Leading digital change at IHG. In this role I have created a new function by recruiting, building, coaching, and mentoring a high performing team while actively leading optimisation programmes. I report directly to the VP and I am responsible for teams in the UK, US, India, and China ensuring a collaborative and consistent approach. I am part of the Leadership team within the Procurement Excellence function and Global Process Owner within finance to ensure governance and compliance are imbedded. I significantly contribute to round table discussions to shape organisational strategy, identifying challenges, and proposing innovative solutions to support sustainable organisational growth. I lead the global tech change and transformation strategy including defining the programme of work across three complex areas including Corporate, Data Analytics and Hotels. I established a strategic relationship with SAP Ariba resulting in significant improvements in the delivery of S2P Optimisation and the build out of a bespoke ecosystem. I lead the Data Analytics function which was recognised as best in class due to innovation and insights delivered for the business. I work in partnership with Global Technology teams to create a global data strategy (while considering individual country requirements). I also developed a suite of e-procurement tools for each region across the globe which allows hotel owners to access and obtain value from the procurement function, ensuring a consistent professional approach while providing back-end data and predictive analytics opportunities for Category teams.

Reporting to the CIO I set up and then led the Project Management Office (PMO) responsible for governance, oversight and management of the Transformation Programme across the Group including hiring and managing a team of Project Managers, communications and change agents and third party technical specialists. I developed and established a comprehensive governance framework to manage and control projects throughout their lifecycle ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget and the required benefits from the IT Transformation Programme. I facilitated the creation of a three phase approach to diagnose, design and deliver the IT strategy to drive efficiency across the organisation including across engineering and operations in each division. I regularly communicated progress, insights and opportunities to interact and ask questions via remote global town halls.

Reporting to the CFO and working with HR I completed the organisational change of a centralised Global Procurement function to a decentralised model imbedded within each of the businesses. Managed the procurement disengagement works of the sale of the Flow Control business from the Weir Group. Led the integration of a new business acquisition (ESCO) into the procurement function. Managed a procurement excellence team which tracked, reported and deployed improvement plans across all KPIs to deliver the Procurement strategy.Responsible for all compliance measures e.g. modern-day slavery throughout the supply chain, risk management and carried out procurement audits to ensure adherence to policies and reporting requirements globally. Created a Technology Strategy and successfully rolled out the roadmap achieving all targets in e-optimisation. Led organisational capability improvement initiatives across the function.

Reporting into the CPO setting up a global procurement organisation and Programme Lead. I oversaw and delivered projects across the Group as part of the Transformation Programme to deliver supply chain efficiencies in collaboration with each department across manufacturing, sales and maintenance. I established global projects and teams in line with the transformation priorities and ensured comprehensive reports and information was available to track and drive project performance as well as report to senior management. I identified opportunities to drive savings and performance improvements across the supply chain including ethical and legal compliance, supplier rationalisation, and streamlining procurement processes to reduce lead time. For example, I successfully delivered multimillion-pound savings over a wo year period as well as enhanced the working capital cycle working with the Treasury Function globally therefore reducing costs and improving cash flow.

As the Head of Operations, I reported directly to a Board Director to evaluate different local authority business opportunities and identify appropriate actions and recommendations for each project across the contracting, utility connections, renewables and energy supply (retail) business divisions.

In this role I consented one of the largest offshore wind farms in the UK (Seagreen) at leading the onshore application which included complex land agreements, public engagement and political events. This involved leading a joint venture team of SSE renewables and Flour engineers. The £3bn Seagreen project will be Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm and the world’s deepest fixed bottom wind farm. When fully operational, the site will produce around 5 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable electricity per year, enough to power the equivalent of 1.6 million households.

At Scottish Power, I was responsible for leading procurement and supply chain management covering the UK business including integrating key systems and processes with Iberdrola during the takeover period. I integrated the procurement model of both organisations after acquisition and aligning policies and procedures to ensure Scottish Power activities are consistent with Iberdrola requirements. I also successfully led the project to integrate the new Iberdrola SAP system into the existing ERP systems and ensuring there was control across procurement and managing liabilities with the supply chain during that process.

I worked at NHS Tayside reporting to the health board. 22 hospitals, 30,000 employees, £830M Revenue. I was asked to scrutinise national contracts and identify why the savings were not being delivered at Health Boards and put remediation plans in place to secure these savings. I worked with procurement department in Tayside and with other Health Boards to implement delivery plans and set up collaboration forums.I worked in the hospital with clinicians and accountants and identified the misalignment - I was able to identify and implement mass improvements in purchasing and secured savings through developing expenditure analyses and improving the procurement process; then managed key stakeholders to implement the changes required. These changes ranged from £4m saving on nurse bank spend to training on budget management and the reduction of suppliers through robust management.

In NHS NSS my role was to establish and manage the PMO function of the strategic sourcing work stream which was creating national contracts for the entire NHS Scotland. I was responsible for risks, savings, and communication to stakeholders and I was responsible for tracking and reporting progress of the £50m target on a weekly basis to senior ministers and finance directors in the Scottish Government.