Talent Talks Podcast

“As a consultant I had direct access to the chief executive. As a secondee, to go anywhere near the chief executive wasn’t going to happen.”

The procurement consultancy world has its draws, from intense and varied experiences to, at times, greater access within the business.

That said, Daniel Abda has worked on both consultancy and in-house teams, currently with Efficio and previously leading an Asset Management programme for the London Olympic Games.

This week on Talent Talks, Daniel takes us through the distinctions between consultancy and in-house, how to handle intense & strict external deadlines, and whether AI could have procurement functions cutting jobs to make new savings…

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• Daniel’s work on the procurement organisation strategy for the London 2012 Olympic Games
• How to respond to being given unrealistic targets
• Consultancy procurement experience, and how it stacks up against being part of an in-house team
• Managing rising energy costs and sustainability goals
• AI tools, and whether it could cut jobs in the industry

“Procurement’s relevance depends on our ability to embrace technological change.”

Greenfield procurement presents an opportunity that most procurement professionals would relish, a chance which Robert Jones has taken with open arms at Community Fibre.

Currently Senior Procurement Manager in a function that he’s helped to grow since roles at The AA and Johnson & Johnson, Robert joins Martin Smith on Talent Talks to discuss the growth of procurement and how technology is core to staying relevant.

We also take a look at who’s responsible for the sustainability agenda, managing stakeholder expectations, and consider the value of CIPS qualification in the future.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• How to get a greenfield procurement function started and making impact
• Addressing expectations of procurement and potential pushback by working to solve stakeholders’ challenges
• How useful the CIPS qualification can be in the day-to-day, real world
• Procurement’s responsibility for sustainability agendas vs the rest of a company

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

“This is actually a great time to be in procurement, because it's a time to shine.”

Andrew Smith’s career has taken him from huge roles in Royal Mail to international leadership with Avis Budget in Copenhagen, an industry forced recently to rapidly evolve.

As a result of such impressive experiences across several decades, Andrew has a keen eye on what it takes to create impact while respecting the various stakeholders one might have.

Andrew joins us on Talent Talks to discuss how he grows a relatively immature function, builds relationships, handles hurdles, and why now is a fantastic time to be in procurement.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• The route to grow from a small function into one with global reach
• Understanding an organisation’s culture before implementing change
• Utilising industry-wide issues as an opportunity to evolve
• Shifts and trends towards localisation and quality of supply

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

“People make the world go round. If you ever have a problem, it's often the people that you've won over who will back you up or help you out.”

Whether it’s through his own procurement leadership roles or rich experience in consulting and training, Oliver Jones knows the key to presenting procurement’s value.

Return on investment extends beyond numbers, and when it’s time to get people on board, Oliver’s emphasis on people is not to be overlooked…

The Managing Consultant with Elixirr joins us on Talent Talks to discuss C-suite engagement, ‘keeping the exec out of jail’, winning over stakeholders, and how tech can’t solve all our future challenges.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• How procurement’s ROI should be measured more holistically
• Key differences between sectors, and the need to adapt your style of communication
• The power of winning over key stakeholders to become your ambassadors
• Taking people on your procurement transformation journey
• IQ vs EQ in leadership roles

“It comes back to innovation: what could we do differently to get ourselves through this difficult period?”

Whether you’re among the largest corporations in the world, or the bustling startups growing through adversity, innovation needs to be at the heart of your procurement function.

Applying that principle at both ends of the spectrum with Coca-Cola and Mum & You, David Cowell is the perfect guest on Talent Talks to weigh in on building a successful function from scratch, and retaining your top talent.

Tune into this week’s episode for a look at how David handled a function spanning over 13 countries, whether centralised procurement trumps decentralised procurement, and offers invaluable insight for professionals ready to move up the ladder.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• David’s several decades’ experience in huge, multinational companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestle
• How to recruit and retain the best talent through methods beyond remuneration
• Taking on the challenge of setting up a supply chain from scratch
• Weighing up the advantages of centralised vs decentralised procurement functions
• Invaluable advice for aspiring procurement leaders

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

“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 her focus on good data, the conscious effort to diversify skills and sectors, and how diversity and inclusion has evolved throughout her time in the industry.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• Why you should broaden your experience rather than strive to just climb the ladder
• The nuances of public sector roles
• Managing and using spend data to create transformation
• The key attributes of successful procurement professionals
• How everyone can better support the growth of diversity and inclusion across the board

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

“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 & Category Director for the UK Health Security Agency.

Such an array of knowledge inevitably led to a fascinating discussion on Talent Talks this week, covering the delicate balance between public service and commerciality, necessary steps to boost diversity, why strong relationships beat procurement on paper, and so much more.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• Victoria’s route into procurement, being a chartered Aeronautical Engineer by background
• Procurement’s biggest relationship lessons learned from the pandemic
• The successful evolution and further advancements needed within diversity and inclusion
• Balancing the health of the nation with maintaining her function’s commerciality
• The growth of social value and ESG

“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 legacy.

We hear from Jonathan on Talent Talks this week as he shares the measures of successful transformation, how to firm up against 2023’s impending pressures, and how his work on I’m a Celeb changed how he evaluates each business’ true challenges.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• How to deliver transformation at the highest level
• The barometers for success to keep top-of-mind
• 2023’s big challenges, and how they’ll likely affect risk management
• Jonathan’s biggest learns from his work with ITV, Sony, Serco, Sky, and more huge brands

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

“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 lengthy groundwork in building bonds will pay dividends, whether soft skills trump technical knowhow, and updating practices to better integrate with the business’ objectives.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• The quest for talent, and where EQ and soft skills might trump technical skills
• Balancing service function obligations with being the conscience of a business
• Dividends paid by building relationships that NATS could rely on throughout the pandemic
• The value of collaboration and partnerships in long-term industries

Links and references at: https://talentdrive.co.uk/

“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 that evolution.

Rob joins us on Talent Talks this week to consider how to successfully incorporate stakeholder needs, the growing divide between tech-driven & non-tech-driven businesses, whether remote roles can create effective teams, and much more.

This episode of Talent Talks covers:

• How Rob’s curious mind aided him throughout his varied career journey
• The importance of being flexible and open to change
• Becoming a commercial architect with more high-level considerations
• The evolution of essential skills with growth of tech-driven procurement
• Barriers and opportunities in the procurement market
• Whether you can fully achieve buy-in from your team in a fully remote role

This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.

Links and references at: https://talentdrive.co.uk/