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Digital Version There are moments in the evolution of every profession when incremental improvement is no longer enough. Moments when the pace of change becomes so profound that the profession must pause, reflect, and ask a more fundamental question: What should we become next? For procurement, that moment is now. Across the world, organizations are operating in an environment defined by disruption, complexity, and unprecedented interconnectedness. Geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility, technological acceleration, sustainability expectations, and evolving stakeholder demands have reshaped the landscape in which businesses operate. Supply chains have become more intricate, risks more dynamic, and opportunities more expansive. In this environment, procurement has emerged from the background and stepped firmly into the strategic spotlight. Few leaders have had a clearer view of this transformation than Ben Farrell, Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). With a leadership journey spanning military procurement, commercial leadership, organizational transformation, and global professional development, Farrell has spent decades observing how organizations create value, navigate uncertainty, and build lasting success. Those experiences have shaped a perspective that extends far beyond procurement itself. Today, as CEO of the world’s largest professional body serving procurement and supply professionals, Farrell is helping lead one of the most important conversations taking place in global business. Through CIPS and its worldwide community, he is challenging traditional assumptions about procurement, exploring what leadership will look like in the future, and helping define the role procurement professionals will play in shaping organizations, economies, and societies. For Farrell, the future of procurement is not simply about improving processes or adopting new technologies. It is about expanding influence, creating value, and embracing a broader purpose. A Leadership Journey Built on Curiosity and Perspective Great leadership is rarely formed by a single experience. More often, it is shaped by a lifetime of learning, observation, and an openness to new perspectives. Throughout his career, Farrell has had the opportunity to serve in military procurement, lead within commercial environments, and engage with professionals, academics, policymakers, and business leaders across the globe. Those experiences have provided him with a unique vantage point from which to observe both the evolution of procurement and the broader forces reshaping organizations worldwide. One lesson has remained constant throughout that journey: leadership is a discipline that never stops evolving. Farrell often reflects on one of the earliest lessons he learned in the Army—study leaders and study leadership. That curiosity has remained with him throughout his professional life and continues to influence how he views the future. Rather than focusing solely on procurement expertise, he has developed a broader understanding of how leadership, strategy, technology, resilience, and human behavior intersect. This perspective has led him to a powerful conclusion. Procurement is entering a defining period of transformation. What was once regarded as a function focused primarily on sourcing, contracts, and cost management is rapidly becoming something far more influential. The profession is evolving into a discipline that sits at the crossroads of strategy, sustainability, technology, risk management, innovation, and enterprise performance. For Farrell, this transformation represents one of the most exciting opportunities in modern business. The Rise of Procurement as a Strategic Force For decades, procurement’s success was largely measured through savings, efficiency, and supplier management. While those responsibilities remain important, they no longer define the profession. Farrell believes procurement has reached a point where its influence extends well beyond commercial transactions. Today’s procurement leaders are increasingly involved in shaping organizational strategy, strengthening resilience, driving innovation, supporting sustainability goals, and managing complex networks of stakeholders. The role has evolved because the world itself has evolved. Organizations now operate within highly interconnected ecosystems where suppliers, partners, customers, regulators, governments, and communities are all connected in ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago. Procurement professionals often sit at the center of these networks, uniquely positioned to connect different parts of the enterprise and unlock opportunities that others may not see. As Farrell explains, the decisions made by procurement leaders today can influence outcomes not only for businesses but also for governments and entire nations. That reality demands a new type of leadership—one that combines commercial excellence with strategic thinking, technological fluency, sustainability awareness, and the ability to influence decisions at the highest levels of an organization. The future Chief Procurement Officer, in Farrell’s view, will not simply manage supply chains. They will help shape the future direction of the organizations they serve. Leading Through Uncertainty If there is one characteristic Farrell believes will define successful leaders in the years ahead, it is the ability to navigate uncertainty. For much of modern business history, leadership was often associated with certainty. Leaders were expected to have answers, provide direction, and create stability. Yet the realities of today’s world demand something different. Economic volatility, geopolitical disruption, technological transformation, climate challenges, and shifting societal expectations have created an environment where uncertainty is no longer occasional—it is constant. In such a world, leadership is less about knowing every answer and more about helping others move forward despite ambiguity. Farrell believes procurement leaders are uniquely equipped for this challenge. Every day, procurement professionals balance competing priorities, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and make decisions in environments where information is often incomplete. They work across organizational boundaries, anticipate risks, and identify opportunities amid uncertainty. The most effective leaders are not those who eliminate uncertainty; they are those who create clarity for others while operating within it themselves. They connect seemingly unrelated developments, recognize emerging patterns, and help organizations respond proactively rather than reactively. In an increasingly complex world, this ability has become one of the most valuable leadership capabilities of all. Trust: The Ultimate Strategic Enabler While technology continues to transform business at an extraordinary pace, Farrell believes the most important leadership principle remains unchanged. Trust. “Trust is the ultimate strategic enabler.” This belief sits at the heart of Farrell’s leadership philosophy and has been reinforced throughout his experiences in both military and business environments. Again and again, he has seen that high-performing teams, successful organizations, and

Digital Version In financial services, some of the most important successes are the ones people never notice. A salary arrives on time. A mortgage payment clears without delay. A business settles an international transaction without interruption. A customer travelling overseas pays for a service without giving a second thought to whether the payment will go through. These moments may seem routine, but they rely on a vast and complex infrastructure operating behind the scenes. When everything works as expected, it is almost invisible. When it fails, the consequences can be immediate and far-reaching. For Mike Walters, CEO of Form3, this reality has shaped both his leadership philosophy and the company’s mission. While much of the fintech industry is focused on disruption, innovation, and speed, Mike believes that long-term success begins with something more fundamental: trust. Trust between businesses and customers. Trust between partners and providers. Trust between regulators and institutions. Trust between leaders and their teams. It is a concept that appears throughout every aspect of financial services, and one that Mike believes has become increasingly important as the industry undergoes rapid technological transformation. New technologies may create opportunities, but unless people trust the systems behind them, those opportunities rarely achieve their full potential. This perspective has guided Form3’s growth from its earliest days. As financial institutions around the world seek to modernise ageing payments infrastructure, the company has built its reputation on helping banks and fintechs adopt modern, cloud-native technology without compromising resilience, security, or operational confidence. For Mike, innovation and trust are not competing priorities. They are inseparable. Why Trust Remains the Most Valuable Currency Throughout his leadership journey, trust has remained one of Mike’s most important guiding principles. In an industry where organisations manage critical financial transactions every second of every day, trust cannot be treated as an abstract concept. It directly influences how businesses operate, how customers engage with services, and how institutions manage risk. Trust takes time to build and only moments to lose. That reality shapes how Mike approaches leadership. While many discussions around growth focus on speed, scale, and expansion, he believes successful organisations must also create confidence among customers, employees, regulators, investors, and partners. Growth without confidence is difficult to sustain. Innovation without credibility rarely succeeds. At Form3, trust begins internally. Rather than attempting to control every decision, Mike focuses on creating an environment where specialists can excel. Payments is an exceptionally technical field requiring deep expertise and operational understanding. Leadership, in his view, is often less about directing every outcome and more about creating the conditions that allow talented people to apply their knowledge effectively. This philosophy has influenced the way Form3 has been built. Expertise is valued. Ownership is encouraged. Teams are trusted to solve complex problems and take responsibility for outcomes. Alongside trust sits another principle that Mike considers equally important: consistency. Markets evolve. Economic conditions change. Technology advances rapidly. Yet organisations still require a clear understanding of what they stand for. At Form3, that principle is simple but powerful: payments cannot fail. While the statement sounds straightforward, the consequences behind it are significant. Missed salary payments, delayed mortgage transfers, or the inability to access money while travelling can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. These are not merely technical issues. They are real-world problems affecting real people. That understanding has helped create a culture where resilience is not treated as a compliance exercise. It is embedded into every decision the company makes. Seeing Payments Through a Different Lens Before founding Form3, Mike spent years working within financial services and witnessed firsthand the challenges banks faced when attempting to modernise payments infrastructure. Many institutions found themselves trapped between expensive choices. They could attempt to build systems themselves, often requiring significant investment and complexity, or they could rely on collections of legacy software that had evolved over decades and become increasingly difficult to manage. Neither approach felt sustainable. At the same time, the founding team recognised a different trend emerging outside the financial sector. Industries such as streaming and e-commerce were demonstrating how cloud-native technologies could deliver platforms that operated continuously while supporting enormous scale and resilience. These examples prompted a broader conversation about why payments infrastructure could not evolve in the same direction and whether financial services could benefit from adopting the same architectural principles. Those discussions became one of the foundations upon which Form3 was built. From the beginning, the founding team believed technology should never exist simply for its own sake. Instead, it should help shape business strategy, enabling financial institutions to respond more intelligently to changing customer expectations, evolving regulation and new commercial opportunities. Rather than treating payments as a collection of disconnected systems, the vision was to create a resilient cloud native platform that would allow technology and business strategy to evolve together. That philosophy continues to define Form3’s platform-first approach today. For Mike, building a platform-first business was never simply an engineering decision. It reflected a broader belief that technology should actively shape how organisations compete, innovate, and grow, rather than being introduced later to support decisions that had already been made. By aligning technology with commercial strategy from the outset, Form3 built an infrastructure capable of evolving alongside customer needs, regulatory change, and the wider payments ecosystem. The vision challenged conventional thinking at the time. Public cloud infrastructure was still viewed with scepticism in many financial circles. Convincing major financial institutions to trust cloud-native technology for mission-critical payments required more than technical expertise. It required belief, persistence, and evidence. For Mike, those early experiences reinforced a lesson that continues to influence his leadership today: meaningful change often begins long before consensus exists. Conviction Before Consensus One of the defining experiences of Mike’s career came during the early years of Form3, when cloud-native payments infrastructure remained an unfamiliar concept for many financial institutions. Today, cloud adoption is widely accepted across financial services. At the time, however, asking major banks to trust public cloud infrastructure for critical payment operations was considered ambitious by many observers.

Digital Version As vehicles become increasingly intelligent, much of the automotive industry’s attention is focused on what technology can do next. Artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Autonomous systems continue to evolve. Digital ecosystems are becoming more sophisticated with every product generation. Yet for Felice Fortino, Award-Winning Automotive UX/HMI Designer and Interaction Prototyper, the more important question is not what technology can do. It is what people will need from it. That perspective has shaped his approach throughout a career spanning concept vehicles, production HMI systems, interaction prototyping, and connected mobility experiences. While the industry often celebrates technological breakthroughs, Felice has consistently focused on understanding how those advancements fit into real human behavior. His work is grounded in the belief that innovation becomes meaningful only when it improves people’s experiences in ways that feel natural, intuitive, and valuable. It is a philosophy that feels particularly relevant today. The automotive industry is navigating one of the most significant transitions in its history. Vehicles are evolving from machines primarily defined by engineering and mechanical performance into intelligent environments shaped by software, connectivity, and digital interaction. Consumers increasingly evaluate vehicles not only by how they drive but by how they communicate, how they adapt, and how seamlessly they integrate into daily life. As this transformation continues, user experience has become one of the most influential factors shaping the future of mobility. For Felice, however, the objective extends far beyond creating attractive interfaces or introducing new digital capabilities. The real challenge lies in designing experiences that people can trust, understand, and genuinely benefit from. Why Automotive UX Captured His Attention What has always fascinated Felice about automotive UX is the unique relationship between the digital and physical worlds. Unlike many other areas of user experience design, automotive experiences exist within environments where interactions carry immediate real-world consequences. Every decision affects how people move, how they perceive information, and ultimately how safely they navigate the world around them. This creates a level of responsibility that makes automotive UX fundamentally different from designing traditional digital products. At the same time, it is precisely this complexity that makes the discipline so compelling. Throughout his career, Felice has been drawn to the challenge of balancing physical and digital experiences in ways that feel complementary rather than competitive. While many discussions within the industry frame physical controls and digital interfaces as opposing philosophies, he sees them as equally valuable tools that serve different purposes. Physical controls provide reassurance, tactile feedback, and familiarity. They allow users to interact with systems confidently and efficiently. Digital interfaces, meanwhile, offer flexibility, adaptability, and opportunities for personalization that would be impossible through purely physical interactions. The future, in Felice’s view, does not belong to one approach or the other. It belongs to thoughtful integration. This perspective reflects a broader principle that has shaped his work. Technology should never exist simply because it can. It should exist because it improves an experience. Every design decision must ultimately answer a simple question: does this make life better for the person using it? When the Vehicle Becomes an Experience The role of UX within the automotive industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. What was once considered a supporting function has become a defining component of vehicle development. Major launches increasingly highlight digital experiences alongside performance specifications, reflecting a growing recognition that user experience is now central to how people evaluate products. Felice sees this evolution as both necessary and inevitable. As connected technologies continue to mature and autonomous systems become more capable, designers are being asked to rethink what mobility actually means. Historically, automotive experiences were built around a straightforward assumption: one person sits behind the wheel and actively controls the vehicle. That assumption is beginning to change. One of the most significant implications of autonomous driving is not simply the technology itself but the shift in human roles it creates. The driver gradually becomes a passenger. While discussions often focus on technical capability, Felice believes the more interesting questions concern how experiences change once driving is no longer the primary activity. Trust is the first challenge. Before users can comfortably rely on autonomous systems, they must understand them and feel confident in their decisions. Yet trust is only the beginning. As autonomy advances, vehicles become environments where people may work, communicate, relax, consume content, or engage with services during travel. Multiple occupants may have entirely different expectations and priorities while sharing the same space. One person may want productivity. Another may want entertainment. Another may simply want quiet. Designing for this future requires a fundamentally different mindset. The vehicle becomes less of a machine and more of an experience platform. The challenge is no longer helping users operate a vehicle. It is helping multiple individuals coexist comfortably within an intelligent environment that understands and adapts to their needs. For Felice, this transformation represents one of the most exciting opportunities facing automotive UX today. Keeping Technology in Service of People As technological capabilities expand, there is often pressure to introduce innovation simply because it exists. Felice views this tendency as one of the industry’s greatest risks. Technology undoubtedly creates opportunities to improve experiences, but innovation loses its value when it becomes disconnected from human needs. Features introduced solely to appear advanced often create complexity rather than clarity. They increase cognitive load, complicate interactions, and ultimately diminish the quality of the experience. This is why Felice believes great UX leaders must possess both technological curiosity and critical judgment. Understanding emerging technologies is essential. Equally important is the ability to question whether those technologies genuinely improve people’s lives. Not every capability deserves implementation. Not every innovation creates value. Sometimes the most effective solution is also the simplest. No matter how sophisticated vehicles become, one principle remains constant. Designers are creating experiences for human beings. Whether people are actively driving or interacting with increasingly autonomous systems, their expectations, emotions, limitations, and behaviors remain at the center of the design process. Technology should support those realities

Digital Version Agriculture has always been an industry defined by its ability to adapt. From the earliest farming practices to today’s highly sophisticated production systems, every generation has been challenged to produce more while working within the limits of available resources. Yet few periods have demanded as much balance as the present one. Farmers are expected to increase productivity, strengthen food security, meet sustainability expectations, preserve natural resources, and respond to rapidly changing market demands all at the same time. For Haroldo Cunha, President of AGOPA (Goiás Cotton Producers Association) and IGA (Goiás Institute of Agriculture), these challenges are not new. They have shaped much of his professional journey and continue to influence the work he leads today. As an agronomist, Cunha has spent decades following the evolution of agricultural technologies, production systems, and sustainability practices. Throughout that journey, he has witnessed agriculture transform from an industry focused primarily on output into one that increasingly values efficiency, environmental responsibility, and long-term resilience. His leadership has been closely connected to the development of Brazil’s cotton sector, a segment that has become recognized internationally not only for productivity and quality but also for its commitment to responsible production. Through AGOPA and IGA, Cunha has helped drive initiatives that connect research, innovation, sustainability, and practical farming solutions, ensuring that producers are equipped to meet both current demands and future challenges. What distinguishes his approach is a clear understanding that sustainable agriculture is not achieved through a single technology or isolated initiative. Instead, it requires the continuous integration of knowledge, innovation, collaboration, and responsible resource management. It is a philosophy that has guided his work for years and one that continues to shape the future of cotton production in Goiás and beyond. A Career Built on Continuous Improvement Since the beginning of his professional career, Haroldo Cunha has maintained a strong interest in technical innovation within agriculture. As an agronomist working directly with production systems, he consistently sought opportunities to improve farming practices and increase efficiency on the farm. That commitment became even stronger when he became involved with AGOPA and other institutions connected to the cotton sector. Through these experiences, he gained exposure not only to Brazilian cotton production but also to the broader global cotton industry. The deeper his involvement became, the clearer it was that productivity alone would not define the future of agriculture. While improving yields and enhancing fiber quality remained important objectives, another factor was becoming increasingly impossible to ignore: sustainability. “As we learned more about cotton production around the world, it became clear that sustainability would play an increasingly important role,” Cunha explains. This realization extended beyond environmental considerations. He understood that sustainable production was essential not only for preserving natural resources but also for maintaining competitiveness in a market that was becoming more attentive to environmental, social, and governance practices. That understanding led him to play an active role in implementing sustainability programs across Goiás and Brazil. During his tenure leading ABRAPA, the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association, Cunha was directly involved in initiating the implementation of the Better Cotton Initiative in Brazil, helping establish a framework that would later become one of the industry’s most significant sustainability programs. For him, sustainability was never viewed as a trend or external requirement. It was a practical necessity for ensuring the long-term future of agricultural production. Why Productivity and Sustainability Must Move Together Agriculture today faces a challenge unlike any before. The global population continues to grow, increasing demand for food, fiber, and renewable raw materials. At the same time, the resources required to support this growth—particularly land and water—are finite. According to Cunha, this reality has fundamentally changed how agricultural success must be measured. “It is no longer enough to produce at any cost,” he says. Over time, producers have come to understand that productivity cannot be separated from environmental responsibility. Soil health, water conservation, biodiversity protection, and efficient resource use are no longer secondary considerations. They are central to the future of agriculture. The need to produce more per hectare remains critical. However, achieving higher productivity without preserving the resources that make production possible creates risks that eventually undermine the entire system. This balance between productivity and sustainability is one of the principles guiding the work carried out by AGOPA and IGA. Through research, education, and technical support, both organizations seek solutions that allow producers to improve performance while protecting the natural resources on which agriculture depends. For Cunha, the objective is straightforward. Agriculture must continue increasing production, but it must do so using technologies and management practices that ensure future generations can continue farming successfully. Turning Sustainability Into Measurable Action While sustainability is frequently discussed throughout the agricultural sector, Cunha believes its value ultimately depends on practical implementation. This belief has helped shape several important programs supported by AGOPA and IGA. Among the most significant are the ABR – Responsible Brazilian Cotton program and the Better Cotton program. Although coordinated nationally by ABRAPA, these initiatives are implemented at the state level through organizations such as AGOPA. The programs establish clear standards covering environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance practices. Producers participating in the programs receive guidance and support to meet these requirements, while independent international auditing organizations verify compliance. The objective extends far beyond certification. These programs help producers incorporate sustainability into everyday operations, ensuring that responsible practices become part of the production system itself. The result is a model that allows cotton producers to strengthen environmental performance while maintaining competitiveness in demanding global markets. For Goiás producers, these initiatives have become important tools for demonstrating that high productivity and responsible production can successfully coexist. Research as a Foundation for Sustainable Growth If AGOPA focuses on representing and supporting producers, IGA serves as an important engine for agricultural research and innovation. The institute conducts studies designed to improve production systems while strengthening environmental sustainability. One area of particular focus involves crop rotation systems that integrate cotton production with soybean and corn cultivation. These systems are further