Pondering Procurement · 2026-03-30 · 33 min
Tim Major, VP of Global Procurement at Zendesk, explores what it takes to position Procurement as a strategic, front-and-centre business function. Drawing on 20+ years across pharma, the public sector and global tech, he shares how Zendesk’s shift to private ownership accelerated Procurement’s evolution. With strong executive backing, robust data and a partnership-led approach, Tim guided a lean global team to deliver $90m+ in savings while enabling innovation, growth and smarter decision-making. The discussion centres on practical AI use cases, from improving intake and stakeholder experience to automating contract reviews, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work. Tim also reflects on the skills modern procurement teams need, how to develop talent, and why the future lies in enablement, insight and human - AI collaboration, not cost cutting alone.
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