Although most people accept that innovation is a good thing, we likely think about what it means very differently. Some of us hear a silent “digital” before the term, even though there are sources of innovation that extend far beyond the world of technology. In other cases, innovation just feels like change - and that may or may not be a pleasant experience. But, as this week’s guest tells us, it is not procurement’s job to accept the status quo.

In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Magda Theodate. Magda passed the Bar and became a lawyer before starting a career in procurement. Then she combined both capabilities by working first as a procurement legal consultant at the World Bank’s Africa Region, then as a procurement officer in its General Services Department. She went on to have quite an international career and has continued to specialize in public sector procurement, focusing on the importance of essential governance for developing nations.

In this conversation, Magda speaks frankly about innovation, both from a global perspective and from the perspective of professionals in procurement:

Why global procurement professionals might see the government as an essential player in digital innovation even if North Americans do not

Whether procurement knows what innovation is / looks like / means

How we can prepare ourselves to be ready for what real innovation entails

How our perspective on risk might hold us back from innovating

The skill sets, experiences, or dispositions best position someone to lead innovation