Five Procurement Rising Stars Shaping Finance & Cost-Savings
Procurement is now about more than just cost. In sectors ranging from healthcare to telecoms, financial services to logistics, procurement teams are being reshaped by leaders who see finance, data and governance as core pillars of long-term value.
These five procurement leads are steering their organisations toward smarter, more integrated and purpose-led futures.
Rob Turner – Deliveroo
Moving fast to digitise global procurement
Rob Turner, Chief Procurement Officer at Deliveroo, leads with pace and precision. His approach focuses on what he calls a "digital and OPEX cost transformation programme", tightly linking procurement with profitability and shareholder returns.
With previous roles at Amazon Fresh, Diageo, John Lewis Partnership and Tarmac, Rob’s background mixes operational control with innovation. At Deliveroo, that experience has resulted in a global technology rollout using Coupa’s source-to-pay system and a new risk management platform — embedded across every business unit.
The transformation runs across Deliveroo’s entire procurement function and was completed in 13 months from design to launch. That speed is rare in enterprise-wide tech deployments.
Rob attributes this momentum to the people around him: “What makes this achievement even more impressive is that many of the people involved hadn't worked together before — yet there they were, making critical design decisions side by side.”
That delivery is only part of the picture. Rob is clear about the longer-term impact of procurement change: “Now the real work begins. Helping the business adapt to new ways of working.”
Jarrod Glover – Santander
Rewriting what procurement value means
For Jarrod Glover, Director of Procurement at Santander UK, traditional cost-cutting is outdated. Instead, he has redefined value to include sustainability, risk and governance.
Jarrod’s tenure since 2014 has shifted the bank’s procurement model toward what he calls a "dual-lens profession", explaining: “Cost is the baseline. But true value goes beyond that — it’s about social responsibility, environmental impact and governance.”
Under his leadership, Santander launched a programme to improve 2,000 lives through its procurement leverage, engaging with suppliers and educational partners, as part of the banks strategy to move towards a more inclusive future.
The bank also takes a data-led approach to supplier management, prioritising sustainability metrics over spend volume. Procurement strategies are tailored by supplier performance, supported by supplier summits and long-term collaborations designed to raise standards across the board.
It’s a clear example of procurement delivering both financial value and non-financial impact.
Mihaela Ambrozie – Vodafone
Using AI to align sustainability with decision-making
Mihaela Ambrozie, Head of Operations at Vodafone Luxembourg, brings a global view shaped by telecoms experience. At Vodafone, she uses artificial intelligence to confront one of procurement’s toughest challenges — fragmented data.
Speaking at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability, Mihaela shared her view on generative AI: “Gen AI allows us to analyse vast and fragmented datasets in a way we couldn't before. This technology is an enabler for discovering supplier practices deeply embedded in the chain.”
For Vodafone, that insight feeds directly into procurement decision-making. Mihaela leads efforts to ensure environmental and ethical standards are not only measured but integrated into supplier management and commercial negotiation. Her focus is on making these practices part of daily operations, not just standalone ESG projects.
With AI, she’s helping Vodafone turn data from a reporting function into a strategic advantage.
Rebecca Simpson – Royal Mail
Turning legacy procurement into strategic leadership
Rebecca Simpson, Chief Procurement Officer at Royal Mail, brings more than 25 years of procurement experience. Having run a US$5bn global function at a FTSE 100 company, she understands how procurement can unlock value through structure, people and performance.
Her current work at Royal Mail aims to move procurement away from a transactional mindset and towards strategic integration. This means building stronger internal alliances and aligning procurement with wider business goals, including cost control, sustainability and operational resilience.
Rebecca’s style is people-led and performance-driven, backed by a data-heavy model. She’s also focused on agility — a quality not typically associated with large, historically slow-moving organisations like Royal Mail.
By creating alignment between procurement and broader commercial priorities, Rebecca is making the function a core part of decision-making across the business.
Jane Scadding – Bupa
Focusing procurement on purpose and health
Jane Scadding, Chief Procurement Officer at Bupa, brings a distinct perspective informed by roles in telecoms, pharma and logistics, plus a board position at a major NHS hospital. She uses this diverse experience to link procurement directly with Bupa’s health mission.
At Bupa, procurement is not just about commercial optimisation. Jane ensures that every supplier relationship supports the organisation’s wider purpose: helping people live longer, healthier lives.
Her focus is on turning purpose into process. Governance, supplier collaboration and sustainability are embedded in every procurement decision. Jane also invests heavily in team capability to make sure strategy leads to delivery.
The result is a procurement function that balances operational discipline with community impact.
As procurement leaders take on broader financial, environmental and ethical responsibilities, one thing becomes clear: success is about more than contracts. It’s about people, systems and a sense of purpose.
