How did you get into this field – was it purposeful or by accident?

It really was more by accident. Before my current position at CDK my career was entirely in Information Technology. As part of that I did a fair amount of supplier management and supplier negotiations and worked closely with procurement and supply chain functions. I did have the opportunity to create and lead an IT procurement function at Motorola which gave me some great experiences in this field. When the opportunity came up at CDK to come lead procurement and supply chain, it really was a good match of my technology, automotive business and functional knowledge that interested me in taking this role.

   

In what ways do you feel your professional contributions have influenced or transformed the industry? (This could be a new approach or methodology, the application of an existing technology in a completely new way, significant thought leadership or even a career of inspiring others.)

I believe my influence is showing that a functional leader in procurement and supply chain really needs to be open to, if not leading, the technology transformation of your business and function. I try to show that by demonstrating a clear operating model, getting good people, defining clear process and leveraging technology you optimize your positive impact as a leader. For sure it’s not just about the technology, but as a leader you need to make sure you keep competitive and to do that you need to put better and better tools in the hands of your people. It’s also about freeing your people up to work on the highest value tasks including working closely with the business on their challenges.   

 

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the industry today and what should be done to solve them?

I think the biggest challenge is figuring out how to best leverage the services and technology available. When do you outsource something or go to a managed service?  Are you leveraging appropriate cost labor? Are you buying capability vs building internally? These are all things I was doing in my IT career as well. It likely applies to many functions. Bottom line is you have to make the time to do these evaluation and not just focus on execution of today’s work. 

  

Looking at the whole of your career, what do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

For me it’s in two parts. In my IT career I am proud of the organizational and business transformations I was able to help lead, as well as getting a high-performing IT procurement function established. In my current role, it really has been about helping to dramatically improve the performance of my function in supporting the business. That has been via business transformation programs, defining effective operating models and implementing the right technology like RPA or analytics. Getting recognized by Supply Chain World Magazine for our supply chain improvements, and recently being identified by the Everest Group as a Pinnacle Enterprise in their Sourcing Innovation Model are also highlights.   

 

What three words do you feel your colleagues and peers would use to describe you?

Driven, open-minded, focused.  

 

What advice do you have for those who are new to the profession or considering entering the industry?

Learn the business.  Learn how others have been successful. Be open minded to new ideas, approaches and technology. Be appreciative of your team’s success and don’t become complacent. There is always a way to improve.