The Sourcing Hero

Ep 218: Taking the Lead in Technical Procurement feat. Chuck Shehadi

The discussion about how much technical category knowledge procurement should have is ongoing - and the right answer depends a lot on the company in question. When close collaboration is needed between procurement, R&D, and suppliers, technical expertise is a must, but so are humility and curiosity.In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Chuck Shehadi. Chuck is the COO at Solugen, a chemical manufacturing company based in Houston, Texas. When it comes to the skills required to be considered a talented procurement professional in his world, that means technical - highly technical - and with the right level of category specialization.In this interview, Chuck talks about the unique backgrounds he and his team have and how they put them to work:
Why former engineers and PhDs would choose to pursue a career in procurement
How they balance having that knowledge with the experience brought by R&D and suppliers
His advice for someone in procurement looking to become more technically proficient or someone in engineering that might want to step into procurement
Links:
Chuck Shehadi on LinkedIn

Ep 217: The Night the Lights Went Out in Spain feat. Kris Lance

On April 28, 2025, most of Spain, Portugal, and the south of France lost power for a day. Everything instantly ground to a halt: transportation, airports, ATMs, hospitals, cell phones, traffic lights, etc., and while this was a rare event for an area roughly the size of the state of Texas, it was catastrophic for everyone affected.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President and Senior Director at Una, for a monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.
In this month’s discussion, Kris and Kelly discuss the power outage: 
The most popular speculations about how and why the outage occurred, and what those theories tell us about people’s mindset
Lessons the rest of the world can learn about the risks to nations, governments, families, and energy infrastructure
Silver linings that may show themselves under difficult circumstances like these 
Links:
Under Armour, Unless partner on plant-based sportswear collection
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Una’s Procurement Newsletter, “The Sidekick”
Episode 212: Trying Regenerative Sportswear on for Size
Episode 208: All Cracked Up - Understanding Today’s Egg Prices
Episode 204: Hot Times in the Arctic Circle
Episode 200: Fostering the Conditions That Lead to Success

Ep 216: Looking at Procurement Through the Lens of Finance feat. Mark Gilham

For most procurement professionals, the only contact they have with finance is when their savings projections are being audited or approved for internal communication. Those are hardly the circumstances under which collaborative relationships form - but that doesn’t have to be the extent of their contact.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Mark Gilham. Mark is the Vice President and Head of the Enable Advisory practice. Most of his past positions have been strategic finance and accounting roles, allowing him to develop a first hand perspective that can certainly help procurement teams today.
In this interview, Mark talks about the opportunity that exists for finance and procurement teams who can work together:
What it looks like when finance takes a broader, more commercially-minded perspective
Forms of value beyond savings that finance can help procurement make the business case for achieving
The number one thing procurement should never (ever) do to finance
Links:
Mark Gilham on LinkedIn

Ep 215: Pranks, Purpose, and Procurement Leadership feat. Dr. Cindie Burkett

Procurement is the kind of job where success is largely fueled by the strength of your relationships. Having trust and respect between procurement and the business, as well as between procurement and suppliers, can often make or break an effort. But it all starts with the team dynamic that exists within procurement.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dr. Cindie Burkett. Cindie is the Vice President of Procurement for Specialty Dental Brands where she is busy building out her procurement team and forging relationships with suppliers for the good of the organization. 
Cindie shares her point of view on relationships, and why they are so critical to business success:
Healthy ways individuals can process their mistakes in a way that everyone benefits
Why having close relationships with suppliers doesn’t reduce procurement’s leverage at renegotiation time or when there are performance issues
How procurement can resolve perception-based issues that the business has with a supplier’s performance
Links:
Dr. Cindie Burkett on LinkedIn

Ep 214: Making a Deal from Both Sides of the Table feat. John Latham

Procurement has come a long way over the last few decades, but the fact that they always want to achieve more shouldn’t lead them to discount or overlook how good they have it today. Whether that means the quality of supplier relationships, the speed of spend analytics, or the regard they enjoy from stakeholders, there is a lot to be grateful for.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes John Latham. John has a really interesting mix of experience - deep category expertise on the buy side of the procurement process, but also business development and account management roles as well.
In this interview, John shares lessons from his many years working in and around procurement:
Why today’s procurement professionals should appreciate the digital support they may take for granted
Knowing when it is valuable to have category expertise in house and when it is not necessary
What procurement and sales professionals should both remember about the objectives they share
Links:
John Latham on LinkedIn

Ep 213: Trying Regenerative Sportswear on for Size - feat. Kris Lance

Activewear company Under Armour unveiled a line of regenerative sportswear at Milan Fashion Week in 2025. This is their first collaboration with recent acquisition Unless Collective, a producer of zero-plastic, plant-based fashion. 
The effort to remove non-degradable textiles from landfills is admirable, but will it work?
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President and Senior Director at Una, for a monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.
In this month’s discussion, Kris and Kelly talk about Under Armour’s decision to experiment with plant-based clothing: 
Consumer first impressions to new innovations, and how the best of intentions don’t always work as planned
Being aspirational about brand identity, while staying firmly rooted in reality
How we can ensure space for experimentation, suspending disbelief  long enough to allow new ideas an opportunity to prove themselves
Links:
Under Armour, Unless partner on plant-based sportswear collection
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Una’s Procurement Newsletter, “The Sidekick”
Episode 208: All Cracked Up - Understanding Today’s Egg Prices
Episode 204: Hot Times in the Arctic Circle
Episode 200: Fostering the Conditions That Lead to Success
Episode 196: The Best of Kris Lance in 2024
 
 
 

Ep 212: Learning to Appreciate the Value of Time feat. Vytas Sliesoraitis

What would it feel like if all of the tasks, meetings, obligations, and pressures of work were suddenly… gone? Would it be a relief or would the stress associated with making the decision to step away from work be so strong that it ruined your newfound freedom?
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Vytas Sliesoraitis. Vytas is a career procurement professional with experience at companies like Intel, Google, Epic Games, and Gilead Sciences. That said, it is the time he has spent away from the office, taking a deliberate sabbatical, that has taught him the true value of time.
In this interview, Vytas shares some of the details of his sabbatical experience:
How he structured his time, balancing family, professional development, and Ironman training
What he learned about himself during this period
How it has changed his outlook now that he has returned to the professional world
Links:
Vytas Sliesoraitis on LinkedIn

Ep 211: Is your ‘happy place’ hiring? feat. Gale Daikoku

A career is a heck of a thing to manage - especially when it is your own. You change with each phase of growth and new experience, and your job prospects change as well. The better you know yourself and what makes you happy - yes, HAPPY - at work, the more successful you will be in your next endeavor.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Gale Daikoku. In addition to having deep experience in the procurement space and the global influencer marketing space, Gale is a highly professional networker. She is constantly commenting on other people’s content and always knows someone else to pull in on the topic.
Gale shares what she has learned by managing the twists and turns of her own professional journey:
What you need to know about yourself
Taking a big picture view of compensation
Why relationships are one of the most important parts of any job
Links:
Gale Daikoku on LinkedIn