THE SUPPLY CHAIN INTERVIEW

“ My mission is to help our customers transform their supply chains into a competitive advantage through total spend transparency and resilience,” he explains. By breaking down traditional barriers, Dean continues to champion the next generation of logistics.

“ In business, we often talk about‘ risk’ as a data point, but for me, it’ s personal,” he says.“ Having navigated that transition, I don’ t see risk as something to shy away from; instead, I see it as a challenge to be managed through preparation and grit.”

The move also provided Dean with a unique opportunity to observe and absorb the cultural differences in how people approach strategy and decision-making.“ There is a distinct difference in personality and pace between the two regions,” he explains.“ I’ ve learned to bridge those worlds.”“ I’ ve learned that as long as you have the resilience to handle the setbacks, you can afford to be bold. That’ s a mindset I bring to my leadership at Coupa every day, balancing that hard-earned resilience with a global perspective on how to get things done.”

Dean’ s career is not the only thing that has evolved dramatically over the past two decades. Technology has transformed not only the supply chain space but the global business landscape as a whole. Twenty years ago, supply chain operations were largely siloed. A lack of visibility often meant waiting hours, days

46 April 2026