Art of Procurement

875: How to Transform Every Procurement Partnership W/ Kate Vitasek

July 20, 2026·47 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

"When you have a great partnership, the value that you can create is unbelievable if you know how to do it." - Kate Vitasek Despite the best intentions, nearly 70% of business partnerships unravel within three years.  Why is it so difficult to build relationships that deliver value, and what are the practical steps procurement leaders can take to break the cycle? Kate Vitasek, pioneering researcher and author of the Vested series of books, joins host Philip Ideson to share hard-won lessons from decades in the field. Her new book, The Vested Way: Five Rules for Achieving the Impossible, offers a flexible set of principles that work for deals of any size, in any industry. These stories (from Fortune 500 cases to community partnerships) reveal what really makes collaboration succeed… or stall. Whether you're negotiating your next billion-dollar outsourcing contract or building a local alliance, Kate's Vested rules can help you unlock real, lasting value. In this episode, Kate covers: -Why partnerships fail and how you can avoid the common traps   -How to apply the five rules for outcome-focused, trust-based partnerships   -Measuring and managing cultural fit, even when there are big gaps   -Using automation to support (not replace) strategic relationships   -Moving your team from buying transactions to architecting business outcomes   Links: Kate Vitasek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katevitasek/  The Vested Way: Five Rules for Achieving the Impossible: https://a.co/d/09An1hNu  Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe  Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

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