Procurement Adventurer
Nella Jansson-Wright
There is only one Nella! She has boundless energy, a wicked sense of humour and a fantastic ability to motivate those around her. She's pretty handy at procurement & Supply Chain too! This makes her a natural Procurement Adventurer. Here's her story...
How did your career start?
I joined the International Graduate Programme with Scottish & Newcastle (now part of Heineken). I did 4 roles in 4 countries: Sustainability in Scotland, Brand Marketing in Belgium, running a production line in Portugal, and Team Leader in England. I'm an engineering scientist by training and I love dealing with people and running factories. From there I moved to Rowse Honey as Engineering Manager where I bought and installed a bottling line, a factory extension to process honey, lots of spare parts and all the service contracts to keep the factory running. This is how my Procurement journey started.
Tell us about your current role
I'm the Supply, Operations and Impact Director at MOJU. I absolutely love it! For us, it's all about sourcing the very best quality product at the right time, at the right cost, whilst minimising the impact on the world. My job is to get everything right, from upstream to downstream, overseeing Manufacturing, Technical, Projects, Logistics - most of it is third party so in effect procurement.
What were the highlights of your recent sourcing trip to Peru?
It was seeing the care and attention taken to produce such a high quality product. In our view Peruvian ginger is the best in the world due to its incredible potency and sensory notes. The ginger grows on steep mountain sides, at altitude, in really nutrient rich soil. The views from the small-holding farms were breathtaking. Another highlight was working with people who want to make a difference - passionate farmers who are proud to be cultivating ginger.
What do you look for when you're recruiting?
I find recruitment one of the most challenging parts of the job. MOJU is a fantastic place to work and we only employ exceptional people. In my mind values always trumps skills. Skills can be learnt but values are very hard to change. At first round interviews my primary objective is to assess values and cultural fit. MOJU values: Blaze Trails, Play to Win, Evergreen, Keeping it Real.
What's the trick to SRM?
I believe it's all in the relationships. Key suppliers are partners - you need to treat them like that. Honesty goes a long way. Align on strategy and values, show that you trust them, and they will trust you in return. Treat them like you'd like to be treated. If and when challenges arise, find ways to work through problems together.
How does B-Corp interface with Procurement?
B-Corp places equal importance on profit, people and planet. As 3 examples: 1) We work with the most ethical suppliers we can find for ginger - we place more emphasis on this than cost. 2) We choose partners based on environmental criteria - our recent warehouse move required a negative carbon impact. 3) We choose environmentally friendly e-commerce packaging despite cheaper less sustainable options being available.
What impact is climate change having on MOJU?
Climate change has always been a sore point for me throughout my career. We face so many risks if we do not work in a sustainable way. As a business we are hot on measuring and reducing carbon - we have measured our Scope 1-3 for 2 years in a row and have reduction targets in place.
Who or what inspires you?
I have a massive love of people and understanding what they're passionate about. I love seeing people achieve past what they thought they could. My Grandmother was a great source of inspiration - she died last year at 103! She exercised every day and was always socialising. She also choreographed the opening dance for the Helsinki Winter Olympics in 1952. In the business world I had the privilege of working with Mark Cuddigan at Ella's Kitchen - an inspirational advocate of B Corp.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Two things: Firstly I wish I'd focused on the people earlier (I used to be more focused on results). It's the people that will make it happen. And secondly, I've learnt to not stress about what you can't control - I wish I had adopted that earlier.
Rapid Fire
Ceviche or empanadas?
Ceviche (gluten free!) | Pisco Sour or Margherita? Pisco Sour (at the Bar of the Gran Hotel Bolivar, Lima) | Mountains or Sea? Mountains if the snow's good; otherwise, sea