One of the world’s biggest and most influential tech events in the procurement and supply chain space has announced a new CEO.
DPW has revealed that Herman Knevel has stepped up to take on a more strategic role while Founder Matthias Gutzmann focuses on continuing to grow the events.
“It’s a great brand and a fantastic company. The energy in the room in Amsterdam is contagious and the people and teams that come to DPW are at the core of what we do,” explains Knevel. “We’re building a strong strategy and team now and continue to deliver a great value and experiences to our customers and community at scale.”
DPW Boom
Being the initiator of DPW LABS, the corporate innovation programme, Knevel is already involved with DPW. He has long-standing career in global outsourcing, corporate innovation, and corporate start-up collaborations. “Throughout my career I have always been passionate about making connections meaningful and been driven by people, innovation, and collaboration opportunities,” he reveals. “That’s what LABS still is today as we thrive by the procure tech ecosystem, and that’s what I continue to do at scale as CEO of DPW. I am grateful and excited to make DPW the global number one super connector of our ecosystem and to create more value for our stakeholders year-round, an ambition that is shared and supported by the founder and team behind DPW.”
Since the launch of DPW in 2019, the conference has grown from strength to strength. In its October 2023 edition, DPW welcomed 1,250 procurement professionals with more than 2,500 virtual attendees watching along at home. Held at the former stock exchange building, the Beurs van Berlage, last year’s theme was “Make Tech Work” which focused on turning digital aspirations into a reality. The event encompassed a deep dive into discussions surrounding AI and machine learning in procurement, digital transformation strategies, sustainable procurement, supplier collaboration, risk management as well as innovation and disruption.
Innovation drive
DPW’s topic focus for 2024 has already been determined as 10x. Knevel explains the process of deciding a conference’s theme is relatively straightforward. “If you look at make tech work, that was a really good theme last year and that resonated well with many who came to DPW, not only in Amsterdam but also online on our livestream,” he explains. “But also, what we learned from the market, and especially from the side of the startups and scale-ups, is that the technology is there and ready to solve the problem. Making tech work was an obvious thing last year, as the adoption rate is still fairly low and a pain point in the industry. The 10x mindset is something we think we should need in the industry to accelerate the base of innovation and to increase the speed of value for many.”
One of DPW’s newest innovations for 2024 is tech safaris which are guided group tours throughout the expo halls. With 25,000 ft² of exhibition space and over 120 technologies to explore, it can sometimes be hard to navigate. Based on areas of interest such as ESG or intake and orchestration management, tech buyers and investors are taken directly to exhibitors to watch live product demos, ask questions, and get insights into key trends in specific tech domains. “It all comes from feedback and listening to customers,” he explains. “Right before I joined as CEO, Matthias and I went to San Francisco and the Valley and also visited New York. Being able to listen to different customers and founders was key and meant we could listen, learn and then implement that innovation.”
Coming to America
And continuous improvement is very much part of DPW’s mantra. The organisation is gearing up for its inaugural United States event which will be held in New York on 12th June, 2024. Although it will be a scaled-down one-day event, the aim is to spread awareness of DPW’s presence in a new market together with launching partners and start the process of expanding out of solely operating in Amsterdam. “We want to engage with the community in the ecosystem on the East Coast and the Americas,” explains Knevel. “It’s also not the same format as Amsterdam as we bring people and the ecosystem together for a day with some great solutions and customers. It’s about understanding the ecosystem there a bit better and we plan to grow over the years to come.”
DPW is passionate about bringing procurement to the top of the c-suite and making the function cool and relevant. This year, the organisation has plans to introduce a Padel tournament as a different way of connecting. “Networking through sports is a great way of getting together,” says Knevel. “It’s an informal way to connect and also lowers the bar. We know this works from experience and we wanted to bring this to DPW so it’s very exciting.”
DPW’s pull
But the main draw of DPW Amsterdam has always been the high-level speakers it attracts. Last year saw the likes of visionaries such as Dr. Elouise Epstein, Partner at Kearney, Yossi Sheffi, Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author David Rogers deliver keynote sessions. Knevel recognises the importance of bringing in great speakers and also sees the value in outside perspectives too. “We want to bring in more CEOs for a different perspective with the right leadership experience,” he explains. “We had Guenther Steiner (former Haas Formula One team principal) who provided an interesting perspective from a different industry. This year, we’re bringing in the former CEO at Unilever Paul Polman. We’re always on the lookout for fresh speakers and they don’t just have to CPOs for them to be considered.”
With an eye on the future, Knevel is looking forward to procurement’s next few years and how DPW fits within that. “Some say we are at the beginning of a replacement cycle in digital procurement,” explains Knevel. “There’s so much happening in the coming years. Of course, it will not only be driven by technology and AI, but foremost by the people, founders and leaders. It’s people that bring innovation and make the connection. If you look through the lens of opportunity from a digital and sustainable procurement angle, there’s so much to be excited about over the coming years.”
