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Danny Wang shows why great procurement is not about chasing the lowest price or hiding behind process. It is about knowing what really matters, asking better questions, and making decisions that actually work in the real world.

Danny has built his career across contract manufacturing, consulting, retail, apparel, and hospitality, with experience at Accenture, Walmart, Canada Goose, Aqor, and Efficio. That mix gives him a sharp view of procurement from both sides, structured sourcing discipline and hands-on execution.

In this episode, Danny breaks down why procurement is a field many people fall into but few truly master, why consulting can sharpen your thinking but industry teaches you what actually works, and why the best teams focus on outcomes instead of overcomplicating the process. They also talk about supplier discovery, factory visits, traceability, trade compliance, buyer power, and why hospitality procurement is only partly about strategy. The harder part is getting every property and stakeholder to actually adopt the deal.


Key Topics

-Why procurement is more than cost savings
-Why industry experience gives procurement real depth
-How to spot strong suppliers before problems happen
-Why factory visits still matter more than paper claims
-How traceability and compliance changed sourcing
-Why hospitality procurement is mostly deployment, not just strategy



Timestamps

02:05 The MBA Shift That Made His Experience Finally Click
02:35 The Consulting Move That Leveled Up His Sourcing Game
03:49 Is Consulting the Fastest Way Into Procurement
05:19 When Too Much Process Starts Killing Results
07:12 How AI Is Quietly Changing Procurement Faster Than Most Think
09:42 Why Consultants Keep Overbuilding Slides No One Needs
11:32 The Simple Supplier Test He Used at Canada Goose
13:52 Why a Factory Visit Tells You What a Spreadsheet Never Will
17:33 The Truth About ISO Certifications Most Buyers Miss
19:31 Why Generic Audits Miss What Actually Matters
23:04 Why Traceability Is No Longer Optional in Global Sourcing
25:52 The Transparency Shift Tariffs Forced on Suppliers
28:53 Why Buyers Keep Asking Suppliers for the Wrong Things
33:41 Why Brand Power Can Shape Supplier Negotiations
34:06 Why the Best Procurement Teams Build Relationships, Not Just Deals
36:21 What Bigger Hospitality Brands Often Get Wrong
39:06 Why Sourcing Is Only 40 Percent of Hospitality Procurement
39:18 The Hardest Part of Procurement No One Talks About


Connect with Danny Wang:
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/danny-wang-38b800


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

Mitzi Campbell shows why procurement is no longer about process, cost savings, or sitting behind a desk. It is about relationships, judgment, and the ability to operate beyond what automation can replace.

Mitzi is the Chief Procurement Officer at International Paper, with over 30 years of experience across industry and consulting. She has worked with global organizations, led transformation initiatives, and built procurement functions that balance strategy with real-world execution.

In this episode, Mitzi breaks down why procurement changed after the supply chain crisis, why relationships became the true competitive advantage, and why the next generation of professionals must go beyond technical skills. They talk about the future of AI in procurement, the roles most at risk of automation, and the skills that will remain valuable no matter how technology evolves. 


Key Topics:

-Why procurement is now about relationships, not just cost savings
-How to build a career path from category manager to CPO
-Why sitting behind a desk will limit your growth in procurement
-How introverts can still win by mastering one on one relationships
-Why AI will replace task-based roles but not human judgment
-How top procurement leaders are quietly building AI-first teams


Timestamps:

01:56 The Real Question Young Procurement Talent Keeps Asking
02:48 The Exact Skill Path to Becoming a CPO
03:19 Why Procurement Changed Forever After 2020
03:42 The Career Mistake That Keeps You Invisible
04:18 Can Introverts Win in Procurement, Here’s the Truth
05:29 The Self-Awareness Tool That Changed How She Leads
07:31 The AI Prediction That Shocked Everyone in the Room
08:27 The Simple Test That Determines If Your Job Will Be Replaced
09:01 The Skills AI Still Can’t Replace
11:11 The Pandemic Lesson Most Procurement Teams Still Ignore
12:30 Why Going Fully Lean Might Be a Dangerous Move
14:05 How Top CPOs Are Quietly Building AI-First Teams
15:09 If You’re Not Using AI Yet, You’re Already Behind
16:48 Why Companies Are Still Struggling With AI Rollout
19:02 Why ChatGPT Is Replacing Google for Top Operators
20:11 How Transforming Weak Teams Creates Massive Growth



Connect with Mitzi Campbell:
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mitzi-campbell-a2aa841


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

Pierre Mitchell has spent years helping companies understand one of procurement’s biggest challenges: knowing exactly where their money is going. Even today, many teams still struggle with clear spend visibility, which makes it harder to find savings, manage risk, and make better decisions.

In this episode, Pierre breaks down why spend analytics is still difficult, why AI is changing procurement, and which areas will be automated first. He also explains why contracts are a strong use case for AI, why human judgment still matters, and why procurement can create huge value when teams are given the right tools.

The conversation also covers supplier negotiations, e-auctions, sourcing automation, and the future of procurement platforms. Pierre shares a practical view of what is changing fast, what will stay the same, and how companies can prepare for the next wave of procurement technology.

Key Topics:

-Why Spend Visibility Is Still Procurement’s Biggest Challenge
-How AI Is Reshaping Procurement Technology
-Why Contracts Are One of AI’s Best Use Cases
-What Procurement Jobs AI Will Impact First
-Why Human Judgment Still Matters in Procurement

Timestamps:

01:56 The 25-Year Problem Procurement Still Hasn’t Solved
02:48 Why Spend Analytics Is Hard to Justify
06:43 Is AI About to Change Procurement Forever
08:12 Why AI Is Bigger Than Another Tech Hype Cycle
10:29 The Missing Link Between AI and Business Systems
13:47 Why Contracts Are the Perfect AI Use Case
16:46 What AI Still Won’t Replace
18:18 The Procurement Jobs Most at Risk
20:27 How AI Could Fix Broken Enterprise Integrations
22:40 Will AI Replace Procurement Teams or Upgrade Them
26:38 Why Procurement Has One of the Highest ROIs in Business
28:36 Why Direct vs Indirect Procurement Is the Wrong Debate
34:10 Do Suppliers Really Want to Negotiate With Bots
37:39 Are E Auctions Making a Comeback
40:27 The Hidden Problem With Price Only Sourcing
44:50 The Procurement Tech Pierre Is Most Excited About
47:02 The Next Generation of AI Powered Procurement


Connect with - Pierre Mitchell:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pierre-mitchell-b4011
Website: spendmatters.com 
Connect to Lightsource.ai:

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

Nico Orduz shows why strategic sourcing is not just “get it cheaper.” It is getting involved early, protecting the business, and making trade offs you can stand behind before the design locks you into the wrong costs and the wrong suppliers.

Nico is the Global Director of Strategic Sourcing at Time Manufacturing. He built the function from scratch, grew a full team, and learned that the job is as much about people as it is about pricing, you have to sell the value internally, not just negotiate externally.

In this episode, Nico breaks down how procurement should partner with engineering from day zero, how to balance price with quality and risk in safety critical products, and how to avoid vendor lock-in by protecting IP and being clear about who owns the drawings. They also talk about supplier led value engineering, should cost modeling, and what tariffs look like once they stop being noise and start showing up on invoices.


Key Topics:

-Why procurement should be in new product development from day zero, or costs get locked in before anyone notices
-How to make price vs performance trade offs, start with what the business truly cares about, not a spreadsheet fight
-Why “cheapest” fails in safety critical products, quality and risk control come first
-Why vendor lock in quietly destroys leverage, protect IP and be clear who owns the drawings
-Why great sourcing is part selling, you negotiate the deal, then you sell the value internally


Timestamps:

01:53 Nico’s path into strategic sourcing started by accident, then turned into building a function from scratch
03:03 MBA lesson, go broad on learning, even if you stay deep in the same career lane
06:35 Marketing thinking shows up in procurement as stakeholder influence, not just numbers on a slide
07:40 The “untaught skill” inside big companies, sales is everywhere, even in procurement roles
09:53 The flip moment in sourcing, after the deal is picked, you become the supplier’s best friend and sell it internally
11:44 Conflict rarely ends with math, it ends with a clear value prop people can feel and accept
13:35 The hidden trade off, saving small dollars can waste big company time, so frame value beyond price
15:12 Price vs non price is not a formula, it starts with what the business truly cares about
16:04 In safety critical products, “cheapest possible” is not a strategy, quality and risk control come first
18:01 The sourcing advantage, stay close to engineering, because design choices create cost and supply risk
19:44 New product development gets faster when procurement guides early, before engineering releases drawings
21:36 Stage gate is a triage system, cut bad projects early, avoid sunk cost momentum
23:37 Supplier led value engineering, use suppliers as subject matter experts to surface better ideas
25:22 Vendor lock in is real, protect IP, define drawing ownership early, or you lose leverage later
27:14 When you cannot share drawings, share requirements, and let capability become the filter
30:09 In a duopoly, leverage gets thin, and insourcing becomes the hard but real alternative
31:11 Should cost modeling matters, it helps you ask better questions and build price logic into contracts
33:29 The clean line, strategic sourcing should not be writing purchase orders, that is operational procurement
35:01 Value is not only “hard savings,” cost avoidance is real impact even if it does not show in the P&L
36:06 Tariffs pain was the noise, now the real hit is showing up in invoices and margins
38:22 The smart move, keep modeling where tariffs hit the bill of materials, just not at daily panic speed
39:24 What keeps a procurement leader up, when capital equipment demand actually inflects, and whether the market pops or stays slow
41:03 Macro pressure point, lower interest rates can unlock investment, but timing is still the unknown


Connect with - Nico Orduz:
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/nicorduz


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

Nels Hinderlie explains why enterprise selling is not only about moving a deal to signature. It is about working through procurement the right way, creating alignment across the people involved, and helping companies understand the real value of a solution while they weigh risk, process, and internal scrutiny.

He has spent over a decade in software sales across tech and digital protection, giving him firsthand experience inside long, complex buying cycles. What makes his view especially useful is that he understands the sales side deeply while also seeing procurement up close through his wife’s leadership career in that world, which gives him a clearer read on where tension starts and how better collaboration happens.

In this episode, Nels explains why procurement is central to enterprise sales, why bypassing the process creates friction, and why better deals happen when timelines, reviews, and expectations are clear early. He also shares his take on RFPs, pilots, AI in sales and procurement, and why the best salespeople focus on solving real problems.


Key Topics:

-Why procurement can make or break a deal
-The mistake sales teams make with procurement
-Why RFPs feel like a black box
-The hidden cost of pilots with no clear path
-How AI is changing sales and buyer scrutiny



Timestamps:

05:41 Procurement is part of every enterprise sales process, because it acts as the gatekeeper of value, risk, and fit
06:15 Good sales is not just persuasion, it is making complex value easy for procurement to understand
07:40 Sales often sees procurement as the enemy, but the better approach is treating it like a real partnership
08:55 Procurement timelines have stretched because deals now go through legal, IT, data privacy, and AI review
09:47 Strong procurement leaders help by being upfront about the real process, the real hurdles, and the real timeline
12:08 Sales loses trust fast when it tries to go around procurement instead of working within the process
14:42 Procurement is not only there to save money, it is there to bring order to messy vendors, systems, and internal processes
16:28 Moving between procurement and sales creates an edge, because empathy gets stronger when you understand both sides
18:08 RFPs are difficult because vendors put in heavy work without knowing how they are really being judged
19:48 A better RFP process would be more transparent and give vendors useful feedback, even when they lose
21:28 Pilots only make sense when scope, success criteria, and next steps are clear from the start
23:13 Small vendors can burn major resources on pilots, only to lose the deal when budgets disappear
24:56 AI has made research faster in sales, but it has also made lazy and obvious outreach easier to spot
26:32 On the procurement side, AI adds another layer of review around legal, privacy, data, and product risk
28:15 The better AI conversation starts with the problem, not the tool, because many buyers ask for AI before they know what they need
31:27 Many large companies do not fully know what intellectual property they already own, which leaves valuable assets hidden
32:45 Great sales is really problem solving, helping people move forward with better solutions



Connect with - Nels Hinderlie:
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/nelshinderlie
Website: zillow.com/profile/NHinderlie 


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

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/

Source Code is where procurement and supply chain leaders get real about direct materials sourcing. Spencer Penn talks with operators and builders about the decisions that matter, the tradeoffs that sting, and where the industry is actually headed. If you're building, sourcing, or trying to make sense of a supply chain that won't stop getting more complex, this is the show. New episodes every week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.