Supply Chain Digital Magazine January 2023 | Page 29

FEDEX

“ My time managing continuous improvement taught me the criticality of the measurement system as well as ‘ learning to see ’ through process mapping , root cause and corrective action , and especially in business processes where there is so much opportunity to streamline ,” she says .

Spence brought that methodology to FedEx , which proved an extra challenge as she was an ’ outsider ’, but also gave her the distance from the company to see a clearer route forward . But when you are tasked with building a world-class procurement team , what are you looking for ? Spence is quick to list : demonstrating category expertise ; managing effective stakeholder relationships ; making decisions based on data , not emotion , and monitored by a robust measurement system ; focusing on process improvement to increase productivity ; raising the bar on performance for both suppliers and employees ; and leveraging spend across the entire book of business you have with your suppliers . Recognising that this is a Herculean task for an organisation as complex and vast as FedEx , it ’ s also essential to proactively develop and manage the existing talent on your team . And that ’ s just for starters .

Average annual budget for Sue Spence

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Global number of employees

Revenue FY22

SUE SPENCE

TITLE : VICE PRESIDENT , GLOBAL SOURCING & PROCUREMENT AT FEDEX CORPORATION

INDUSTRY : FINANCIAL PACKAGE FREIGHT DELIVERY

LOCATION : UNITED STATES

Joining FedEx in October 2013 , Sue leads a team managing US $ 17bn of spend , systems and policies governing the global sourcing and procurement process . Sue serves as a member of several Supply Chain Industry and University councils and advisory boards , and in 2020 was honored with the Institute of Supply Management ’ s J . Shipman Gold Medal Award , a recognition of individuals whose career accomplishments have advanced the supply chain management profession . Prior to FedEx , Sue spent 28 years at UTC in positions of increasing responsibility in Supply Management and Operations Transformation at Pratt & Whitney , UTC

Headquarters , Hamilton Sundstrand and

Sikorsky Aircraft .