It is an open secret that procurement is widely underestimated and seldom given the opportunity to prove its potential. No wonder you rarely will find a procurement expert who started his career in this field. Most people join procurement later in their careers from other fields. This has its advantage; procurement becomes a melting pot of different skills and mindsets. Fred Leeds, an accomplished procurement expert, reiterates just that when he describes procurement as “a kind of a conglomeration in a cornucopia of different skill sets and mindsets.” Not only that, but procurement also has immense untapped potential to create value for organizations. Professionals who have worked in this field can vouch for that, but it’s not easy to convince stakeholders. In this episode, Fred discusses a few ways in which procurement can prove its mettle as a trusted partner of organizations. Fred, who came into this field from an R&D background, currently works for Pernod Ricard, a global premium spirit brand. According to him, earning stakeholders’ trust has to happen organically.  “It's a long way. It's not something that you do overnight,” he pointed out. Tune in for more insights.