Jacob Smusz is Manager, HR Contingent Worker & Program Transformation at Nissan North America, where he leads enterprise workforce strategies focused on contingent labor, supplier governance, compliance, and program transformation. With more than 15 years of experience in workforce management and talent strategy, Jacob oversees the Nissan Advance Third-Party Workforce Program, driving initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, mitigate risk, optimize supplier performance, and align workforce solutions with business objectives.
Throughout his career, Jacob has partnered closely with Procurement, Legal, Finance, HR, and technology teams to implement scalable workforce programs, improve governance, and leverage data driven decision making. His expertise includes contingent workforce management, MSP and VMS strategy, workforce analytics, supplier management, and large-scale transformation initiatives, including SAP Fieldglass implementation.
Recognized for his collaborative leadership style and practical approach to solving complex workforce challenges, Jacob is passionate about building agile, compliant, and future-ready workforce solutions that deliver measurable business value.
Day 1
2:20 PM NEW FOR CONNECT 2026 INTERACTIVE WORKING GROUP: VMS Integration and Vendor Consolidation
What Actually Worked and What We'd Do Differently
VMS integration and vendor consolidation promise greater visibility, stronger control, lower costs, and a more consistent experience. But getting there often introduces unexpected complexity, difficult tradeoffs, and new points of failure. In this candid, buyer led working group, attendees will compare where they are in their consolidation journeys, discuss what has delivered real value, and share the lessons they would apply if they were starting again tomorrow.
Discussion Questions
- Where are you on the consolidation journey today, and what drove the decision to begin: cost, control, technology, visibility, or something else?
- What is the single biggest thing your consolidated VMS or vendor ecosystem does well that your previous environment could not? What did you have to give up to achieve it?
- What went wrong that nobody warned you about? Where did consolidation create new single points of failure, and how did you mitigate them?
- If you were starting over tomorrow, what would you do in a different order, and what would you avoid doing altogether?
Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Jacob.
Download The Latest Agenda