VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE – Direct Spend Unlocked: The Masterclass for Supply Chain Leaders, presented by Coupa

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  • September 10, 2025
  • Virtual
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VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE – Direct Spend Unlocked: The Masterclass for Supply Chain Leaders, presented by Coupa

Coupa logo with a blue stylized flower on the left, the word coupa in blue lowercase letters, and the tagline Make Margins Multiply™ in dark blue below—showcasing innovative spend management. Sourcing, Procurement, 3rd Party Risk

Continuing our 3-part Direct Spend Masterclass Series, this second session is designed for supply chain leaders managing direct materials as part of the Design to Pay processes. Join fellow practitioners for an interactive, expert-led discussion on what it really takes to meet on-time, in-full delivery targets—without driving up costs or risking material shortages.

In this highly engaging forum, we’ll dig into the most urgent challenges supply chain teams are facing today: reducing total cost to serve, avoiding plant shutdowns, and building the agility and resiliency needed to navigate global disruptions. You’ll walk away with practical insights on how leading organizations are turning supply chain complexity into their competitive advantage.

We’ll cover:

  • Strategies to hit OTIF targets while minimizing excess inventory and spend
  • Managing CAPEX-heavy direct material costs without sacrificing supply reliability through scenario based decision making
  • Reducing waste and emissions by integrating CO₂ data into supply chain design, sourcing and transportation
  • Strengthening collaboration with procurement to secure critical supply
  • Leveraging data, automation, and scenario planning to boost decision speed and accuracy
  • Minimizing supply chain risk and improving network responsiveness in a volatile environment
  • How community AI data helps supply chain professionals make better decisions

This session is designed to be interactive from start to finish—bring your toughest questions, your current challenges, and be ready to exchange ideas with peers.

Whether you lead supply chain strategy, inventory, supplier collaboration, materials planning, or risk initiatives, this is your opportunity to gain real-world insights, build your network, and level up your direct materials playbook. Let’s get into it—together.

Moderator:

Dawn Tiura

Dawn Tiura, President & CEO, SIG

Speaker(s):

A man in a dark blazer and light-colored shirt is smiling while seated in front of an exposed brick wall. Sourcing, Procurement, 3rd Party Risk

Mark Schenecker, VP of Direct Materials, Coupa

Mark Schenecker is the Vice President of Direct Materials at Coupa. He works on driving business transformation through strategic optimization, technology innovation, and customer-focused solutions. Known for turning complexity into actionable results, Mark blends technical expertise with deep industry insight to deliver measurable value across supply chain planning, sourcing, execution, and supplier collaboration. A frequent speaker, patent holder, and published author, Mark is passionate about solutions that meet the demands of today’s dynamic supply chains.

A man with short, slicked-back hair wearing a blue suit and white shirt is smiling outdoors in a sunlit, wooded landscape. Sourcing, Procurement, 3rd Party Risk

Chris Hahn, Sr. Director, Procurement Advisory & Technology, Acquis Consulting Group
 
Chris helps organizations advance their spend management journeys by leveraging over 15 years of expertise. Before joining Acquis, he spent a decade at Coupa leading solution design for global enterprises, optimizing business spend programs and driving measurable results.

A man with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a black collared shirt and a dark textured blazer, smiles slightly while posing against a neutral gray studio background. Sourcing, Procurement, 3rd Party Risk

Nari Viswanathan, Sr. Dir. of Product Marketing, Coupa

Nari Viswanathan is Senior Director of Product Segment Marketing at Coupa, leading go-to-market strategy for Supply Chain Design and Planning and Direct Spend. With over 20 years of experience, he has held leadership roles at Aberdeen Group, River Logic, Steelwedge, and E2open. Nari is a senior industry expert in management consulting, product management and marketing, industry analysis, market research, solution design and development, and pre-sales. He brings an excellent track record of identifying underserved market needs, building products, and marketing them to users, with end-to-end expertise in market intelligence, product strategy, pricing, product-market fit, and GTM launches of complex enterprise solutions. A six-time “Pro to Know” by SDCExec, he is also a published thought leader with dozens of articles, webinars, whitepapers, and blogs throughout his career. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
 
 
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