PROCUREMENT GROUP LEADER, BAE SYSTEMS, 26
Not every buyer has to consider the impact of International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR), but it is all part of the job for Nicola Collum.
One aspect of her role at BAE Systems is as a lead co-ordinator for the ITAR process for the Typhoon programme, and she managed to avert a serious breach of the rules in transporting some rig equipment by ensuring the correct regulations and conditions were within the contract and purchase order.
Collum joined BAE Systems in 2005 working in the support programmes division of Typhoon procurement, where she now manages a complex map of internal stakeholders and multiple British and foreign suppliers. She is responsible for equipment contracts worth about £100 million and has achieved £15 million savings from the supply base.
Her bosses highlight her passion and willingness to step outside her comfort zone, such as when she organised a contract in a tight timescale, which if not done correctly could have meant a three-month delay to the project and a potential cost of £3.5 million.
