7 Lessons in CPO Leadership with Len DeCandia, former Chief Procurement Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Len DeCandia is an award-winning Supply Chain and Procurement Executive with 40+ years of experience, most recently as Chief Procurement Officer for Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen and Roche.

In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcast Len describes the changes he has seen in procurement, including his experience in mobilising during COVID, and explains why he believes enlightened organisations must prioritise suppliers.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation: 

1. 'Enlightened' organisations prioritise and centralise supplier relationships
2. You need strong sponsorship from the board to be successful
3. The budget owner is the customer 
4. Use technology to create trust and transparency
5. Be early when finding business solutions 
6. Change the story to win hearts and minds
7. Make an impact on the world

"One of the important aspects was our commitment to purposeful spending. And so one of the commitments that we made as a team to the business was we were going to double our spend with women-owned and minority-owned suppliers.

To do that, they needed to engage the budget holder in that conversation, to prove they wouldn't have to sacrifice innovation, We had to educate them on the community impact.

Johnson and Johnson regularly publishes a Health for Humanity report which quantifies the impact they make each year. More than just numbers, Len explains that when investing in local and diverse suppliers you can see the difference yourself "They are the people you're going to church with, on Sunday, or you're seeing in the grocery store, or whose children go to school with their children, because we made it part of their community. They brought us insights and innovations that we never thought of before."

Listen to the full episode podcast for more advice and inspiration.