LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

Managing internal relationships is part of the skills of a chief procurement officer ( CPO ), but Dickson stresses that delivering value – rather than simply focusing on cutting costs – is what really defines the function , but says achieving this goal is hugely problematic .

“ Ensuring procurement focuses on total value delivery has always been hugely important to me , but at times it ’ s difficult to achieve because of the pressure and expectation that the function reduces the cost of goods , year over year .”

Procurement successes during times of adversity But for Dickson , challenges came no bigger than his being CPO at AstraZeneca from 2018 until 2023 – where he found himself in the front line of the medical fightback against COVID-19 . There , his procurrement team had to work at pace , and under great stress , as part of a crossbusiness project to not only prepare a vaccine in double-quick time , but also make sure that all risk was identified and mitigated . It is all an achievement of which he is justifiably proud .

“ The performance of the procurement team at AstraZeneca during the pandemic was incredibly stimulating and fulfilling , while also being exhausting at times ,” he says . “ Working with internal and external partners towards such a hugely important common goal was incredibly rewarding .”

The pressure on pharmaceutical companies to create COVID vaccines was immense . Under normal circumstances , a vaccine might take years to research ,

26 November 2023