Professional Journey
I have recently (2020) completed my MSc in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Salford, and I am presently completing a course with The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on Automation Implementation in Business whilst considering Phd opportunities in both the UK and Australia having achieved my BSc (Hons) in Business information systems some 20 years prior. The main focus of my MSc was the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Procurement in the UK economy, and by extension on business functions through the period 2021 - 2030. My interest in builds on my academic background and the 20 years of experience that I have achieved working in digitisation and commercial roles at leading organisations around the world. The next big thing, if you like, is AI, the impact of which is and will continue to be profound for years to come, as such my becoming expert in the broad field of AI, and in particular the anticipated organisational and socio-economic impacts of AI is, and has been a logical, interesting and in fact exciting personal development stream to follow.
Before returning to Manchester to complete my MSc I lived and worked in the UAE (Abu Dhabi) for 5 years in both public and private sector roles. With Dubai and Abu Dhabi having a strong focus on infrastructure development and maintenance, this characterised much of my time working in the private sector, whilst developing human capital was a major focus area whilst working in the public sector. Prior to relocating to the UAE I lived and worked in Australia (Sydney) for 7 years, initially with General Electric (GE), with whom I relocated to Sydney with from the UK, and subsequently in Consulting with Deloitte, and most recently in Oil and Gas with Origin Energy (OE), Australia's largest integrated energy company, supporting mobilisation of a $15 BN joint venture between Sinopec, ConocoPhillips and OE. As previously mentioned, I worked for GE in both Australia and the UK, initially with GE Money UK in the capacity of Digitisation Leader, and then with GE Commercial Finance Australia and New Zealand in a commercial capacity. In total I spent 5 years with GE having transferred to GE from AstraZeneca, having worked at their global head office (UK) in their Knowledge Management division, which is where my professional career really took off. From the UK to Sydney to the UAE, my story is unique, and my experience, invaluable.
Past Employers
SERCO MIDDLE EAST, UAE
Strategic Procurement Manager
August 2016 to May 2019
Orchestrated all aspects of strategic procurement, change management, and partnership building. Assessed organisational infrastructure and introduced best practices to enhance efficiency and reduce risk. Developed category strategies for annual spend of £170M. Maintained lasting partnerships with strategic suppliers and provided full life-cycle management. Coached and mentored employees to enhance their capabilities. Cross-sold services to increase revenue, productivity, and margin.
MUBADALA, UAE
Supplier Management Organisation Leader
August 2015 to February 2017
Championed best practices to transform business and optimise use of technology. Developed the procurement Business Continuity Plan (BCP). Established the Supplier Relationship Management process. Educated leads and aligned operations across business units. Drove category strategies for spend of £33M.
ORIGIN ENERGY, AUSTRALIA
Senior Category Specialist
March 2011 to October 2014
Reviewed $1.6B spend to align operations and strategy across business units. Partnered with cross-functional teams to assess and refine operations. Cultivated a culture of innovation at all organisational levels. Defined, monitored, and reported on KPIs, SLAs, and contract compliance.
DELOITTE, AUSTRALIA
Strategic Sourcing Manager
January 2010 to December 2010
Enhanced consulting operations through stringent financial oversight of $62M spend across Financial Services and Travel Management categories. Owned corporate charge card and travel management processes. Developed and monitored KPIs, SLAs, and contract compliance.
GE, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, UK
Digitisation Leader (UK)
2004 to 2007
Sourcing and Facilities Leader (ANZ)
2007 to 2009
ASTRAZENECA, UK
Business Analyst & e-Procurement Consultant
2002 to 2004
Key Accomplishments
SERCO MIDDLE EAST, UAE
Strategic Procurement Manager
August 2016 to May 2019
Delivered savings through careful development of Middle East procurement strategy.
Saved £1M+ through negotiation of subcontractor agreements.
Secured buy-to-pay process efficiency that enabled buyers to deliver 650+ projects per annum.
Four CIPS ME nominations: Best Cross-Functional Team Work Project, Best Process Improvement Initiative, Best Supplier Relationship Management, Most Innovative Use of Technology.
Increased revenue from client by £1M+ per annum through effective cross-selling.
Developed expert understanding of AI to drive predictive maintenance.
MUBADALA, UAE
Supplier Management Organisation Leader
August 2015 to February 2017
Established shared services entity for UAE Government Investment Fund.
Drove Lean principles to optimise process performance, including: procurement operating model and governance, contracting policy, procedures and guidelines, and e-invoicing process.
Provided training in scope development, project management, and contract management.
ORIGIN ENERGY, AUSTRALIA
Senior Category Specialist
March 2011 to October 2014
Saved over $10M through strategic cost reduction.
Developed innovative fuel solution that supplier adopted to sell to other customers.
Established group-wide strategic sourcing function.
Designed and established Procurement Enterprise Project Management Office (P-ePMO).
DELOITTE, AUSTRALIA
Strategic Sourcing Manager
January 2010 to December 2010
Delivered process improvements that secured $1.8M in benefits.
Secured $50M p.a. corporate charge card deal with Citi Bank.
Developed internal governance tool that delivered operational surety.
Recent Clients
REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF MIDDLE EAST CLIENTS
- Sovereign Wealth: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Mubadala Development Corporation (MDC)
- Healthcare: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC)
- Education: New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD)
- Military: Australian Defense Force (ADF), Ministry of Defense (MOD)
- Transportation: Dubai Airport, Dubai Metro
Current Directorships
AIDIATION LTD
As an Artificial Intelligence (AI) fiend, not only am I pushing the envelope in terms of personal development, I'm also utilising 20 years of experience from working in digitisation and commercial roles to develop and deploy our own AI solutions. Formally established in 2020, but in the pipeline for some years prior, Aidiation is a software development company focussed on developing the AI tools of today and tomorrow, through the automation of tasks and the adoption of machine learning to help predict business need and facilitate augmented solutions where man and machine can operate faster, more safely, at lower cost and with the eradication of waste, all of which enables growth strategies, increased profitability, improved quality and the future proofing of organisations.
ESSENTIAL EVENTS MANAGEMENT
Established more than 10 years ago, Essential Events Management has provided me with a creative outlet, which would otherwise have been more difficult to explore through my core business activities. Born out a passion that dates back to the age of 16 years old, who'd have thought that my teenage entrepreneurial eye, and zest to create something new would have spawned into the number one NYE event in Sydney, underpinned by a brand that I created now having global industry recognition. The above image is of a piece of artwork that I had commissioned from my friend and up and coming artist Danny Willans, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary show at our home venue the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney, Australia. In the Creative section of this site, I talk more about my events company, and share some of the creative genius that's underpinned a series of sell out shows over the past 10 years.
JodyAdeCoker@gmail.com | +971502183593 | +61 414012740