Inside Zip: Michael Rooney wants agentic AI in procurement

At Zip, we believe that shaping the future of procurement requires more than just innovative strategy—it demands deep industry expertise and a bold vision for what’s coming up next.

That’s why some of the brightest minds from industry giants like Coupa and SAP have chosen to join Zip. They saw firsthand the challenges of legacy systems, the limitations of outdated procurement models, and the growing need for a next generation, orchestration-first approach.

These industry veterans recognized Zip as the pioneer in procurement innovation, and chose to be a part of it. Now, they’re bringing the experience, insights, and strategic expertise to help businesses move beyond dated procurement systems and into a future that’s more flexible, user-friendly, and truly built for the way modern business flows.

Meet the Industry Leaders who left the old ways behind to help drive the next era of procurement at Zip.

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Meet Michael Rooney

Role: Director, Enterprise Advisory, Zip
Previous Roles: Principal at ProcureTech, Director at Pearson, Consultant at Deloitte

What brought you into the world of procurement?

I got into procurement because it combines complex problem-solving with relationship-building to drive real business impact. The 2010s were an exciting era as procurement shifted from on-prem ERP to cloud-based SaaS, unlocking new levels of user experience and increased business ownership.

Today, procurement plays a more critical role than ever on a global scale, driving resilience, sustainability, and strategic growth. As supply chains become more complex and businesses face increasing pressure to optimise costs and mitigate risks, procurement is at the centre of it all. The Procurement Technology space continues to evolve with it, shaping the future of businesses—and that’s what makes it so exciting.

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What inspired you to join Zip?

Moving into SaaS has been a long-term goal, and my time at ProcureTech gave me the opportunity to deeply understand the market, key players, and emerging trends. 

Through close collaboration with customers and partners, I’ve gained a deep understanding of the procurement tech landscape firsthand—both from a clients and from a strategic market perspective.

It became clear that Process Orchestration is not only a high-growth segment but also the perfect fit for my skill set. 

Over the last few years I've worked with some fantastic founders and solution providers—after spending more time with the Zip leadership team and seeing their vision, product, and growth potential, I knew this was the right move. The impact they’re making is incredible, and I’m excited to be part of the journey.

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What was your reaction the first time you encountered Zip?

The first time I encountered Zip, I was struck by how it solved a fundamental procurement challenge, providing a ‘single front door’ to navigate complex workflows that exist in organisations. 

It was a problem I had personally experienced in my earlier industry role, one I had tried to solve with outdated technology. Zip was clearly a game-changer, filling in a major gap in the procurement ecosystem.

What are some of the problems in procurement you believe Zip helps solve?

Zip’s biggest value is acting as that single front door, simplifying how employees engage with procurement while guiding them through complex workflows to get what they need efficiently.

Most companies struggle with decentralised, confusing procurement processes—different teams follow different paths, approvals are unclear, and compliance is often an afterthought. Zip removes this friction by providing a clear, structured intake process that ensures the right steps are followed from the start, improving speed, governance, and user experience.

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What are you most excited about in the next era of procurement?

The real game-changer goes far beyond procurement automation. It’s what we’re focused on building at Zip: the right foundations for an agentic AI future, where intelligent systems can autonomously navigate procurement, compliance, and decision-making.

End-to-end orchestration is the key to this. If businesses don’t have structured, well-governed workflows now, AI won’t be able to operate effectively later. The organisations that get this right today will be the ones that unlock true autonomous procurement, where AI agents seamlessly execute transactions, enforce policies, and optimise spend without manual intervention.

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What advice can you give for those seeking digital transformation?

The way I see it, there are three key principles to getting it right:

1. Define the business outcome first
Ask ‘what are we actually trying to improve’? Is it cost efficiency, compliance, user experience? Digital transformation should enable real strategic business goals, not just modernise systems for the sake of it.

2. Fix processes before automating them
A broken process won’t magically improve with technology, it’ll just become an automated bad process. Orchestrate workflows end-to-end so AI and automation will enhance, not patch over, inefficiencies.

3. Put user experience at the core
If employees or suppliers struggle to use the process, they’ll find workarounds. Design user journeys that make adoption effortless and remove friction.

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What’s your favorite Zip feature?

I’m going to have to stay tight-lipped on this one! It hasn’t been made public yet, but it’s going to change the entire game.

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Ready to work with us?

It's time to find out how Zip can transform your procurement processes. Connect with our expert team to learn more.

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