The Sourcing Hero

Ep 200: Fostering the Conditions That Lead to Success

The vast majority of podcasts fizzle out before they reach 10 episodes, so making it past that point is a real achievement. 100 episodes is seen as a tipping point, both for the host and the audience. But 200? That puts a show above the crowd.
In this very special 200th episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner is joined by Anthony Clervi, Principal Owner at Una, and Kris Lance, Vice President and General Manager at Una, to mark this milestone with an in-studio conversation.
Listen to - or watch - their conversation to hear about:
The connections they see between content creation, community building, and value generation
How to understand your own perspective on risk before trying to make high stakes decisions as a team
Anthony and Kris’s ‘Why’ and how that connection to their personal and professional focus
Links:
Anthony Clervi on LinkedIn
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to The Sidekick, Una’s Procurement Newsletter

Ep 199: A Broader Perspective on Social Procurement feat. Jaime H. Paiva

Companies - and their procurement teams - are always looking for opportunities to differentiate. These opportunities take many forms, but few appeal to leadership, shareholders, customers, and the supplier community as universally as social procurement. Of course, that broad appeal brings systemic challenges with it that procurement will have to be prepared to overcome.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Jaime H. Paiva. Jaime is the Head of Procurement and Vendor Management at Zurich, an insurance company that covers both global and local markets. We met through Colin Downie, a previous guest of The Sourcing Hero podcast.
In this interview, Jaime shares his advice about:
How the industry a company is in should shape their approach to social procurement 
Defining what constitutes a “social enterprise” when evaluating suppliers
How companies new to the social procurement space can start their own journey
Links:
Jaime H. Paiva on LinkedIn

Ep 198: Testing the Elasticity of Procurement feat. Peter Sharoff

Procurement is a function whose time has arrived. The question is whether they are ready to make the changes necessary to seize the opportunity and meet business-wide expectations for process and experience at the same time.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Peter Sharoff. Peter has executive-level experience in a number of functional areas, including transformation, integration, finance, and… of course… procurement. As he describes it, he has worked a ‘puzzle piece’ career, having the opportunity to see what each of the pieces of the business is capable of - and the image they can form if they work together.
In this interview, Peter speaks about:
How procurement leaders can separate important or fundamental procurement skills from the skills that are truly transformative
How procurement can ‘create a space’ that other functional leaders and decision makers want to step into
Advice for capturing and messaging the ROI of having a better procurement user experience 
Healthy ways for procurement to pursue and think about their own importance
Links:
Peter Sharoff on LinkedIn

Ep 197: Sourcing Initiatives That Take Into Account the Strategy of the Business feat. Karen Betancourt

Working for a large ‘household name’ company has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side are the established processes, time-tested pathways that keep everything rolling. At the same time, these same processes can be a bit restrictive. Fortunately for procurement, striking a balance of structure and creativity can create the perfect environment for innovation at scale.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Karen Betancourt. Karen is the CEO of Vanguard Medical Logistics, a company that supports the manufacturing, storage, and transportation needs of medical supply chains in Central and South America.
In this interview, Karen talks about her experience working in large companies and the opportunity that exists for procurement teams:
How procurement’s line of reporting can affect their impact
Her advice for anyone looking to make connections and grow their influence 
Ways to invest in culture, and the power associated with that kind of opportunity
Links:
Karen Betancourt on LinkedIn
Business Casuals podcast on YouTube
Business Casuals podcast on Spotify

Ep 196: The Best of Kris Lance in 2024

As listeners know well, the goal of The Sourcing Hero podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to create exceptional value within procurement directly from those heroes themselves.
Kris Lance is definitely one of those people. Kris is the Vice President and General Manager at Una, and for the last few years, he has occupied a monthly spot on The Sourcing Hero podcast schedule, discussing current news stories, trends, and supply chain issues. In today’s very first episode of 2025, Kelly Barner take a look back at three of Kris’s most popular episodes last year, sharing a short clip from each of the three episodes. 
In this you will hear about:
How the surging power of the podcast medium is driving business impact
How to fight off professional inertia and fatigue to find joy in your work 
The launch of “The Sidekick,” a thought-provoking must-read for supply chain and procurement professionals
Links:
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to “The Sidekick”
The Surging Power of the Podcast Format with Kris Lance
Fighting Off the Impact of Slow Onset Inertia with Kris Lance 
The Sourcing Hero Gets a Sidekick with Kris Lance

Ep 195: Basking in the Golden Hour feat. Kris Lance

As we approach the end of the year - not to mention the holiday season - many of us will be taking time to stop and reflect. Was the year gone by what we expected? What hopes, wishes, and aspirations will we step into the new year holding high?
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President and General Manager 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 reflect on the need to be purposeful in this ‘Golden Hour’ between 2024 and 2025: 
What business leaders should be focused on doing at this time of year
Striking a balance between sentimentality and professionalism in the workplace
Positioning ourselves for success in what promises to be a very different new year
 
Links:
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to “The Sidekick”
Episode 192: The Surging Power of the Podcast Format with Kris Lance
Episode 189: The Calm? After the Storms feat. Kris Lance
Episode 184: Speculating About a 2024 October Surprise with Kris Lance
Episode 180: Metacognition - Thinking About Thinking with Kris Lance

Ep 194: Top Sourcing Hero Episodes of 2024

The goal of The Sourcing Hero Podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to create exceptional value within procurement - directly from those heroes themselves.
Over the last 12 months, we’ve heard from some of the most innovative minds in procurement and beyond to explore topics that range from cutting-edge optimization strategies to deeply personal journeys of purpose and passion. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Kelly Barner takes a look back at the most downloaded episodes of 2024 - wrapping the year by celebrating the interviews that resonated most with you. 
No spoiler alerts… but listen in to hear excerpts of episodes about:
Finding purpose in life, and achieving it through balance
The power of storytelling in procurement
A humorous take on procurement’s past - and future - reputation
And more!
 
Links:
Episode 151: What You Don’t Know About Shipping Can Hurt You with Nick DiNatale
Episode 153: Finding Purpose in Procurement and in Life with Paul Nilsen
Episode 157: Telling a Compelling Procurement Story with Alex Ball
Episode 146: Calling all Solution Enthusiasts! With A’Keela Johnson
Episode 148: Optimization of Procurement in the Automotive Industry with Robert Čačković

Ep 193: Driving Social Impact on a Massive Scale feat. Michael Amos

Lots of organizations want to ‘do good’ through environmental programs, social programs, or both. But scaling those programs and making them truly successful on a commercial level requires a different level of strategic planning - especially when the impact and the opportunity are global.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Michael Amos. Michael is the Managing Director of Waste to Wonder Worldwide, an organization with a unique origin story that has been able to deliver amazing results over the last two decades. 
In this interview, Michael speaks about:
Waste to Wonder Worldwide’s mission to turn unwanted office furniture into an opportunity for education across the world
How they went from a single set of circumstances to large scale impact with the help of a bit of serendipity
Some of the stories that illustrate the meaning of their massive impact on a personal level
Links:
Michael Amos on LinkedIn