Talking Supply Chain: From cost cutter to strategic powerhouse

In the latest episode of Talking Supply Chain, host Brian Straight sat down with Dave Pennino, CEO of LogicSource, to explore why procurement is no longer just a cost-control function, it’s becoming a strategic lever for financial resilience.

Pennino doesn’t mince words about what’s changed. In an era of tariff uncertainty, inflation, geopolitical instability and shifting consumer demand, CFOs are under relentless pressure. But the real risk, he argues, isn’t just volatility, it’s underinvestment in procurement.

“Organizations that are, from the CEO down, pushing and challenging how they can drive more efficiency, I think are going to be the winners,” Pennino said.

Throughout the conversation, he draws a parallel between procurement today and IT decades ago when MIS directors “pushed around AV carts” before evolving into strategic CIOs. Procurement, he says, is undergoing that same transformation. The companies that recognize it and properly fund it will outperform their peers.

A recurring theme is visibility. Many organizations still lack clear insight into what they buy, from whom, and under what terms. Without real-time spend analytics, leaders are “flying blind.” And while AI dominates headlines, Pennino offers a grounded perspective: technology isn’t the hard part, data is. The winners in AI-enabled procurement will be those with deep, actionable datasets, not just flashy tools.

The episode also tackles peer benchmarking myths, indirect spend strategy, and why procurement teams should have revenue-style targets tied to compensation.

If you care about EBITDA, resilience, or simply making your organization’s money go further, this is a conversation worth hearing in full.

Listen to the complete episode of Talking Supply Chain to dive deeper into the future of procurement leadership.

SC
MR