Welcome to The Source, my new monthly newsletter covering all things procurement.
For those who don’t know me, I’m Declan and I head up the global procurement practice here at Pod Talent. Over the past 13+ years, I’ve been helping organisations build high-performing procurement teams - from emerging talent to senior leadership.
This newsletter is designed to be your one-stop shop for procurement market insights. Whether you’re hiring for your team, exploring a new role, or simply keeping a finger on the pulse of procurement trends, each month I’ll share a clear snapshot of what’s happening in this fast-moving and ever-evolving sector.
Consider this your guide to what’s changing, what’s in demand, and where opportunities are emerging - all curated from our experience, industry data, and market trends.
In this month's newsletter I'll provide an update on some recent executive moves, a wrap up of Q3 and how to tackle Q4 from a recruitment and job hunting perspective. Enjoy!
Top Chief Procurement Officer Moves in Q3 2025:
- Borealis: Frederik Spiekermann joins as Chief Procurement Officer
- GE HealthCare: Vanish Dabra joins as Chief Procurement Officer – Imaging
- SIG plc: Darin Evans joins as Chief Procurement Officer
- Cascades: Fabrice Blanc joins as Chief Procurement Officer
- Springer Nature: Paul Davis joins as Chief Procurement Officer
- Kraft Heinz: Janelle Aydin steps into the role of Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer
- Ahlsell Group: Anders Carlsson appointed Chief Procurement & Supply Chain Officer
- Finolex Industries Ltd: Sumanto Bhandari joins as President & Chief Procurement Officer
- Zimmer Biomet: Scott Schwartz joins as Chief Procurement Officer, from his leadership role at Philips
- Symrise AG: Kathy Ruhle joins as Senior Vice President, Global Procurement
Q3 Wrap-Up – Procurement Hiring Trends and Insights
- As predicted, the procurement market was quiet during the middle of Q3 due to annual leave over the summer period. Many vacancies remained live but in certain EU regions (Iberia) the processes were slow/non-existent as hiring managers made the most of the holidays. This wasn’t as evident in the UK and other European regions but there was still a significant lag
- We’ve seen the market pick up again in the last few weeks and there’s a renewed energy to get positions filled to have new starters in place for January
- Mid-level recruitment was the dominant focus throughout Q3 with 67% of all new vacancies at Pod coming through at this level. 20% were senior hires and the remaining 13% for junior roles
- In terms of industry focus – it’s been diverse with new vacancies in pharma, consulting, tech, QSR and industrials – however the busiest industry has been in food and beverage (42% of vacancies)
- From a category perspective, there’s been a significant focus on Capex. From our ongoing conversations this is down to businesses needing to modernise their existing production capabilities and execute expansion plans. This has been on the cards for a while and near-shoring trends have accelerated this. Companies have been holding out since Covid but they’re now forced to address aging assets
- Across all the vacancies in Q3, indirects were the majority focus making up 75% of new vacancies. Other categories worth note were Logistics and Technology
- From a skills perspective clients have been highlighting the need for procurement professionals with transformation experience and the ability to lead through change and delivery against ambiguity. Technology-savy procurement professionals also remain important as business continue to focus on their digitalisation strategies
- Although ESG knowledge and skills are still a pressing requirement, behind the scenes it would appear that ESG has taken a back seat in the past 6 months as procurement functions are tasked with addressing cost reduction as their key focus
Top Tips for Hiring or Securing a new procurement role in Q4
- If you’re currently hiring for a critical procurement role in your team, you need to work backwards. Given most candidates have a 2 or 3 month notice period – if you want them to start in January you need to prioritise recruitment now and expedite the process where possible
- Start pipelining talent for Q1. You might not have the budget signed off for a new hire just yet, but January will come around quickly. Candidates won’t stop looking for a new role just because the holidays are fast approaching – so take advantage of this and use your recruitment network / talent teams to see who is looking in the market. Provided this proactive approach is managed correctly and openly, you can take advantage and secure someone for your team whilst the competition waits for budget sign off and completes their recruitment process
- Candidate experience is more important than ever! With a heavy reliance on advertising vacancies and huge numbers of applicants, the candidate market is feeling tired and frustrated with lack of feedback and lengthy processes. This is an opportunity to set yourself apart and provide candidates with an efficient recruitment process. This means – timely and detailed feedback, a clear and consistent interview process, interviewers equipped at selling the opportunity and updates throughout
- For some, Q4 is a time to slow down their search and wait for the New Year. If you’re actively looking for a new role – don’t do this. And for senior candidates it’s even more important to start having conversations now as senior hires will inevitably take longer. By staying consistent you will stay ahead of the curve and beat the competition
- Be proactive with your search and utilise your network. Some procurement functions often have hiring budgets they must use before year end. Just because a business isn’t advertising, it doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in meeting you and offering you a role. Reach out to businesses of interest and take advantages of the network your agency partners might have
- Keep on top of your CV and LinkedIn. This is an obvious one but can save time. Be sure to highlight skills and experience that can set you apart from the competition – as mentioned, transformation and digitisation are in demand so be sure to include examples throughout. If you’re not doing so already, get active on LinkedIn. Having a social presence in thought leadership etc can really help with your job search
As mentioned, this newsletter will be coming out monthly - so if there’s any specific topic or insights you want, drop me a DM or email at declan@pod-talent.com
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Great Read! Some interesting insights. Look forward to the next edition.
Thanks for sharing! Really insightful and to the point!
A really interesting read!