Michael van der Steen

Vice President Cencora Business Services Cencora

Tuesday, March 9, 2027: Main Program & SSON Impact Awards

5:35 PM Panel | The Rise of the Purple People: Building the Talent Engine for Enterprise Orchestration

The next generation of Shared Services leaders will not be defined by functional expertise alone. As organizations move toward AI-enabled operations and enterprise orchestration, they need a new breed of talent, "Purple People", who can connect process, technology, data, people, and business strategy to solve complex enterprise challenges. But where do these capabilities come from? Should organizations build dedicated talent incubators to develop these integrators, or should purple capabilities become an expectation embedded across every GBS role?

Join this interactive discussion as industry leaders debate how to identify, develop, and retain the orchestrators needed for the future of Shared Services. Explore how organizations are rethinking hiring profiles, career pathways, leadership expectations, and workforce development strategies to build teams capable of navigating complexity and driving enterprise value.

What defines a "Purple Person" and why these integrator capabilities are becoming critical in an AI-enabled world
The talent incubator debate: building dedicated transformation talent pools versus embedding orchestration skills across GBS
How to identify and develop system thinkers, problem solvers, and change leaders within existing teams
New approaches to career paths, skills development, and workforce planning for the future of GBS
How organizations can balance deep functional expertise with the ability to connect the entire enterprise system

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Michael.

Download The Latest Agenda

In Partnership With:

QUESTIONS?
Contact us: 1-800-882-8684
Email: enquiry@iqpc.com