ADVISORY BOARD

Kamran Taherian has more than 12 years of procurement experience within both direct and indirect material procurement, working with passion for driving effective and efficient procurement transformation programs. He holds a MSc. in Innovation and Industrial Management from the Gothenburg Business School, where he also runs negotiation trainings and holds lectures. Currently, he is leading the Indirect Procurement (EMEA) department at Polestar.

The Pop in Your
"I have a passion for developing people and procurement organizations which lead to the improved profitability and revenues of companies. This is what drives and motivates me in my every day job"

Robert currently serves as Head of Procurement at DS NORDEN, where he leads a team of Category and Sourcing Managers responsible for all direct and indirect procurement activities. He is focused on developing strategic roadmaps, collaborating with senior management on reporting and operational requirements, and coaching teams on procurement projects, pipelines, and dispute resolution.

Prior to this, Robert was Head of Strategic Sourcing at Nordea, where he managed a multinational team of sourcing professionals and oversaw the development of sourcing guidelines, compliance frameworks, and procurement tools. He played a key role in project distribution, stakeholder management, and mentoring sourcing managers on complex procurement initiatives. Before stepping into this leadership role, he held various procurement positions at Nordea, including Expert Sourcing Manager, Supplier Relationship Manager, and Senior Sourcing Manager, where he was responsible for large-scale IT sourcing projects, category management, and supplier negotiations.

The Pop in your Job
I am a result driven person, with a passion for new ideas and different approaches. I like to work with facts and understand the process.

ADVISORY BOARD

Louise Bäckman has been the Global IT Sourcing Manager at Essity since 2015, responsible for Global IT Applications and IT Services across the company’s business application portfolios. Her role involves developing and executing the IT Software Supply Stream Strategy in alignment with Essity's broader IT and Global Sourcing strategies. She collaborates closely with key stakeholders to drive cost-saving initiatives, optimize supplier portfolios, and implement effective Supplier Relationship Management frameworks tailored to market and business needs.
With extensive experience across sectors such as finance, legal, automotive, chemical, IT, and consumer goods, Louise has developed expertise in IT procurement, vendor and stakeholder management, contract negotiations, and sourcing strategy execution. Her skills also extend to supplier evaluation, process management, and strategic program development.
Before joining Essity, Louise held various strategic procurement roles at Volvo Group and Volvo Cars, focusing on IT services, software licensing, and supplier relationships. Her work has consistently centered on leveraging procurement strategies to foster innovation, cost efficiency, and robust vendor partnerships.

Over the past decade, Nick has amassed a wealth of invaluable experience in the SaaS industry. With a rich background encompassing both the buy and sell sides, Nick has been involved in thousands of SaaS transactions and has become a true expert in the field. His extensive knowledge and expertise have positioned him as an industry leader, guiding a global team of SaaS Procurement Managers to achieve remarkable results for customers and suppliers. 

Polestar (Nasdaq: PSNY) is the Swedish electric performance car brand determined to improve society by using design and technology to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, its cars are available online in 27 markets globally across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Polestar plans to have a line-up of five performance EVs by 2026. Polestar 2, the electric performance fastback, launched in 2019. Polestar 3, the SUV for the electric age, launched in late 2022. Polestar 4, the SUV coupé transformed, is launching in phases through 2023 and into 2024. Polestar 5, an electric four-door GT and Polestar 6, an electric roadster, are coming soon. The Polestar 0 project supports the company’s ambitious goal of creating a truly climate-neutral production car by 2030. The research initiative also aims to create a sense of urgency to act on the climate crisis, by challenging employees, suppliers and the wider automotive industry, to drive towards zero.

NORDEN is a global provider of ocean-based freight services for bulk and project cargo of all sizes. We integrate freight solutions with port logistics helping our customers to optimise and decarbonise supply chains. We provide tailored solutions based on flexibility, reliability and intelligence. Our agile business model ensures stability by continuously adapting our fleet to market developments and customer needs. Founded in 1871, NORDEN is one of Denmark’s oldest internationally operating shipping companies. Incorporated in Denmark, we are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen as a part of the OMX Nordic Large Cap index. With 18 offices across 6 continents, NORDEN is truly an integrated part of global trade.

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company dedicated to improving well-being through our products and solutions, essentials for everyday life. The name Essity stems from the words essentials and necessities. Our sustainable business model creates value for people and nature. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 46,000 employees. Net sales in 2020 amounted to approximately SEK 122bn (EUR 11.6bn). The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity breaks barriers to well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable and circular society

Vertice is a spend optimization platform that saves companies up to 30% on their SaaS and cloud costs. It empowers companies of every size and industry to get more visibility and control of their software and cloud spending and leverages automation and machine learning to deliver guaranteed cost savings. Today, Vertice manages over $3.4B in contract spend and is the only platform worldwide that empowers companies to view, control, and save on both SaaS and cloud costs with an integrated unified offering.