In this episode of Procurement Reimagined, host Daniel is joined by Gary Salterpicco, Procurement Lead at John Lewis Partnership, the holding company for John Lewis department stores and Waitrose.
Gary shares his insights on topical issues within the procurement space, including conversations in procurement, rebranding procurement internally at organisations, and the role of internal audit in procurement.
Gary is a Chartered Procurement Professional and a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, with over 35 years in leadership roles at organisations like the Milton Keynes Council, London Borough of Brent, and currently at John Lewis Partnership. He is a skilled professional with experience managing Procurement Teams and Systems Teams in both Private and Public Sector Organisations.
Key highlights:
- 06:28 - 10:15 - What are Procurement Professionals Talking About - Gary and Daniel share notes on topics that procurement professionals discuss with each other. They both agree that procurement needs to evolve because times and expectations are changing along with the rapid evolution of technology. They also agree that procurement is much more than cost savings. It includes risk management, building relationships with the brand custodians, and reimagining procurement as an enabler for the business. Procurement professionals are critical thinkers and care about sustainability, diversity, and human rights.
- 14:58 - 17:18 - Rebranding Procurement Internally at Organisations - Gary mentions that part of the rebranding is about how you communicate the role of procurement within your organisation. The rebranding hinges on explaining what you stand for, what you hope to deliver, what you believe in, and what message you want to give your organisation. The rebranding also includes building relations with key internal teams; Gary cites the example of working with the Efficient Sustainability team for granular visibility on sustainability across the supply chain.
- 18:18 - 19:52 - The Role of Internal Audit Teams in Procurement - Gary shares that working with the internal audit is an excellent opportunity to evaluate procurement efficiency while keeping ESG goals front and centre. The internal audit ensures that we treat our supply chain partners well and do not discriminate between direct and indirect suppliers. Gary also mentions that procurement needs to pivot from a focus on cost-saving to procurement that focuses on ESG compliance.
Quotes:
- “Procurement professionals have an entrepreneurial mindset evidenced by the number of procurement leaders who have launched their own startups”.
- “If the resilience team has an audit action which involves the management of suppliers, well, I can help you deliver that. So go and have those conversations and look for opportunities”.
- “ If we were to rebound to move away from cost savings, why not go on that ESG vehicle to help us deliver that?”.