Andrea Sordi is a global supply chain strategist and procurement innovator with over two decades of experience driving transformation across FMCG, manufacturing, logistics, and procurement. Passionate about socially sustainable supply chains, he is a results-driven leader who has redefined procurement’s role within businesses—elevating it from a cost center to a strategic value generator.
Andrea has successfully led large-scale procurement transformations, implemented zero-based budgeting strategies delivering up to 30% cost savings, and spearheaded global process optimizations. His expertise spans indirect procurement, outsourcing strategies, digitalization, and advanced analytics—leveraging data science to revolutionize procurement decision-making.
Beyond his corporate leadership at dsm-firmenich, Andrea is a professor of Global Supply Chain Management, an industry advisor, and a frequent speaker at major procurement conferences. Having lived and worked across five countries and multiple continents, he brings a truly global perspective to supply chain challenges.
In this exclusive feature, Andrea shares his insights on the evolving role of procurement, the importance of trust and influence in securing a seat at the executive table, and why intellectual curiosity and digital fluency will define the next generation of procurement professionals.
Over to Andrea.
Andrea, how did you get into Procurement? Was your perception of procurement different to the reality?
I joined Procurement by pure coincidence, and I actually thought someone was punishing me for something I did. We are talking about many years ago, when the concept of an integrated value chain was really different. Having been for many years in planning, customer service and in plant environment, I got an idea of Procurement being the squeezer, looking for the cheapest possible solution and not really caring about the rest.
Gosh if I was wrong!!! Back then I took the role as a personal challenge but it quickly became a never ending discovery journey, a continuous opportunity to challenge the status quo and creating a better future. I often describe procurement as ‘the window to the world’, as our unique chance is to be out there discovering what is new, latest trends and solutions, being a step ahead and bring all that value to our own companies as a catalyst for value generation and competitive edge. This is the beauty and the challenge we do have as procurement, and supply chain professionals, I believe. The opportunity to connect the dots, anticipate and accelerate.
Procurement wants the proverbial seat at the table. What does it need to do to earn that seat and what can procurement achieve with this seat?
I think we have been chasing that seat for too long without actually asking ourselves what that seat actually means. Is it really the need (and pride) of physically being in the room or rather the ability to contribute and influence? Catalysts are often unnoticed elements in reactions though without, nothing happens. Our job is about trust, and we will gain and hold that famous seat being a trustworthy partner for everyone in the business. Trust is difficult to gain. It takes time, knowledge, reliability and the courage of being humble. How often we seat at the table not actively listening to our partners (internal and external) and pretend to lecture on what needs to be done?
To gain and maintain that seat at the table we need to become damn good active listeners and constructive challengers at the same time, recognize when we fail and quickly build on it, look for solution and enable our business partners’ success. In a fast changing and volatile world, procurement needs to play a team game at the heart of the business.
Procurement is evolving at pace. The pace of change often calls for new skill sets and disciplines within a team. What value can Procurement source from adding non procurement skilled staff to their teams?
Indeed, the pace of change is incredible. Volatile world, changing and increasing priorities, digitization in full swing and we want to play a different role at that table. Yes, procurement will still exist in the future though, it will look like very different. Technical skills will become less determinant in the success of procurement organizations and will leave space to what we once called soft skills, which are now becoming hard skills.
Personally, I am looking for profiles with the intellectual curiosity and the agility to connect the dots between what’s outside and inside that window, great story tellers not to make up smoking mirrors but to rather being able to listen and influence, digital conversant profiles comfortable with a changing technology landscape and able to turn insights into recommendations and decisions. These in my opinion will be the new profiles we will need to attract and retain in our procurement and supply chain organizations in future if we want to stay relevant and bring competitive value. Attract and retain talents, especially from new generations, is and will be the key cornerstone for us.