Claire Storm-Phillips

How did your procurement adventure begin?

I applied to the graduate scheme at Tesco wanting to be a buyer of food and household goods. However, I was put into Procurement which is GNFR (Goods Not for Resale). At first I wasn't too happy about this, but it turned out to be brilliant - I had loads of freedom to try lots of different procurement techniques sourcing things like uniforms, paper bags and recycling services. I think businesses need to do much more to promote procurement - it was not something I heard being talked about at any of the university job fairs.

Tell us about your current role...

I'm the indirect spend procurement manager for Flamingo Horticulture - one of the UK's leading importers of fresh cut flowers, pot plants and vegetables. My role covers everything that supports the growing and selling of the flowers and plants: fertilizer, drip irrigation, plant pots, water troughs for hydroponic growing and storage space. Each sub-category requires considerable strategic thinking - for example with fertilizer: how to manage the volatile market and decide whether to use distributors or ship it in ourselves.

What's been your most unusual or interesting procurement adventure?

Believe it or not I had to buy a private jet for a CEO (not Flamingo's CEO!). The CEO didn't last long in their role. I also sourced a fleet of three-temperature (ambient, chilled, frozen) vans for Tesco in China for their home delivery service - something never done in China before. Our competitors were using air conditioned mini-buses!

You speak fluent Mandarin and worked in China. What was that like?

I studied Mandarin at Cambridge and had a year abroad studying in Beijing. I also worked there for Tesco for two years. The way of business is very different. In the UK we seek the truth. In China it's about reaching harmony which might not always be the truth! If I asked 'are the deliveries on time?' the answer might be 'Yes, yes, yes' even if they're not - they don't want to lose face. Instead, I'd have to ask 'when is a good time for the deliveries to arrive?' The West doesn't really understand China or make a proper effort to learn about them.

How do you see Procurement evolving over the next 10 years?

I'm an optimist - I notice Procurement being referred to as a service function less and less. We want to drive the change and I know we can. AI will definitely play a role. I've used ChatGPT to get over writer's block - it's really good for standard answers like writing a procurement policy, but the output still needs a check. It's also good for functional tasks like quickly writing a macro in excel.

What are the cleverest procurement techniques you use?

Value chain analysis is my favourite - it's so useful to look at a broad spectrum end-to-end. I did a project looking to reduce costs with call centres where we looked holistically at the problem. The immediate answer came from consolidating call centres but the true value came from tuning in the FAQs in the retailer's app and hence reducing the number of calls being placed in the first place.

How can procurement support a healthy work-life balance?

Flamingo has been really supportive with my family. We have a one year old daughter. I work at the beginning of the week and my partner works at the tail end of the week. This way we give Branwen hands-on parenting whilst maintaining our careers. It's made me super-efficient and I come to work fully committed and engaged. More of this sort of flexi working is key to attracting and retaining a strong team.

Who is your greatest source of inspiration?

My grandpa who raised me in my tween years. He was hard working, humble and curious. Also Harold Gillies, a New Zealand plastic surgeon who pioneered facial reconstruction during WW1 and WW2. He blended science and art with a huge dose of tenacity, and was known to use the phrase: 'never do today what you could do tomorrow' - ie take your time to do the task properly.

If you could take a 3-month sabbatical where would you go?

We actually just had 6 months - we took Branwen when she was 4 months old backpacking around Mexico. She was amazing at getting us introductions to Mexicans and was often called the gringo baby! Looking forward, I'd love to go to Taiwan - I speak the language, the food is apparently delicious and there is great hiking.

Rapid Fire

Roses or alstroemerias?

Roses | Favourite Chinese Food? Xin Jiang - a delicious blend of Central Asian and Chinese style | Mange tout or peas? Mange Tout | One thing you won't travel without? Suncream - I'm ginger!