The Leading Edge

The Leading Edge is a new thought leadership series, offering in-depth insights into the key challenges, innovations, and evolving dynamics of the contract and commerce landscape. We’re bringing these insights to our community in a new way – through a curated series of articles and accompanying podcasts featuring expert voices and industry leaders.

The Leading Edge is a business podcast hosted by Commerce & Contract Management Institute, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Commerce & Contract Management Institute hosts The Leading Edge, a business show with 29 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #30

  Transforming Contracts at Scale: Seth Clause & Mike Stetz on CLM for Federal Primes

  Sep 15, 202614 minS1

  Recorded live at NCMA’s World Congress, Nikki Mackay is joined by PwC Partners and CLM Leaders Seth Clause and Mike Stetz to explore what it really takes to transform contract management at scale. Drawing on their experience advising some of the largest U.S. federal primes, Seth and Mike unpack the common misconceptions that can derail CLM transformation and explore how the right approach can deliver value far beyond efficiency and risk reduction. The conversation looks at CLM’s place within the broader enterprise technology stack, where AI is genuinely changing outcomes today, and where expectations may still be running ahead of reality. They also share the critical decisions organizations need to get right from the outset to turn CLM transformation into lasting business value.

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  Episode #29

  Beyond Efficiency: Ivalua’s Paul Zammit on What Agentic AI Really Changes in Acquisition

  Sep 7, 202614 minS1

  Recorded live at NCMA's World Congress, this episode brings a perspective The Leading Edge doesn't feature often: the view from inside a software vendor building the tools that power acquisition at scale. Host Nikki Mackay sits down with Paul Zammit, Director of Product Marketing for AI and Platform at Ivalua, whose agentic acquisition software is used by ten U.S. states and major defense contractors alike. Sitting close to both Ivalua's Chief Product Officer and Chief AI Officer, Paul offers a rare, grounded read on where AI in acquisition actually stands — cutting through the marketing hype to talk about what's genuinely deliverable today. The conversation digs into whether government and defense buyers face fundamentally different barriers to AI adoption or share the same underlying challenges, unpacks what "agentic" really means in practice versus repackaged automation, and pushes past the usual efficiency narrative to explore the dimensions of change in acquisition that aren't getting enough attention. A candid, vendor's-eye complement to the government and industry voices this series usually features — and a reminder that this shift is about far more than shaving time off a procurement cycle.

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  Episode #28

  Speed vs. Control: What Top Contractors Are Getting Right and How They’re Evolving in 2026

  Sep 1, 202612 minS1

  Recorded live at NCMA World Congress in Florida, this special episode of The Leading Edge explores one of the defining tensions in government contracting: how to move faster without sacrificing control. Nikki Mackay is joined by Deniece Peterson, Vice President of Market Analysis at Deltek, to unpack findings from the 2026 Government Contracting Clarity benchmark. They discuss what separates top-performing contractors, why pricing defensibility has become a strategic priority, how AI and accelerated procurement are reshaping delivery, and the capabilities contractors need to build now to stay competitive. A timely conversation about why, for leading organizations, speed and control aren’t competing priorities, they’re disciplines that must evolve together.

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  Episode #26

  Contracts at Scale: Kevin McCann on Workforce, Change, and Operating Globally at BAE

  Aug 23, 20267 minS1

  What does it take to lead one of the world's largest contracts organizations through rapid change? In this episode of The Leading Edge , host Nikki Mackay sits down with Kevin McCann, Vice President of Contracts at BAE Systems, Inc., to explore how one of the defense industry's largest organizations is adapting to an evolving contracting landscape. With responsibility for contracts policy, function direction, and professional development across BAE's U.S. and international operations, Kevin shares a unique perspective on leading at scale. Together, they discuss the impact of federal acquisition reform, the evolving skills today's contracts professionals need, and the challenges and opportunities of operating across global markets. Kevin also shares his thoughts on developing future-ready teams, navigating change across complex organizations, and why he's optimistic about the future of the profession. Whether you're a contracts leader, acquisition professional, or simply interested in how global organizations are preparing for what's next, this conversation offers practical insights into leadership, workforce development, and the future of commerce and contracting.

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  Episode #25

  Revealing the 2026 US Public Procurement Benchmark: Product vs. Practice, and Will AI Elevate or Eliminate Us?

  Aug 11, 202612 minS1

  Recorded live at World Congress, this special episode of The Leading Edge offers an exclusive first look at the findings from the 2026 US Public Procurement Benchmark Report , ahead of its official launch. Host Nikki Mackay is joined by Dr. Dan Finkenstadt and Patrick Hughes to unpack what the latest data reveals about the current state of U.S. public procurement, from contract management capability and technology adoption to talent and strategic maturity. The conversation also explores two of the event's most compelling debates: whether commercial should be viewed as a product or a practice, and whether artificial intelligence will elevate the profession or ultimately replace it. Combining benchmark insights with expert perspectives, this episode challenges conventional thinking and highlights the practical steps organisations can take to build stronger commercial capability in an increasingly AI-enabled future.

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