It has been my great honor to work with and research Chief Procurement Officers for so many years. Later this week, Ardent Partners will be publishing the 20th annual CPO Rising – State of Procurement report. This report is an annual labor of love and has been a major part of my professional career. The report will be available at no charge for a brief time to the practitioner members of our community. There is no cost to join/register – just click here and you’ll gain exclusive access to this new report.
Here is an overview:
CPO Rising 2025: Navigating Global Uncertainty & Unlocking an AI-Driven Future
Over the past two decades, procurement has undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving into a strategic powerhouse that enables business resilience, drives savings and innovation, and helps build competitive advantage. In this time, the CPO’s journey has been marked by financial crises, a global pandemic that created far-reaching supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability, and rapid digitalization. Through it all, procurement has remained at the forefront — navigating complexity, mitigating risk, and delivering value.
This year, Ardent Partners analysts are authoring their 20th annual State of Procurement report as an exciting wave of innovation is about to take hold. Yet, CPOs are steadfast, standing at the helm of a major hub of business intelligence and business results, guiding their teams through uncertainty while shaping the future of procurement and the global supply chain.
In 2025, businesses are navigating a storm that is far from perfect, built upon an uncertain foundation of economic, business, and trade uncertainty, including persistent inflation, supply chain fragility, and escalating geopolitical conflicts — all set against the backdrop of rapid technological disruption and shifting global trade dynamics. At the same time, a technological revolution is unfolding. Intelligent, AI-driven procurement is becoming a reality — offering the promise of higher levels of efficiency, intelligence, and agility.
While this report reflects on two decades of dramatic Chief Procurement Officer progress, it remains focused on the here and now, presenting a comprehensive, industry-wide view of what is happening in the world of procurement and capturing the experience, performance, perspectives, and intentions of 326 CPOs and other procurement executives. The report also includes benchmark statistics, analysis, and recommendations that procurement teams can use to better understand the state of procurement today, gain insight into best practices, benchmark their performance against Best-in-Class organizations, and ultimately improve their team’s operations and performance.
