in, how to judge whether a supplier price is truly fair, and why the best procurement teams do more than cut cost, they help the business stay resilient, competitive, and ready for what comes next.



Key Topics:

-Why supplier diversification matters before a disruption forces your hand
-How to weigh cost, quality, and risk without making short sighted sourcing decisions
-Why the lowest price is not always the smartest move in high quality products
-How close engineering and procurement alignment helps prevent supplier lock in
-Why dual sourcing can be worth it when one missing part can stop everything
-How strong supplier relationships become a real advantage during shortages and market shocks



Timestamps:

02:23 The seminar that quietly changed his whole future
03:18 The surprising classes that made procurement feel exciting
04:38 How procurement became one of the most important roles in business
05:39 A breakup, a flight to London, and a career turning point
06:35 Why smaller consulting firms can teach you more, faster
07:32 The personal reason he left consulting for industry
08:28 A honeymoon phone call at 3 a.m. changed everything
10:18 The bold decisions that helped Shure grow through uncertainty
11:04 How COVID became an unexpected growth moment for Shure
11:42 How Shure stayed people first while becoming more data driven
13:06 Why sourcing in China is not the same game anymore
13:49 The rush to Mexico is real, but the reality is messy
15:03 Why Shure’s standards make supplier selection brutally hard
16:31 The bigger risk is not change, it is staying too comfortable
17:37 Tariffs got attention, COVID forced action
20:06 Why long term thinking gave Shure a real edge
20:58 The expensive backup plan that can save millions
21:56 The product level visibility that helps prevent supply shocks
23:00 The fine line between supplier collaboration and supplier lock in
23:46 The team structure behind better sourcing decisions
25:22 Why supplier performance should decide future business
27:12 Why trusted networks still beat cold outreach
28:15 His honest take on why most suppliers get ignored
29:47 What really helped Shure through the chip shortage
30:46 The mix of trust, redesign, and speed that kept products moving
32:04 When paying way more is still the smartest move
34:46 The real way top teams know if a price is fair
35:18 Why cosmetic quality matters more than most buyers realize
36:04 How to cut cost without damaging the supplier relationship
37:59 Why supply chain is still a smart field to enter
39:26 The career advice he gives his kids instead of copying his path
40:35 What made industry work more fulfilling than consulting
42:37 Why purpose, people, and problem solving still keep him energized
44:19 At Shure, 18 years is still not considered long tenure
45:44 Why family and stability mattered more than chasing money
49:19 The missing LightSource feature he believes could change everything



Connect with - Kris Stasukaitis
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/kris-stasukaitis-2071b92

Connect to Lightsource.ai
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightsource-ai
Website: https://lightsource.ai/