61st Symposium Procurement and Logistics

SPECIAL EVENTS

WEDNESDAY | 18.11.2026

Welcome Reception by the Federal Board for First-Time Symposium Attendees

Perfect for everyone attending for the first time - connect, settle in and get to know the symposium.

First-time participants from procurement and SCM leadership levels are warmly invited to network and meet the Federal Board of BME e.V. in person.

Moderation: Dirk Steffel, Head of Product Management, BME e.V.

Moderation: Dirk Steffel, Leiter Produktmanagement, BME e.V.

We look forward to welcoming you!

If you are interested in participating, please contact: dirk.steffel@bme.de

WOMEN IN PROCUREMENT DIALOGUE

PASSION INTO ACTION

Moderation: Mirjam Zeller, Managing Director, BME Marketing GmbH

THURSDAY | 19.11.2026

CPO & CSCO Masterclass

Lead your Brain to Change the Game

How leadership truly succeeds in complex times

Dr. Yana Heussen, Neuropsychologist and Organizational Development Expert

Strategy Briefing Defence

Strategic Insights 2026: Resilience Under Pressure – Procurement Between Bottlenecks, Scaling and Cost Reality

Supply shortages, volatile markets, and limited capacities are putting European defence supply chains under severe stress tests. Political ambitions are colliding with budget constraints, single-source risks and global dependencies.

In 2026, operational reality takes center stage: scaling despite limitations, maintaining flexibility without cost explosions, securing critical components, and data-driven risk management.

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Michael Eßig, Chair of Procurement and Supply Management, Bundeswehr University Munich

Auf dem Panel u.a.:
Manuel Hartmann, Vice President Procurement Digitalisation & Excellence, TKMS GmbH
Tanja Heinemann, Head of Procurement / Senior Vice President Procurement, KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Jochen Pfister, Chief Procurement Officer, Hensoldt AG

Prior registration is required

Network Exchange – Stronger together: The BME Sourcing Network Exchange

New supply opportunities, up-to-date market information and an engaging exchange among network partners.

Gain inspiration and insights from BME partners in the field of B2B matchmaking and sourcing. Receive a brief update on opportunities and the current situation in Ukraine. Meet our country partners and experts and join the dialogue.

Moderation: Olaf Holzgrefe, Head of International, BME e.V.

EXECUTIVE CIRCLE

A dedicated format for C-level executives to develop and discuss strategic topics.

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Limited number of participants to enable interactive collaboration
• Prior registration is required

Creating transparent supply chains with holistic and automated product compliance – a practical example using the osapiens HUB

Alberto Zamora,  Co-Founder, osapiens Holding GmbH

Achieving Real Results with AI in Procurement: From Hype to Measurable Impact

• How leading CPOs turn AI into hard savings, faster cycle times, and better risk/ESG performance – at scale, not just in pilots
• Move beyond siloed use cases within source-to-pay and understand the unique differentiators of a concrete foundation to move KPIs
• A pragmatic roadmap for AI in procurement: data foundations, operating model, and governance to deploy AI safely and sustainably

Ari Stone, SVP – Value Engineering, Solution Consulting and Services, Ivalua

The Procurement of Tomorrow: From Reactive Purchasing to Autonomous Procurement with AI Agents

Stefan Köhler, Head of Finance & Spend Management Germany, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG

#### Digitalization & AI Using a Concrete Use Case – Sourcing

• Smart Procurement: digital sourcing, automated decision-making, and SAP-based contract creation
• Strategic technology partnerships as drivers of innovation
• Outlook and expansion of AI applications in procurement

Olga Fendel, Head of Digitalization, Processes and Methods, Procurement, Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
Christian Götz, Head of Procurement Strategy, Procurement, Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft

Managerial Coaching – Leading Effectively

• The coaching mindset: From manager to coach
• Leading like a coach: Tools for real change. How to successfully integrate coaching tools into everyday professional life
• Practical examples: Concrete applications in real-world settings

Sascha Siegers, Director Planning & Replenishment, ALDI Nord Group

Further Executive Circles, among others, with the following partners:

MITTWOCH | 13.00 - 17.45 Uhr

Fireside chat

INSIDE THE MIND OF A PROCUREMENT LEADER

Procurement of the future means managing constraints

Dr. Christoph Bode, Endowed Chair of Procurement, University of Mannheim
Franziska Liebel, Global Head of Purchasing, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG

Changeover Break

Our Journey to the Digital Procurement of the Future

• The Start: Build, clean, and maintain master data
• The Path: Analyze and visualize data digitally and automatically
• The Goal: Support and guide procurement decisions with AI

Sven-Uwe Erber, Head of Procurement (CPO), Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
Olga Fendel, Head of Digitalization, Processes and Methods, Procurement, Brose Gruppe, Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Networking Break

Indirect Procurement Reimagined: How Syntegon Scales Automation, Delivers Sustainable ROI, and Optimizes Processes and Data through AI

• A holistic procurement approach across the entire value chain
• Increasing the level of automation in indirect procurement through catalog solutions
• Reducing supplier complexity through consistent demand bundling and consolidation
• Data-driven management as the foundation for AI-enabled optimization
• Outlook on additional AI-based use cases and strategic AI initiatives in indirect procurement at Syntegon

Anita Adam, Process Expert Indirect Processes, Syntegon Technology GmbH
Dirk Woerner, Director, Head of Indirect Purchasing, Syntegon Technology GmbH

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

DONNERSTAG | 10.50 - 12.30 Uhr

Human capacity in procurement – Our journey into AI supported procurement agents and the impact on capacity

Serge Van Vooren, CPO, QIAGEN GmbH

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

Changeover Break

PANEL DISCUSSION

From AI Support to Agentic Procurement: What’s Next?

Moderation: Dr. Ruth Schültken, Habilitandin, Universität Mannheim

Panelists include among others:
Jessica Morris, CPO, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
Michael Schürmann, CPO, Körber AG

DONNERSTAG | 14.30 - 15.35 Uhr

New levers, old homework: Cost management between innovation and catching up

Ulrich Bär, VP Global Procurement, PALFINGER

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

How we are advancing controllability and data-driven decision-making in procurement at SBB

• Scorecard as a tool: Delivering the right data to the right stakeholders
• End-to-end alignment: From strategy to initiatives
• Culture and people development: Empowering employees in a data-driven procurement environment

Simon Roth, Head of Group Procurement, Swiss Federal Railways SBB CFF FFS

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Florian C. Kleemann, Professor for Supply Chain Management, University of Applied Sciences Munich

MITTWOCH |13.00 - 17.45 Uhr

Fireside chat

INSIDE THE MIND OF A THOUGHT LEADER

DSO: Dynamic Shared Ownership Bayer’s Procurement Transformation Journey

Malik Akhtar, CPO,Bayer Consumer Health
Dr. Thomas Germer, CPO, ADAC SE

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

Networking Break

PANEL DISCUSSION

Lead the Future. Not the Function

The Procurement of Tomorrow – Skills, Structures, Mindset

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Florian C. Kleemann, Professor for Supply Chain Management, University of Applied Sciences Munich

Panelists:
Frank Arendt, CPO, Barry Callebaut AG
Vera Asam, Global Head Corporate Procurement, SIXT
Alexander Schreiber, CPO, VP Global Procurement, Villeroy & Boch

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

DONNERSTAG |10.50 - 12.30 Uhr

Supplier nomination without specification and price – madness or competitive advantage?

What has long been a reality in the Chinese automotive market is turning traditional procurement logic on its head.

• How can speed be achieved without losing control?
• When does early supplier involvement become a risk — and when does it turn into a game changer?
• And how can strategic lock-ins be prevented before they even arise?

An insight into how KOSTAL is rethinking supplier management under extreme time-to-market pressure.

Dr. Georg Mohr, Vice President Global Procurement & Supply Chain, KOSTAL Group

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

PANEL DISCUSSION

Transformation – Ongoing

Moderation: Dr. Judith Paulus, Senior Researcher, Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften

Panelists:
Ferdinand Wieland, Senior Vice President Procurement (CPO), thyssenkrupp AG, Business Segment Automotive Technology
Dirk Wuschech, Head of Supply Chain Management, Franke Home Solutions

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

DONNERSTAG |14.30 - 15.35 Uhr

From Prompt to Performance – Digitalization as a Leadership Task for Procurement 2030

• Digitalization is a leadership task and not an IT project
• Procurement 2030 is shaped not by tools but by clear target visions, governance, and consistent AI integration in management
• Culture determines scaling
• A deliberately built “Digital Confidence Culture” transforms individual initiatives into sustainable, competence-based, value-oriented, organization-wide transformation
• With “Digital Confidence Culture,” AI becomes practically effective
• Using Volkswagen Poznań’s structured procurement program as an example, the session demonstrates how AI formats empower employees and turn experiments into measurable productivity

Dr. Tanja Ernst, Head of Overall Procurement, Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o., and Head of the Regional Sourcing Committee Poland, Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o.

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

Beyond Borders: Procurement as a Global Value-Creation Architecture

• Global governance in procurement: How to create structures that combine local flexibility with global control? What are the change management and supplier enablement requirements?
• Digitalization as an enabler: Which technologies (e.g., AI, predictive analytics, platform solutions) are critical for global transparency and efficiency?
• Talent & Organization: What competencies does procurement of the future need to succeed globally and digitally?

Karsten Dedendorf, Head of Corporate Procurement, Rodenstock GmbH

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Anne Meinke, Professor for Supply Chain Management, Fachhochschule Dortmund

MITTWOCH |13.00 - 17.45 Uhr

Fireside chat

INSIDE THE MIND OF A SUPPLY CHAIN LEADER

End-to-End Supply Chain – Vision, Reality, Challenges

Asmus Wolff, CEO Supply Chain, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Prof. Dr. Anne Meinke, Professor for Supply Chain Management, Fachhochschule Dortmund

Changeover Break

Orchestration of the global value chain in disruptive times

Arjun Varma, Group Head – Supply chain Strategy & Transformation, Apollo Tyres Ltd

Networking Break

PANEL DISCUSSION

Rethinking Global Sourcing: Future Strategies Between Geopolitical Realities and Operational Implementation

Moderation: Olaf Holzgrefe, Head of International, BME e.V.

Changeover Break

TBA

Speaker TBA

DONNERSTAG |10.50 - 12.30 Uhr

Process-Oriented Transformation of SCM and Procurement Functions within a Pan-European Energy Group

Methodology for driving efficiency and leveraging synergies in Supply Chain and Procurement during a Post-Merger Integration (PMI) process under the guiding principle:“Structure follows Process follows Strategy”

Jochen Starrach, Head of Group Procurement, Logistics & Fleet Services, BKW Energie AG

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

Supply Chain & Operations: From Cost Center to Future Enabler

• 80% of global supply chains have been massively disrupted at least once in the last five years – yet few companies have fundamentally adapted their operating models
• The supply chain of the future is no longer a cost block but a strategic value driver
• AI accelerates this transformation

Markus Sagolla,  Head of Group Supply Chain & Operations / Deputy CEO, Mibelle Group

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

PANEL DISCUSSION

Raw Material Dilemma 2026: Dependencies, Availability, and Innovation Under Review – Strategies for Greater Autonomy

Moderation: Lisa Immensack, Senior International Project Managerin, BME e.V.

Panelists:
Yofre Alberto Rodriguez Carlos, Global Procurement & Supply Chain Director, Kirsch Pharma GmbH
Alexander Ruth, Director Strategic Purchasing Team Plastics, B.Braun Melsungen AG
Alexander Schupp, Analyst Raw Material Intelligence Department, ZF Friedrichshafen AG

DONNERSTAG |14.30 - 15.35 Uhr

Ad-Hoc Risikomanagement

• Erkennen und Einordnen unerwarteter Lieferkettenstörungen
• Schnelle Transparenz potenzieller Auswirkungen und Entscheidungsfindung unter Zeitdruck
• Ableitung und Umsetzung kurzfristiger Maßnahmen zur Stabilisierung der Versorgung

Linda Zimmerer, Business Development – Sustainability & Risk Management,Corporate Procurement, KRONES AG

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

Changeover Break

Agentic AI in practice:

How IBM is transforming its supply chain — and what it means for its supply chain teams

• Supply chains under pressure: risks, volatility, and data silos are slowing down decision-making
• Traditional processes are often manual, slow, and error-prone
• Agentic AI enables proactive management and faster responses
• Success requires the interplay of AI, data, and human expertise

Matthias Graefe, Director of Supply Chain Transformation, IBM Infrastructure

🎤 Keynote (20 min) 💬 Conversation with the moderator (10 min)

MIXED ZONES

A space for discussion, experimentation, and networking – open, interactive, and right in the middle of the action.

WEDNESDAY | 18.11.2026

Start-up Arena: Innovative Lösungen entdecken und mit Start-ups direkt ins Gespräch kommen

Moderation: Erik Wirsing, former Vice President Innovation, DB Schenker

Supplier Portal Next Level – AI-Based Supplier Management

Mehmet Ünal, CEO, ABICS GmbH

Material price forecasts and causal intelligence for industrial raw materials procurement

Reiner Kurzhals, Founder, Datasphere Analytics GmbH

If your AI agent doesn’t show up in your P&L, it’s not an agent. It’s a chatbot with better PR

• How to turn purchase order confirmation matching into real savings
• How to negotiate more — and negotiate better
• How to ensure negotiated savings are actually enforced throughout the purchasing process

Nicolas Pardon, Geschäftsführer, qado

From Data Chaos to Clarity: AI-Powered Part Harmonization in Procurement

Lisa Reehten, Commercial Director, Resourcly GmbH

Mentoring in Dialogue: Connecting Perspectives, Unlocking Potential

Moderation: Mirjam Zeller, Managing Director, BME Marketing GmbH

Ina Albers, Junior Strategic Accounts Managerin, Gore Medical GmbH
André Linder, Team Leader für das Provider Selling Team in CER, Gore Medical GmbH

Start-Up Arena

Moderation: Erik Wirsing, former VP Innovation, DB Schenker

Global Sourcing Reimagined – Practical Insights Between Strategy and Execution

Moderation: Olaf Holzgrefe, Head of International, BME e.V.

Ask GenZ: the Reality Check for Procurement & Supply Chain

Moderation: Jasmin Möller, Academic Researcher, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Carola Rühling, Global Process Owner Supplier Management, Bayer AG

Florian Diermeier, Strategic Purchasing, Thüga AG
Sophia Leykam, Student, Hochschule München

THURSDAY | 19.11.2026

Award Winners: Successful projects and the stories behind them

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Florian C. Kleemann, Professor for Supply Chain Management, University of Applied Sciences Munich

Women Lead the Change: Demonstrating Strength. Shaping the Future

Moderation: Mirjam Zeller, Managing Director, BME Marketing GmbH

Logistics Vision 2030

Moderation: Svenja Meyer, Head of Procurement, duisport – Duisburger Hafen AG

Diskutanten u.a.:
Gaby Symonds, Head of Logistics, Nestlé Deutschland AG
Silke Maria Weber, Head of Supply Chain Logistics, Siemens AG

Europe in the supply chain wars

Tobias Gehrke, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

SOLUTION FORUMS

Presentation and in-depth exploration of selected solution concepts.

• Dauer 30 Minuten
• keine Teilnehmerbegrenzung
• ohne Voranmeldung

The Solution Forums feature, among others, the following partners:

From Risk Management to Strategic Opportunity: How AI-Powered Resilience and Tier-N Transparency Protect Your ROI

• Rethinking Resilience: How AI-driven real-time data transforms procurement and supply chains from reactive risk management into strategic value creation
• Tier-N Transparency as the Foundation: Deep visibility across the supply chain to identify insolvencies, cyber incidents, and supply disruptions before they impact business performance
• Resilience That Pays Off: How AI-powered supply chain intelligence converts risks into measurable ROI - from early warning signals to effective crisis response

Harald Nitschinger, Co-Founder, Prewave

Procurement as a Control Tower: Why Integrated Processes + AI Make the Difference

• How an end-to-end, integrated operating model — from demand management to supplier performance — creates true transparency as the foundation for proactive steering rather than pure transaction processing
• Which AI-powered mechanisms help identify opportunities and risks at an early stage (e.g. deviations, bottlenecks, compliance issues) and enable faster prioritization of actions
• Which next steps strategic procurement can take to simultaneously increase efficiency, resilience, and value contribution — without committing to a rigid target-state approach

Bernd Thannheiser, Director Solution Advisory Spend Management, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG

Procurement Planning 2030: Sustainable and Effective AI Transformation

• From the traditional procurement planner to the cross-functional supply chain planner
• Applied practical example: Explainable AI forecasting – transparency and traceability in planning
• Customer projects: Practical AI applications and measurable impacts

Speaker TBA

Further Solution Forums include, among others:

DEEP DIVES

Intensive exploration of operational challenges for the joint development of new perspectives.

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Limited participants to enable interactive work
• First come, first served; for industrial companies only

WEDNESDAY | 18.11.2026

DEEP DIVE SESSION 3

THURSDAY | 19.11.2026

DEEP DIVE SESSION 5

China’s New Five-Year Plan – An Evolving Economic Model and Implications for Procurement Strategies

• Key strategic insights and relevance for procurement
• Resilience over pure cost efficiency: Why cost and quality alone are no longer sufficient
• Supply chains as strategic assets

Riccardo Kurto, Head of Strategy and Office Coordination, BME China, BME e.V.

DEEP DIVE SESSION 6

Rethinking Procurement: Value Creation “Beyond just Savings”

• Stakeholder-Centricity as a Strategic Perspective for Procurement
• Procurement marketing: new communication approaches for a new role of procurement within the organisation
• Growth, revenue & beyond: innovative procurement value contributions that extend beyond cost savings and supply security

Prof. Dr. Florian C. Kleemann, Professor for Supply Chain Management, University of Applied Sciences Munich

DEEP DIVE SESSION 7

Digital Transformation in Indirect Procurement: Redesigning Source-to-Pay

• Challenges and optimization potential in indirect procurement
• Cost-efficient automation of the Source-to-Pay process
• Greater transparency and efficiency for procurement

Franziska Prüger, Head of Procurement, A.S. Creation Tapeten AG

MORNING SPECIALS

Discussion of current topics in a relaxed atmosphere to help take your company to the next level.

• Duration: 45 minutes
• No participant limit
• No prior registration required

THURSDAY | 19.11.2026

MORNING SPECIAL 1

The Hidden Operating System Behind Supply Chain Excellence

• Why knowledge flow is becoming a strategic supply chain capability
• How expert communities strengthen speed, resilience, and cross-functional collaboration
• How dependency on “tribal knowledge” can be reduced by making expertise globally accessible and scalable

Melieke Lachenmann, Director Global Supply Chain & Procurement, Danfoss Power Solutions GmbH & Co. OHG

MORNING SPECIAL 2

PANEL DISCUSSION

Risk and Resilience Strategies in Procurement

Moderation: Martin Klett, SME Representative, BME e.V.

Panelists include:
Marcel Strohmenger, Head of Purchasing, Ypsomed AG
Klaus Stölken, Senior Segment Lead Supply Chain Management, MENCK GmbH

MORNING SPECIAL 3

The “Dark Room” in Demand Management

• Along the flow of goods, procurement is often perfectly set up to optimize the supply chain from the supplier all the way to the customer and to achieve savings targets.
• However, to go the extra mile, up-to-date data on internal planned consumption is often missing. While planning data does exist, it typically contains hidden “buffers” that lead to unused inventory.
• Changes in planning, shifts in demand, shutdowns, etc. are often not reflected in procurement processes. Potential: X €?
• Is AI capable of delivering this data “just in time” and providing actionable recommendations?

Frithjof Karbach, Head of Materials Management SC-M, Fritz Winter Eisengießerei GmbH & Co. KG

MORNING SPECIAL 4

Humans vs. AI Agents: Who Will Be Driving Procurement in 2026?

• What leading technology providers need from procurement to ensure AI agents deliver real business value
• Humans vs. machines: What AI agents can do today, where they're headed, and how they will collaborate with procurement professionals
• What really works and what doesn't: Practical insights from global rollouts across 150+ companies, with solutions already used daily by more than 1 million users

Vladimir Keil, CEO und Co-Founder, Lio

MORNING SPECIAL 5

The Future is WOW!

Unlocking Opportunities with AI and Digital Transformation

Further Morning Specials include, among others:

CLOSING PLENARY

Buyer’s way of managing talent flow in a dynamic shared ownership model

Malik Akhtar, CPO, Bayer Consumer Health
Karin Guemmer, Vice President Head of Procurement Strategy and Transformation, Bayer

KEYNOTE to be announced for you

Closing Words from the Moderator

Sabrina Winter, VP Direct Procurement, Lufthansa Group

Simultaneous translation of all plenary sessions
German : English
English : German