When you work in the food industry, it’s very common to be so focused on your role and your team’s mission that you don’t hear any other team’s perspective. On this episode of the Oh for Food’s Sake podcast, we’re going to correct that. We speak to longtime procurement expert Georgina Willis about the ups and downs of working in procurement and what procurement and NPD teams can do to work better together.
George tells us about her career in the food industry and how she pivoted to working in procurement. She explains why she loves procurement so much and goes into detail about the conflicts that can sometimes arise between procurement and NPD. Then, she gives insightful advice about what you can do to improve communication in your food industry business. At the end of the episode, she shares information about her mission to spread procurement knowledge which she’s achieving through her new consultancy business.
We so enjoyed this chat with George where we discussed how food manufacturers big and small can come together to solve problems and become industry leaders. If you’re interested in the food industry and would like to learn more about us and our experiences, subscribe to the Oh for Food’s Sake podcast to catch our latest episodes.
Timestamps
[1:21] Welcome to the show, Georgina Willis!
[3:27] George’s food industry CV
[7:18] How George found herself in procurement and moved over to Bakkavor
[10:18] “Suppliers open the doors to their businesses”: What’s great about working in procurement
[13:30] NPD vs procurement: The procurement team’s point of view on product development
[18:23] George explains some of the frustrations of working in procurement
[24:27] “Speak to people!”: Personal connections make the difference in procurement
[33:50] Why feedback really matters
[37:55] How George created a legacy through her Procurement Hacks business
[43:26] George’s key focus on packaging and how it’ll help the industry
[46:20] Get in touch!
Links and Resources
Find out more about this episode’s sponsor, Ulrick & Short, here:
Email: enquiries@ulrickandshort.com
You can follow us here on instagram
If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn
For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn
See you next time!