THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW
“ Our partners are aligned with our purpose to make sustainable living commonplace ”
Willem Uijen was named as Unilever ’ s Chief Procurement Officer in September 2022 after a career at the company spanning over 24 years . He first joined the business in 1999 as a trainee engineer in the Netherlands , and since then has worked in many parts of the world and across numerous supply chain disciplines .
CAREER AND LEADERSHIP
What do you find most rewarding about your job ? We buy materials and services from over 52,000 suppliers and the work we do with these partners really makes an impact on our business today and tomorrow .
Our partners are aligned with our purpose to make sustainable living commonplace . But they also realise it ’ s difficult to achieve . So , it ’ s rewarding to see that , by working together , we can come up with truly new ways of doing business .
How would you describe your leadership style ? I believe that by empowering people – so they are able to work on things they ’ re interested in and passionate about – you get amazing results .
There has to be a strategy , but then I trust my team to get the job done in the best possible way . Over the years , I have changed my leadership style and I think it ’ s that ability to adapt to different environments that ’ s helped me build high-functioning teams .
STRATEGY , INNOVATION AND GROWTH
How does procurement generate value and growth for Unilever ? First and foremost , we make sure we buy at the right cost , so we have the funds available to invest behind our brands . This ‘ competitive buying ’ is a fundamental .
In addition , we work on the innovation needed to make our sustainability commitments a reality , and many of those commitments need to be delivered through our partners .
16 December 2023