Doug Johnson, former VP of Global Supply Chain at Emerson, shares lessons from more than three decades leading global supply chain and procurement teams. He explains how an unexpected career path led him to the top, why great leaders listen more than they talk, and why culture and people matter more than compensation.

Doug makes the case that procurement should never focus on cost alone. Every decision should line up with what the business and the customer need, and speed, quality, and customer value often matter more than the lowest price.

He also talks about building teams around the world, encouraging healthy disagreement, and why many companies struggle to adopt AI in supply chain successfully.