Responsible for strategic sourcing for Laboratory Services, Biomedical packaging and labeling, dry ice and liquid nitrogen, and other categories.Partner with the Business to drive P&L improvement, operational efficiency, and sustainability/supplier diversity in my category areas. Own relationships with suppliers, lead RFPs, supplier onboarding, and contract negotiations for these business areas.

Lead procurement master data management efforts with the purpose of providing accurate and meaningful data for decision making. This includes reporting for supplier diversity and sustainability, contract portfolio data management, implementation of mathematical model for forecasting optimal inventory, etc.Work collaboratively with Category Managers, Business, and Finance to identify/implement opportunities for increasing spend with diverse suppliers and P&L impact with the purpose of acting as the best possible stewards of donor dollars. Lead team that develops dashboards and communications for senior leadership for informed decision making. Educate Business and other stakeholders on best practices and propose and facilitate change within the operation.

Develop market intelligence for Category Leaders and the business to use in negotiations, supplier evaluations, etc. This includes cost models, inventory analysis, market overview & trends, market analysis with benchmarks, and monetization of potential opportunities. Manage the third party spend analytics program with the goal of providing meaningful and practical spend information to help the business make informed decisions.

Acted as a consultant to Sharp Farms in Wilson, NC to bring their new value-added Sweet Potato Pork Sausage to market. Developed sales and marketing plans and calculated profitability scenarios for the product. Negotiated a contract with US Foods to carry the product and completed all steps necessary for Sharp Farms to become a US Foods supplier. Oversaw business development through collaboration with the US Foods purchasing and sales teams. Created marketing materials for use by Sharp Farms and US Foods. Was responsible for management of the business relationship between the farm and US Foods.

This fellowship through the NCSU Supply Chain Resource Cooperative afforded me the opportunity to work with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems on the UFOODS (University Food Systems) project while I pursued my MBA. UFOODS was designed to develop new market opportunities for farmers by creating supply chain links from farms to university campuses in North Carolina. There seems to be great opportunity for profitable linkages between small to mid-size farms and universities in North Carolina. The six Minority Serving campus communities selected as partners for the UFOODS project could provide increased economic stability for small to mid-size farms and their surrounding communities. My role was to research how food moves onto university campuses and determine what supply chain linkages should be established in order to increase access to local foods on campus and provide greater economic opportunity for the small farm.

This fellowship through the NCSU Supply Chain Resource Cooperative afforded me the opportunity to work in the supply chain planning function at the Caterpillar Building Construction Products office in Cary, NC throughout the first year of my MBA program. I worked with transportation and freight data to engineer a user-friendly interface for the analysis of spend. I also aided in the management and facilitation of a global, cross-functional team tasked with driving increased profits through innovation. Additionally, I analyzed demand data of three different machines at three different points of the supply chain in order to determine where the bullwhip effect occurred in the supply chain.

Worked with a WNC family-owned dairy farm to develop a business plan and a financial tool. This tool will be used by North Carolina farms to determine if a sustainable transition from raw milk production to value-added activities is feasible. This includes the production, processing, packaging, and sale of milk, cheese, and other dairy products. This project was awarded first place in the MBA division at the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative semi-annual meeting. Worked with a family-owned pastured poultry farm to complete a feasibility study, Total Cost of Ownership Analysis, and profitability analysis concerning the scale-up from 7,000 birds to 50,000 birds over the next three years. These pieces of analysis will aid the farm in applying for a USDA Value Added Producer Grant in the near future.

Built a high-level business case to be used in evaluation of costs and benefits of implementing a SAP transportation management system with the intent to garner support for the TMS from upper-level management.Engaged key Novozymes SAP contact to estimate internal SAP TMS implementation costs and challenges.Worked as the team communication manager to provide an avenue for the delivery of quality results from team to industry and faculty sponsors in a timely manner.

Coordinated website development resulting in streamlined communication with scholars, donors, and scholarship applicantsLed the planning and resource development components of Shelton Leadership Challenge golf tournament resulting in the registration of 25 golf teams and the achievement of over 18 hole sponsorships by local businesses. Effectively led diverse teams in service days at Crystal Coast Hospice House, Oak City Outreach Center, among others.