Kathy Simon

I started my procurement career 15 years ago as a buyer when I realized how much potential this field has.   Since then, I’ve been in various procurement roles with gradually increasing responsibilities.  The entire time I’ve spent as a procurement professional I encountered challenges regarding engaging stakeholders who are not bought into the centralized procurement concept.  Over the years I’ve developed the ability to have a readily available value proposition that speaks to the business group I’m about to engage and I’ve also learned to quickly identify the least and the most resistant business groups so I can tailor the proposition accordingly.  The corporate message is usually clear: the more spend we bring under procurement’s control, the more the corporation benefits.  However, as sourcing professionals, we need to be able to translate that to department and individual level benefits.  I’ve worked for organizations of all sizes in various industries and I can say with confidence that there is a way to prove to everyone that we add value.  It is a multi-dimensional approach and it requires a lot of up-front efforts but it works.  The latest testament to that is my success at Indigo in getting the spend under control.

Supporting my solid business and procurement base knowledge (a Bachelor’s Degree from Hungary and a CSCMP (Certified Supply Chain Management Professional) designation through the Purchasing Management Association of Canada) I continuously update my knowledge on industry, sourcing category and stakeholder engagement best practices through seminars and workshops.  I also work with the PMAC on tweaking the accreditation program so candidates can acquire the most up-to-date education program and to arm them with a robust sourcing/procurement toolkit.