The Sourcing Hero

Ep 204: Hot Times in the Arctic Circle feat. Kris Lance

One minute you’re going about your business, and the next minute all of the news headlines are focused on the Arctic Circle. What may initially seem like overblown geopolitical drama and hyperbole quickly comes into sharp focus with just a bit of reading: especially where ocean trade routes are concerned.
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 the sudden interest (and intensity) focused on the Arctic Circle: 
The global players in this region and what their interests are
How it directly touches on our ever-evolving supply routes and sources of key materials
Other topics and areas of concern that might be just beyond the common consciousness, but could be tomorrow’s breaking news 
Links:
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Una’s Procurement Newsletter, “The Sidekick”
Episode 200: Fostering the Conditions That Lead to Success
Episode 196: The Best of Kris Lance in 2024
Episode 192: The Surging Power of the Podcast Format with Kris Lance
Episode 189: The Calm? After the Storms feat. Kris Lance

Ep 203: Alleviating Common Sourcing & Supply Chain Pain Points feat. Eric Westerduin

Regardless of the industry you work in, deciding which third parties to work with requires strategic trade-offs, such as choosing between cost, quality, and lead time. Procurement and sourcing professionals play a critical role helping decision makers discuss and rank those variables and then use them to select and contract with suppliers.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Eric Westerduin. Eric is the Founder and Chief Problem Solver at GO Get Made, a global sourcing and manufacturing company that specializes in helping businesses optimize their supply chains and scale efficiently with the help of overseas partners.
In this interview, Eric and Kelly discuss:
The importance of ‘stress testing’ the specifications and requirements shared with suppliers who will participate in a bid process
How cultural norms and expectations can affect the outcomes associated with global manufacturing
Procurement’s role as the ‘go between’ in conversations with business decision makers and current/prospective suppliers
Links:
Eric Westerduin on LinkedIn

Ep 202: Becoming a Procurement Polyglot feat. Bennett Glace

Polyglot - noun. A person who knows and is able to use several languages.
The spoken or written word can divide people as easily as it can unify them - even when they are speaking the same language. Terminology, shorthand, and acronyms may be convenient or efficient, but when they get in the way or fail to communicate the desired meaning, they aren’t doing us any favors.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Bennett Glace. Bennett has held a number of content marketing and communications roles, both inside and outside of procurement, and each one has given him the opportunity to see new ways that humans connect - or don’t - based on medium and message.
In this interview, Bennett embraces his inner ‘polyglot’ to help procurement build stronger relationships:
How using a common language can increase the likelihood that others will be willing to collaborate
The trouble that can be caused when colleagues have a negative past perception of procurement
The mindset shift procurement might need to undergo to start projecting a more optimistic and open-door ‘brand’
Links:
Bennett Glace on LinkedIn

Ep 201: Setting the Stage for Sustainable Change feat. Ron Crabtree

Depending on your point of view, the idea of transformation is either alluring or terrifying - or maybe a little bit of both? And while procurement teams rarely have the formal skillset to lead transformation projects, they are often tasked with just that. Fortunately, with a bit of planning and some well asked questions, it is possible to keep your transformation on track.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Ron Crabtree. Ron is the CEO of MetaOps and MetaExperts, organizations focused on business process improvement. He has over 30 years of experience implementing Lean, Six Sigma, and supply chain methodologies in industries from automotive and healthcare to government and financial services.
In this interview, Ron shares his point of view on:
The knowledge and skills procurement professionals should be building to support their ability to lead transformation
What sets transformational procurement leaders and executives apart from the rest
How to spot (or prevent!) the warning signs that your transformation project is headed for trouble
Links:
Ron Crabtree on LinkedIn

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