OWS25 Preview: IAOP’s Global Advisors Provide Insights on Overcoming 2025’s Biggest Challenges

A powerhouse panel of global advisors will illuminate the road ahead at OWS25, taking place April 29 to May 1, in Chicago. The presentation, “Overcoming 2025’s Biggest Challenges,” will be more than just a conversation; it will be a critical dialogue about resilience in the face of uncertainty.

The speakers will tackle the pressing issues that define our current moment — from harnessing the transformative potential of Generative AI to rethinking outsourcing in the context of mergers and acquisitions, all while mitigating risks and adapting to an evolving workforce.

Moderated by Mark Voytek, COP, Chief Advisor of Thought Leadership, IAOP, Founder and Managing Partner, Voytechnology Partner and Member of IAOP's Leadership Hall of Fame, the speakers will share strategies that are guiding enterprises through these turbulent waters and essential principles that can anchor leaders amid uncertainty.

Here’s a preview of some of the topics they will cover:

Anupam Govil, Partner, COP, Avasant, will talk about sourcing in the Age of GenAI.

“GenAI is offering a plethora of opportunities to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and drive more innovation within sourcing engagements,” he said. “Enterprise executives are faced with a myriad of choices to significantly transform their sourcing initiatives and drive more value for their business. Sourcing methods and engagement models have to change to adopt to this disruptive technology that is having a profound impact across the enterprise. There is a need to rethink the sourcing paradigm - from how services are delivered to how GenAI can enable new business models.”

Boris Abezgauz, Partner, Strategy&, part of the PwC network, plans to address how businesses can unlock the value of AI in managed service provider negotiations.

“IT and Procurement leaders can achieve greater cost savings, quality, and innovation by integrating AI into their negotiation strategy,” he said. “When used alongside traditional levers, AI enables smarter managed services and application development agreements.”

Abezgauz will share how a high-tech manufacturer reduced its third-generation outsourcing costs by over 40 percent through a next-generation sourcing strategy focused on simplification and automation.

Megh Desai, Managing Director at KPMG, will discuss the role of outsourcing in mergers and acquisitions, examining whether it serves as a catalyst or an inhibitor to planned synergies.

Uncertainty in optimizing services is the challenge that Todd Hintze, Partner at Wavestone, will shed light on, calling it a very real and tangible hurdle to driving transformation when enterprises need it the most.

“The landscape in which we operate has always been dynamic, but in recent months, we’ve witnessed unprecedented fluctuations in what was once a relatively stable and predictable business environment,” he said. “Today’s leaders must still answer the familiar demands for better, faster, and more cost-effective solutions—yet they now do so amid growing uncertainty. From geopolitical instability and evolving service taxes to tariffs and rapidly advancing technologies, new challenges continue to emerge.”

“Despite this volatility, we have found that adhering to the core principles of managed transformation equips executives with a solid, predictable foundation for making strategic decisions and guiding their organizations forward,” Hintze said.

The Road Ahead: Expert Insights on Overcoming 2025’s Biggest Challenges from IAOP's Global Advisors will take the stage on April 30, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower in Chicago.