Driton Tony Shala , Procurement Manager at Teachers College , Columbia University , details the institution ’ s transition from manual to e-procurement
Driton Tony Shala , Procurement Manager at Teachers College , Columbia University , details the institution ’ s transition from manual to e-procurement
Founded almost a century-anda-half ago in 1887 , Teachers College ( TC ) is the first and largest graduate school of education in the US , and one of the most prominent in the world .
While the college is affiliated and works closely with Columbia University , it has its own president and trustees , as well as an independent procurement department overseen by Driton Tony Shala .
Tony has spent two-and-a-half decades in procurement , working initially as Head of Administration and Procurement at OSCE , the largest security organisation in Europe .
From there , he took up a similar role with BNP Paribas , one of the region ’ s biggest banks .
But having spent 18 years in corporate procurement , Tony decided it was time to truly test himself and head in a different direction . In 2015 , he became Procurement Manager at Teachers College ( TC ), Columbia University in New York City , the first and largest graduate school of education in the US .
“ When I left BNP Paribas , I was working with the government here in the US and was introduced for the first time to cybersecurity , forensics and crime scene skills ,” explains Tony .
“ But actually , after that , I decided to continue in procurement and wanted to try something new .
“ I ’ d worked for 18 years in procurement but only in the corporate world ; I wanted to try procurement in higher education , which involves taking a completely different approach . I said to myself , ‘ I ’ d love to see how I can contribute ’ and that ’ s what brought me to TC as a Procurement Manager .”
80 January 2025