From her earliest days as a Supply Chain professional, Elizabeth Skipor has had an interest in the big picture. Working in the retail space, she began to consider the 'how' and 'why' of the consumer's purchasing decisions.

She recalls, "I thought the best way to see those insights was to move into a new role as a buyer." The position enabled her to gain insights from both the retailer and consumer's perspective.

The ability to view projects through a number of lenses has served Elizabeth well throughout her time with Source One. She's widely recognized for her collaborative approach to negotiations and the unique skill set her time as a practitioner has helped her develop. Recently, these qualities helped her secure both Supply and Demand Chain Executive's Pro to Know award and a coveted spot on ISM's 30 Under 30 list of Supply Chain Rising Stars.

Elizabeth is especially commended for her success in bridging the gap between Marketing and Procurement units. While the two aren't typically known as allies, she has continually excelled at helping them speak each other's language and invest in one another's success.

She credits her success to passion, a diverse set of experiences, and a helpful piece of advice she received while working as a buyer. "The best advice I've ever gotten," she says, "was just be honest." Honesty - even during uncomfortable conversations - has powered her through a decade of professional success.

"If you're honest with your suppliers, if you're honest with your work, if you're honest with your teammates, you can collaborate to produce the results that'll keep relationships mutually beneficial."

Honesty and transparency, she remarks, are an increasingly essential part of success in Supply Chain Management. The old days of strong arm tactics and keeping customers in the dark are long gone. Consumers expect their preferred organizations to provide insights into their business, and employees demand their managers offer feedback consistently.

Elizabeth suggests these uniquely human skills are the ones that will come to define the Procurement world's rising stars throughout the next generation. "While it's always been important for consultants to possess human-facing skills to assess client needs, I think you can expect to see these qualities grow more valuable in each area of Procurement."

Another ongoing change, Skipor suggests, is that leading companies are looking at Procurement as a more holistic process than ever before. "We're seeing a shift from a bottom-up approach to a top-down one."

She concludes with a reminder that the next set of rising stars need to ensure they're prepared to get out ahead of these trends and take quick, strategic action. Where they can they start to build their expertise and assess Procurement's direction?

Elizabeth recommends they seek out opportunities to attend industry events like ISM's Annual Conference. Next month, she'll attend ISM2019 and be formally recognized alongside Kaitlyn and the rest of this year's 30 Under 30 winners.

Headed to Houston? Don't forget to stop by Booth #483 to learn more about how Source One has nurtured a team of supply chain rising stars.


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