Mentorship Monday: Another Rising Star

Happy Monday everyone! Elizabeth Skipor is our feature this week and she is one of our expert sourcing and procurement consultants. Skipor was recognized alongside Kaitlyn Krigbaum as an ISM 30 Under 30 Supply Chain Rising Star. In her interview, she too discussed her background, how she got here (Supply Chain) and her best piece of advice.

Interestingly enough, Elizabeth Skipor began her career in the fashion industry like one of our previous Mentorship Monday features, Leigh Merz. She began in retail with an interest in how retailers actually provide products for their consumers and transitioned to a buying position. In this position she was able to travel the world sourcing fabric for a private company that was responsible for the Supply Chain of major apparel brands.

After her time sourcing fabric, Skipor decided it was time to get into Category Management. She wanted the mix of supply chain and product purchasing. She was skilled in idenfying consumer needs, effective purchasing and marketing, and her previous experience led her to excel in her position, thus she began sourcing for various categories.

Skipor says the best advice that has helped her as a procurement professional was "to just be honest." She explains:

"If you're honest with your work, if you're honest with your suppliers, and if you're honest with your teammates, you can readily collaborate and drive mutually beneficial results."

Remember to be honest in all your day's work and relationships. As our negotiation expert, Brian Seipel mentioned, suppliers want your client's business just as much as your clients want to work with the supplier. It should be a "mutually beneficial" relationship where all parties win.