7 Procurement Experts You Should Follow in 2023

Most aspiring procurement managers are often told to follow the exploits of procurement experts. This may sound old, but it is nevertheless effective. Nowadays, you can safely follow people either on Facebook or Twitter, so you can do just that!

For this article, we are not going to teach you how to stalk people. We are going to discuss who these famous procurement experts are instead. You’ll read and discover who they are and what are the things they did that made them experts in procurement.

By the end of this article, you’ll emulate their examples and soon become a procurement expert yourself too! 

Whatis a procurement professional or expert?

The procurement industry will not thrive without procurement professionals or experts. However, not many people know their value in procurement. 

For starters, the procurement professional is the one who purchases goods and services for an organization that creates value at the lowest risk. 

Their work involves establishing the needs of the organization, knowing the supply market, sourcing and vetting providers, negotiating contracts and pricing, and monitoring supplier performance. 

The following are the common roles of a procurement professional in a procurement department:

• CPO

  The CPO is the head of the procurement department.

• Category Leads

  The people in the category leads run big spend categories such as marketing, IT, HR, etc.

• Sourcing Specialist

  These are the people in the procurement that analyzes spending data, create requirements and specifications, and negotiate with the suppliers. 

• Contract Administration

  This role is commonly found in large businesses. These people ensure that all contracts are loaded onto the supplier management system.

• Procurement Administration

  This is often looked after matching issues, supplier queries, and purchase orders.

Whoare Procurement Experts?

If there is one thing that the Internet has taught all of us, it’d be that the word coming from authority is king. This is why for the aspiring procurement manager, procurement experts are his/her inspiration. They become the target that he/she wants to pursue. 

While that has always been the case even before the Internet was born, nowadays, authority figures now have a way to reach out to those who are in need of their advice or counsel. 

Even the procurement industry is not exempted. Because of the rising numbers of people who want to explore a career in procurement, there is also the need to know who are the best and brightest when it comes to procurement. 

Now, we are going to talk about 7 procurement experts that you should definitely follow.

1. Sebastian Bals

Current Role: Vice President of Global Procurement and Chief Procurement Officer of UCB

Starting Role: Senior Director Global Purchasing – Professional Services and IT & Telecom, UCB

Why You Should Follow Him: CPO of UCB for 6 years, Sebastian Bals is indeed one of the best when it comes to procurement. Currently leading a team of passionate and dedicated procurement officials, this is also the same team that managed to give UCB an external spend of +2,5 bio EUR across both direct and indirect procurement.

During his journey savings contribution was boosted by 20%, working capital has improved by 8.8%, and the end-to-end procurement process NPS enhanced from -64 to +14.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastienbals

2. Martha Buffington

Current Role: Chief Procurement Officer, DSM

Starting Role: Manager, Global Procurement, Coca Cola

Why You Should Follow Her: The CPO of SC Johnson. Martha Buffington has come a long way from her starting position. Before SC Johnson, Even yet, being the Global Procurement Manager for one of the biggest soft drink companies in the world says something about her skills in negotiating and procurement!

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-s-buffington/

3. Stephen Cobham

Current Role: Chief Procurement Officer, Sanofi

Starting Role: Senior Auditor, Price Waterhouse Coopers

Why You Should Follow Him: Stephen Cobham’s years of experience in the field of negotiations and procurement are enough to make him an authority figure among procurement managers. He also traveled all over the world, thanks to executive roles that he landed while working with Sanofi, another global science-based company. 

He believes that anyone can become a procurement expert too, provided that they undergo special training that will unlock the potential to become an expert procurement manager. One such course is the Negotiation Gamechanger course. 

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-cobham-85083717/

4. Bertrand Conqueret

Current Role: Chief Procurement Officer, Henkel; President of Henkel Global Supply Chain B.V

Starting Role: Purchasing Manager, Henkel France

Why You Should Follow Him: His 20-year stint with Henkel has made him one of the best in the company. Bertrand Conqueret continues to lead Henkel’s procurement team with a passion for leadership and transformation. A firm believer of continuous learning, you’ll do well to follow his exploits and learn more about a successful career in procurement.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertrand-conqueret/