EEffective leaders in procurement are strategic thinkers with strong analytical skills, relationshipbuilding abilities, risk management expertise, innovation, adaptability, and ethical behavior. Procurement leaders must have a deep understanding of their organization's strategic goals and be able to align procurement activities with those goals. They should be able to anticipate future needs and trends in the market and develop strategies to meet them.
These leaders must be able to analyze complex data sets and use insights to make informed decisions. They should have strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills and be able to use data to drive performance improvements. Procurement leaders build strong relationships with stakeholders both internally and externally. They are able to communicate effectively, negotiate well, and build trust with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders.
Procurement leaders are able to identify and manage risks effectively. They have a deep understanding of the risks inherent in procurement activities and are able to develop strategies to mitigate them.
They are innovative and open to new ideas. They identify opportunities for process improvements, cost savings, and new technologies to drive efficiency and effectiveness. They are adaptable and able to navigate changing market conditions, regulations, and customer demands. They pivot quickly and adjust their strategies as needed to ensure success.
They behave ethically and exhibit integrity at all times. They deeply understand ethical procurement practices and can ensure that their team adheres to those practices. Ethical behavior builds a positive reputation for individuals and organizations in the eyes of their stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and employees.
It helps to build trust and credibility and can enhance the brand value. It helps to identify and mitigate risks associated with procurement activities. These factors develop a positive work environment for employees by promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability, leading to higher levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
Exploring the facets that are driving transformations and enabling reliability in the procurement niche, Insights Success spotlights “ The 10 Most Iconic Leaders in Procurement to Watch, 2023 .” Flip through the pages of the edition and indulge in the fundamentals that contribute to driving perpetual betterments in the niche.
Have a Delightful Read!
Abhishek Joshi Abhis he k Jo s hi
Featured Person SAP sap.com
Gordon Donovan Market Research Director - Procurement & Supply
Helen Mackenzie Head of Community Outreach
Kathy Golding Procurement & Supplier Ecosystem Services Leader
Larry Phelan Global Chief Supply Chain Officer
Martha S. Buffington Chief Procurement Officer
Brief Company Name
Gordon believes that procurement can positively influence not just organizational performance but also begin to change the world through purpose-driven spending.
Art of Procurement artofprocurement.com
EY EY.com
Helen helps the community access the insight and resources they need so that procurement can make a positive impact on the world.
Kathy Golding has proven herself with her leadership with solid strategic planning and decision-making abilities to build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers and key stakeholders.
EY EY.com
SC Johnson scjohnson.com
Health Promotion Board hpb.gov.sg
Larry connects EY people to leading services and suppliers, and inspires his team by driving operational excellence to help influence the world's supply chain and differentiate EY in the market.
Martha Buffington is the Chief Procurement Officer of a company producing health, nutrition, and sustainable living products to enhance the lives of people and the sustainability of the planet.
Sebastian is an adept leader who has led a team of procurement and contract management officers in the nation’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sheri's purpose is to make a meaningful impact on the clients, colleagues, partners, and communities he serves. IBM ibm.com
AT&T att.com
GEODIS geodis.com
Susan leads a dedicated team working to define a strategy to transition customers to newer products and pull costs out of the copper-based infrastructure.
Terence is spearheading new Procurement Advisory Services (in partnership with an International Brand) under Geodis Supply Chain Optimization.
Thiago is an accomplished and energetic professional with a proven ability to maximize sales, Build and manage B2B relationships, provide excellent customer service, and outshine the competition across multiple industries.
Sebastian Chua Head of Procurement Sheri R. Hinish Consulting Global Leader for Sustainability Services, Alliances and Strategy Susan Johnson Executive VP - Global Connections & Supply ChainPhilanthropy and Community Terence Lee Chief Procurement Officer Alberta Health Services albertahealthservices.ca Thiago Braga SPO
The EY focus on "no change, no future" has enabled SCS to transform and continually reinvent the supply chain for EY teams.
The past couple of years have challenged the ways
how supply chains operate. Networks have been disrupted, with growth and profitability at stake. Today's supply chain leaders must be agile, willing to embrace change and show an ability to reimagine the existing networks to adapt to the supply challenges of tomorrow. Larry Phelan , Chief Supply Chain Officer at EY Global Services Limited , is a leader who has risen to the challenges of the current economic and geopolitical environment by adopting a truly global mindset.
Starting as a procurement officer, Larry rose to become the leader of Supply Chain Services (SCS) at the global EY organization, even winning the 15th position in BizClik Media Group's Top 100 Supply Chain Leaders in 2021! He was granted this award for his remarkable work as an innovator of more resilient, sustainable, and diverse supply chains.
He also brought about transformational change at the global EY organization by prioritizing an inclusive culture, strengthening the connective tissue of its supplier ecosystem, and elevating procurement as a strategic opportunity to drive both financial and social value.
Larry is an authentic, inclusive, and inspirational business leader whose keen support for diverse and inclusive teams and suppliers was noted with the WBENC platinum-level award for supporting women-owned businesses.
The instigator of innovation has been nominated for the World Procurement Awards' CPO of the Year Award in 2016, 2017, and, most recently, in March 2022. When Larry is not busy trying to innovate and transform the world's supply chain, he can be found traveling, going to the theatre, enjoying golfing with family, or supporting the local not-for-profit programs.
Insights caught up with Larry Phelan on his journey to becoming an iconic business leader at the global EY organization, bringing change to the supply chain industry and his future plans.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Larry, please describe the highlights of your career. What challenging moments stand out most to you?
My journey as a business leader followed a similar path as others, proactively accumulating experiences and building a network of leaders who saw promise in me, allowing me to develop. From 1985-90, I worked for three different financial services companies and began to build my foundational process, finance, technology, and leadership skills.
From 1990-95, I worked as a financial systems consultant for Price Waterhouse (PW). From 1995-98, I served as the Deputy CIO of PW and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) as a senior partner; they saw something in me, a bit of a diamond in the rough, untapped potential, and extended the role to me.
From 1998-99, I took my process, consulting, and technology experiences and transferred to the PwC Transaction Advisory Services business. I joined the EY organization in 1999 as the EY Americas Operation and Technology Due Diligence Leader, supporting private equity and corporate investors, and was in that role until 2008. In 2008, I was asked to focus on building better
Our Real Estate Services team continuously innovates to connect people, space, services, and technology, enhancing the workplace experience, gaining operational efficiencies, improving wellness, supporting commitment to sustainability, fostering collaboration, and increasing our people's overall contribution to the global EY organization.
linkages between finance and technology as well as lead a small team managing procurement contracts.
In 2009, I was asked to assess and consolidate all EY teams' global spending in all categories. Now, after a dozen years of focusing on category and sub-category goods and services, how supplier relationships can advance top-line revenue growth, and direct and indirect spend management, I am proud to say the EY organization has a broad yet integrated SCS organization, from contract sourcing to supplier management to payment.
My challenges required self-awareness and self-reflection. I had to embrace a global mindset, learn to balance my usual hard-charging approach with empathy and patience, master the ability to instigate and drive change, work around the blockers, convince the naysayers, and find ways to "get the job done" when recipients have no interest in change.
Describe for our readers the services that the EY organization offers. What is the mission and vision it is striving towards?
As a global leader in Assurance, Consulting, Strategy, Transactions, and Tax, the EY organization is using the finance products, expertise, and systems it developed to build a better working world throughout the Americas, EMEIA, and Asia-Pacific areas.
That starts with a culture that believes in providing the training, opportunities, and creative freedom to make things better. As EY Chief Supply Chain Officer, I support the EY mission and vision by influencing US$10b of Real Estate, Travel, Meetings and Events (TME), Technology, Talent, and Brand, Marketing & Communications spend across all EY markets and regions, which includes 154 countries and over 750 locations.
Please enlighten us about the impact that your work has left on the procurement industry.
The EY focus on "no change, no future" has enabled SCS to transform and continually reinvent the supply
chain for EY teams. The components of SCS at the global EY organization are diverse and complex. Knowing how to leverage technology and innovate is paramount. We are constantly looking at how suppliers can advance the SCS agenda and bring improvements based on their experiences working with other organizations.
What are the values and principles that guide EY SCS? How do you ensure a good working environment at your organization?
First and foremost, since the industry and the SCS function are recognized for delivering savings, the SCS function at the global EY organization is laser-focused on providing quantitative value (QV) in terms of savings and cost avoidance and the value return EY teams have come to expect from the SCS function (cost of SCS compared to QV delivered). However, more relevant in today's volatile economic and geopolitical environment, a second SCS focus is on going beyond its core responsibilities and providing non-monetary benefits, which we refer to as Brand Value (BV), such as supporting top-line revenue growth, improving EY people experiences, business process improvement, supplier innovation, risk mitigation, and increasingly diverse and sustainable supplier engagement, to name just a few. Third, transformation and innovation are the SCS DNA and influence what the team does themselves and what they do working with our suppliers.
The bottom line, the work culture is one of learning fast from failure and looking to innovate. It's all about the long game, which means the decisions taken are for today and tomorrow. And, if I may add, one very important part of the SCS culture is to be mindful of your well-being and have fun!
How are you leveraging modern technological advancements to enhance the solutions that you are offering to your clients?
We in SCS demand that our suppliers bring technological advances to the global EY organization so we can devise functional solutions. Internally, we leverage core ERP, AI, and specialty software solutions to get an enhanced level of experience to EY business stakeholders.
Our Real Estate Services team continuously innovates to connect people, space, services, and technology, enhancing the workplace experience, gaining operational efficiencies, improving wellness, supporting commitment to sustainability, fostering collaboration, and increasing our people's overall contribution to the global EY organization.
They have deployed digital building technologies in 200+ locations across 15 countries. These technologies include a workplace experience app, digital twin, indoor positioning systems, indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors, environmental
sensors, and related smart technologies to provide our people with an interactive, intuitive, and frictionless workplace.
Travel, Meetings, and Events Services (TME) advances their industry with technologies that support better traveler experiences, such as the blockchain travel booking process, which reduces the friction of booking and increases travel options offered. TME assists with industry staffing challenges by operating an internal travel service leveraging telephony and AI Q&A services to reduce inquiries to our travel agency. Their corporate card program leverages RPA and RDA solutions to extract data, improve the reconciliation processes and deploy virtual payment tokens to drive program efficiencies across the supply chain and the business.
Describe what iconic leadership looks like and how you embody it when leading in a dynamically changing market.
There's no one definition of iconic leadership. Each of us sees it as something a bit different based on our experiences. For me, iconic leadership is about being a visionary who embraces and demonstrates an ability to communicate effectively , think creatively , inspire and lead change and build and develop productive , cohesive teams
Communication must be a two-way process – give and take. We have one mouth and two ears for a reason. Delivering open, honest, and timely messages combined with a willingness to listen and answer questions builds trust.
Thinking creatively and sharing your vision inspires others to act and think differently. We ask our SCS team members to challenge the status quo and look for new ways of doing things. Our "fail fast" mantra has become part of the SCS DNA and has resulted in exponential innovations being developed each year.
Change is constant. Not only must you embrace it, but you must also seek it out. You must demonstrate your own willingness to change through your actions. My team has seen me change and grow during our years of globalization, and I think I have inspired them to do so as well.
Communicating effectively, thinking creatively, and embracing and leading change each play a part in building and developing productive and cohesive teams . Ensuring
your function is seen as a vital part of the organization also plays a part.
In "How to get the board to see your function as strategic, not just as transactional," a chapter I wrote for the Business Leader Edition in Volume 6 of Mission Matter's Top Tips to Success, I described the five areas of focus that worked for our SCS function – socialize, be relentless, drive mindset change, focus on exceptional support, and use data analytics as your building blocks.
With a focus on these five areas, we were able to transition from being a function that felt at times like its only role was to "buy enough printers" to a trustworthy function that understands the direction the organization is growing and that fuels the growth. The feeling of pride this inspires for the team is priceless.
And I am immensely proud of the SCS team. What they have achieved, not only in the quantitative and brand value they deliver to the global EY organization but the personal brands they have developed internally and externally for the organization.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the global EY organization?
As I look to the future, I see myself as a significant influencer, driving and leading the transformation and innovation of the SCS function at the global EY organization and the supply chain industry. EY teams require a leading-class SCS function supporting business issues and transformation. The supply chain industry needs to be focused on what it can do for the business beyond financial benefits.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the procurement sector?
In terms of being on the supply side, I advise budding entrepreneurs to ensure they have a viable solution for the company they seek to do business with.
In other words, know your audience and bring an experience that matches the needs of the respective company that is easy to use with an ability to integrate into the broader ecosystem of the organization. As part of a supply chain team, I would advise focusing on sustainability and diversity and adopting the EY SCS mantra of "No change, no future."
Effective people and leaders tend to have a degree of selfawareness – the ability to acknowledge and understand the things that make you who you are. They're in tune with their beliefs, personality traits, values and emotions.
Individuals with strong self-awareness understand how their actions impact those around them and proactively take responsibility for said actions. Procurement professionals are able to shift out of tactical mode to start thinking—and strategically.
Strategic thinking involves stepping back to consider the bigger picture rather than focusing solely on the immediate problems at hand. Standing out with the attributes is Helen Mackenzie, Head of Community Outreach at Art of Procurement
In an interview with Insights Success, Helen shares valuable facts highlighting her professional tenure and the journey in the niche.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Helen Mackenzie Head of Community Outreach Art ofBriefly describe your professional journey up until now. What challenges did you face along the way?
Like many people in procurement, I didn't start there. Procurement found me.
ProcurementAfter university, I trained as an accountant working in local government. I then had a brief spell in policy and corporate governance roles before heading back to financial services for a senior leadership position.
It wasn't until 2010, when I was given the lead for procurement covering while a colleague was unwell, that I discovered procurement and fell in love. And once I'd found procurement, there was no way I was going to let procurement get away from me, and my love affair began.
The challenge for me at that point was getting up to speed with what good procurement looked like. I didn't want things to be ok; I wanted them to be great! I wanted to transform the team that I was leading so they could deliver an ambitious procurement vision.
We also needed to develop influence within an organisation that didn't understand the value that great procurement could bring to them. So, it wasn't just about what we did. It was about how people saw us.
That's a challenge that I think is common to many leaders in procurement - we get the role, we understand the value we can bring to the business, and then we need to inspire the team to step up, engage with our stakeholders and deliver.
What significant impact have you brought to the procurement industry?
During my time as a CPO, I was able to drive forward change both within my own organisation and across the public sector in Scotland. I was part of a cohort of leaders in Scotland that had a vision for where procurement could be - a vision for how procurement could achieve policy objectives, could contribute to the economy and well-being and deliver significant value to the Scottish taxpayer.
And we were successful! Procurement has and continues to make an impact in Scotland, and that is testimony to the group of leaders that I was privileged to be part of. The other contribution that I'm very proud of was a project where my team and I pioneered an innovative approach to enabling citizens to participate in the procurement process.
We put the community in the driving seat throughout the process of putting contracts in place for public transport, involving them in sourcing, supplier selection and contract management. It was one of the first times this process had
been tried, and we received international recognition for our work.
Tell us about your company and its foundation pillar.
I'm currently part of the team at Art of Procurement. AOP is proud to host the world's longest running podcast in the procurement space. In fact, we just achieved 1 million downloads for the podcast in March 2023.
We also create content for the procurement community through digital events like webinars and written content like white papers. It's content that's designed to inspire and inform procurement leaders so they can take action to move things forward, add value and make an impact.
How does your company promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?
Art of Procurement is a small and fully remote business. My colleagues are based in different parts of the United States, and I'm based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland over here in the UK. So, flexibility is key.
Through our content, we're continually communicating ideas and themes relating to the procurement workforce. We recognise that we're entering a period when procurement teams may need to change to be more flexible so they can respond more effectively to the needs of the business.
A lot of our content is aimed at introducing and exploring ideas around workforce flexibility and supporting procurement leaders as they navigate that landscape and develop responses that work for them and their teams.
Through our content, we're continually communicating ideas and themes relating to the procurement workforce.
What is your take on technology's importance, and how are you leveraging it?
Technology is becoming a must-have aspect of procurement. OK, we've had eProcurement systems in the past, and we've had sourcing platforms, but now the landscape of procure tech is extensive; it's not just in these lanes. I saw a diagram the other week that documented a huge number of procure tech providers, so technology is right at the heart of delivering procurement these days.
CPOs need to be able to leverage procure tech to create value, and one of the things that we do at Art of Procurement is to explore, through our content, how tech can support procurement. In fact, we have an annual event dedicated to the topic called Digital Outcomes – that's how important we think it is.
What will be the next significant change in the procurement industry, and how are you preparing for it?
I delivered a presentation earlier in the year at a procurement conference where I made the case that procurement is in its adapt-or-die moment – imagine that! I think the next significant change for us is already here. As I said earlier – technology, new business models and the emerging talent landscape for procurement mean that change is coming whether we like it or not.
We need to be on the front foot to respond to that change proactively so that procurement is setting the agenda, not being driven by objectives set by someone else. The best way for procurement leaders to prepare is to understand what's out there, think about it in the context of their team and have an opinion on the best way forward and the best business model for the best technology to be deployed. And then take action!
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
My goal for the coming year is to develop my role as the lead for community outreach here at Art of Procurement –getting more experience of podcasting and hosting sessions at our events and discovering more people who, like me, are crazy in love with procurement!
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?
Think! Change is coming, and you need to keep abreast of it. Consume content - whether it's reading, attending webinars, or listening to podcasts, you need to know what's coming, and, if you are an aspiring business leader, that's even more important now.
But it's not good enough just to consume content; you need a viewpoint on what's ahead. I think those business leaders who have ideas, who are prepared to articulate them and who are prepared to take a risk to drive change are the ones who will prevail.
If I'd been nervous about my vision for procurement when I became a CPO, if I'd been hesitant about trying to drive the change I knew needed to happen because I thought it might not be right or I didn't have all the information or the idea I'd had might not work, I wouldn't have been able to achieve the results that I have in my career. And I wouldn't now be my dream job at Art of Procurement supporting the procurement community at this exciting time.
Kathy Golding
Procurement & Supplier Ecosystem Services Leader
There is no one-size-fits-all mold for what makes a great leader, and leadership can look very different when manifested in different personalities and circumstances. True leaders can see the world both as it really is and what it can become. They balance the tension between realism and dreaming big.
They understand the very real challenges they face and address them directly. They also see beyond the obstacles to what the world could look like if they keep on heading in the right direction, and they constantly champion that vision while seeking real-world solutions to help them get there.
Effective leaders invest in their team members. They are committed to growing and mentoring their staff. They realize that the goal isn't having people impressed with your work; the goal is building new leaders who can accomplish more than you can. All these traits spotlight Kathy Golding, Procurement & Supplier Ecosystem Services Leader at EY Global Services Ltd.
In an interview with Insights Success, Kathy shares valuable facts highlighting her professional tenure and journey in the niche.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Kathy, please briefly describe your professional journey up until now. What challenges did you face along the way?
I started my professional journey with Celestica, a Canadian outsourced electronics manufacturing company, as a cost analyst for the Chief Procurement Officer, who then asked me to help start up a procurement office in Switzerland as a procurement manager.
As I worked my way up and was eventually promoted to director level, challenges that I faced included working in a "24 hours a day, seven days a week" environment and managing the cost and availability of critical manufacturing parts, especially during shortages or unforeseen supplier factory issues.
Upon relocation to the UK, I joined Tesco as a corporate procurement manager for technology, including retail hardware, software and services. In 2010, I realized I wanted to take my valuable experience and work for a global organization with a strong brand in the market…and the rest is history!
I have spent the entirety of my 10-year EY career in Supply Chain Services (SCS). I assumed my current role of
We leverage strategic workforce planning to build a diverse and agile workforce that includes onshore, nearshore and offshore people, contractors and managed services. This diversity allows us to manage the peak of the business through a flexible workforce model focused on consistent and high-quality service on a global scale.
Procurement & Supplier Ecosystem Services (PSES) Leader at EY Global Services Limited in July 2022, managing the global spend categories of Talent, Technology, Brand, Marketing and Communications (BMC) across the organization from sourcing inception to full contract life cycle management of our supplier relationships.
What significant impact have you brought to the procurement industry?
A crucial part of what PSES does is growing and maintaining an integrated and collaborative relationship
with the business. To achieve this, PSES has implemented a Center of Excellence (CoE) model, made up of virtual teams of category experts in Automotive Mobility, Cybersecurity, Human Capital, Learning and Development, Managed Services, Professional Services, Software, Total Rewards and Telecoms that actively gather, develop, share and apply knowledge to a global category, collaborating with stakeholders and groups to drive long-term value and execution across the global EY organization.
These innovative team members continue to raise the bar for PSES and its stakeholders by providing value for the
global EY organization and being recognized externally in the market for their future-focused mindsets.
How does the global EY organization promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?
With over 600 professionals in 38 countries, SCS is the true definition of a global function. We leverage strategic workforce planning to build a diverse and agile workforce that includes onshore, nearshore and offshore people, contractors and managed services. This diversity allows us to manage the peak of the business through a flexible workforce model focused on consistent and high-quality service on a global scale.
We are also keen to support the mobility of the EY workforce through EY programs such as Mobility4U, which offers EY people the opportunity to work across geographies and service lines to broaden their global mindset and thrive both personally and professionally.
What is your take on technology's importance, and how are you leveraging it?
Technological innovation is our North Star in PSES, driving our development and increase in efficiency. Two of our most recent technological developments are our SmartSpend app, an internal application built by the PSES Enablement team (led by Dan Jenkins and with the technical knowledge of Michael Roche) that allows sourcing managers to manage quickly and efficiently to Spend under Management data and an internal Commercials application, providing instant access to financial spend information and executing its continuous improvements to enhance the user experience.
What will be the next significant change in the procurement industry, and how are you preparing for it?
I expect to see rapid advancements in the technology space, allowing for a smoother and more innovative procurement experience for the business.
In PSES, we are continually raising our ambitions to become a world class digitally enabled function that attracts
leading-class talent. Coupled with a recent simplification initiative to significantly reduce the administrative burden on PSES sourcing managers (resulting in an effort reduction of 80%), we are also preparing for a game-changing supplier experience portal that will dramatically simplify the way suppliers work with the complex global EY organization, reducing the number of forms and touchpoints currently required for onboarding and enhancing the growth and collaborative nature of EY supplier relationships.
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
Looking ahead to the near future, I am very excited about the potential EY organizational restructure and the opportunity to be a part of something that only happens once in a lifetime at this scale, all while maintaining the ability to craft my career path around my decades-long passion for procurement. I believe that this PSES team has all that it takes to help drive and provide continued results together, whatever the future may hold.
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?
The advice I have for budding entrepreneurs aspiring to excel in supply chain boils down to this: strive to be part of teams that support and drive change, make its team members feel like family and play a part in decisions made, create a safe environment to offer new ideas and process changes, encourage creativity and diversity, and most importantly, are okay with failure. Quick failures lead to quicker and stronger solutions!
Transformational leadership is a leadership style that focuses on inspiring and motivating employees to achieve their full potential. It involves creating a vision for the organization and empowering employees to work towards that vision. In this article, we will explore the key attributes of transformational leadership.
Transformational leaders are visionary thinkers. They are able to see the big picture and create a compelling vision for the organization. They communicate this vision to employees and inspire them to work towards it. By having a clear vision, transformational leaders are able to align the efforts of employees towards common goals.
Business leaders are visionary thinkers. They have a clear understanding of their organization's mission, values, and goals. They are able to create a compelling vision for the future and communicate it effectively to others. Innovative thinking creates a clear focus for individuals and organizations. It helps them to identify their priorities and goals and to align their actions accordingly. This focus enables individuals and organizations to work more efficiently and effectively towards achieving their vision.
By envisioning a future state that is different from the present, individuals and organizations can create a sense of urgency and a desire for change. This can motivate individuals and organizations to take action, to try new things, and to drive innovation and growth.
It creates a clear focus for individuals and organizations. It helps them to identify their priorities and goals and to align their actions accordingly. This focus enables individuals and organizations to work more efficiently and effectively towards achieving their vision.
Transformational leaders inspire and motivate employees. They are able to create a sense of purpose and meaning for employees by connecting their work to the overall vision of the organization. They provide encouragement, support, and recognition to employees, which can lead to increased engagement, commitment, and loyalty.
Transformational leaders encourage innovation and creativity. They challenge employees to think outside the box and come up with new ideas and solutions. They create a culture of intellectual stimulation, where employees are encouraged to take risks, learn from failures, and continually improve. By promoting innovation and creativity, transformational leaders can drive growth and success for the organization.
Transformational leaders treat each employee as an individual. They take the time to understand their unique strengths, weaknesses, and goals. They provide personalized feedback, coaching, and development opportunities to help employees reach their full potential. By showing genuine interest in employees, transformational leaders can build trust, loyalty, and respect.
Influential business leaders are resilient. They are able to bounce back from setbacks and failures. They are able to maintain their focus and commitment to their vision, even in the face of adversity. They are also able to learn from their mistakes and use them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
Influential business leaders have high emotional intelligence. They are able to understand and manage their own emotions effectively. They are also able to empathize with others and understand their perspective. This allows them to build strong relationships with employees, customers, and other stakeholders.
Business leaders possess a unique set of traits and characteristics that enable them to inspire and motivate others to achieve success. By exhibiting visionary thinking, strong communication skills, decisiveness, resilience, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking, influential
business leaders are able to create a positive impact on their organizations and the wider business community.
Business leaders are strategic thinkers. They are able to see the big picture and develop strategies to achieve their vision. They are able to analyze trends, anticipate challenges, and develop plans to address them. They are also able to adjust their strategies as needed to respond to changing circumstances.
Transformational leaders are ethical and values-driven. They lead by example and set high standards for ethical behavior. They are transparent, honest, and accountable. They prioritize the well-being of their employees and the organization over their own interests. By demonstrating ethical leadership, transformational leaders can build a culture of integrity and trust.
In conclusion, transformational leadership is a powerful leadership style that can drive success and growth for organizations. By exhibiting visionary thinking, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and ethical leadership, transformational leaders can create a positive workplace culture and inspire employees to achieve their full potential.
Commencing his career in the procurement niche
with HP/Agilent Technologies as the Regional Procurement Manager , Sebastian Chua . He then moved on to join Microsoft, Citibank & Alcatel Lucent as Head of Procurement to transform their procurement organization in the Asia Pacific region.
Since 2014, he reports to the CEO of the Health Promotion Board , Ministry of Health Singapore, as Head of Procurement . From 2020 to 2022, Sebastian led a team of procurement and contract management officers in the nation's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In recognition of his contribution to this national effort, he
received a Special Mentioned Covid-19 Award from Supply Chain Asia and was conferred a Public Administration Medal by the Singapore Prime Minister's Office.
From 2017 to 2021, Sebastian was conferred the Asia Pacific CPO Awards by (a) Procurement Leaders Limited (UK), (b) Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (UK), (c) Supply Chain Asia and (d) China Procurement Success. In 2020, he was voted as one of the top 10 Procurement Executives Worldwide by Supply Chain Dive. In 2018, he also received the Public Service Innovation Champion Award from the Head of Civil Service, Singapore.
His Procurement Papers (a) "Transformative THINKING. Transformative DOING (b) "From Gatekeeper to Business Enabler," and (c) "Can Innovation go with Procurement" were published in The Journal of Public Procurement (USA), APAC CIO Outlook and Supply Chain Asia.
Sebastian is the former Chairman of The Supply Chain & Procurement Council under Supply Chain Asia and an advisory member to the Association for International Procurement Technology and Standards (AIPTS).
In an interview with Insights Success, Sebastian shares valuable facts that highlight his professional tenure and his journey so far in the procurement niche.
What challenges did you face along the way?
Sebas an Chua Head of Procurement, Health Promo on Board, Ministry of Health, SingaporeIn most companies, a Procurement job is perceived as an unglamorous, unloved part of
the business. A fast track to nowhere. Sourcing and supplier management is strictly about costs, and all that matters is playing hardball to get these as low as possible. Procurement has no connection to innovation or strategy or creating positive value.
There are many contributing factors, internal and external. Internally, how do we as procurement people see in ourselves? Do we have the desire to change? No one can teach us passion, purpose, drive, and innovation. Only we can be our own worst enemy.
Many times, we are surrounded by negative thinking people, so we don't grow. We should change our environment in order to watch our growth. And no matter how much the world tries to hold us back, we should always continue with the belief that what we want to achieve is possible.
Believing we can become successful is the most important step in achieving it. The conditioning of the mind is very strong. When we condition ourselves to be tied down, we lose. Breakthrough thinking is required to break new ground.
In the digital economy, we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that we used when we created the problems. We should capitalise on digital technology to transform the business strategy, optimise business performance and discover game-changing innovations. It offers us an opportunity to make procurement awesome and earn us a seat at the board meeting.
With digital transformation, we are not only delighting customers with an interactive, user-friendly experience but also extending it to achieve operational excellence and realize cost efficacy and business agility. A shift that is beneficial for businesses and customers alike.
However, we do need to know that digitalisation alone cannot transform any business. We need both human skills and digitalisation to transform our jobs. Digitalisation is not the target; it is the enabler. We need to focus on how it drives value and deliver results. Like most disruptive technologies, benefits do not necessarily go to early adopters. The success goes to those companies who know how to absorb and manage change.
In a digital world, procurement should call for new skill sets and disciplines to adequately embrace and drive digital transformation. What are these key attributes?
One, Intellectual curiosity – To deliver faster insight for business decisions, analytical skills will be in high demand. Procurement needs to know how to ask the right "why" questions, detect patterns in data, find cause-and-effect relationships and challenge the status quo.
Two, Technology savvy – Procurement does not need to become data scientists, but we need to be familiar with new technologies, so we can have intelligent conversations with IT and quickly adopt new tools that do not require IT intervention.
Three, Business acumen – As a business function, procurement needs to have a thorough understanding of the company, its operations, its value drivers and competitive environment.
Last, Storytelling skills – Data is the mechanism that makes digital business possible, but the delivery mechanism is a story. The best digital technology won't change the mind of the CEO if the results or outcomes cannot be expressed in the form of a story, a business problem or a solution.
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring procurement leaders?
To become successful in procurement, technical skills are given, but entrepreneurial skills need to be in focus. For example, a leading CPO is less of a functional master of procurement, and more of an enterprise leader who manages the business.
To become successful in procurement, technical skills are given, but entrepreneurial skills need to be in focus.
What are the enterprise skills in procurement? I would summarise them into CIPS (not the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply):
C – Challenge conventions. The critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity to understand the business needs and market capability, with the intellect to connect both with solutions.
I – Innovation. Intuition, influencing skills and integrity. And not forgetting the I for Investment on our staff.
P – Provoke new thinking. Passion, purpose, positive thinking, predictability, perseverance, persuasion, and people management skills.
S – Solve problems. The service orientation mindset,
salesmanship, and speed to sell ideas convince the business that procurement can help them to be successful.
For procurement to prosper, we need to deliver on what, where, when, why and how of the customers.
Therefore, I see procurement as a complete business role. We must lead with the head, hands, heart, and guts:
The head to understand the totality of the business. The hands with credible experience and track records, armed with finance and legal knowledge. A heart that wants value for all partners and is perceived as one with principle and is trustworthy. Finally, are we strong advocates of change management, unafraid of manageable risks and managing conflicts?
Organizational growth is a crucial aspect of any successful business. It allows companies to expand their operations, increase their market share, and ultimately achieve greater success. However, achieving sustained growth requires a strategic approach and a clear understanding of the essential elements that drive growth. In this article, we will explore the five key elements that organizations must prioritize to achieve growth.
The first essential element for organizational growth is a clear strategic direction. This means having a well-defined vision and mission, as well as a roadmap for achieving your goals. A clear strategic direction provides focus and direction and ensures that all employees are aligned towards the same goals. It also helps to create a sense of purpose and direction, which can be a powerful motivator for employees.
Another critical element for achieving organizational growth is strong leadership. Effective leaders provide direction, guidance, and inspiration to their teams. They are also responsible for creating a culture that fosters innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Strong leaders are able to communicate a clear vision, build trust and credibility, and inspire their teams to achieve their best.
Organizations need to invest in robust talent management practices to achieve growth. This includes attracting and retaining top talent, providing development opportunities, and creating a culture of continuous learning. By investing in their employees, organizations can build a highly skilled and motivated workforce that is capable of driving growth and innovation.
Robust talent management can lead to improved employee engagement. When employees feel that their skills and talents are valued, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to the organization. This can result in increased productivity, reduced turnover, and a more positive workplace culture. By investing in talent management, organizations can create an environment where employees feel valued and supported.
Robust talent management can also enhance employer branding. When organizations invest in talent management, they send a message to prospective employees that they value their skills and talents. This can result in increased interest from top talent, as well as a positive reputation in the marketplace. By investing in talent management, organizations can attract top talent and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Effective execution is essential for achieving organizational growth. This means having clear processes and systems in place, as well as a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Organizations need to focus on delivering results, measuring performance, and making data-driven decisions. Effective execution also requires a focus on innovation, as well as the ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
Effective execution also enables businesses to allocate resources more effectively. By prioritizing goals and aligning resources accordingly, businesses can avoid wasting time, money, and energy on initiatives that don't align with their overall strategy. Effective execution allows businesses to make the most of their resources and maximize their impact.
Effective execution promotes accountability. When goals are clearly defined and progress is regularly measured, employees are more likely to take ownership of their work and take responsibility for their results. This can result in increased motivation and a culture of excellence. By executing plans with precision, businesses can foster a culture of accountability and achieve better results.
Effective execution can lead to enhanced customer satisfaction. By executing plans with precision, businesses can deliver products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations. This can result in increased customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and a stronger reputation. Effective execution enables businesses to deliver on their promises and build strong relationships with their customers.
Finally, strong customer relationships are essential for achieving organizational growth. This means understanding the needs and preferences of your customers and providing them with high-quality products and services. Organizations need to build strong relationships with their customers by providing exceptional customer service, offering personalized experiences, and continuously improving their
products and services.
Maintaining strong customer relationships is key to building customer loyalty. When customers feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to continue doing business with a company. This can result in repeat purchases and increased customer lifetime value. Customer loyalty is essential for businesses to achieve sustained growth and profitability.
Strong customer relationships can also lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing. When customers are happy with a company's products or services, they are more likely to recommend it to others. Positive word-of-mouth can lead to new customers, increased brand awareness, and a stronger reputation. It's important for businesses to invest in building strong customer relationships to leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
Strong customer relationships can also lead to valuable customer feedback. When customers feel that a company values their opinions, they are more likely to provide feedback on products, services, and overall customer experience. This feedback can be used to improve products and services, and to better understand customer needs and preferences. By maintaining strong customer relationships, businesses can gain valuable insights that can help them stay ahead of the competition.
In conclusion, achieving sustained organizational growth requires a strategic approach and a clear understanding of the essential elements that drive growth. By prioritizing clear strategic direction, strong leadership, robust talent management, effective execution, and strong customer relationships, organizations can create a culture of growth and innovation that enables them to achieve their goals and stay ahead of the competition.
It goes without saying that technical procurement skills
and business acumen are the prerequisites to be successful in procurement. Professionals who are reluctant to bring in high-level talent for fear that they will be overshadowed and potentially displaced achieve suboptimal results.
The best leaders bring in the best talent and lead that talent to deliver high levels of performance. The confidence to onboard, coach, mentor and execute strategies is a valuable asset to any organization.
Procurement professionals are often very detail-oriented, organized people, and such attention to the fine points is a tremendous asset in the job. But so is the ability to see the big picture and long-term strategies that benefit the organization by advancing efficiencies and productivity.
Effective procurement professionals balance the details with the overall mission. They identify the needs of their customers and find the best ways to meet those needs. Building stakeholder and supplier relationships based on trust, mutual benefits, and innovation while still delivering value is a core requirement (and no easy feat) for procurement professionals.
Standing apart as one of the prominent personalities in the procurement niche is Thiago Braga , an accomplished global Supply Chain & Procurement leader with over 20 years of experience modernizing organizations, creating innovative solutions, unlocking value and improving customer service.
Working as the Senior Program Officer at Alberta Health Services , Mr Braga’s commitment to results, value creation,
and customer satisfaction is embarking upon the horizons of success. As a change enabler and enterprise leader, Mr Braga is driven by transformation and the promotion of a healthy work environment.
In an interview with Insights Success, Mr Braga highlights his professional tenure, the challenges that he had to overcome and aspects that make him stand out as a staunch leader in the niche. Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Briefly describe your professional journey up until now. What challenges did you face along the way?
One of my first introductions to Supply Chain was somewhere around 5-10 years of age when I rode a bike and made deliveries for my family’s business.
While in university, I was exposed to business development and operations/manufacturing. I also explored several other supply chain functions: Import/Export for global electronics manufacturing, International Procurement & Inventory Planning for a European chemical organization, and international trading for a global Asian firm.
When close to finishing university, I went into the automotive and distribution sectors and that’s where the
wheels started moving faster. From leading Procurement in South America, I was fortunate with the opportunity to be expatriated to the United States, where I led North American Operations and supported teams worldwide. At the same time, the organization grew by more than 300%. I also experienced Aerospace, Agriculture and when I moved to Canada, I gained new accountabilities in the Power Generation, Mining, and Electricity businesses. More recently, my leadership roles were in the Public and Healthcare Sectors.
My professional journey spanned more than 11 organizations, living in 3 countries, and being accountable for several transformation/turnaround programs. From startups to managing multi-billion-dollar spending on large teams in global operations, I have first-hand experience in all areas of the Supply Chain. My MBA and a professional Supply Chain designation also were good pillars in my journey.
After 20 years in the profession, I’m still fascinated by how SCM has evolved and grown in its importance. I faced multiple challenges throughout my career. At times, it was drastic regulatory changes, high inflation, supply chain disruptions, financial adversities, acquisitions, dramatic growth, and at times dramatic recession, including the pandemic storm. All these challenges helped me to build a very diverse experience, resilience, and a continuous improvement mentality.
I led transformation programs that recently delivered more than $300M in value and up to 10 times ROI. I pivoted businesses to brand new operating models never done before, fast-tracking strategic and operational roadmaps. I led impactful outsourcing initiatives, technology implementation, and sustainability programs (ESG/DEI).
My contributions enabled exponential business growth and I always empowered teams with clear accountabilities, succession, and coaching of the next generation of leaders. I am committed to giving back and elevating the profession,
and that’s why I have also been part of both for-profit and non-profit boards.
Tell us about Alberta Health Services and its foundation pillar.
AHS is the largest and most integrated healthcare system in Canada, and one of the top in the world. It’s a massive organization serving 4.4 million people, 112,000+ employees, a $15 Bi budget, and more than 900 facilities, including hospitals, clinics, continuing care facilities, cancer centres, mental health facilities and community health sites.
The corporate mission is patient-focused, offering a quality health system that is accessible and sustainable. Core values include Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Safety (CARES). It’s a fast-paced and progressive organization solidified by growth and innovation.
How does Alberta Health Services promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?
The Pandemic forced employees around the world to move to a home-office work environment at a moment’s notice. What began by necessity turned into a long-lasting change. AHS encourages a flexible work environment (on-site, hybrid, or fully remote) and employees appreciate that flexibility. Both AHS and I are results-driven, so if the work is getting done, a flexible work environment is encouraged.
What is your take on technology’s importance, and how are you leveraging it?
Technology is part of our lives and a vital enabler at work. The ecosystem has numerous devices, apps, software, and internal/external interfaces that need to work in full coordination. Three of my considerations include:
1) What do you need that for?
2) How will you deploy/use it?
3) Who is best suited to own it?
There were times in my career when implementing or upgrading an ERP made total sense. Other times, it made more sense to outsource not just a technology piece but a fundamental part of our operation because it wouldn’t be worth automating something when a supplier could do it much more efficiently than us.
So, understanding the expected outcome, who’s best suited to own it, and how that will be deployed and maintained gave me very distinct strategies and implementation paths. On another angle, I have automated the S2C and P2P cycles, creating demand forecasting models, and monitoring the entire chain’s performance with thoughtful models that helped to mitigate risk and create higher value output for the business.
What will be the next significant change in the procurement industry, and how are you preparing for it?
Deeper utilization of technology is a given: From predictive analyses to monitoring the entire chain (multiple tiers) and expansion of AI, ML, and Blockchain.
Another observation is how leaders leverage the gap left by what technology cannot do yet (i.e., critical thinking, relationship building, navigation through complex human environments). No matter how advanced technology gets, the “People skills” will still play a huge part. We can’t rely 100% on technology alone.
On another angle, there is a growth of vertical integration and multidisciplinary teams working under one roof. Many organizations are integrating business expertise (engineering, operations) into the Supply Chain organization. Our profession is not just an arm to support the business, but in many cases it’s becoming the business itself.
I expect to see more engineers doing procurement (technical purchasers) or clinical professions performing sourcing roles, and that’s to increase business expertise in Supply Chain.
In some organizations Sales and Procurement also fused as a merged commercial team. A much more integrated supply chain will require a mixture of skillset under the same roof to shorten functional gaps and gain agility.
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
I have experience in many industries over the last 20 years. Supply Chain is a very rich profession, and each industry has its own strengths. I want to continue learning and flexing existing and new muscles.
I’m excited about the future and want to continue learning and creating value. I’m invested in helping others to succeed, so my goal is also to benefit the community and keep coaching and mentoring others to achieve their success as well.
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?
Don’t forget nor undermine your ‘people skills.’ No matter how many credentials you have or how much technology you know, basic relational skills will always benefit you. Seek to build relationships, to help others, to be empathetic, compassionate, humble, caring, and altruist. We’re all humans and need to properly relate to each other. On a second note, leadership is both an art and science, and it takes time.
So, I encourage the next generation to put in the hard work and avoid skipping steps. Take your time, get well-rounded, put some mileage in your professional odometer, and be open to continuous change.
Career progression is more of a roller-coaster than a linear staircase, and you need to learn to enjoy the ride instead of just focusing on the destination – otherwise, it will be like chasing the wind.
