Geoff is a well-known business travel and event management specialist, with more than 20 years of procurement experience working for major brands. In addition to sitting on the advisory board for several travel companies and associations, Geoff facilitates CASME events in the Europe region, and shares his expertise when speaking at industry conferences.  Here, he reflects on his journey into Procurement, his commitment to innovation, relationship-building and his passion for helping others both professionally and personally.

How did you get into Procurement?

I was fortunate to be working for Hewlett Packard UK from the late 1970s, before the invention of the internet and home computers. In 1997, I saw an internal job posting at HP for a European Travel Manager and thought, “That sounds interesting.” I applied and got the job, even though I knew very little about business travel or procurement. Fortunately, I quickly started learning from some amazing colleagues at HP, most of whom worked in California. It was exciting to work internationally on some large RFPs for travel categories such as travel agencies, hotels, and airlines. 

I quickly realised that in business travel procurement, it is important to negotiate well on the usual factors, such as price and quality, but also to always keep the internal customer – the traveller – in mind. Interestingly, my father was a procurement manager, and a Fellow of CIPS, having authored books for CIPS exams. I never thought I would follow him into this great profession! 

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

By 2010, I was working for Airbus in the Travel Procurement team. On 15 April of that year, I took two days off, Thursday and Friday, to visit family in Manchester (UK) with my wife. During our five-hour drive, my work phone started ringing and bleeping incessantly. When I stopped at Hilton Park services, I learned why – all flights in Europe had been grounded due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Needless to say, my holiday weekend in Manchester was spent on the phone and laptop trying to assist hundreds of travellers who were stranded all over the world. As a travel team, we helped as best we could; for example, arranging everything from hiring coaches to drive the employees home from Toulouse to Chester, to booking car rentals and ferries from Hamburg to Bristol via Ostend, and much more. One of the many lessons we learned that week was the importance of good supplier relationships – without the personal help of many supplier professionals in the airline, hotel, car rental, and TMC sectors, we would not have been so successful in repatriating our colleagues.

What has been the most significant success of your career, and why?

In 2009, I was honoured to win the European Business Travel Team of the Year Award, judged and presented by my peers at the Travel Awards event in London. One of the key factors in our success as a team at Airbus was the implementation of a fully on-line travel booking and expense management process for all employees. This automated process was widely acclaimed by travellers and stakeholders, to the extent that more than 95% of all travel and expenses were being handled through it. This resulted in our suppliers realising that when we agreed and signed a contract, we would deliver on our commitments.

What advice would you give to someone starting a career in Procurement?

Have a go! When negotiating, do not be afraid to ask for what might seem impossible; you never know, there could be a supplier out there willing to try the impossible!  Also, remember that we are all people, and the professional relationships we build together are never to be underestimated. Be kind, and most of the time, others will be kind in return!

How do you think we could get more young people interested in Procurement?

We need to make the procurement function exciting for young people, so this must include using the latest technology wherever feasible, but also maintaining personal interactions. Most young people find it interesting to learn from others, and so maybe challenge their thinking.  We also need to make it interesting. For example, on my first day at Airbus, I asked a colleague in Procurement what he purchased. He replied, “The rivets for the wings.” When I asked him how many he bought each year, he proudly told me, “52 million - from seven suppliers around the world!” He loved it, and he was great at his job. Who would have thought that wing rivets could be exciting and interesting?

Finally, putting Procurement aside, what inspires and motivates you?

My faith inspires and motivates me to live the best life I can with those around me. Sport is a passion, and I’ve recently taken up tennis. I’m also inspired to help others, and have cycled in Kenya and Uganda for charity, raising over £40,000. My wife and I love spending time with our four adult children, their partners, and our four granddaughters. I am excited to see how they succeed in their lives. As they live in the UK, Norway and Uganda, travel is always on the agenda!