Joel Johnson, VP, Consulting, GEP, was named an overall winner of the Top Procurement Pros category for this year’s Pros to Know award, presented by Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
With over 15 years of experience, Johnson's areas of focus and expertise include process transformation, strategic sourcing, procurement strategy, global team development, technology deployment, organizational design and brand strategy. His day-to-day tasks include leading the design, implementation and management of global procurement transformation programs. Joel works closely with client executives to establish strategic program direction and oversees the entire journey, aligning people, process and technology for impactful change; collaborating closely with GEP’s data scientists and engineers from the software side to explore and harness the potential of advanced technologies; partnering with procurement and supply chain executives from global companies to conceptualize, design and implement digital transformation strategies; playing a key role in leading GEP’s consulting practice; mentoring more than eight team members who have been identified as high-potential contributors; and improving GEP’s service delivery infrastructure by implementing stronger governance frameworks.
Over the past year, he's led a global team of over 250 GEP procurement professionals across15 countries to deliver a strategic cost reduction program for a Fortune 500 life sciences company. The client relied on the GEP team to deliver a $2 billion reduction in external spend in 2024. The project encompassed more than $20 billion in total spend, covering both directs and indirect categories. Johnson also co-led a program with one of the world’s largest CPG companies, helping its procurement and supply chain functions deliver incremental value across diverse markets in Africa, the Middle East, LATAM, and Asia. He also led the design and development of GEP’s innovative digital tail spend management solutions to enable clients to drastically reduce order-to-receipt cycle times while improving compliance, working capital and the end-user experience. And, Johnson designed and implemented a comprehensive program to support GEP account executives and improve quality assurance across 50 GEP service accounts to identify areas for continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, Johnson is committed to driving at least 20% growth in GEP’s strategy and advisory business in 2025, with at least half of this growth coming from AI-related consulting services. He will continue to lead GEP’s “Digital Garage” workshops, guiding clients through immersive sessions that explore AI-driven opportunities and translate them into digital transformation plans. And, he plans to prioritize the advancement of agentic frameworks, focusing on improving coordination between GEP's AI agents and supply chain uses cases across category strategy, sourcing, contracting and guided buying.
We talked exclusively with Johnson about digital tail spend management solutions and AI's role in advancing procurement.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: Let’s first talk about you. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your journey to get to this current stage in your career?
Joel Johnson: I’ve spent the last 15 years helping some of the world’s largest companies navigate complex procurement and supply chain challenges. My journey started with a degree in international business and finance, and I quickly developed a passion for solving real-world business problems at scale.
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work on procurement transformation projects across multiple industries, which gave me deep insight into how global supply chains operate. Over time, I shifted my focus to integrating technology into procurement, helping organizations leverage AI, automation, and data analytics to drive efficiency, resilience, and strategic decision-making.
Today, as a vice president at GEP, I lead global client engagements, driving procurement innovation through digital transformation, AI adoption, and operational efficiency. I work closely with Fortune 500 companies across industries to optimize procurement strategies, reduce costs, and enhance supply chain agility.
Beyond client engagements, I’m deeply involved in thought leadership, speaking at industry events, hosting executive workshops, and mentoring the next generation of procurement leaders. One of my core strengths is blending strategic vision with hands-on execution, ensuring that transformation efforts deliver tangible value.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: One of the things outlined in your submission is how you led the design and development of GEP’s innovative digital tail spend management solutions. What are these solutions and why are they important to the supply chain space?
Johnson: Tail spend has long been a major pain point for organizations. These are the thousands of small, low-value purchases that are often unmanaged, creating inefficiencies, compliance risks, and cost leakage. At GEP, we developed a cutting-edge digital tail spend management solution to solve this issue.
This solution acts as an end-to-end integrator, consolidating tail-spend purchases onto a single platform. It streamlines supplier interactions, shortens order-to-receipt cycle times, and enhances compliance while improving the overall user experience. One of the most exciting aspects is its use of generative AI to enable autonomous sourcing and negotiations, significantly reducing the manual workload.
The impact has been significant. The ability to automate and optimize tail spend management is a game-changer for procurement, supply chain and finance leaders who have traditionally struggled with this long-standing challenge.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: You’ve also held multiple workshops with Fortune 500 organizations to help procurement and supply chain leaders move from AI interest to action. Why is AI important in procurement? And what do you see as the future of AI in the logistics space?
Johnson: AI is transforming procurement in ways we couldn’t have imagined even a few years ago. Historically, procurement has relied heavily on manual processes, fragmented data, and subjective decision-making. AI is changing that by enabling:
· Predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize sourcing strategies
· Autonomous procurement through AI-driven negotiations and contract analysis
· Enhanced supplier risk management using real-time data
· Agentic AI frameworks that coordinate various procurement and supply chain tasks
In the AII workshops, I help procurement leaders move from theory to action—identifying real-world use cases, piloting solutions, and embedding AI into their digital roadmaps. Some of the ideas generated in these sessions are already being prototyped and integrated into GEP’s software platform.
Looking ahead, AI’s role in logistics will expand significantly. From self-learning supply chains to autonomous procurement agents, we’re moving toward a future where AI is not just assisting humans—it’s augmenting and automating core supply chain functions. The key will be striking the right balance between AI automation and human oversight to ensure optimal decision-making.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: One of the goals outlined in your application is to continue leading GEP’s “Digital Garage” workshops. What are these workshops? What does this entail?
Johnson: The GEP Digital Garage is an immersive, hands-on workshop designed to help procurement and supply chain leaders explore AI-driven opportunities and translate them into tangible transformation plans.
In these sessions, we bring together senior executives, data scientists, and technology experts to:
· Demystify AI and emerging technologies—showing what’s possible and what’s hype
· Develop customized AI use cases that align with each company’s specific challenges
· Prototype and test digital solutions before committing to large-scale investments
The goal is not just education—it’s action. Many of the AI-driven initiatives launched at GEP today originated in a Digital Garage session
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell him?
Johnson: I’d tell my younger self to embrace discomfort and uncertainty. Some of the biggest breakthroughs in my career came from taking on challenges that felt overwhelming at first. Get comfortable with ambiguity—because the most exciting opportunities often don’t have a clear roadmap.
I’d also emphasize the importance of building relationships. The procurement and supply chain world is deeply interconnected, and long-term success is driven as much by relationships and influence as it is by technical expertise. Finally, don’t wait for permission to lead—own your ideas, take initiative, and push boundaries.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: The Top Procurement Pro recognizes professionals in the procurement space. What advice do you have for other procurement professionals or even those looking to join procurement?
Johnson: Procurement is evolving rapidly, and there’s never been a more exciting time to be in this space. My advice:
· Embrace technology—AI, automation, and analytics are reshaping how procurement operates. Stay ahead of the curve.
· Build cross-functional skills—Procurement professionals need a mix of financial acumen, negotiation skills, and tech fluency.
· Be proactive—The best procurement leaders don’t just react to business needs—they anticipate them and drive strategy.
· Find mentors and give back—Mentorship has been a huge part of my own growth, and I actively invest in developing the next generation of leaders.
For those considering procurement, know that it’s no longer just about contracts and cost-cutting—it’s about solving complex global challenges and driving real business transformation.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: What are some things not addressed above that would be pertinent to include in the article detailing your strengths, achievements, overall goals, etc.?
Johnson: A few additional points that might be worth highlighting:
· Pushing the Boundaries of AI: I’ve played a key role in advancing agentic AI frameworks—a next-generation approach where AI agents coordinate procurement activities autonomously.
· Global Impact: I’ve led large-scale transformation programs for Fortune 500 companies across life sciences, CPG, and industrials, managing billions in procurement spend.
· Thought Leadership: I actively speak at industry events, lead executive workshops, and contribute to shaping the future of procurement through my work at GEP.
· Driving Growth: My goal for 2025 is to drive at least 20% growth in GEP’s advisory business, with a strong focus on AI consulting.
Above all, I’m passionate about helping organizations reimagine what’s possible—leveraging technology and innovation to build smarter, more resilient, and future-ready supply chains.
