We Are Passionate About Procurement & Technology
Strategic Investments × Expert Advisory × Network Access
Fueled by 20+ Years of Experience & 2bn+ € in Savings Delivered
Founder & CEO 502Ventures I 502Consulting and Former CPO @ Zalando SE
Alejandro Basterrechea Echeverria was born and raised in Guatemala, Central America (Code 502), but has lived in Germany since 2004. Alejandro speaks Spanish, English, and German fluently. Besides his passion for procurement and technology, he can be found on a padel court, traveling the world, or enjoying good wine, as he is a Level 1 WSET®-certified Sommelier.
For nearly a decade, he was an Executive at Zalando SE leading Global Procurement (CPO) and responsible for ∼7bn€ annual spend. In addition, he is a Non-Executive Advisor and early investor in procurement and technology startups.
Alejandro brings more than 20 years of procurement leadership experience across various industries — including semiconductors, retail, railway/aerospace, and e-commerce — and has deep expertise in strategic procurement, cost reduction programs, cash generation initiatives, tail spend optimization, procurement digitization, building high performing teams, leading organizational transformations, M&A and the Procurement technology & digital landscape.
Focussed On Strategic Procurement × Technology – Across All Industries.
Procurement as Strategic Lever
Up to 70% of company revenue is spend with external providers, therefor, optimising the spend creates a massive competitive advantage.
Technology & Innovation
Procurement is in a position to lead the digital transformation of any company. In addition, it can bring innovation from the supplier base to its company.
Risk Management & Compliance
The function identifies & mitigates risks associated with the supply chain – including price volatility, supply shortages –, ensuring compliance with all legal & regulatory standards.
Improved Supplier Relationships
Procurement fosters strong, collaborative, and long-term partnerships with key suppliers through effective Supplier Relationship Management (SRM).
502Consulting:
Procurement Impact. Delivered.
Want to know more?
Send Contact RequestEarly-Stage Investments
We’re Proud Of
Hivebuy
Empowering Teams To Buy Smarter.
Playtomic
Connecting Players With The World’s Largest Racket Platform
Noah Mobility
Driving the Future of Global Mobility Technology
hejONE
Building the ONE AI Platform for Procurement
Non-Executive Advisory Roles
Negotiation Advisory Group
Leading Negotiation Consulting Company in Europe
CaddyGo
Building Next Generation AI Agents for Procurement
PMA Academy
Full-scale AI Enablement for Corporations
Hub10
Alliance of AI Natives & Domain Experts – to Bring Data to Impact across Industries.
Awarded, Published & Recognized within the Procurement Industry
Awards
2019
Winner of Procurement Leaders Award by Procurement Leaders
2020
Winner of ABX Procurement Hero Award by Amazon Business
2022
Ambassador Sustainable Procurement by Procurement Pledge
2023
Winner of Best Speaker Award by Procurement Summit
2024
Selected as Sustainable Procurement Champion by CPOStrategy
2025
Selected as AI Procurement Champion by CPOStrategy
Jury & Panelist
2020
World Procurement Awards Judge
2020
Winner of ABX Procurement Hero Award by Amazon Business
2022
Top 100 ProcureTech Jury
2024
Intelligent Spend Management Award von Roland Berger & SAP Jury
Articles & Podcasts
- AI: A New Era for Procurement
- Agile Procurement
- Data-driven Procurement
- Lessons Learned in Procurement in Times of COVID-19
Author: Data Driven Procurement ProcureScape
- Co-Author: CPO Strategy Magazine
- Making unicorns fly
- Procurement in 5-minutes
Berliner Zinner featuring Mehlhose
Memberships
Invitation-only for CEOs, Boards, & Executives
International Private Members’ Club for Media, Arts, Business and Fashion Industries
Exclusive Invite Only Network for CPOs in Germany
Get in Touch
Whether you're a a leader looking for impactful results, a founder seeking advice, or connect to our network — I'd love to hear from you.