Inside Zip: Tracy Gao on procurement’s big strategic shift

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 They saw firsthand the challenges of legacy systems, the limitations of outdated procurement models, and the growing need for a next generation, orchestration-first approach.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.

Meet Tracy Gao

Name: Tracy Gao

Title: Head of Product Marketing at Zip
Previous Top Role: Director, Product Marketing at Coupa

What brought you into the world of procurement?

I came into the world of procurement by way of fintech, specifically through spend management. 

My journey started in the T&E space as a product marketer at TripActions (now Navan), where I focused on GTM strategy for their business travel solution. That experience led me to Coupa, where I initially joined to lead product marketing for their T&E suite. Over time, my role expanded to include all downstream procurement solutions, including procure-to-pay, T&E, fraud detection, and spend analytics. 

Through that experience, I gained a deep appreciation for the impact that procurement technology can have on an organization’s financial health and operational efficiency.

What inspired you to join Zip?

Having already been in the procurement industry prior to joining Zip, I had a front-row seat to Zip’s rapid growth during my time at Coupa. It was clear that Zip was doing something right. Feedback I heard from the market consistently highlighted how intuitive and impactful the solution was.

Beyond product-market fit, what also drew me in was the opportunity to redefine and modernize a well-established industry. Procurement has traditionally been seen as complex and rigid, but Zip is proving that it doesn’t have to be that way. As a product marketer, the chance to help shape a category and tell a new story for a decades-old industry is an exciting challenge.

But ultimately, the biggest reason I joined was the people. Everyone at Zip is not only incredibly smart and hardworking but also genuinely kind. When you’re surrounded by a team like that, doing great work becomes even more rewarding.

What was your reaction the first time you encountered Zip?

Most people are immediately drawn to Zip’s clean interface and user-friendly experience, which is no doubt impressive. But for me, the thing that stood out the most when I first saw Zip end-to-end was the sheer power of its integrations.

Integrations are notoriously complex to build and maintain, yet Zip offers a wide range of out-of-the-box integrations built entirely native to the platform. Coming from a world that depended so heavily on middleware and SIs, this was astounding to me. It was at that moment I realized Zip wasn’t just another procurement tool. It had the potential to be the true orchestration layer that the industry had been missing.

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

To me, the most salient challenges Zip addresses are stakeholder engagement and process flexibility.

Procurement today isn’t just about one team—it’s a cross-functional effort that touches finance, IT, legal, security, and more. At the same time, businesses are using an increasing number of tools to manage procurement workflows, which can make processes confusing and siloed. Zip changes that by giving businesses more flexibility in how procurement can be executed across different teams and systems.

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

Beyond the technology advancements, what excites me most about the new era of procurement is the fundamental shift in how procurement is perceived as a function.

For years, procurement has been striving to “earn a seat at the table” and be recognized as a truly "strategic function." Now, it finally feels like that shift is starting to happen. Organizations are seeing firsthand how procurement is about more than just cost control. It’s about driving efficiency, risk management, and even innovation.

Even just five years ago, when I initially joined Coupa, procurement wasn’t exactly considered the most exciting topic. But today, we’re seeing an incredible convergence of technology categories—finance, GRC, HRIS, ITSM—all incorporating more themes of procurement. That level of attention and investment signals a huge moment for the industry, and I’m excited to be a part of it.

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What advice can you give for those seeking procurement transformation?

My biggest advice is simple: don’t wait, just take the plunge.

Oftentimes, I hear businesses say they want to delay procurement transformation until after their ERP re-implementation is complete or until they hire a specific role. But the reality is, the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to drive meaningful change. Procurement is deeply interconnected with so many other business functions, and delaying transformation only adds to the complexity over time.

Even if you’re not ready for a full overhaul, taking small steps now—like mapping out your pain points or researching what solutions are on the market—can make a huge difference when the time comes to fully commit. Procurement transformation isn’t a single event; it’s a continuous journey, and the sooner you start, the better positioned you’ll be for long-term success.

What's your favorite Zip feature?

My favorite Zip feature is our Integration Platform, a solution that allows customers to easily build and maintain low-code integrations between Zip and other third-party systems.

Most procurement orchestration tools take a shortcut by white-labeling an existing iPaaS system to offer this kind of functionality. But at Zip, we built our Integration Platform entirely from the ground up, natively within Zip, thanks to the incredible work of our R&D team.

We could have taken the easy path, but we chose not to because we knew we could provide our customers with deeper, more powerful integrations than anything else on the market if we built it ourselves. That level of dedication to excellence and innovation is what makes Zip special, and it’s why I love working here.

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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