Procurement is a Sexy Profession

We sat down with Dr. Christina SS Ooi, FCMI, formerly the CPO (Chief Procurement Officer) APAC for leading multinational corporations and most recently serve as a Board Member of the Regional Board of Malaysia for Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

In this exclusive interview, she shares her remarkable professional journey, insights on the future of procurement in APAC, leadership lessons, and invaluable advice for young professionals.

[BSC] Dr. Christina, you’ve held prestigious CPO roles at global giants like Air Liquide, Malaysia Airlines, and IBM across the APAC region. Could you share the defining moments in your career that shaped your path to becoming a procurement leader and now a board member at the Chartered Management Institute’s Regional Board of Malaysia?

In the early days of my career, four areas caught my attention.

First, I saw that the Procurement profession was perceived as a profession for “not-so-smart-people.” I wanted to change that perception. As a procurement manager, I started to hire many professionals like engineers, lawyers, accountants, into my Procurement teams.

My challenge was to convince and to attract these professionals to pivot their careers to Procurement. I used my own career pivot personal story and experience to “sell” that mind shift to my teams.

My goal was to continuously and consistently build and enhance the brand image of Procurement Professionals.

That we are not administrators providing back office support! That change made a positive impact in our stakeholder management with both internal and external stakeholders. The Procurement teams comprise highly-qualified professionals, and we “know our stuff.”

Second, I also saw that not many women took on senior leadership roles in Procurement. I wanted to change that, too. Many women tend to shy away from senior roles. Many do not aspire to be CPOs. I spent time encouraging and motivating them to be bolder, more assertive, be intentional and be more courageous.

Not to be over analyzing the situation when opportunities presented themselves. I became the voice for Procurement Women Leadership, whether it was internal events or external ones where I would be a regular speaker in local, regional or international Procurement conferences

Third, I saw that learning and training opportunities in the Procurement discipline were really lacking. I wanted to change that. Not many organizations would invest in formal training or professional certification in this space. I decided to share my Procurement knowledge, expertise, and practitioner's experiences both internally and externally in Procurement conferences, and in other organizations. I also spend my personal time as a mentor.

Lastly, I saw that it was uncommon for CPOs to become Board members. At least in Asia Pacific. And I wanted to change that. So when the CMI Board opportunity was presented to me, I accepted it. And I resonate well with CMI's core mission: to transform “accidental managers” into "conscious, capable and inclusive managers.”

All these four areas have been my focus areas, dedicating my time and energy to make a positive difference to the Procurement profession. If it’s to be, it’s up to me. It’s a powerful quote by William Johnsen.

[BSC] The APAC region is a dynamic and diverse market. From your extensive experience, what are the key challenges procurement professionals face in this region today, and what emerging opportunities do you see for organizations to innovate and excel in procurement?

Key challenges faced by Procurement Professionals today: Lack of soft skills and Not having a growth mindset.

By soft skills, I mean basic human skills and human connection. Technical skills / hot skills are in abundance with the help of technologies like AI. Procurement Professionals need to pay more attention and invest their time to hone soft skills because the role of Procurement has changed tremendously. It has evolved towards a strategic orientation from its traditional tactical and “back office support” function. Such a transformational shift calls for Procurement Professionals to re-look at their skill sets - reskill, reflect, reorchestrate.

• 1. Creative thinking
• 2. Relationship building
• 3. Negotiations (not just price negotiations)
• 4. Art of influence and persuasion
• 5. Body language and non-verbal cues
• 6. Storytelling
• 7. Public speaking and presentation skills
• 8. Think of continuous improvements through a growth mindset. Learn from mistakes and failures, and always challenge the status quo on how to do it better the next time.

Emerging opportunities for organizations to innovate and excel in Procurement

In the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) world of today, organisations can no longer depend solely on internal capabilities. They need to focus on co-creating enhanced value with both internal stakeholders and external partners. Partner collaboration is of paramount importance for the success of innovation and excellence in Procurement.

Over time, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) has evolved into Supplier Collaboration, and today it’s about Supplier Innovation.

With the ever changing roles of Suppliers and Partners from being vendors to collaborative partners and solution providers, organisations must start doing more with less with Partners. It is about long term thinking, and forward thinking. It is about making Partner collaboration work harder to deliver win-win outcomes. Together, greater value can be unlocked. Supplier Innovation is the key to building a resilient and agile supply chain

[BSC] As a seasoned leader, how do you define effective leadership in procurement, particularly in navigating complex global supply chains? Are there specific strategies you’ve employed to drive transformation and foster collaboration in your teams?

The role of Procurement has become increasingly tougher and tougher in today’s tumultuous environment. Looking at this from a positive mindset, the Procurement function has taken a more strategic imperative, a far departure from the traditional purchasing or tactical or back office support.

This change requires a different breed of leaders in Procurement. I can’t help but stress on the importance of having a growth mindset. Today’s effective leadership in Procurement demands its leaders to:

Be ready and be prepared to be disliked. It’s definitely not a popularity contest. Expect to make very tough decisions. The need to do what is right, not what is easy. Be ready to fail, fumble and falter not once, but numerous times. And have the resilience and grit to bounce back, again and again.

Be insanely ethical and to practise high integrity standards. Stay professional and principled. Practice fairness and impartiality with zero tolerance to non-compliance. And to be seen to practice as such.

Always eat last so put the teams first.

[BSC] Procurement has historically been male-dominated, yet women like yourself are breaking barriers. What unique perspectives do women bring to procurement leadership, and how can the industry better support and empower women to rise to senior roles?

Yes, Procurement has historically been male-dominated. That’s why I had intentionally put up my hand for Procurement roles in male-dominated industries. My professional stints in technology (IBM), telco (Celcom Axiata), aviation (Malaysia Airlines), plantation (FGV) and industrial gas (Air Liquide) are testament to that intention. I wanted to be exposed to such corporate cultures, and for me to better understand and appreciate how men think and behave in the workplace. No doubt, those were unpopular roles. I took them up nonetheless in my stride.

The Procurement profession of today is fast evolving, shifting its focus beyond mere cost management to value enhancement, collaboration, adaptability and resilience, creative thinking, effective communication, problem-solving and strategic thinking, and relationship-building with stakeholders and suppliers alike.

These are the kind of essential skills which women leaders could also start to bring to the table, adding richer diversity of skills, driving innovation, strategic thinking, and leadership with a variety of perspectives and talent.

Women leaders in Procurement must continue to stand up and be counted!

🌸 Be brave, bold and courageous.

🌺 Be intentional and assertive.

🌻 Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.

🌹 Be yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others.

🌼 Challenge the status quo and stereotypes.

🌷 Don’t over analyze, or be overly cautious.

🪻 Never self-doubt. Don’t hold back.

🪷 Shatter and break the glass ceiling if we see one.

💐 Be sounding boards to guide, coach and mentor fellow women leaders.

🍄 Be grateful and thank our male allies who have helped pave and navigate our Procurement career paths all this time.

[BSC] For young professionals aspiring to build a career in procurement, especially in the fast-evolving APAC market, what key skills or mindsets should they cultivate, and what advice would you give them to navigate challenges and seize opportunities?

Procurement is a sexy profession. It is the profession of the future. And the future is now.

This is the profession which gives a holistic yet bird’s eye view of the way each function is run in any organisation. From Manufacturing to Engineering, to Operations and Customer Service, to Sales and Marketing, to Human Resources and Finance. You name it. Procurement is involved as far as third party products and services are concerned.

Yes, technical and hot skills are important. Know your stuff on the Procurement trade and tools. But more importantly, hone your soft skills and human connection skills. Whether it’s internal stakeholders or suppliers, Procurement Professionals are constantly dealing with people.

Cultivate a growth mindset. Do not be afraid of failures and mistakes. Learn from them. And always think of how to do it better the next time. Build empathy, emotional intelligence (EQ) and humility.

Master the art of reading the room, and reading people. Know your body language, and non-verbal cues.

Listen to what is not said. Look at things which are not visible.

Above all, never stop learning. No one is perfect. So stay in school.