What do you like best about your role? I like the variety and the responsibility it brings. We can directly affect the performance of the company and many of the things we buy are visible to the customer. Last year, I was buying the quarter bottles of wine for economy and the champagne for business and first class – it’s great to get on a plane and see the result of all that work. I have been involved in projects offering challenges and providing variety, which makes me glad I chose procurement.
What’s been the highlight of your role to date? Working for such a large organisation, there are a number of opportunities. I have been lucky enough to work on some high-profile projects including catering and BMI integration. My highlight to date has been signing my first contract. Projects often take months to complete and when you sign the contracts you really feel you have achieved something.
Do you have a career plan? If so, what is your long-term aim? In the short term, I want to see as much of BA procurement as possible and pick up knowledge in as many areas as I can. Becoming MCIPS is also a priority. I would like to be known as a hard-working individual who consistently delivers results on time. The best thing anyone can hope from their career is to succeed and have variety in their role.
In hindsight, is there any advice you would have given to yourself when you graduated? There are so many jobs out there that you will never have
hea d o heard off orr tho thought ough u t abou a about, b t, bou t so o expand your horizons and apply for everything you think looks interesting. Also, being academic is only part of the story. Interview questions require breadth and depth so do as many extracurricular activities as possible: jobs, volunteering and travel give you that little bit extra that gets you the job offer.
Any other points? Buying comes in many different forms and there is something for everyone in large organisations. Tenders vary from logistics to computer software and a graduate scheme allows you to see lots of these areas. You may stumble across something you love, but had never thought about.
ANNA CARAFFI PROJECT MANAGEMENT, GSK How did you get into procurement? During my degree at Bath University, I took an industrial placement year working for Kraft Foods at its coffee manufacturing plant in the business development department. I worked closely with many other functions, including procurement. This gave me my first real
u und understanding err tan ers an ndin ding o off what what procurement was all about. I liked the idea of working and building relationships with suppliers as well as internal customers.
which I c which compile into a presentation for the CPO and workstream leads.
What do you like best about the role?
In short – I’m a buyer! In my last job, I supported the carton category for UK, Ireland and France within the paper packaging team so I would explain it as: “I buy cardboard”!
My current role is extremely interesting because it gives a new perspective on the procurement organisation within GSK. My previous roles have been commodity focused, whereas this job has given me exposure to the high-level view of procurement and the direction the new CPO is taking it.
What does an average working day involve for you?
What’s been the highlight of your role to date?
My current role is in the project management office (PMO) for a large savings project within indirect procurement. As a result, I sit in daily meetings with the rest of the PMO team and the chief procurement officer (CPO). We highlight any issues and wins, as well as escalations e esc sc c to the CPO that ttha at c could prevent us achieving ac ach a c ch hie ie our target and a nd d we also discuss ongoing ong o n initiatives. I sspend some of my day da d a talking with the lleads le e of the identified workstreams within w tthe th h project to offer any an ny support with n ttheir th heir he h i savings levers. I also collate the weekly we w e update from tthe 11 workstreams,
Highlights include negotiating directly with suppliers and delivering incremental savings to the business. In my new role, it is being part of a project due to deliver large savings before December 2012.
If you’re at a party and someone asks what you do, how do you explain it?
Do you have a career plan? If so, what is your long-term aim? My career plan is coming together as I come to the end of my time on the graduate scheme. The short-term plan is to find a permanent job within GSK’s post-graduate scheme. The longer-term plan is to gain further experience in different procurement teams (direct and indirect procurement) with the intention of moving into a managerial role in four to five years.
NOVEMBER APRIL2012 2011| WWW.GRADUATEPROCUREMENT.COM | SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SUPPLEMENT
P16-17 DayInTheLife.2.sr.indd Sec2:13
13 17
22/10/2012 16:21