Speaking
& Key Notes
I speak where theory meets real-world practice – drawing on more than 25 years of experience across procurement, supply chain, digital transformation, and crisis management. No buzzword bingo (well, maybe occasionally), but clear perspectives, practical insights, and real-world examples.
My keynotes cover topics ranging from the future of AI in procurement and leadership in mid-sized companies to building resilience under real-world pressure.
All talks are available as 30–45-minute keynote sessions. Selected topics can also be expanded into interactive workshops with practical exercises and hands-on application.
I would be delighted to speak at your conference, industry event, or in-house corporate event.
Botmania - AI in Procurement
The SaaS Apocalypse
The traditional procurement software landscape is approaching a fundamental inflection point. ERP and procurement suites will remain relevant, but the real innovation is increasingly emerging through hybrid architectures, specialized solutions, and autonomous AI agents.
The key challenge is no longer integration alone. It is governance, trust, and architectural clarity. Agentic AI represents a fundamental shift from AI-assisted workflows to autonomous execution – creating enormous potential while raising a critical question: How much autonomy can organizations responsibly allow?
Drawing on his paper “Botmania – AI in Procurement,” Prof. Dr. Martin Kotula provides a critical and pragmatic perspective on what lies behind the AI hype, which technologies are genuinely at risk of being replaced, and how procurement organizations need to position themselves today to avoid being overtaken by their own technology.
Who is it for?
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Procurement leaders, CPOs, and digital transformation executives
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CIOs and IT transformation teams
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Procurement conferences, industry events, and executive forums
Format & Duration
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Keynote or executive talk
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30–45 minutes
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Optional moderated Q&A and discussion
What participants will take away
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An honest assessment of the AI hype in procurement – beyond the buzzwords
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A clear understanding of which software architectures are likely to remain relevant and which may disappear
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Practical criteria for making better procurement technology and architecture decisions
When the site is on fire! - Lessons from Fire & Rescue Services
When a crisis strikes, what matters is not the handbook sitting on the shelf, but what people have actually practiced.
Fire and rescue services have understood this for decades: it is not the emergency plan that saves lives, but the ability to act effectively under time pressure, stress, and uncertainty.
Drawing on real-world experience from fire and emergency response services, Prof. Dr. Martin Kotula translates these principles into the corporate world. He demonstrates why true organizational resilience is built through practice – not documentation.
Because when the building is actually on fire, it is not what is written in the risk management folder that matters. What matters is how quickly, decisively, and effectively the organization responds.
Who is it for?
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CEOs, Managing Directors, and Procurement & Supply Chain leaders
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Risk and Compliance teams
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Conferences, Procurement & Supply Chain events, and in-house corporate programs
Format & Duration
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Keynote or executive talk, 30–45 minutes
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Optional moderated discussion
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Optional half-day Crisis Drill Workshop: inspired by professional fire and emergency response exercises, teams do not just discuss crisis management – they experience it. A simulated crisis puts the organization's response mechanisms to the test and reveals how effectively the team can act under pressure.
What participants will take away
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Compelling real-world examples from fire and emergency response – translated into practical lessons for corporate crisis management
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A clear understanding of why documented risk management alone does not create resilience
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In the workshop format: the opportunity to experience your own team in a realistic crisis drill and identify critical weaknesses before a real crisis exposes them
AI Leadership at mid-sized companies
Artificial intelligence is changing more than business processes – it is changing how leadership works in mid-sized companies. Decision-making speed, the distribution of responsibility, and even the role of the leader itself are being fundamentally challenged.
Prof. Dr. Martin Kotula – featured on the Bond & Beyond podcast with Kathy Grow – brings more than 25 years of leadership experience and 12 years of SAP consulting into a practical business perspective: How is AI actually changing leadership beyond the technology debate?
Who is it for?
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CEOs, Managing Directors, and leaders of mid-sized companies
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HR and organizational development executives
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Executive conferences, leadership events, and mid-market business associations
Format & Duration
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Keynote or executive talk
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30–45 minutes
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Optional moderated discussion
What participants will take away
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A practical, business-focused perspective on AI and leadership – beyond the technology hype
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Concrete examples of how decision-making and organizational structures are already changing in mid-sized companies
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Practical impulses for redefining the leadership role in the age of AI
Procurement under pressure
Supply chain disruptions, inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and new regulatory requirements such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act are putting procurement organizations under simultaneous pressure to reduce costs, ensure compliance, and secure supply.
Too many companies respond reactively instead of building a structured approach to resilience.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across industry, consulting, and technology, Prof. Dr. Martin Kotula shows how procurement organizations can move from permanent crisis mode toward a robust and resilient operating model – with clear priorities instead of constant firefighting.
Who is it for?
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CEOs, Managing Directors, and Procurement leaders
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Risk and Compliance executives
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Business conferences, Procurement and Supply Chain events
Format & Duration
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Keynote or executive talk
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30–45 minutes
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Optional moderated discussion
What participants will take away
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A clear distinction between structural pressures and short-term disruptions
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A practical framework for resilient procurement decisions instead of treating symptoms
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Concrete approaches to strengthen supply chain resilience and crisis readiness
Re-Wiring the Value Engine
IT Value Advisory for Technology Companies
Software companies rarely sell what customers ultimately want to buy. Customers do not pay for features – they pay for measurable business value. Increasingly, this is where the difference between growth and stagnation is made: in sales, pricing, and customer success.
In his book “Re-Wiring The Value Engine,” Prof. Dr. Martin Kotula distills his experience as a long-standing trusted advisor to C-level executives at SAP, working across Value Advisory and Go-to-Market strategy.
He explores how software and technology providers can fundamentally rethink their value proposition – from building compelling business cases and defining target architectures to embedding and realizing value throughout the customer lifecycle.
In this keynote, he explains why many IT Value Advisory approaches remain too superficial – and how technology companies can turn them into a robust, scalable, and sales-driven Value Engine.
Who is it for?
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CEOs, Managing Directors, and Sales leaders of software and technology companies
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Value Consulting, Value Advisory, and Presales teams
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Software conferences, sales and partner events, and investor events
Format & Duration
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Keynote or executive talk, 30–45 minutes
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Optional moderated discussion
What participants will take away
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The core ideas from “Re-Wiring The Value Engine” translated into practical approaches for technology sales
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A clear understanding of why feature-based selling is no longer enough
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A practical framework for embedding Value Advisory structurally into the company's Go-to-Market strategy