state of flux's leadership Team

Function Leads

John Newton

Executive Consultant and Head of Training

John is Head of Training and Development at State of Flux and is responsible for leading the design, development and delivery of client education. He regularly consults with clients on the soft skills and human performance aspects of supplier relationship management (SRM), category strategy implementation and creating value through collaborative working. John is a training professional with over 20 years' experience in the field of adult learning and organisational development.

He holds a Masters degree in education and is a fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute. John has had articles published on training, coaching for sales performance, and learning design and deployment methods, and has presented at many training and HR related conferences throughout Europe. Prior to joining State of Flux, John was the Global Sales Learning Director at NCR Corporation with worldwide responsibility for development of the sales and professional services functions. In this role, he led the training programmes to support the deployment of NCR’s products and solutions.

Jeremias Herner

Head of Marketing

Jeremias is the Head of Marketing at State of Flux, where he leads global marketing and brand strategy efforts. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of client perspectives, Jeremias leads a diverse team spread across the globe. Originally from Germany and now living in Australia, he brings a unique blend of creativity and analytical expertise to the industry. His expertise lies in crafting innovative B2B marketing programs, driven by data insights and supported by an advanced marketing stack.

Deniz Kafali

Global VP of Customer Success

Deniz joined the ranks of our leadership team in March 2023 as Global Vice President of Customer Success.

With an unwavering focus on enhancing customer experiences on a global scale, Deniz is at the helm of Supplierbase's transformative journey, guiding clients to unlock the full potential of their supply chain through adept Supplier relationship management technology adoption.

Deniz brings into State of Flux a wide range of domain knowledge and transformational experience. She started her procurement career in 2004 within the automotive industry as a direct category buyer, moving into global category management services and technology solutions in Ariba. From 2011 to 2017, she extended her focus to deliver technology-led managed services design. In 2018, Deniz moved back to delivery and took on an Account Management role for multiple customers in the Energy sector for Source to Pay services. Since 2022, Deniz has embarked on customer success leadership in technology start-ups to release value for customers and reduce risk in the supply chain through collaborative & data-driven interactions.

Deniz is a Certified Procurement Manager and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Frank Lai

Head of Asia Pacific

Frank leads State of Flux’s Asia Pacific practice. He has over 10 years of procurement and supply chain experience, working both directly for large blue-chip organisations and in consulting. Frank has expertise in supplier management, sustainable procurement and risk management and is a chartered member of CIPs. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and delivers lectures in the Faculty of Business and Economics and Melbourne School of Engineering.

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