STANDFIRST:
Switzerland’s peer-led Marketing Procurement Network (MPN) has gone from
strength to strength in its first 12 months. MPiQ travelled to Zurich on January 20 th to
celebrate the Anniversary of MPNS’s first event and uncover the Network’s recipe for
success.
full house for the first event of 2026
Marketing Procurement Network in Switzerland kicked off 2026 with a fully booked event
with a quick recap of all they’ve achieved in just over 12 months. The numbers are
impressive: During 2025 the Network delivered three in-person events, two seasonal socials,
1 online event and built a membership of 70+ procurement professionals from over 50
multinational organisations across Switzerland.
The celebrations on January 20 th Zurich continued with an insightful and wide-ranging
presentation from Media Marketing Compliance (MMC). Client Services Director Jane
Dormer laid out practical strategies for tackling contract compliance in an ever-fragmenting
supplier landscape, and then Co-Founder Stephen Broderick delivering one of the clearest
takes we’ve seen on Inventory Media The MMC team were followed by a fireside chat
between MPN and Optiwise founder Amy Redford and McKinsey Senior Advisor and former
P&G VP Media Gerry D’Angelo on industry trends, and an all-star panel on Contracting Best
Practice featuring eBay’s Teres Bjӧrklund and Carlsberg’s András Mohos. Informal
networking amongst the thriving network rounded out the evening, with members exchange
insights, updates, and job market tips..
From 2024 Foundation to Year One Success
In November 2024 a handful of Marketing Procurement leaders met for drinks in a bar near
Zurich’s main station. Working in senior roles for major regional and global brands, they
couldn’t quite believe that a Switzerland-based group for Marketing Procurement didn’t
already exist.
A few fruitless Google and LinkedIn searches confirmed their hunch. Feeling there was a
clear need for a peer-led network, they set about establishing one for themselves. Led by the
indefatigable Amy Redford and with sponsorship from MPiQ, Marketing Procurement
Network (MPN) Switzerland was born, holding their inaugural event in January 2025 in
Zurich.
Fast forward to January 2026, and the most recent MPN event drew 30+ Marketing
Procurement professionals from across Switzerland and beyond. Participation included
those in procurement-adjacent functions too, with members from Finance, Controlling,
Business Insights and Marketing Operations roles attending on January 20th .
A Winning Formula
Collaborations with industry partners MPiQ, CIPS, ISBA, and a careful curation of
commercial sponsors have helped to fuel the Network’s growth. Each event balances
sponsor thought-leadership content with practitioner-level discussion and informal
networking. As a peer-led group, members actively shape the agenda to address their most
pressing concerns, suggesting topics and acting as expert speakers. Industry sponsor
content is carefully curated to keep it educational, rather than purely promotional in nature.
This enables the group to tap into both thought leadership and sponsorship funding. As a
result, the quality, relevance and breadth of discussion topics is a major draw, particularly for
first-time attendees.
The network’s rapid growth across industry sectors and high levels of event attendance
show that the founding group’s hunch was right. Marketing Procurement Network in
Switzerland has become a valuable resource for members seeking support, inspiration and
career progression. Chatting to attendees over drinks, we formed a picture of strong peer
engagement within a group engaged in collective problem-solving. Friendships have been
formed, and careers furthered, as members help one another to navigate Switzerland’s
notoriously tricky job market. We got a sense of collective confidence in the opportunities for
career progression, despite the challenging hiring environment – a noted change from
January 2025 when many attendees felt the outlook was much more pessimistic. Indeed, a
handful of original attendees from last year’s event have recently found new job
opportunities or hired talent via contacts directly within the MPN Community.
Tips for Self-Organizing Procurement Networks
Marketing Procurement Network Switzerland’s success story proves that peer-led groups
can become self-sustaining and add real value to the Marketing Procurement community.
We asked Redford and event co-organiser Bruno Braghini to share their guidance for
anyone thinking about setting up a similar Network:
1. Establish a founding membership with a shared vision. This group can provide
suggestions of topics for up-coming events, venues to host events, connection to
industrysponsors or speakers, act as subject-matter-expert speakers and will
become the network’s ambassadors.
2. Trust the process. There will be an initial heavy-lift to drive engagement, so be
prepared to put in some legwork to recruit for initial events. Peer referrals will start to
build after the first couple of successful events.
3. Leverage sponsorship thoughtfully, with trusted industry contacts. Vital funding for
venues, drinks and nibbles doesn’t have to cost you a dry 90 mins sales pitch.
4. Social media and online events help build the membership base and engagement
among the community online. Leveraging a handful of LinkedIn mavens can really
help here too.
5. Tap into what your membership needs in terms of mutual support, knowledge
exchange and networking opportunities. Use their feedback to shape your agenda
and priorities.
Year Two Ambitions
MPN’s plans for 2026 are ambitious. The aim is to grow across in-person and online
channels, increasing reach and providing members with more ways to connect. The first
MPN webinar series in collaboration with CIPS, covering Business Partnering will kick off in
mid-February through April. A growing LinkedIn membership, WhatsApp group and email
distribution list are proving popular for sharing job market updates, seeking peer advice, and
celebrating successes. The first in a series of member interviews by Braghini in partnership
with MPiQ has just been published too. The series will explore routes into and through
Marketing Procurement careers, share insights from subject matter experts, showcase the
local talent pool, and shine a spotlight on members’ successes and achievements.
Those interested in joining the Network can do so by contacting [Amy Redford – Amy
Redford-Ninghetto MCIPS | LinkedIn]. To learn more, please follow MPN LinkedIn page –
Marketing Procurement Network – Switzerland | LinkedIn
The group is open to Marketing Procurement professionals (from Procurement, Marketing,
Finance) based in and around Switzerland in client-side roles.
Useful Links
MPNS LinkedIn Page MPNS LinkedIn
Sign up for Business Partnering Webinar here sign up here
Interview series Article here