From Ramp-Up to Right-Sizing: 6 Essential Procurement Strategies for Navigating Economic Downturns with David Ward, Procurement Director Catalent

In the face of challenging economic times, procurement leaders can emerge as the unsung heroes, helping to steer their organisations through the storm. 
One such leader is David Ward, Procurement Director at Catalent, who has leveraged his extensive experience from senior procurement roles at AstraZeneca and MSD/Merck to help guide the CDMO through challenging times. 
Catalent, along with other CDMOs, has been instrumental in the fight against COVID-19. The company played a significant role in vaccinating approximately 70% of the United States population through its partnerships with AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. This massive undertaking saw Catalent’s largest vaccine manufacturing site in Bloomington, US, expand its workforce from around 1,500 employees to around 3,500 in just a few weeks.
David Ward describes this period as a “huge ramp up,” followed by a plateau and now a phase of ‘right-sizing.’ Throughout these stages, procurement has played a crucial role. 
In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcast, David shares his insights on how procurement teams should operate differently during lean times and why he believes that “Procurement is the organisational Swiss Army Knife.”