Episode Highlights

00:39 – Procurement’s position in the business

Niko and Steve kick off the episode, discussing how procurement has shown its value to the wider business throughout 2020, why we should care and how procurement functions can continue to improve the contribution they make.

2:34 – Introduction to Nirav Mehta

Introduction to Nirav Mehta and his role as Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain and Procurement at Edgewell Personal Care.

5:10 – Nirav’s view on procurement

Nirav talks about what excites him about procurement and shares how his cross-functional background has shaped his view on what good procurement looks like.

7:59 – Procurement set-up at Edgewell

Nirav explains how his centralised procurement function is structured in such a way they promote strong regional as well as cross-functional collaborations.

9:48 – How procurement drives innovation at Edgewell

Nirav breaks down how procurement is structured to drive the innovation agenda for all Edgewell brands.

11:21 – Nirav’s relationship with Edgewll CEO Rod Little

Nirav tells the story of a significant interaction he had with his CEO Rod Little, demonstrating the importance of courage and a people first culture, framing his view on the procurement and C-Suite relationship being a two-way street.

15:23 – A key soft skill that should not be underestimated

Nirav speaks about the importance of having a trusted advisor relationship with your stakeholders and why this is so critical.

16:17 – C-Suite perception of procurement at Edgewell

Nirav discusses the view of the executive team on procurement at Edgewell, being a central core competency for the organisation, and how they want to see that advance further into other critical areas.

17:43 – Nirav’s main takeaway of working directly with CEO Rod Little

Nirav points out the importance of resilience and an unwavering sense of optimism as he looks back on the main learnings of working with his CEO directly.

20:35 – 2020’s disruptions and its impact on procurement’s relationship with the C-Suite

With procurement at the centre of strategic efforts, leading the Edgewell and Harry’s merger and managing Covid-19 disruptions, Nirav explains how his procurement function has had to pivot during this unprecedented year. Reinforcing the full scope of procurement’s capabilities and the value they bring.

22:28 – How procurement supported across brands during Covid-19 disruptions

Nirav speak about their approach of establishing a procurement command centre to ensure communication flow and alignment, focusing on six action areas from colleague well-being to managing pricing implications and seeking new business opportunities.

25:18 – Structural changes to procurement due to Covid-19 disruptions

Nirav shares two main areas his procurement function has evolved in that will be key for the future.

26:26 – Procurement taking the lead on pivotal M&A activities

Having led the Harry’s merger, Nirav discusses what he learned and how this experience has allowed him to become more efficient at building trusted relationships with stakeholders and creating a more efficient procurement function.

30:00 – Key insights for a successful strategic procurement function

Nirav shares his view on what procurement teams should look like to be successful and what should be done to benefit from procurement’s current elevated position.

About our hosts