# CPOs Navigate AI and Geopolitical Challenges

Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) are increasingly transitioning from traditional cost-focused roles to strategic leaders who influence early business decisions amid rising geopolitical volatility and rapid AI adoption. This shift is driving procurement organizations to reconsider global supply chains through reshoring and nearshoring strategies, while integrating AI tools to automate manual tasks and enhance workforce capabilities. These developments underscore the growing importance of procurement functions in shaping organizational resilience and agility.

- Procurement professionals should evaluate supplier relationships in light of geopolitical risks and consider reshoring or nearshoring to mitigate supply chain disruptions.
- Adoption of AI-enabled procurement solutions is freeing staff from routine tasks, enabling focus on strategic activities and decision-making influence upstream in the business.
- Organizations can leverage insights from CPOs leading this transformation to align procurement strategies with broader business objectives and emerging technology trends.
- This evolution highlights the need for procurement teams to develop skills in AI tools and geopolitical risk management to remain competitive and effective.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Professional Services
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 25, 2026

### Vendors
- Jabil (prime contractor)
- evoke (prime contractor)
- British Council (prime contractor)

### Key Quotes
> Your ability to operate further upstream, influence demand and shape the decision making of the business is becoming ever more important.
> — Ben Terry, Group Chief Procurement Officer at evoke

> Many of the manual tasks we ask people to perform regularly are moving toward AI-enabled solutions, freeing up their time for other work.
> — Graham Scott, Chief Procurement Officer at Jabil

### Sources
- [How CPOs Navigate Leadership, AI and Geopolitical Volatility | Procurement Magazine](https://procurementmag.com/news/how-cpos-navigate-leadership-ai-and-geopolitical-risk) - Procurement Magazine