Talent Talks Podcast
The Talent Talks Podcast provides regular insights and guidance to procurement and supply chain professionals. Host, Martin Smith interviews CPO's within large corporations and brands in the UK such as John Lewis, Mars, Babcock International, Managing Directors of procurement specialist companies including as Procurement Excellence and Embedded IT as well as thought-leaders and authors from the sector. Martin Smith, founder of Talent Drive is a specialist procurement and supply chain recruiter. He uses his network and expertise to provide insightful, thought provoking discussions, as well as providing tips on building your own career in the industry. The podcast is just one area of #projectprocurement; Martin's network of like-minded procurement professionals including webinars, content and events. Register your email to find out about our next meet-up and get involved: https://bit.ly/talenttalksmailinglist We'd love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, and do please reach out if you'd like to be a guest; [email protected]. All links and references at https://talentdrive.co.uk/
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 109
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Diversifying Skills and Specialisms on an International Scale with Tracey Williamson #69
“Ultimately, the challenges for a procurement function are very similar, but going into a different environment helps you grow.”
There’s no substitute for the level of depth and breadth of experience …
How Relationships & Innovation Drive Public Sector Value with UK Health Security Agency’s Commercial & Category Director, Victoria Cope #68
“If you are purely doing procurement and commercial on paper, the paper doesn't stand the litmus test,”
Victoria Cope’s career roles are supremely varied and her credentials numerous, so she serves as…
The Recipe for Perfect Procurement Transformation with Transport for London’s CPO, Jonathan Patrick #67
“We often create a list of 12 things, but if you focus on the one thing that makes the biggest difference, you’ll be more successful than having a big shopping list.”
ITV, Sky, Starbucks, Serco and Ne…
Relationships: The Priceless Asset Money Can’t Buy with CPO & Director of Facilities at NATS, Tim Bullock #66
“We had to stay absolutely core to our principles around collaboration, relationships and partnerships. In the supply chain arena, the strength of those came to the forefront.”
It’s hard to deny that …
Becoming Commercial Architects with Amazon Fresh’s Head of Procurement, Rob Turner #65
“You need to become the commercial architect, as opposed to the person that sends out the RFP and spends hours on Excel trying to analyse the responses of those prices.”
As procurement professionals v…
The Growth of Value & Creativity from Procurement’s Next Generation with Williams Racing’s Olivia McNamara and Reckitt’s Julie Katz #64
“I'm not here to cut costs, I'm just here to add value. However you want to dress that word of value, it's totally up to you.”
The next generation of bright procurement prospects bring with them a foc…
Breaking Barriers to Entry for the Future of Procurement with Celia Downie & Arron Woodland #63
“If something doesn't look exciting enough for something they're going to do for the next 40-50 years in their career, why are they going to bother even trying to get into that profession?”
When the s…
The Current State of Procurement for Future Leaders with Tesco’s Josh Banks, England Rugby’s Sophie Morton & Wellcome Trust’s Olivia Donovan #62
“The single biggest barrier to entry for getting young people into procurement is a lack of knowledge of what it even is.”
Young professionals entering today’s procurement world will be leading our in…
Creating Differentiation & Value Through Supplier Branding with Nando's’ Former Head of Commercial & Procurement, Cameron Holder #61
“I think we don't always realise that we have a reputation with our suppliers, just like a company will have a consumer brand.”
Consumer branding is a standard aspect of any business that’s well docum…
Tackling the Top Issues in Services Procurement with CEO of Zivio, Jonny Dunning #60
“In general when you're buying services, it won't have such a complex supply chain. But in terms of what you're buying, it's infinitely more complex.”
Pinpointing the value of procured services on mor…
Thriving in Third Party Management & Growing the Talent Pool with Head of Customer, Third Party and Property at Close Brothers, Nick Brazier #59
“The common element is very similar between organisations. What you need to understand is the environment you're working within, the stakeholders that you have and their agendas.”
Between impressively…
Small Sustainability Changes to Make a Mighty Impact with Sustainability & ESG Senior Leader, Simon King #58
“How do you make sure that sustainability is not a compliance play, it's not a nice-to-do and a tick box? Put it right in your business strategy.”
From Simon King’s eventful early career, to his hugel…
Transferable Skills and Carving a Career Path in Procurement with MD of Participation, Simon King #57
“In procurement, you’re trying to get meetings with people who don't want to see you, persuade them to do things they don't want to do, and negotiate a deal. Procurement and sales are very similar in…
Revenue Creation & The New Triple Bottom Line with Martin Lee #56
“You'll start to think, ‘I'll be making a sourcing decision against one of the biggest elements of our impact within the next few years, which might almost commit me already to 2030’. It’s about gett…
Talent Talks Live March 2022 with Guy Battle, Paul Bestford, Jonathan Bearn & Kathryn Gillard #55
“It's not about the ‘what’, it's about the ‘how’, and I don't think we're doing enough with the ‘how’ at the moment in the private sector.”
As social value remains front and centre of public sector pr…
Solving the Pain Points of Consultancy with CEO of Constellia, Rob Levene #54
“It isn't about the price of the consultancy, it’s the impact of the outcome they're delivering, so cheap can become very expensive.”
The difference in spend between contingent labour and consultancie…
Data, Digitisation & Driving Diversity with CPO at Kantar, Stephen Day #53
“From my perspective, data is the foundational resource that we now need to use in terms of how we think about our procurement transformation.”
As apps like TikTok innovate the tools that curate conte…
National Highways’ Drive for Industry-Wide Social Value with Malcolm Dare, Andrew Stephenson, and Sanyalax Morrison #52
“With our size and scale, we can deliver value for money through social value, but also leave a lasting legacy in communities.”
The scrutiny that comes with multi-billion pound projects in the public …
The Digital Procurement Journey with Coupa Software’s VP in Northern Europe, Eric Brown #51
“Sustainability needs to be a priority, and that starts at the top.”
Digital procurement transformation is a perpetual journey, and with the growing importance of ESG initiatives it’s key now to ensur…
HealthTrust Europe’s Approach to Achieving Social Value with COO Dale Robinson #50
Recent years have brought new challenges to the healthcare sector, so for HealthTrust Europe it’s been key to engage stakeholders to guarantee social value in every process they implement.
Advocating …