EUROPEAN PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR, CSM BAKERY SUPPLIES EUROPE, 35
Responsibilty for a team of 30 people of 10 different nationalities, buying on behalf of 20 operating companies and managing a €500 million (£449 million) budget are among the challenges that Jo Cox faces in her role at CSM Bakery Supplies Europe.
Cox’s background is in finance and accounting and she entered the purchasing profession in 2002 as CSM’s head of procurement for UK operations. She saved £4 million over two years by developing sourcing strategies and setting negotiation targets.
As European category manager, she worked with the procurement director to centralise procurement, taking 40 staff from local buying departments to build a European team. She was also responsible for helping to bring 18,000 tonnes of production back in house from external suppliers.
Promoted on the strength of her relationship management skills, international business experience and the trust she had built with internal customers, she became European procurement director in 2008. “She has already made a very positive impact on the teams’ cohesiveness and delivery,” says Reiner Kelder, vice-president of procurement at parent company CSM.
