Two weeks ago in London, just ahead of the Procurement Leaders World Congress, we held the annual in-person meeting of the SPP Champion Program – a half-day working session that left many of us energised, inspired, and ready to move even faster.
We expected 30 participants but ended up with more than 60 – Champions, partners, and new faces to SPP: Chief Procurement Officers, transformation leads, and sustainability-focused practitioners, all committed to turning ambition into action.
And for everyone across the broader SPP community – this matters to you too. What’s happening inside the SPP Champion Program isn’t about exclusivity. It’s about acceleration.
I hear from many of you that leadership presence is critical to enabling your work – whether that’s innovation, sustainability, or simply making progress. The CPOs in the Champion Program are stepping up and doing just that:
- Funding SPP through donations
- Raising their collective voice to highlight the importance of our community’s work
- Tackling concrete issues and clearing stumbling blocks
- Championing a spirit of collaboration
- Demonstrating the power of procurement and the value of embedding sustainability
During our time together, we zoomed out to reflect on global shifts reshaping our work – and zoomed in to share what’s working within real organisations. Together, we co-created practical solutions to our shared challenges: from supplier decarbonisation to capability-building, from category manager engagement to systemic barriers.
There was honesty, vulnerability, and determination in the room – helping us question assumptions, learn from each other, and push forward. The clear takeaway? We’re moving faster, achieving more, and having fun while doing it.
The Champion Program is a cornerstone of our SPP strategy. With two engagement streams – the League of Champions, bringing together CPOs and senior executives, and the Transformation Panel, made up of the teams leading change every day – we’re building a vital bridge between vision and execution.
The companies involved also provide essential funding for SPP. That allows us to remain proudly non-commercial, independent, and community-powered. When we say “this is your space,” we mean it.
We know the Champion Program has been driving progress quietly behind the scenes for some time. That’s changing now. Because at SPP, we don’t just support leadership – we mobilise it. We empower every individual in procurement, while helping organisations lead with confidence and credibility.
So whether you’re new to SPP or already an active Ambassador – this is your movement. And if you’re curious about the Champion Program, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re building something bold: a culture of collaboration, shared problem-solving, and real impact. Not just because sustainability is the right thing to do – but because it’s the smart thing to do.
We’re doing this by creating a global procurement community, one million strong, and activating the power of leadership.
Let’s go further, faster – together.
Warmly,
Mélissa La Roque de Roquebrune
👉 Learn more about the Champions Program here
👉 Get in touch with melissa@spp.earth.
