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TripAdvisor on Embracing AI to Elevate Procurement Strategy

David Kern, Vice President of Enterprise Commercial Strategy and Global Procurement at TripAdvisor Group, offers a candid look at how the company is approaching the rapidly evolving world of AI in procurement.
In this conversation, David explains how TripAdvisor is navigating an influx of new AI solutions โ€“ all ultimately tied back to improving the procure-to-pay (P2P) experience, strengthening internal controls, and ensuring the organization buys only what it truly needs.

He also walks us through the companyโ€™s internal mindset shift, fueled by strong executive support from the CEO and CFO, and shares how TripAdvisor is restructuring its workflows to test, iterate, and evaluate emerging AI tools.
David also outlines how his procurement team is exploring Agentic AI to optimize internal processes, from workload alignment and assignment to improving execution speed and decision-making.

For viewers, this interview provides a grounded, real-world perspective on:

  • What AI experimentation actually looks like inside a global digital brand
  • How executive sponsorship accelerates adoption
  • The practical challenges procurement teams face when integrating new AI tools
  • Why agentic AI is becoming a critical capability for procurement organizations
  • How organizations can prepare its teams for the next wave of AI transformation

Whether youโ€™re a procurement leader, technologist, or curious about the future of AI in enterprise operations, Davidโ€™s insights offer an honest, forward-thinking look at whatโ€™s next.

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