How Uber’s Former Procurement Leader Redefined the Path to CPO Success

Howard Jaffe climbed to the top of procurement without a typical supply chain background - here’s why real-world experience still beats traditional qualifications.

When you picture the perfect procurement executive, you probably imagine someone with a supply chain MBA, maybe a couple of certifications, and years spent negotiating deals behind the scenes . Well, forget that stereotype for a minute - because Uber’s former CPO, Howard Jaffe, completely flipped the script.

Howard never formally studied procurement . His degree? Computer science. His early career wasn’t spent bargaining contracts; instead, he was deep in the weeds coding software, tackling technical glitches, and filing complex patents. Not exactly your run-of-the-mill career path to procurement leadership!

Long before he started managing global contracts and vendor relationships for Uber, Jaffe worked as an engineer and systems administrator. His hands-on technical expertise allowed him to seamlessly move across IT, operations, and project management. Frankly, he was the type of guy who could fix almost anything you threw his way - and senior leadership quickly noticed.

But it wasn’t just his technical prowess that landed him the top procurement role at Uber - it was his fierce dedication to cutting costs and creating genuine efficiency. In just three years, he personally delivered an astonishing US$50 million in hard savings globally. And these weren’t temporary wins; he improved service quality and supplier performance while driving those aggressive cost cuts. How many traditional procurement veterans can boast those kinds of results?

Jaffe thrived by thinking differently. He didn’t merely focus on the old-school procurement trio of cost-cutting, contracts, and compliance. Instead, he put strategic sourcing and sophisticated spend analysis front and center, leveraging technology to negotiate smarter deals. His innovative approach included advanced spend analytics, eAuctions, and strategic commodity management. That’s why Uber trusted him with global responsibility—even though he lacked conventional procurement credentials.

His negotiating skills also stood out. This was a professional negotiator who confidently struck deals worth millions with executives from Fortune 500 firms, top Silicon Valley players, and even government leaders - including those from Korea, the Pentagon, and the Federal Reserve. Talk about influence!

But beyond negotiation skills, what set Jaffe apart was his willingness to teach and mentor others. He actively coached his teams, passing along his expertise in vendor management, drafting policies, strategic sourcing, and business process outsourcing. To him, procurement wasn’t just transactional—it was strategic, transformative, and impactful at every organizational level.

Looking forward, it’s clear procurement is evolving rapidly. Companies are discovering they need leaders who can navigate technology, complex negotiations, and strategic sourcing - not just follow processes. The role of the CPO is no longer just about cost savings and contracts; it's about delivering strategic business value.

Jaffe’s unconventional career highlights an important shift: Real-world expertise, influence, and adaptability are now more critical than having the "right" certificates on your wall. As procurement becomes more strategic and tech-driven, companies need leaders who can flexibly pivot between roles, adapt quickly, and leverage cross-disciplinary skills.

In short, maybe it’s time we tossed out the old procurement playbook and embraced leaders who’ve learned by doing rather than just studying procurement theory.

But that's just my take! What about you? Is experience now more valuable than formal procurement training? I'd love to hear your views - share them in the comments below!