Procurement Leadership in Southeast Asia (Part 2): Jon Hansen

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The Radical Realist: Jon Hansen, Procurement Insights

If Rai A. De Jesus gave us the playbook, and Matthew Quimba gave us the operating system, then Jon Hansen delivers the hard reset—a bold, unflinching look at what really defines success in the age of Agentic AI.

Jon doesn’t come from the school of polished talking points. He comes from the trenches. And when he talks about procurement, it’s not with fanfare—it’s with focus.

I’ve followed Jon’s work for years—his insights through Procurement Insights, his speaking engagements, and his brutally honest commentaries. But revisiting his latest perspective—on CPO leadership, the AI bubble, and the future of digital procurement—was like cold water to the face. Necessary. Clarifying. Urgent.

Jon isn’t just a thought leader. He’s an institution. As the Founder & Chief Editor of Procurement Insights, he’s had a front-row seat to every major tech wave in procurement—from ERP and SaaS to GenAI.

But unlike many trend-watchers, Jon doesn’t just analyze from the sidelines. He calls out patterns, pokes holes in hype, and advocates for one fundamental principle:

“Technology should empower people and processes—not define them.”

1. Agentic AI Needs an Agentic Mindset

Jon is clear: if we keep treating technology as the solution, rather than a tool, we’ll repeat the same mistakes of the ERP and SaaS eras. He believes only 20% of organizations have truly succeeded with digital transformation—and the difference wasn’t the tech. It was the model.

Instead of the old tech–process–people order, Jon advocates for a people–process–technology approach—powered by agent-based implementation.

It’s not about plugging in AI. It’s about anchoring it in real human context.

2. Brace for the AI Bubble

Jon doesn’t mince words: the AI hype cycle is nearing its crash. And when the bubble bursts—as he predicts it will in 2025—many logos on today’s solution maps will vanish.

Why?

Because they weren’t built to last. Because they chased investment, not impact. Because they forgot what procurement is really about.

For Jon, the way forward is to partner with proven players—those with long-standing track records, practitioner DNA, and sustainable architectures.

In his words:

“Don’t buy the AI hype. Invest in experience. In resilience. In partners who’ve walked the walk.”

3. Southeast Asia vs. the U.S.: Two Realities, One Evolution

As someone deeply immersed in Southeast Asia’s CPO landscape, I found Jon’s U.S.-based lens refreshing—and instructive.

There are similarities, of course:

Both regions are reckoning with AI, ESG, and generational turnover
Both are chasing speed, scale, and strategic relevance
And both know that leadership—not tools—will define the future

But the differences are stark too:

	Southeast Asia	United States
Market Maturity	Rapidly transforming, varied digital readiness	Mature infrastructure, often legacy-bound
Leadership Style	Trust- and relationship-driven	Performance- and influence-driven
AI Mindset	Curious, cautious, collaborative	Bold, risk-tolerant, trend-reactive
Transformation Pace	High urgency, often resource-constrained	High ambition, but slowed by scale and complexity

Jon’s perspective reminds us that context matters—but so does courage. Both Southeast Asian and U.S. CPOs need to be principled disruptors—adapting to their environment without compromising on what matters.

4. A New Type of CPO: The Empowerer

Jon closes with a powerful reframe: success isn’t about being the tech-savviest person in the room. It’s about leading humans through complexity.

“Procurement is about people before process and technology.”

Whether you’re in Manila or Minneapolis, Jakarta or Jersey, the next-gen CPO will be the one who understands team dynamics, aligns strengths, and addresses weaknesses with empathy and rigor.

Lessons from Jon Hansen’s Playbook

So what can we learn from this radical realist?

Lead with People, Not Platforms
Agentic AI is only as effective as the humans guiding it.
Rethink Risk
Partner sustainability, compliance complexity, ESG tradeoffs—get ahead of them, don’t react.
Know Your Region, Play to Your Strengths
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Localize, then scale.
Expect Disruption, but Choose Stability
Pick solution partners with roots, not just runway.
Be the 20%, Not the 80%
Don’t follow implementation equations. Rewrite them.

Looking Ahead

From Rai’s agility to Matthew’s ethics and now Jon’s realism, a new archetype of procurement leadership is emerging—one that isn’t afraid to challenge assumptions, lead with empathy, and prioritize people over platforms.

In Part 4, we’ll shift focus to a CPO who’s rewriting the rulebook on intelligent automation at scale—merging agentic orchestration with real-time commercial impact.

Until then, I’ll leave you with Jon’s enduring message:

“Agentic AI doesn’t define procurement. Procurement defines what AI must become.”

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Kunjal Suri

Kunjal Suri is a talented writer with a passion for all things technology. She graduated with an MBA in Marketing from XIME Bangalore in 2020, where she honed her skills in crafting compelling content. Kunjal’s love for technology and her ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner make her articles a valuable resource for readers. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the industry, Kunjal provides insightful perspectives on the latest technological advancements. Her expertise and dedication to sharing her knowledge make her a valuable voice in the tech writing community.