2022 Ivalua NOW DC Recap!

by Staff Contributors

After 3 days of incredible weather, extraordinary receptions, thought-provoking sessions, and countless conversations —we know one thing…we’re stronger together when we partner together! We’re so grateful we could gather at Ivalua NOW in Washington D.C to connect, collaborate and inspire one another.

This year, we centered our event around the theme “Stronger Together” to celebrate the collective challenges we have overcome and how we can move forward with renewed priorities. Today, we are stronger, more united, and more determined to lead and innovate together! We kicked off #ivaluanow DC with Opening Night at the National Portrait Gallery. 

Welcomed with jazz music in the grand foyer, we were led by yet another incredible musical ensemble to the enclosed courtyard with its elegant glass canopy. DC’s premier party band 76 West kicked off the second part of the night and the dancefloor immediately started to fill up! We enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres under the lights followed by a breathtaking aerial silks performance. The night closed with the upbeat DJ tunes and more dance moves! 

Day 1 Commenced with Alex Saric and Franck Lheureux!

Over the past two years, we have proved that we can successfully collaborate on virtual platforms but we were elated to see both familiar and new faces this year. We finally had the opportunity to join #together and address our newest challenges and inspire one another! Ivalua CEO David Khuat-Duy shared his ambitious plans and reimagined vision for the future! The Goal? Sustainable Growth!

“Our values…not just words on a slide, they are our culture.”

David then reviewed 2021 in numbers…

NEW Payments Solution
750 plus employees
1100 + certified consultants (+56% yoy growth)
Leader Forrester CLM for Buy-Side Contract Suites, Q4 2021
Leader Gartner 2021 P2P Magic Quadrant (3 years in a row)
Leader Forrester Supplier Value Management Platforms, Q1 2022
Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice 2022

Ivalua CPO Pascal Bensoussan introduced our platform #roadmap. Improvement, Inspiration, Innovation…exciting developments ahead!

Our first customer keynote did not disappoint…

How do you manage strategic sourcing? Honeywell‘s Anthony Long and Mark Krause “recipe for success’ included:

1. Rethinking Procurement
2. Build a team of top talent
3. World Class Category Management
4. Automate, use the tools, become more efficient
5. Did I mention compliance…?
6. Drive localized footprint of suppliers
7. Work together to drive a more efficient product

Our final morning keynote welcomed Yannick C., Chief Procurement Officer at Bulgari. During his session, Yannick described how his team built their complex sourcing organization from the ground up by: Defining their Challenges…Creating a Vision…Recruiting the best Talent/Expertise…and Leveraging Ivalua‘s solutions!

Innovation Showcase: “The best is yet to come…not only the best, but the most important and impactful”

Vishal Patel, VP of Product Marketing, discussed carbon savings and scrutinizing your sourcing decisions based on ESG criteria. Thierry Hominal introduced the Ivalua Message Center–one single communications channel for collaboration! Last but not least, Rolf Haag, Head of Payments, presented Ivalua‘s virtual card. We’re thrilled to watch these innovations go from concept to reality!

Breakout Sessions

This year, we invited a wide array of industry thought leaders to join 6 expert panels covering Data Integrity, Sourcing Optimization, Sustainable Procurement, Finance Procurement, Public Procurement, and Federal Procurement. Brad Hogerheide, Director, Supply Chain Excellence BorgWarner Inc., joined Doug Keeley, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Ivalua gave real examples of how you cope with instability in your supply chain.

Andrew Cochran, eProcurement Manager (State of Ohio) and Ivalua’s Amol Joshi, Global Head of Strategic Accounts, discussed Procurement transformation and determining what KPI’s will demonstrate success. Thank you to our breakout session sponsor, KPMG US

Jarrod McAdoo, BENJAMIN MCMARTIN, Public Spend Forum, Ben Marglin Karsun Solutions, LLC, and Bonnie Evangelista DoD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center discussed federal procurement innovation.

Emily Rakowski, Chief Marketing Officer, EcoVadis and Antoine HERAUD, Head of Procurement Excellence, Group Procurement, Capgemini connected the dots between ESG and S2P Processes. Key Takeaway—Building #sustainability + supply chain knowledge into the DNA of your procurement function takes time. Leveraging the right tools and data to integrate new processes is key. Thank you to our moderator, Ivalua‘s VP of Product Marketing, Vishal Patel! Session Sponsor: EcoVadis

Our final breakout sessions welcomed Dana Vader, Senior Vice President, Procurement & Vendor Management at Navy Federal Credit Union and Jarrod McAdoo, Director of Product Marketing at Ivalua to discuss NFCU’s “VenDoor” third-party lifecycle transformation project. Session Sponsor: The Shelby Group

We closed the breakout sessions asking–How do you leverage data to provide critical, timely information to stakeholders throughout the #Procurement process?

Joseph Yacura – M.B.A., M.S., M.Q.M, Founder of The International Association For Data Quality and Former CPO at Fannie Mae & Bank of America, and Geoffrey Gates, Senior Director, Business Continuity, Supply Chain and Support Services at Cleveland Clinic, discussed the true cost of bad data and how to get started on improving data integrity across the supply chain. Session Moderator: Doug Keeley

To close out Day 1, we welcomed William McDonough, McDonough Innovation. Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet,” pioneer of the concepts of Cradle to Cradle Design, the Circular Economy, and the Circular Carbon Economy, shared his vision on driving triple top-line growth and the critical role of procurement.

“Nature has Sources. Humans make Resources”~William McDonough. We must look ahead to develop a circular economy to retake, remake, restore/regenerate. Alex Saric joined the stage with William McDonough in agreement– in order to tackle these environmental threats, let’s make change at the leadership level!

After a wonderful day of networking, we 🕵️‍♀️ spied a beautiful closing reception at the International Spy Museum! After enjoying a fantastic view of the DC skyline, dinner, cocktails and music, we snuck down for an “undercover mission” to test our spy skills as we toured the interactive exhibits.

Day 2 Customer + Partner Day

“Our theme this year is stronger together but we’re even stronger when we partner together,” Beverly Dunn, Ivalua‘s Global Head of Customer Success kicked off day 2.

Our Day 2 MC Vishal Patel introduced our Ivalua Product Roadmap Speakers…

Jarrod McAdoo-Supplier Risk and Performance Management
Doug Keeley-Sourcing
Axel Cieslar-Contracts

The frontline between our customers’ needs and the future development of Ivalua’s solutions, Pascal Bensoussan, Chief Product Officer Ivalua discussed Decarbonization Solutions (Sustainability). Nicolas Lievain, Naoto Kawabe covered Analytics + Spend

Product Roadmap Sessions Part 2! A new world of possibilities await!

Arnaud Malardé-eProcurement
Stephen Carter-Invoicing
Rolf Haag-Payments
Nicolas Lievain-Integration
Thierry Hominal-Platform Administration + Configuration

Exciting improvements and new features ahead!

Customer Awards

At Ivalua the customer is the focal point of everything we do and central to our purpose. Our awards session recognized our supporters for going above and beyond as advocates and industry leaders.

Procurement Community Team Spirit Award Winner: Intuitive Surgical Ltd
Environmental and Social Impact Award Winner: Honeywell
Pandemic Solidarity Response Award Winner: Select Medical
Digital Impact-Making a Difference Award Winner: State of Arizona

We then introduced Ivalua‘s first annual Carbon Footprint Innovation Cup! Another round of applause to our nominees, runner-ups, and winners! 2nd Runner Up: Capgemini, 1st Runner-up: Bengs, e-Attestations, Winner: PwC

Closing Remarks

This week proved that we are inextricably linked by our collective ambitions and long-term success. The real magic happens when we lock arms and work towards these goals, gaining inspiration and strength from those around us. We are fortunate to live in a time when we can acknowledge a barrier, and seek a way to surpass it. The stories you share, the vision you paint, and the insight you bring serve as an incredibly powerful reminder that we are all connected, and we are all—stronger together!

Thank you for everyone’s support and cheers to a successful 2022 Ivalua NOW DC!