The Changing Leadership Agenda in the Publishing Supply Chain. An Interview with Philip Davies - Part 2

Oliver Dick: the first part of this interview, you provided some key insights into how more traditional supply chains might evolve, but now let’s turn to another important subject, sustainability. Has it moved off the CSR agenda to become a competitive driver in your area?

Philip Davies: Absolutely, it’s central to a supply chain leader’s role now.

What our ambition for the supply chain might be, what initiatives we can implement to deliver on that ambition, and actively delivering on those initiatives - these skill sets and knowledge rest within the supply chain team. They should be running that programme, and it should be at the top of any supply chain director’s priorities.

Whilst the potential for things coming in from left-field and damaging reputation is serious, more importantly, we have an absolute obligation to address the impact of our supply chain business model on the environment, and today it’s essential to get ahead of that.

OD: Does the drive for sustainability lead to greater collaboration outside the organisation?

PD: Yes, often it is the partners in the supply chain that have the deepest knowledge of the big initiatives and global innovation opportunities around sustainability.

They can be your guide to what’s possible and what we can do. So, yes their expertise and knowledge are absolutely crucial.

OD: When it comes to hiring at a senior level into your supply chain team, what are the major challenges you face? Has anything fundamentally changed in the last ten years?

PD: I think, on the one hand, roles are becoming a lot more specialised, with deep skills, for example, in inventory, air and sea freight, engineered standards in distribution centre operating models, in network modelling, using huge amounts of data to optimise your network decisions…..all deeply-specialist skills. But how do you then combine those skills with the need for leadership and for someone to look across the value chain functional areas, and inspire and lead, and shape the direction?

Finding the right balance between process, analysis, risk management and compliance, with timely decision-making and progressing opportunity has become one of the key requirements for a supply chain leader

OD: Where do you think the hiring trends will be in the supply chain of the future?

PD: You’re always going to need distribution centre general managers, transport general managers, air and sea freight managers, the only trend there is that those jobs and careers are now often being recruited and developed in the third-party outsourcers and logistics providers, rather than client organisations.

There is an increasing need for specialist skills. Analytical capabilities, the ability to understand innovation, sustainability and what’s best practice in a globalised world, the capability for strategy, network modelling, DC operating models, efficiency programmes, and logistics development.

If finding those skills from outside consultancies is too expensive, there may be an opportunity to bring these in-house, but they may not necessarily be available locally.

OD: Finally, at the leadership level, how do you find leaders that have the experience, insight and ability to inspire and motivate across inventory, procurement, and supply chain?

PD: Well, ultimately, these are the personal skills of leadership, of culture and attitude, as much or more than a long career across the value chain.

OD: Phillip, thank you very much for your time and your insights.

Read the first part of this interview here.

The Odgers Berndtson Procurement and Supply Chain Executive Search Practice works with organisations throughout the world to discover individuals with the strategic skills, critical analysis, and cross-sector experience to create value and drive business growth through best-practice supply chain, and innovative procurement.