Navan vs Sage

Navan and Engine Announce Strategic Technology Partnership to Power New Capabilities in Business Travel

Navan and Engine have announced a strategic technology partnership to power new capabilities in business travel. Additionally, Navan will announce its second quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on September 9, 2026.

GPMA Announces 2026 Shortlist with New Categories and Regional Grand Prix

The Global Performance Marketing Awards (GPMA) have released their 2026 shortlist, timed with PI LIVE Europe. The awards feature 11 new categories reflecting industry trends like full-funnel marketing, incrementality, and influencer marketing. For the first time, regional Grand Prix awards will be given for APAC, EMEA, and the Americas. Judges highlighted the convergence of brand, creator, and performance marketing, with creators being held accountable for sales and conversions. AI was noted as a standout theme across entries, used for optimization, routing, content, and compliance. The awards, hosted by Daniel Bower, mark the 10th anniversary and introduce a new, less formal format.

• The GPMA 2026 shortlist has been announced with 11 new categories.
• Regional Grand Prix awards for APAC, EMEA, and the Americas are introduced for the first time.
• The 2026 GPMA marks the 10th anniversary of the awards.

NetApp CMO: AI Failures Are Data Problems

Gabie Boko, NetApp’s chief marketing officer and juror on The Drum B2B Awards Effectiveness jury, argues that most AI disappointment in B2B marketing stems from poor data foundations rather than model flaws. Boko, who joined NetApp in 2022 and has more than 25 years’ experience at firms including HPE, SAP and Sage, says marketers should prioritise governed, accessible, trustworthy data and cyber resilience over visible front-end tools. She emphasises that human judgment—knowing which patterns matter to customers—remains the differentiator when tools are widely available. Boko also recommends balancing brand-building with commercial performance and encourages B2B marketers to develop a distinctive voice and technical curiosity to work effectively with data and engineering teams.

• Gabie Boko is NetApp’s chief marketing officer and joined NetApp in 2022.
• She served as a juror on the Effectiveness jury for The Drum B2B Awards.
• Boko states that much AI disappointment is actually caused by scattered, poorly governed, or siloed data rather than the models themselves.

AI in Finance: Productivity Gains Often Lost in Verification

An IDC survey commissioned by Sage finds that productivity gains from AI in finance are frequently offset by the time required to verify AI-generated outputs. The study of 2,275 senior finance leaders (205 in Germany) reports that 29% of German finance decision-makers spend 15–29 hours per week reviewing AI results and 18% spend more than 30 hours. More than one in four respondents said saved time is reinvested to make AI decisions explainable to stakeholders. German respondents particularly value alignment with professional judgement and 68% would reject a tool that promises 99% accuracy but cannot explain its decisions. Independent reports from Waydev and Faros AI and comments at Fortune Brainstorm Tech underscore similar verification, transparency, and code churn challenges in other domains.

• An IDC survey commissioned by Sage polled 2,275 senior finance decision-makers across North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, including 205 from Germany.
• 29% of German finance leaders said they spend 15–29 hours per week verifying AI results; 18% spend more than 30 hours per week.
• More than one in four respondents said time saved by AI tools must be reinvested to explain AI decisions to stakeholders.