“Ultimately, the challenges for a procurement function are very similar, but going into a different environment helps you grow.” There’s no substitute for the level of depth and breadth of experience that Tracey Williamson has developed over the course of her illustrious career as a procurement leader. From roles in several major blue chip organisations like Nissan, Tesco, Vodafone and many more, she’s cracked the key to creating transformative change in any procurement function. We dive into...

“If you are purely doing procurement and commercial on paper, the paper doesn't stand the litmus test,” Victoria Cope’s career roles are supremely varied and her credentials numerous, so she serves as a perfect example of how wide ranging experiences can aid procurement leaders in succeeding at the highest level. With an Aeronautical Engineering background, over 20 years in the Defence & Security sector, and several awards for her contributions to the industry, she’s now the Commercial...

“We often create a list of 12 things, but if you focus on the one thing that makes the biggest difference, you’ll be more successful than having a big shopping list.” ITV, Sky, Starbucks, Serco and Nestle may not share much in terms of sector, but all are huge brands that Jonathan Patrick has at one point called home. His ability to instigate successful transformation at the highest level is beyond doubt, and as Transport for London’s CPO he’s continuing to create a staggering procurement...

“We had to stay absolutely core to our principles around collaboration, relationships and partnerships. In the supply chain arena, the strength of those came to the forefront.” It’s hard to deny that one of the most affected industries from the pandemic has been air travel, so how has the industry’s supply chain stayed strong in preparation for its return? The value of strong, long-lasting relationships is paramount to NATS’ CPO, Tim Bullock, who joins us on Talent Talks to discuss how the...

“You need to become the commercial architect, as opposed to the person that sends out the RFP and spends hours on Excel trying to analyse the responses of those prices.” As procurement professionals venture further into becoming commercial leads looking to drive value, the skillset sought from those entering the role is ever-shifting. Amassing a huge arsenal of skills throughout his illustrious career with John Lewis, PepsiCo, and now Amazon Fresh, Rob Turner is well positioned to observe...

“I'm not here to cut costs, I'm just here to add value. However you want to dress that word of value, it's totally up to you.” The next generation of bright procurement prospects bring with them a focus on understanding what they’re procuring in a way that we haven’t seen before. We can only continue this trend of value and ROI, however, if we overcome the barriers to entry for school leavers and graduates. Two such future procurement leaders, Williams Racing’s Olivia McNamara and Reckitt’s...

“If something doesn't look exciting enough for something they're going to do for the next 40-50 years in their career, why are they going to bother even trying to get into that profession?” When the senior procurement professionals end their careers, we need a rich talent pool to whom they can entrust all that experience and expertise. Who better to ask about the current barriers impeding the introduction of fresh, smart and passionate professionals than those fresh from the process? On...

“The single biggest barrier to entry for getting young people into procurement is a lack of knowledge of what it even is.” Young professionals entering today’s procurement world will be leading our industry into an age led by sustainability & social value, so what’s the experience like for future CPOs, and how does it need to improve? To answer this key question, Martin is joined this week by three of the brightest new procurement professionals, Tesco’s Lead Procurement Manager, Josh...

“I think we don't always realise that we have a reputation with our suppliers, just like a company will have a consumer brand.” Consumer branding is a standard aspect of any business that’s well documented - lesser considered but equally important, however, is the prospect of your supplier branding. Presenting yourself to potential suppliers for a partnership is a skill, one in which Cameron Holder is highly proficient.  Having recently departed his role as Head of Commercial &...

“In general when you're buying services, it won't have such a complex supply chain. But in terms of what you're buying, it's infinitely more complex.” Pinpointing the value of procured services on more metrics than pure cost is an issue worth solving, given the trillions in annual global spend that go towards services procurement. Zivio are leading the way with their SaaS platform - their CEO Jonny Dunning is our guest on Talent Talks this week discussing how technology is altering the...

“The common element is very similar between organisations. What you need to understand is the environment you're working within, the stakeholders that you have and their agendas.” Between impressively varied roles at Fulham FC, Harrods & and Allianz, Nick Brazier is evidence that when you understand your environment, third party management demands a similar skillset. Having now set up a third party management function at Close Brothers, Nick joins us on Talent Talks to break down the fine...

“How do you make sure that sustainability is not a compliance play, it's not a nice-to-do and a tick box? Put it right in your business strategy.” From Simon King’s eventful early career, to his hugely influential endeavours in the sustainability world now, he’s amassed experiences to inspire us all to embrace the green agenda. Whether it’s making the huge leap in efficiency through electric vehicle use, or promoting sustainability throughout your supply chain, this week’s episode of Talent...

“In procurement, you’re trying to get meetings with people who don't want to see you, persuade them to do things they don't want to do, and negotiate a deal. Procurement and sales are very similar in skillset.” With over 13 years in Coca-Cola, a CPO role at Tata and an influential stint at Mitie, rolling out the UK’s largest pure electric fleet, Simon King has seen it all. While we’ve considered the need for obvious routes into the procurement profession, it’s always inspiring to hear from...

“You'll start to think, ‘I'll be making a sourcing decision against one of the biggest elements of our impact within the next few years, which might almost commit me already to 2030’. It’s about getting that into the decision making now.” We often hear how our sector adds value, but seldom is it referred to explicitly as a revenue generator. With an ever-greater emphasis on ESG, setting environmental goals will very soon have a direct and tangible impact. The CPO at KPMG, Martin Lee, started...

“It's not about the ‘what’, it's about the ‘how’, and I don't think we're doing enough with the ‘how’ at the moment in the private sector.” As social value remains front and centre of public sector procurement, and grows in relevance in the private sector, are there more complexities and variables than ever when it comes to initiating successful procurement transformation? The debate around transformation programmes, technology in procurement, social value, the role of aggregated data and...

“It isn't about the price of the consultancy, it’s the impact of the outcome they're delivering, so cheap can become very expensive.” The difference in spend between contingent labour and consultancies globally is incredibly small, yet the technology and systems to work with them lags far behind. As CEO of Constellia, Rob Levene keeps close contact with their Consultancy Procurement Council to maintain a finger on the pulse of what issues need solving in the consultancy space. In this...

“From my perspective, data is the foundational resource that we now need to use in terms of how we think about our procurement transformation.” As apps like TikTok innovate the tools that curate content for us, it’s clear that the future of procurement is one in which we won’t settle for inadequate tools. We’ve been seeing gradual digitisation for decades, and as the need to process data and implement automation grows, we speak to Kantar’s CPO Stephen Day about how digital tools will help us...

“With our size and scale, we can deliver value for money through social value, but also leave a lasting legacy in communities.” The scrutiny that comes with multi-billion pound projects in the public sector gives National Highways a strong impetus to put social value first in its operations. So how do we achieve the same in the rest of the industry? In a Talent Talks first, we feature a panel of 3 guests from the same procurement department - Malcolm Dare, Sanyalax Morrison, and Andrew...

“Sustainability needs to be a priority, and that starts at the top.” Digital procurement transformation is a perpetual journey, and with the growing importance of ESG initiatives it’s key now to ensure these initiatives come from the very top level to maximise your organisation’s value. This week’s guest on Talent Talks is Coupa’s Vice President in Northern Europe, Eric Brown, who shares how increasing visibility within e-procurement processes allows more stakeholders to put sustainability...

Recent years have brought new challenges to the healthcare sector, so for HealthTrust Europe it’s been key to engage stakeholders to guarantee social value in every process they implement. Advocating the renewed need for social value and sustainability in procurement within the sector is COO Dale Robinson, who considers the holistic, end-to-end view of a process to be essential in unlocking that value. Dale joins us to share how eProcurement strategies can leverage the power of data, getting...

Committing to procurement transformation that earns buy-in from the board is a hurdle made far easier to vault with the help of one key asset - the right people structure. It’s a foundational part of Patrick Dunne’s ‘Three P’s’ for progressing any procurement function, an approach that’s evidently effective. Patrick’s experience spans industries, and boasts the 2019 CIPS Leader of the Year award. Patrick, Director of Group Property, Procurement and Cost Transformation at Sainsbury’s for 4...

“Good people, regardless of function, generally have a choice. We've worked hard to get our hiring managers in a mindset that, when they go into the interview, it is a two-way thing.” The market for new, ambitious procurement professionals might seem relatively thin right now, but could our industry set our sights further afield to create a wider talent pool with more varied skill sets? Balfour Beatty’s Evan Sutherland has witnessed the benefits of being open-minded, and the missed...

“From a recruitment perspective, it's one of the first questions candidates ask us now: What is that business's sustainability agenda?” With the well-publicised COP26 bringing sustainability ever closer to the front of consumers’ minds, there’s a renewed focus on supply chains to become greener at every stage. For such a current and pressing topic, it was a delight to host a panel discussion at Talent Talks Live in December with Jo Ennion, Tim Snow, and Allison Ford-Langstaff.  Our guests on...

“We're trying to get value for money, but we still use the word savings. We've got to change our language accordingly to sell procurement.” Welcome to a very special episode of Talent Talks, recorded live at last month’s Talent Talks event in central London! We were lucky enough to bring together a panel of wonderful procurement professionals to discuss some of the burning issues facing the industry today, with questions from a live audience. Visa’s Sarah-Jayne Aldridge, DS Smith’s Alex...

“We need to be hot on our game to ensure that suppliers are meeting ethical standards, and that we're operating in an ethical and compliant way ourselves.” Procurement is bestowed with a power to join supply chains in a way that nobody else can, so we need to be hot on our game when it comes to sustainable procurement. Sustainability is not just about carbon emissions - former CPO EMEA JLL and current SPP Ambassador Rob Alexander also holds a much-needed focus on key issues around child...