The Procurement Conversation

In this episode of the Procurement Conversation, we talk with Pauline Potter , Director of Procurement and Sustainability at Evri, about the strategic role of procurement in business and how to get the right mix of cost, service and sustainability.  She shares insights on identifying value, prioritising tasks, and fostering continuous improvement within her team.  Pauline also discusses the import...

In this episode, the Rich speaks to Jeremy Smith , Managing Director at 4C Associates, about the critical aspects of building and retaining a great procurement team.  Jeremy emphasises the importance of diversity, skillsets, and personality in creating cohesive teams. He discusses recruitment challenges, the essential qualities for procurement professionals, and the evolving role of procurement in...

In this episode of the Young Leader Series, Rich speaks to Karla Harris , Value Creation Senior Manager at PwC.  Karla shares her unconventional entry into procurement, the variety and tangible results that keep her passionate about the field, and the skills essential for success. She emphasises the importance of adaptability, communication, and continuous learning.   Karla also discusses her care...

In this episode of the Young Leaders series, Rich talks to  Lada Samarska , Community Manager at Precoro, about her unintentional yet fulfilling journey into procurement.  Lada shares her insights on the importance of procurement in daily life, the collaborative nature of her role, and the external perception challenges faced by the profession.  She discusses the skills vital for procurement, her...

In this episode of the Procurement Conversation, host Rich interviews Nils Brauckmann , Head of Procurement at Personio, as part of the Young Leaders series.  Nils shares his journey into procurement, the daily challenges and rewards of the role, and the skills necessary for success.  He discusses the importance of outside-the-box thinking, building relationships, and leveraging automation in proc...

In this episode of the Young Leaders Series, Rich interviews Isimeme Ughele , Head of Sourcing for West Africa and Morocco at Ericsson.  Isimeme shares her journey into procurement, from her entry into the field, the roles she has held, and the skills that have contributed to her success. She emphasises the importance of continuous learning, mentorship, and emotional intelligence, and discusses th...

In this episode of the Procurement Conversation, part of the Young Leaders series, Laurie Franquesa , Managing Principal at Argon & Co., shares her journey into procurement from a mechanical engineering background.  Laurie discusses her career and the dynamic and strategic nature of procurement, her daily activities, and the challenges faced, such as being involved too late in processes.  She...

In this episode, Rich speaks to Jennifer Francis , Category Manager for Indirects at Thames Water.  Jennifer shares her journey into the procurement field, expressing her love for the diverse challenges and opportunities it offers, from building supplier relationships to formulating business strategies and negotiating commercial terms.  Jennifer talks about how she found her calling in procurement...

In this episode of our Young Leaders series, Rich speaks to Ed Gamble , Digital Garage Manager at BP, who shares his journey into procurement, the evolving role of technology in procurement, and the importance of emotional intelligence and people skills in the field.  Ed discusses how his team at BP's 'Garage' seeks innovative tech solutions to improve procurement processes, his acc...

In this episode of the Procurement Conversation, part of the Young Leaders series, host Rich talks with Ann Dhondt , Category Manager at Vodafone Procurement and Procurement Manager at HANNDS'ON.  Ann shares her journey into procurement, beginning with her creative endeavours in product management and sourcing in Asia.  She expresses her love for the creativity and variability the field offer...

This week Rich speaks to Tim Snow , CPO at Inmarsat about enhancing the agility and efficiency of procurement. Emphasising the importance of procurement taking a proactive and involved role from the onset of strategy development, the conversation highlights the necessity for procurement to be seen as a partner capable of driving quality, pace, and commercial thinking, rather than simply executing...

Procurement is the best job in the world. I’ve been privileged to work in it for the last 22 years and have loved every minute of it. I’ve worked on great projects with fantastic people, and The Procurement Conversation podcast is my way of spreading the love and giving back. I have seen how passionate and innovative teams can change the perception of procurement from an administration function to...

In this episode, Rich talks to procurement professional Mark Coulson talks about important changes in IR35 Interim Worker Space, including the significant tax offset change, and the resulting opportunities for procurement teams. This conversation reveals how these changes can de-risk IR35 by about 75%, leading to material cost savings, providing access to better caliber contractors, and avoiding t...

Rich speaks to Jim Townsend - former CPO of Walgreens Boots Alliance to get the inside view on Procurement Technology from a CPO. Jim talks about the digital landscape of procurement and the need for a more strategic approach for investment in procurement technology.  The conversation includes the relevance of technology to relation to the maturity and requirements of an organisation, the value an...

Rich is joined by Tom Mills - Head of Procurement and Properties at Bibby Financial Services and Founder of Procure Bites .   They delve into topics such as the state of procurement in 2024, the impact of procurement scandals on the profession's image, the necessity and value of procurement to businesses, and even the potential role of technology like AI in procurement.  Tom shares his perspe...

This week we’re looking at why Procurement suffers from dodgy data - how it affects the function and what we can do to solve it. Rich is joined by Susan Walsh - the Classification Guru and Natasha Brown Group Procurement Director of Harland & Wolff. We cover: 0:46 - Why does Procurement suffer from dodgy data? 10:53 - What are the key steps in cleansing your data? 13:11 - Examples of where poo...

This week we're talking about the Procurement Talent Wars - the battle for great talent within the function.  Rich is speaking to Ben Paynter , Procurement Director at Burberry and Martin Smith , owner and founder of the Talent Group and host of Talent Talks podcast to get their inside perspective on the war for talent within our profession. We cover: 0:44 - How the UK recruitment market is -...

So you are starting a Procurement Technology implementation but you don't have a team? Which roles are vital for success, who are these people and where can we find the best? Rich is speaking to Joël Collin-Demers in a two-way interview about our experiences working with the best in the Procurement Technology space. We talk about which roles we would have on an ‘all-star’ ProcureTech project...

Following on from part 1 of this episode, Sharon and Rich are joined by Mary Ann Sieghard , author of 'The Authority Gap - Why women are still taken less seriously than men and what we can do about it'. The book details the bias that is still pervasive in society and workplace, how this impacts women and what we can do to change it. It is a must read - especially for men - and especially...

This week we're covering 'soft' skills - but perhaps 'Super Skills' is a more appropriate name for how these skills can impact Procurement. The return on investment in developing these skills is massive on a personal, professional and organisational level. Rich talks to Barry Holmes who has spent the last 20 years helping Procurement teams to transform the way they work fr...

Welcome to the first of our Big Conversation series.  We're talking about the biggest topics currently facing procurement and the first one is a massive one. Why are only 25% of senior leaders in Procurement female? And why are those leaders paid 25% less than their male counterparts in the UK? Rich talks to Laura Scarfe and Sharon Morris about this, and look at what we can do to change this...

This week I speak to Richard Jamison , Head of Procurement and Property at Grant Thornton UK.  We speak about: 1. His journey transitioning from IT to procurement and how this background in IT influenced his approach to procurement. 2. Starting up a greenfield procurement function. 3. How he has built relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation. 4. What role he thinks technology pl...

This week I speak to Tim Snow , Vice President Procurement, Commercial Contracts, Insurance and Sustainability at Inmarsat. Given Tim has a wider commercial role including areas not traditionally in the procurement remit, I asked him: * How he balances his procurement responsibilities with a broader role. * What advice he would give to other procurement professionals looking to expand their roles...

This week I spoke to Lauren Richards , CPO at Amazon Fresh.  We covered: The one thing she wants her CEO to know about proc How she defines and measures success for her team If there is a talent shortage or is it an excuse  What the future holds for procurement What's her biggest mistake and what she learnt Which book changed her thinking about procurement

This week we're joined by Roger Davies ,  CPO from M&S, John Lewis and deliveroo - a great selection of British institutions. I spoke to Roger about: The most important thing he learnt in his career His leadership philosophy What skills we need for the future of procurement What does the future hold for procurement What he dislikes about procurement Which book changed your thinking about...