David Kershaw

They argue that AI sourcing gets attention while the risks that arrive after signature — managing the contract and closing it out — are treated as an afterthought, leaving the industry unprepared.

Reporting from the UN AI for Good Summit, Kershaw writes that conversations about responsibility, governance, ethics and regulation filled the summit.

• They ask, as a digital procurement professional, whether anyone had fully considered the risks around procurement, contract management and contract closure, adding "I have a long list."
• The Day 4 post repeats the five-part definition and names fragmentation and education about AI procurement as the two themes that matter most for public procurement and supply chains.
• The 2026 unconferences list contract terms, agile contracting, risk management and exit strategies among the topics to work through.

In the pre-summit post, the lifecycle appears as a hopeful list of topics the event should cover; by the closing post, Kershaw turns it into a demand, saying the industry is unprepared for the back end of AI agreements.

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That means both buying AI and using AI in commercial, procurement and contract management work. Safety-by-design and inclusivity, they argue, must be written into what organisations source, not left at the level of principles.

Before the summit, Kershaw set out three things to watch: solutions and knowledge, standards and policy coming out of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and skills and capacity.

• In their closing post, they made the demand concrete, calling for global frameworks on AI Procurement Standards and Market Intelligence to drive agile AI governance.
• A virtual CIPS session with Warren Smith and the Posterity Global team turned the same subject into professional training on AI procurement risks.

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When the people who buy and manage the technology are missing, implementation bottlenecks persist and policy stays disconnected from delivery.

At the UN AI for Good Summit, Kershaw thanked the organisers "for letting me, a procurement person, into the room," noting that this is rare at large global tech summits even though roughly half of attendees are vendors who form part of the supply chain. The Day 4 post says procurement should be more present next year and that overcoming procurement and implementation bottlenecks is central to using AI for sustainable development goals.

Mid-summit, Kershaw changed approach: instead of visiting exhibition stalls, they spent the remaining days at seminars, pre-arranged meetings and hallway conversations, describing the unplanned meetings as especially valuable.

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They frame helping supply markets understand public procurement as a commercial skill, not a favour, and ask how smaller innovators can face complex guardrails without having their innovation crushed.

Kershaw says the summit sessions on accelerating startups "really hit home," arguing that there is plenty of talk about funding but not enough help for new or first-time public-sector companies to navigate the public procurement landscape, and that products and services from these firms must be understood and bought to scale real innovation. In the recruitment post, one of the five criteria for new commercial people is that they can help supply markets understand public procurement better.

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Procurement choices, they say, shape who gets access to technology and who is locked out.

Kershaw records two observations from the summit floor and attributes them to the people who made them: a ten-year-old said conference badges should be paper rather than plastic, and another child said a multilingual approach was needed because brilliant innovators from the Global South were being shut out for not speaking English.

• Kershaw also quotes Ayisha Piotti saying "we need to lean into the 3 to 5 converging topics that bridge policy with reality," and describes conversations with Sarah Mathews on responsible AI at The Adecco Group and with David Joseph Menezes on scaling AI adoption across India.
• They conclude that social value conversations need to be front and centre.

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The 2026 events focus on the questions they work on: how to procure AI, which contract terms matter, vendor hype, agile contracting, risk management and exit strategies.

The London unconference is on 3 November at the NatWest Group Accelerator on Moorgate, and the Cardiff one on 5 November at the sbarc|spark building at Cardiff University, both 9:00 to 4:00.

• A separate short post repeats both links and adds "We need sponsors too."
• Kershaw also points readers to the Posterity Global AI Procurement Community of Interest and the virtual CIPS session as ongoing routes into the subject.

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They frame public money as something to invest rather than spend.

Kershaw described expanding Posterity Global and asked for commercial and procurement professionals before running any formal job advert.

• They are considering permanent, fixed term, short term and associate arrangements, with UK-based candidates critical at present.
• The five criteria listed also capture the beliefs behind the rest of the posts.

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Start here to understand their work.

Kershaw describes attending the UN AI for Good Summit and noticing that procurement people are rare, even though vendors make up roughly half the attendees.

• They changed approach mid-event, skipping stall visits to focus on seminars and hallway meetings.
• The post lists what they think is missing from the agenda: procurement, contract management and contract closure risks.
• Two moments from the floor are quoted directly — a child pointing out that paper badges are more sustainable than plastic, and another saying a multilingual approach is needed so innovators from the Global South are not shut out for not speaking English.
• Kershaw ends by proposing procurement as an official topic at the 2027 summit.

For brands planning a campaign

A keynote or workshop can use this framing: procurement is absent from most AI governance events, while practical lifecycle risks emerge after the contract is signed. The examples give a speaker a concrete entry point rather than a generic AI-and-procurement talk.

It names the full lifecycle they work with.

At the close of the summit, Kershaw names two themes that matter most for public procurement and supply chains.

• First, the landscape is fragmented, with AI power concentrated and standards hard to agree on when oversight visions compete.
• Second, people need educating about AI procurement, which they define as markets, competition, contracting, contract management and contract closure.
• The post also records meetings with NGOs including UNICEF, UNHCR and the IFRC, and with startup founders, then asks how smaller innovators can navigate complex guardrails without having their innovation crushed.

For brands planning a campaign

Kershaw's five-part definition of AI procurement can serve as a workshop agenda or keynote structure. It also signals a specific audience: public-sector buyers and small suppliers trying to enter public markets, not just large enterprises.

Kershaw announces two 2026 unconferences run by Posterity Global, one in London on 3 November and one in Cardiff on 5 November, with venues and times given.

• The format is participant-driven: attendees set the agenda rather than listen to fixed presentations.
• Topics include the practical problems Kershaw works on — how to procure AI, which contract terms matter, vendor hype, agile contracting, risk management and exit strategies.

For brands planning a campaign

These events are a natural partner venue for a brand or agency looking to reach public-sector procurement people. They also show Kershaw can convene a room, which matters for a campaign that includes a workshop rather than just a keynote.

A short post publicising a virtual session on AI procurement risks delivered with CIPS, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, on 13 October 2026, 1700–1800 BST. Kershaw names two collaborators, Warren Smith and the Posterity Global team, and tags a group of procurement professionals.

For brands planning a campaign

This shows an existing relationship with a recognised professional body, useful to buyers assessing whether the speaker will connect with a seasoned procurement audience. It is an event promotion post, so it shows the tie but not the session content.

Read it after the summit posts to see the argument translated into hiring criteria.

Kershaw describes expanding Posterity Global and looking for commercial and procurement professionals, before any formal job advert.

• The five criteria are: refusing to treat traditional compliance as the ceiling for success; using digital tools and AI to get value from vendors; helping supply markets understand public procurement; leaving a measurable legacy for future generations; and continuous learning.
• They say all contracting arrangements are being explored — permanent, fixed term, short term and associate — and that UK-based candidates are critical at present.

For brands planning a campaign

The criteria summarise Kershaw's commercial philosophy, which a campaign can echo or challenge. The scale and arrangements described also give a sense of the organisation a partner would work with.

Their summit posts warn that the industry is largely unprepared for the back end of AI agreements and identify contract management and closure as practical risks alongside sourcing. A CIPS session with Warren Smith and the Posterity Global team focuses on AI procurement risks, while the unconferences promise discussion of contract terms, vendor hype, agile contracting, risk management and exit strategies.

For brands planning a campaign

Strong fit for a keynote or workshop that walks public-sector buyers through the full AI contract lifecycle, with dedicated time on exit, closure and risk ownership—not just sourcing.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5

At the UN AI for Good Summit, David Kershaw focused on translating international technical frameworks into safe, trusted AI procurement standards, covering both buying AI and using AI in procurement operations. They call for global frameworks on AI procurement standards and market intelligence, and describe procurement as a way to architect an equitable and secure future—not just buy software.

For brands planning a campaign

Useful for a policy-to-practice workshop on turning AI principles, safety-by-design and governance language into tender requirements, evaluation criteria and contract clauses.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

They want public buyers to understand and buy products and services from new or first-time suppliers without crushing innovation, and frame helping supply markets understand public procurement as a commercial skill. This connects to concerns about fragmented markets, concentrated AI power and missed innovation if procurement remains hard to navigate.

For brands planning a campaign

Supports a session or workshop for public buyers and suppliers on market engagement, reducing barriers for smaller firms, and designing procurement that keeps innovation alive while managing guardrails.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

David Kershaw notes youth perspectives on conference waste and the exclusion of brilliant innovators from the Global South because of language.

• They describe responsible AI conversations with people working on AI adoption in India and at The Adecco Group.
• They argue that social value conversations need to be front and centre, and that procurement should support equitable, secure outcomes.

For brands planning a campaign

A keynote or workshop can include social value, accessibility and global equity as procurement criteria, moving beyond compliance-only AI governance.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

The 2026 AI Procurement & Contracting Unconferences in London and Cardiff put the agenda in participants’ hands to work on real-world solutions. They also point people to the Posterity Global AI Procurement Community of Interest and a virtual CIPS session on AI procurement risks, making ongoing community and practical discussion part of the offer.

Participant-driven agendas, real-world problem solving and community follow-up recur across the event posts.

For brands planning a campaign

A brand can evaluate David Kershaw for an unconference, roundtable or community-led workshop where the audience shapes the agenda; this is less suited to a passive keynote-only format.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5 · Source 6

They use digital capabilities and AI to get more value from vendors, help supply markets understand public procurement and want their work to leave a legacy for future generations. The emphasis is on public value, UK capability and investment rather than pure cost-cutting.

For brands planning a campaign

Can speak to commercial teams and procurement leaders about capability, AI-enabled value creation and public value outcomes. Ask for examples of this work if the brief centres on these themes; the posts focus more on AI procurement risk and events.

Examples: Source 1

It notes that the boundaries are essentially the same and questions whether the change is a rebrand.

A single post on data standards; it does not recur in the other posts.

For brands planning a campaign

Consider this angle when the brief needs procurement data, geography coding or notice-data governance; otherwise, ask for a stronger link to the campaign’s core themes.

Examples: Source 1

At the UN AI for Good Summit, they describe being a rarity as a procurement person in the room and argue that procurement should be an official topic at future summits. They also stress that procurement and implementation bottlenecks must be overcome for AI to support sustainable development goals.

For brands planning a campaign

Good for advocacy-style talks on why procurement belongs in AI strategy, governance and delivery, especially for public-sector and multilateral audiences.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

Their posts do not state their formal relationship with the business.

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The post does not specify payment or other terms.

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Tripputi recounts being a young contracting officer who avoided talking to companies outside negotiations.

• That instinct suits competitive procurements but not an SBIR Phase III direct award, they explain, ending with a direct instruction for government staff and contractors to talk to each other.
• Kershaw makes a similar case for getting in the room early, urging procurement people to help shape AI policy and deals rather than arrive after the terms are set.
• Both write short, first-person posts grounded in examples rather than abstract frameworks.

Tripputi writes about US federal innovation funding, SBIR Phase III awards, program funding pathways and the working relationship between contracting officers and companies.

• Kershaw focuses on AI procurement across the full lifecycle, governance and standards, and the unconference and community formats used to work through these issues.
• Tripputi also invites readers to share their experience, often ending posts with a question; Kershaw tends to close by pointing to an event or community to join.

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Hodgkinson's post on digital fitness says you cannot buy fitness by signing a contract or subscribing to an AI agent.

• Outsourcing everything to transactional procurement and waterfall projects, they argue, leaves the muscles AI needs atrophied.
• Kershaw makes a related point from the buying side: sourcing AI gets attention while contract management and closure are treated as afterthoughts, leaving post-signature risks unmanaged.
• Both use short first-person essays, lists and named examples from their own work.

Hodgkinson writes as a digital strategy and delivery leader about platform, agile and relational contracting in health, human services and policing, as well as the Vested methodology for collaborative outsourcing deals.

• Kershaw writes from a procurement seat about AI procurement risk, market access for smaller suppliers and the UN AI for Good policy agenda.
• Hodgkinson's reference points are delivery teams and CIO-level capability; Kershaw's are contract clauses, unconference agendas and supply markets.

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Stephens reports on Foreign Affairs Day and a Foreign Service Institute visit to argue that all of the Foreign Service must speak the digital language, quoting an award recipient on digital literacy and cybersecurity as essential to diplomacy.

• Kershaw reports from the UN AI for Good Summit to argue that procurement should be involved when AI policy is written and that implementation bottlenecks are the real obstacle.
• Both name the people and sessions they learned from, making the reporting inspectable.

Stephens works on diplomatic technology and workforce programs at the US Department of State, with AI and cybersecurity among several domains; the posts largely recognize people and promote a fellowship. Kershaw focuses on buying and contracting AI, making a professional argument about risk, contract terms and supplier access rather than promoting a program to join.

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Two posts offer a former contracting officer’s view of program funding pathways and direct awards.

• The first explains how technology maturity, an existing relationship with someone who holds budget, the budget-cycle timeline and the end user’s procurement authority should shape the choice of funding mechanism.
• It argues that a slightly less favourable mechanism with a strong internal champion usually beats a perfect mechanism with no relationships inside the building.
• The second argues that on an SBIR Phase III direct award, the contracting officer can speak with the company before award without creating a conflict of interest, because there is no competition to taint.
• It adds that putting up a wall between the office and the company can slow the award and make the requirement worse.
• For a session on route selection and the practical behaviour of contracting officers, this is closer to the work than a lifecycle-and-risk keynote.

The tradeoff is that this is not AI procurement content.

• Neither post covers AI governance, AI contract terms, vendor hype, agile contracting, contract management or exit strategies — the ground needed for AI procurement.
• The experience is also US-centred.
• Ask for audience data and commercial availability before booking.
• Choosing this alternative over David Kershaw buys a hands-on contracting-officer view of funding routes and direct awards, but gives up the AI-specific keynote and workshop shape.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

The posts argue that leaders under pressure to show AI results should build digital fitness first: modern, secure, scalable platforms; disciplined data strategy and governance; in-house engineering and delivery experience; high-cadence ways of working; long-term vendor partnerships; and executive confidence earned through performance.

• The comparison is explicit: you cannot buy digital fitness by signing a contract or subscribing to an AI agent, any more than you can buy physical fitness by buying a rowing machine.
• Organisations that lack it will spend heavily on pilots that never scale.
• A second post reports from the 2026 Vested conference in Amsterdam and sets out relational contracting: formal governance written into the contract so a win-win outsourcing relationship survives changing circumstances.
• For a session urging senior leaders to invest before buying, or to overhaul a long-running outsourcing deal, this framing does more work than a contract-clauses session.

The tradeoff is focus and level.

• The AI argument is about organisational readiness and leadership, not procuring or contracting AI: the posts cover no tender requirements, evaluation criteria, AI contract terms, contract closure or vendor-hype scrutiny.
• The material speaks to executives above the working buyer, not procurement and contract managers handling live agreements.
• Two posts provide the basis.
• Ask for audience data and commercial availability before booking.
• This alternative buys a leadership-and-partnership argument but gives up the practitioner-level AI procurement lifecycle.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

The posts cover the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship — a US Department of State-funded two-year route into the Foreign Service with academic funding, internships, professional development, mentorship and a direct pathway into diplomatic technology roles — and the recognition of a Diplomatic Technology expert at Foreign Affairs Day 2025.

• The second post quotes the awardee’s argument that the whole Foreign Service must speak the digital language, alongside senior officials’ message that the Department has to evolve internally and externally to meet global challenges.
• For a session on recruiting, developing and retaining public-sector digital and cybersecurity staff, or making a government technology career attractive, this is the closer match.

The tradeoff is that procurement and contracting are absent from the posts.

• Neither covers AI procurement, contracting risk, tenders or supply markets, and the context is US diplomatic technology rather than UK or general public-sector buying.
• Ask for audience data and commercial availability before booking.
• This alternative buys a government tech-talent and digital-diplomacy story but gives up the AI procurement keynote and workshop.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2