In May, Valuedesk welcomed nearly 100 attendees to the first edition of the Performance Summit in Bielefeld, Germany. The event was held in a historic building that houses both the Hauck & Aufhäuser Lampe bank and the Valuedesk office. This unique setting offered a spacious yet welcoming atmosphere, where insights on optimizing procurement performance were shared, challenged, and brought to life through dialogue and collaboration.
The event opened with an intimate three-course networking dinner the evening before, fostering early connections among participants. What began as a series of conversations evolved into a shared commitment: turning performance management into a measurable, collaborative, and continuous value driver. The event day was packed with thought-provoking keynotes and a series of interactive workshops, giving attendees the chance to dive deeper into the strategies behind erformance transformation.
Performance Management in Times of Geopolitical Tension
Prof. Dr. Ronald Gleich, a leading voice in performance management and controlling, brought a research-driven perspective to the stage with his keynote. Drawing on recent studies and practical frameworks, he addressed how organizations must rethink steering mechanisms amid rising uncertainty. Ronald emphasized the growing importance of resilience, forecasting capability, and flexibility as core pillars of future-proof performance management, and shared actionable insights on how to embed them into corporate leadership and decision-making.
Progress Over Perfection: Transformation and Performance at MANN+HUMMEL
Drawing from over two decades of leadership experience in procurement, Hanno Höhn shared how his team translated strategic vision into measurable outcomes through a structured, agile methodology. Central to his approach is the Performance Office, launched in 2020, and the SPEED initiative, a company-wide framework that drives focused execution across all business functions.
Hanno emphasizes that a clear, shared vision creates focus across functions. One of his key points is implementing six-month strategy sprints and using OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to align teams around clear goals. He demonstrated how organizations can embed performance discipline without losing agility, ensuring that every team understands not only what to do, but why it matters. When teams are heading to the same destination, execution becomes more coordinated, and impact multiplies.
Success in Procurement – Value Excellence in BPW Supply Chain Management
Guido Eyer, Group Head of Supply Chain Management at BPW Bergische Achsen KG, delivered a highly practical keynote, drawing on over 13 years of hands-on experience leading performance programs. Guido shared concrete lessons on long-term transformation, strategic control, and value creation. His talk offered a deep dive into how BPW embedded performance thinking into procurement and supply chain processes and addressed critical questions around what drives lasting success.
Exploring Purpose, Human Experience Management (HXM) and Leadership as the Key Navigators
Frauke von Polier delivered a forward-thinking keynote on the evolving role of leadership and performance management, spotlighting how Human Experience Management (HXM) is shaping the future of work. She introduced a case in which an AI-powered tool was used to turn 360-degree feedback from peers, managers, and direct reports, into robust feedback. Rather than giving instant evaluations, the AI identifies patterns over time, offering employees a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
It is shown in the case that, by researching and collecting data through series of in-depth interviews, we can uncover insights on the most critical moments in an employee’s professional life such as onboarding, promotions, or exits, and redesign them to be more meaningful, supportive, and impactful.
Lastly, she also introduced the concept of AI as an assistant to leadership, supporting tasks like meeting preparation by analyzing data, summarizing feedback, and helping leaders stay focused on what truly drives people performance.
Conclusion
Throughout the day, four keynote speakers shared compelling perspectives on driving performance in an evolving business landscape. Each talk added a distinct layer to the conversation on how to turn performance into a lasting competitive edge.
Beyond the keynotes, the Performance Summit offered 6 interactive workshops that turned theory into practice. The workshops are hosted by HAUCK AUFHÄUSER LAMPE Privatbank AG, LMX Consulting, Horváth, Aspera Partners, Kerkhoff Consulting, and Valuedesk, the host themselves. One session explored how clear goals, transparency, and structured execution can turn strategic ambition into measurable outcomes, offering participants a practical blueprint for change. As the event wrapped up, the atmosphere was filled with fresh ideas, actionable takeaways, and new connections. With this lingering momentum, we’re already looking ahead to what next year’s edition will bring!
