Canadian media studies philosopher Marshall McLuhan rose to prominence in the 1960s when he declared, “The Medium is the message.” For McLuhan, it was the medium itself that shaped and controlled "the scale and form of human association and action." We saw this dynamic in full force this year, with podcasts rising to the top of the media landscape during the 2024 presidential election cycle. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President ...
Nov 20, 2024•29 min•Ep. 194
Continuous improvement is as desirable as any other strategic business objective, but making it happen, or - better still - starting an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement is the ultimate goal. If procurement wants to be part of that positive cycle, they have to collaborate with, listen to, and communicate effectively with the business. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Jonathan Gardner. Jonathan has worked in supply chain, sourcing, and procurement at ...
Nov 13, 2024•25 min•Ep. 191
“I’m having an issue with one of my suppliers.” That is how many conversations begin between procurement and the business. While a problem has been recognized, and the business knows it needs to be resolved, they can’t risk their day-to-day relationship with that supplier. Enter their friends in procurement. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Joseph Scull. Joseph has deep experience managing functions like real estate, operations, and procurement - and somet...
Nov 06, 2024•18 min•Ep. 190
On September 26th, Hurricane Helene hit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Hurricane Milton hit Florida less than two weeks later. The stories coming from these states are shocking, devastating, and inspiring - all at the same time. 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 industr...
Oct 30, 2024•28 min•Ep. 192
Every time the world is hit by a supply chain disruption, strategies are changed, new technologies are invented, implemented, and invested in, and everyone vows to be too agile and resilient for it to happen again. And yet it does - there is always another surprise, another disruption around the corner. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Aviv Castro. Aviv is the CEO of Sensos, a company spun off from Sony that makes it possible to streamline supply chain ope...
Oct 23, 2024•22 min•Ep. 189
Sometimes procurement says “savings” and people’s eyes light up with the possibilities associated with a budget poised to go further. Other times, their eyes glaze over and their attention drifts… elsewhere. Like anywhere else. The trick for procurement teams who want to build strong internal relationships is knowing the difference - and communicating accordingly. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Barry Kull. Barry is the Senior Director, Category Managemen...
Oct 16, 2024•27 min•Ep. 188
Procurement is a difficult field to work in. Days are busy, unpredictable, and often stressful. Each person’s ability to perform despite the challenges determines not only their evaluation or procurement’s evaluation, but the financial success of the entire company. Doesn’t it make sense to look for guidance and support from a higher power? In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Jennifer Sterbling, a Senior Manager of Indirect Procurement. Jennifer has expertise...
Oct 09, 2024•24 min•Ep. 187
Supplier diversity programs have gotten a lot of attention in recent years, but the values and vision that underpin them is hardly new. Some dedicated advocates have been working since the 1960s to create opportunities and develop capabilities at the same time. Our guest in this episode is one of those advocates. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes James Lowry. James is an Advisor at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and his past work experience includes time at ...
Oct 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 186
According to Merriam-Webster, an October Surprise is “a significant revelation or event in the month prior to an election that has the potential to shift public opinion about an election candidate and that is often orchestrated to influence the election's outcome.” What will it be in 2024? Anyone’s guess could be right. 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...
Sep 25, 2024•27 min•Ep. 185
Procurement is notorious for attracting professionals from all backgrounds and dispositions, so how could there possibly be one right way to ‘do procurement?’ There couldn't be. Each individual has an opportunity to put their own spin on everything from negotiation to strategy development and relationship building. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Hugo Sanchez. Hugo is a Senior Category Manager for supplies and MRO in the commercial real estate industry. I...
Sep 18, 2024•24 min•Ep. 184
Procurement is laser focused on spend, suppliers, risk, sustainability, regulations and more… is it possible that we need to add LOVE to the list of things we are trying to contribute to the organization? In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Natalia Pickett. Natalia is Head of Procurement at Keolis Amey, a global transportation company focused on public transport, as well as a non-Executive Director for Woodenshark. In this interview, Natalia shares her passio...
Sep 11, 2024•21 min•Ep. 183
We are all subject to stereotypes about what procurement professionals are like, what suppliers are like, and what procurement-supplier relationships are like. But those kinds of models are made to be broken, often to the benefit of everyone involved. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Keri Peña. Keri didn’t start her career in procurement - she started in IT - but she didn’t work in procurement for long before she was hooked! Keri reached out and offered to...
Sep 04, 2024•18 min•Ep. 182
We’re all constantly being bombarded with breaking news about the most sensitive topics - and almost nothing seems to be off-limits anymore, even in the workplace. Add to that sensational, over-the-top media coverage and it can be hard to think straight - but it isn't impossible. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President and General Manager at Una, for a monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple...
Aug 28, 2024•29 min•Ep. 181
Procurement thinks that the accounts payable team ‘just’ pays suppliers. Accounts payable teams think that procurement ‘just’ finds suppliers and negotiates contracts. In reality, both teams do quite a bit more - and the better they understand each other’s priorities, contributions, and challenges, the more they can do for each other and for the business. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Anders Lassen. Anders is the Owner and Senior Procurement Consultant ...
Aug 21, 2024•27 min•Ep. 180
Although AI is not new, applications of it are constantly evolving. This is especially true of generative AI. The low barrier to use encourages innovation and experimentation, and people are learning to use it personally and professionally. Over time, it is likely to become so pervasive that anyone who does not develop a basic understanding may be left behind. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Alan J. Rice. Alan is the Managing Director of Caché Procurement...
Aug 14, 2024•24 min•Ep. 179
Procurement professionals need to have excellent soft skills, especially when they are working across geographies and cultures. A simple gesture like a handshake is expected in one culture, and may offend in another. Knowing the difference and being able to read the room are essential. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dupre Jones. Dupre is a Regional Category Manager, specializing in Logistics & Warehousing for CSL. He also has an MBA from the Thunderb...
Aug 07, 2024•18 min•Ep. 178
After the ‘working from home’ movement that began a few years ago, the professional world then passed through ‘quiet quitting’ on its way to something that feels a little heavier. Whether we call it apathy, nihilism, or inertia, the current mood is affecting individuals and teams in a way that we should all be aware of. 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...
Jul 31, 2024•30 min•Ep. 177
When we think about what excellence looks like, especially on a podcast about heroism, it would be reasonable to assume that it involves feats of superhuman strength, altruistic triumph, and being 100% on point 110% of the time. Not so, says this episode’s guest. Excellence is doing just that much better than the competition - and your own past performance - consistently over the long term. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Keith Wright. Keith is an indepen...
Jul 24, 2024•27 min•Ep. 176
Fast growth company leadership teams have a lot on their plates. They are balancing building a solution or offering, building brand recognition, and closing deals. But no concern is higher priority than funding. In order to secure that funding, they also need to invest in accounting - and it is never too soon to get started. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Lonnie Bloom. Lonnie is a Partner at Withum, where he specializes in auditing and supporting the gro...
Jul 17, 2024•24 min•Ep. 175
When procurement needs to deliver savings, the reflexive response is usually to go to market, approaching suppliers for discounts or putting a contract out to bid. While this approach works, the results often pale in comparison to what procurement can deliver by having internal conversations about specifications, requirements, and projected demand. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Omid Ghamami. Omid is the CEO of the Procurement and Supply Chain Management...
Jul 10, 2024•25 min•Ep. 174
For all of the hopes and expectations around AI’s ability to support human decision making, it is important to acknowledge that people and companies make decisions for different kinds of reasons. According to Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE), there are three persuasions: logos, pathos, and ethos. Thousands of years after his death, we are still making decisions on logic, emotion, and character, or some combination of the three. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcome...
Jul 03, 2024•26 min•Ep. 172
Most of us think about Taiwan, China, and - to some extent - the U.S. when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing… but Japan is just as critical. They are a primary (and dominant) supplier of semiconductor related chemicals, packaging materials, and tools. In fact, Japan views the industry as part of their national security strategy, and is currently investing nearly one percent of GDP in those companies. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, ...
Jun 26, 2024•23 min•Ep. 173
The volume of data available at our fingertips can sometimes create the illusion that any information is accessible, that decision making is improved, and that failure is avoidable. Once we get past that illusion and accept the reality of even data-driven decision making, we can finally be on the road to success. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Blake Tablak. Blake is the CEO of Trax Technologies, a company that provides transportation spend management vis...
Jun 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 170
There will always be challenges to overcome - personally, professionally, and combined - but by finding the courage to work in community and to receive all each employee has to give, leaders can allow themselves and their teams to attain a new level of achievement. All it takes is a bit of generosity, purposefully carried out. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Joe Davis. Joe is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and ...
Jun 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 169
The public and private sectors both have a great need for top procurement talent. And while their stakeholders, objectives, and processes differ in some ways, they are also subject to the same economic forces and market trends. Sometimes the dynamics in one of their sectors even has an impact on the other. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dwight Gibbs. Dwight is the CEO of Contraqer, a procurement solution uniquely suited to the challenges and complexities...
Jun 05, 2024•25 min•Ep. 168
The H5N1 virus (a.k.a. ‘Bird flu’) is not just spreading among birds in the supply chain. It has recently jumped to beef cattle and - in just a few cases - human beings. It has now been found in 32 herds in 8 states. But is it time to worry? In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director at Una, for a recurring monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of t...
May 29, 2024•21 min•Ep. 171
Every single day, successful retailers overcome challenges that few other industries will ever have to face. Complex supply chains, uncertain demand, and - increasingly - regulations that not only force them to consider the big picture but also vary by geography. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Eric Linxwiler. Eric is the Senior Vice President of Retail Solutions at TradeBeyond, a platform that helps retailers, brands, and trading partners collaborate qui...
May 22, 2024•26 min•Ep. 164
Mentors have the opportunity to provide valuable, trusted advice to the individuals they work with, but those relationships are often formed haphazardly. One team of entrepreneurs is working to pair ascending college students with recent graduates who can mentor them through the college selection process. Pairing them effectively requires a lot of data, and more empathy, but it is well worth the effort. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Jason Edmonds. Jason...
May 15, 2024•24 min•Ep. 167
Procurement’s relationship with legal is one of the most important they have. Whether it is allowing procurement to meet (or exceed) their objectives or protecting the company from risk, they need to be “joined at the hip” as we learn from this week’s guest. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Lisa Haitz. Lisa has over 20 years of experience in finance, legal, commercial operations, sourcing, and procurement. Today she applies that experience as a strategic s...
May 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 166
While most people hungered for a return to ‘normal’ after the pandemic shut downs, many of the workforce trends that companies experimented with offer lasting lessons and value. From flexible work schedules to innovative sources of talent, the opportunities for hiring managers and prospective employees are as diverse as the roles that need to be filled. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Mika Cross. Mika is a U.S. Army Veteran and a workforce futurist. She w...
May 01, 2024•25 min•Ep. 165
