VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE – The Direct Procurement Masterclass: Strategies for Tech, Tariffs & Turbulence, presented by Coupa

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  • August 20, 2025
  • Virtual
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VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE – The Direct Procurement Masterclass: Strategies for Tech, Tariffs & Turbulence, 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

Ready to take your direct procurement strategy to the next level? Join us for the kickoff of our highly-anticipated 3-part Direct Spend Masterclass Series—with this session designed specifically for professionals managing direct materials and procurement operations.

In this interactive session, you’ll connect with fellow practitioners and industry experts to explore what truly drives success in direct spend. We’ll dig into best practices for sourcing and contract management, improving visibility across spend categories, and navigating the shifting technology landscape.

Expect insights on:

  • Unlocking visibility into direct spend and identifying key levers for efficiency

  • Benchmark metrics: What KPIs define success—and how do leading teams track them?

  • Strategies for securing budget in a world of competing priorities

  • How AI and emerging tech are transforming day-to-day workflows

  • Navigating supply chain risk and global disruptions, from trade wars to tariffs

Plus, this session is fully interactive – where your questions and dialogue are welcome throughout the session (not just with an ending Q&A)—bring your burning questions and biggest challenges to the table– let’s talk about them.

Whether you’re a direct materials buyer, supply chain planner, or sourcing lead, this is your opportunity to learn, network, and build a community of peers tackling the same challenges. We can’t wait to see you there!

Moderator:

Dawn Tiura

Dawn Tiura, President & CEO, SIG

Speaker(s):

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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.

A man in a dark blazer and light shirt smiles while seated in front of a red brick wall, exuding confidence. 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.

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Nico Bac, Founder, Digital Procurement Now

20+ year procurement leader specializing in packaging, manufacturing & IT. Drove P&G’s global digital transformation (2014-2020), achieving 95% spend under management and 80% efficiency savings through e-sourcing, e-procurement and e-invoicing. Founder with deep expertise in Coupa/Ariba/SAP/Jaggaer and many other ProcureTech solutions.

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  • Time : 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (America/New_York)