Season 2 Ep 14: AI, Talent & Trust in Procurement with Laura Smith

RELEASED September 2, 2025

Although many professionals have the opportunity to work with global colleagues, striking the right balance between international business management and local or regional culture and connections takes some additional effort. Fortunately, that is easily achievable when procurement and sales teams recognize what they have in common and what they can learn from each other.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Kelly Barner welcomes Laura Smith back to the show. Laura is Ivalua’s Vice President of Sales for North America where she has the opportunity to be part of the international business world and also to study the unique trends, successes, and challenges facing procurement in North America.

Laura shares her observations from years spent working with and listening to procurement organizations:

• How the current economy is impacting companies and the priorities they set for their procurement teams
• Interesting trends, like the embrace of AI, that are impacting procurement technology decisions as well as talent and operating model considerations
• What it is like to work as a sales professional in a procurement company, including the characteristics of healthy procurement/sales relationships, what to do when friction occurs, and why procurement should make every effort to build a relationship with their own company’s sales team