The Sourcing Hero

Ep 49: The Six C’s of Supplier Diversity feat. Lamont Robinson

All professionals hold different roles and positions during their career, but only the lucky few discover their passion along the way and make a difference for others as they follow their calling. Sometimes it requires the courage to turn away from safe or well-laid plans in pursuit of a new opportunity, but in the end, the journey becomes its own reward.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Lamont Robinson. Lamont is a committed leader in the supplier diversity effort, and he is currently the Director of Supplier Diversity at AmerisourceBergen, a global healthcare company. He has been widely recognized for his passion and innovative work in the supplier diversity space, and so we are thrilled to have him with us on the podcast today.
In this conversation, Lamont presents his framework for thinking through and planning out supplier diversity programs built to last:
The Six C’s: customers, competition, compliance, communities, customization, and costs - what they mean and why they are important
How procurement be a particularly effective advocate for the C’s of cost and customization, increasing diversity and the resilience of the supply chain at the same time
What procurement professionals and teams need to know about being good customers of diversity-owned companies?

Ep 48: Understanding the Supplier Side of Supplier Diversity feat. Elizabeth Blount McCormick

Procurement teams that want to increase the diversity of their supplier base may think that they have to compromise on quality and performance to do so. This could not be further from the truth. Diverse-owned businesses are (and should be expected to be) just as competitive and qualified as any other business in their industry. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Elizabeth Blount McCormick. Elizabeth is the President and Owner of UNIGLOBE Travel Designers, a firm that specializes in designing, coordinating, and delivering complex travel plans for individuals, groups, and corporate travel partners. UNIGLOBE Travel Designers is also a black, woman-owned business. 
In this conversation, Elizabeth enthusiastically shares her first-hand experience with today’s difficult travel conditions and what it is like to be a diverse business owner:
An overview of the current state of corporate travel and how travel managers and/or procurement teams tasked with managing travel spend should do given the current uncertainties
The investment of time and effort required to earn and maintain multiple diversity certifications and how they affect her business development efforts
What she would like buy-side companies to know about the supplier’s perspective on corporate diversity programs and how they can be improved

Ep 47: Be Like Estonia - Embracing the Advantage of Size feat. James Meads

All companies - and business leaders for that matter - have a tendency to look up for guidance and ideas. And while successful results often carry us on an upward trajectory, looking to emulate the patterns that make large enterprises like the FOrtune 500 successful may actually deny mid-market companies their greatest short-term advantage: raw, lean agility.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes James Meads. James is a career procurement professional turned consultant, who recognizes some of the disparities between procurement technology for enterprise-level companies, and the digital transformation opportunities and partners that exist for mid-market companies.
In this conversation, James talks about the impact that relative size has on what organizations can achieve and how it should influence who they partner with:
Why does most procurement technology seem to be marketed at (and designed for) large enterprises?
How should procurement team size, regardless of corporate revenue or spend, impact decisions about procurement technology?
Ways that mid-market companies on both the provider and practitioner sides of the fence can leverage the advantages of where they are NOW in their maturity journeys.

Ep 46: The Role of Creativity in Category Management feat. Gary Levitan

Everyone wants to be at the intersection of ‘right place and right time’ - procurement included. Our guest in this episode was able to hit that intersection in two ways. His company went public in a time when everyone was forced to find creative new working arrangements, and he was tasked with rebuilding their procurement organization just as ideas about category management and procurement’s relationship with the business were becoming more nuanced.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Gary Levitan. Gary is the Global Head of Procurement, Sourcing, & Supply Chain at WeWork, a flexible workspace company that went public in October. He has over 15 years experience in procurement, and during that time he has worked to ensure that various stakeholder groups within the business are able to meet or exceed their objectives through contracts and supplier relationships.
In this conversation, Gary shares his theory about the best way to build out procurement organizations through people and process:
What is it like to be a Chief Procurement Officer through a high-visibility IPO?
What does creative category management look like?
What are the potential downsides of procurement having more category expertise than their point of contact in the business?

Ep 45: Learning How to Negotiate with Confidence feat. Soheila Lunney

Although negotiating isn’t everyone’s favorite part of working in procurement, it is - and likely always will be - a critical part of the job. Despite that fact, there are enough different ways to negotiate that each individual person can find an approach, strategies, and tactics that allow them to achieve their objectives while staying true to themselves.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Soheila Lunney. Soheila has over 25 years of procurement experience involving both domestic and international activities. She has extensive experience in consulting, coaching and training, reengineering the supply management process, sourcing materials and services, reducing total cost of ownership, and negotiating complex contracts. In 2012, she and Charles Dominick published The Procurement Game Plan - and now they are working on an expanded second edition at the request of the publisher.
In this conversation, Soheila shares her passion for coaching others and helping them succeed as negotiators and fulfilled human beings:
The hardest thing for most people to learn when they are trying to become better negotiators
Whether there are actual differences between men and women in negotiation - and whether they align with the stereotypes
How to steady yourself before going into a negotiation - whether it is high stakes or not

Ep 44: Heroes Are Everywhere - And They All Have a Story to Tell

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and we need them everywhere - even at work. You may have been a hero to someone today and not even know it. Everyone of them has a story to tell and they are all worth hearing. That is the mission of The Sourcing Hero podcast, capturing and sharing epic stories of people beating the odds and rising up to make a difference through procurement. 
In this special year-end episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, host Kelly Barner looks back on the second season so far and shares some of her favorite advice, stories, and definitions of heroism. Whether you’ve listened each week, or are just discovering the podcast now, you’ll be amazed at these real life examples of corporate humanity - and impressed by the people who share them.
Some of the things you’ll hear in this episode include:
The combined takeaways from two very different conversations about building influence, including how and when you should foster it and what might get in your way
A mantra for being an effective professional and a good leader at the same time
Two standout answers to the question about heroism, one truly humbling and one a funny, positive surprise!
Bonus: Be sure to listen for some behind the scenes secrets from The Sourcing Hero interviewing and production process!

Ep 43: Taking an Open-minded Approach to Crossing the Gap feat. Alison Smith

We all face times of difficult and important decision-making, in our personal lives and in our professional capacity. In many cases, the approach and the thought process we use when evaluating the available options is as important as the choice we eventually make.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Alison Smith. You may know her as the Purchasing Coach or the founder of Landscaping Your Life, but if you are connected to her on LinkedIn you know that she has boundless energy and passion for everything she does. Alison has worked in and with procurement for almost four decades, using her unique approach to help teams achieve without checking their humanity at the door.
In this conversation, Alison shares her advice for approaching the many crossroads we find ourself at - in work and in life:
Whether it is harder to form a vision of the goal or desired end state or pick the best way to reach it
The role of teams and community in getting past difficult decisions, and why sometimes we may be better off on our own
How our movement through life, and the momentum we build up along the way, is an important force that we have to allow to influence our choices

Ep 42: Understanding the Difference Between Sourcing and Procurement feat. Kevin Giblin

Procurement’s ability to deliver value to the business ultimately comes down to a few things. What does the business think procurement is capable of? Can procurement win them over to taking a fresh look at their spend and suppliers? How well are the two sides able to collaborate toward mutually beneficial goals and objectives?
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner is joined by Kevin Giblin. Kevin is the head of Strategic Sourcing for Fitch Group, a credit rating agency. He has held multiple sourcing and procurement roles - more on that distinction in a minute - for companies such as Dun & Bradstreet, S&P Global, ChainIQ, and McGraw Hill. Kevin has also won a number of industry awards in recognition of his ability to collaborate, innovate, and achieve excellence in purchasing.
In this conversation, Kevin shares his firsthand experiences working with stakeholders to illustrate:
The real difference between sourcing and procurement (and why people are so surprised to find out what it is)
What it means for procurement to be a customer-facing organization
How procurement can have credibility with the business even when the business possesses most of the category expertise