Petya Livitsanu

As EMEA Category Lead for Technology Products, I am responsible for strategic procurement initiatives with major vendors for networking, server, storage and devices (Dell Technologies, Lenovo, Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, F5, Fortinet, Check Point, etc) that need to be deployed in EMEA and would support key stakeholder objectives or opportunities. Additionally, I am responsible for developing deep relationships with key stakeholders (Technology Lifecycle Services, CIO) and Technology vendors on EMEA level, as well as ensuring good coordination with other cross-functional teams (Legal, Trade Compliance, Global Logistics, Treasury) to align objectives and successfully manage assigned projects.

I am serving as consultant for complex market deals that require senior sourcing experience, supplier relationship and/or category expertise.

I am responsible for data collection, spend and demand analysis to assess spend trends, understand root causes and identify priority opportunities for savings/supply base optimizations. As part of my role, I am also responsible for developing, deploying and supporting various education and category knowledge up-skilling initiatives for our procurement buying teams within the GEO.

Supported Business Services procurement strategy execution in the region (Middle East and Africa) including the lead of MEA sourcing events (RFPs, regional contract negotiations, vendor relationship issues) in the area of HR Services (Payroll, HR Benefits, Business Insurance).

Contributed to global sourcing events and other key procurement initiatives that had an impact in MEA.

Worked with stakeholders on regional and market level to identify strategic sourcing opportunities, and to harmonize strategies.

Coordinated deployment of global/GEO agreements in the region.

Provided audit support and developed, deployed and supported category knowledge education within the procurement buying teams in EMEA.

Responsible for organizing and managing a new team of 13 procurement professionals located in 4 countries to support the end-to-end procurement activities in major CEE markets for all categories and types of projects (internal and resale).

Led a team successfully throughout a year of major organizational transformation with introduction of new structure, tools and practices to perform procurement activities.

Responsible for delivering market procurement targets focused on: cost savings, payment terms, ordering turnaround time, compliance and audit readiness.

Managed relationships with local suppliers and key stakeholders to build influence and ensure faster issue resolution.

Participated actively in the Sofia Procurement center leadership team, responsible for organizing and coordinating various local initiatives (including HR, Facilities, local educational events, etc).

Managed an onsite team of 20+ procurement professionals in Sofia, Bulgaria specialized in purchasing of Software licenses (on prem and SaaS) for internal and commercial use for the following regions: DACH, France, BeNeLux and MEA.

Responsible for building software sourcing expertise focused on working with End User License Agreements, contracting specifics when purchasing mainframe licenses, as well as dealing with software compliance issues and audit requests.

Responsible for delivering market procurement targets focused on: cost savings, payment terms, tactical (ordering turnaround time, blocked invoices resolution), compliance and audit readiness.

Managed relationships with local suppliers and stakeholders to build influence and ensure faster issue resolution.

Participated actively in the Sofia Procurement center leadership team, responsible for organizing and coordinating various local initiatives (including HR, Facilities, local educational events, supplier meetings, etc)

I took on top assignment as Global SRM for one of companies’ top spend mainframe software vendors at the time (ASG Technologies, now Rocket Software) with the purpose of renegotiating our global purchasing agreement for licensing ASG software in IBM strategic outsourcing accounts.

Responsible for building a procurement strategy around prevention of mainframe compliance issues – focused om early stage of engagements and contracting.

Provided education to the procurement GEOs and market teams with regards to supplier and internal stakeholder`s strategies, purchasing and compliance requirements.

Overseeing the day-to-day procurement activities of large offshore team in Bulgaria (approx. 30 people) specialized in purchasing Software licenses (on prem and SaaS) for internal and commercial use across EMEA region.

Acted as escalation point and provided support to software buyers in complex deals, contract negotiations, supplier or stakeholder relationship issues.

Analyzed target performance metrics to uncover optimization opportunities and presented recommendations to leadership, driving process improvements and operational efficiency.

Mentored junior team members, fostering skill development, education initiatives and knowledge sharing.

Led software license procurement for internal and commercial use across the UKI market, including strategic outsourcing engagements.

Negotiated and managed supplier agreements and EULAs, ensuring alignment with stakeholder requirements and end-customer contractual terms.

Delivered cost-effective and value-driven commercial offers through strategic negotiations, optimizing both price and non-price conditions.

Ensured full compliance with internal policies and external regulatory standards throughout the supplier selection, contracting, and ordering lifecycle.

Vendor onboarding specialist - responsible for managing the end-to-end onboarding process of new IBM vendors ensuring compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements. Facilitated documentation, system setup, and stakeholder coordination to enable timely and efficient supplier activation in the ERP system.

Invoice resolution specialist - Handled discrepancies and issues related to vendor invoices, working closely with Accounts Payable, Procurement, Finance, and vendors to ensure timely resolution.

PMO for IBM Global Business Services projects - Provided project management office (PMO) support for IBM Global Business Services (GBS, now IBM Consulting) initiatives, including tracking milestones, managing reporting, and coordinating cross-functional teams. Ensured project governance, risk management, and alignment with strategic objectives.