4 February 2010 | Stephen Rowe

Buyers must be held accountable, says Stephen Rowe, CPO of Parmalat Australia

The day job

I am responsible for a team of 11 people at dairy firm Parmalat in Australia. We work to deliver savings targets, improve processes and control costs.

Personnel development

Helping people develop and grow motivates me. As a purchasing department matures and builds credibility, more demands are made on it. If people are not continually trained to meet those expectations, credibility will start to diminish.

Offering training marks the company out as an employer of choice, which is an advantage when there are so few capable candidates. Continually challenging people and helping them grow is key to retaining talent.

Achievements and ambitions

The biggest achievements of my career so far are being awarded FCIPS and being elected by my peers to the rest of the world seat on the CIPS council.

My ambition is to become one of the first procurement professionals to sit on a board in Australasia.

Understand others

Empathy is key to success. By understanding the drivers of others and where possible meeting them, you can deliver successful strategies.

Take responsibility

I was once told you should avoid being held accountable. It was bad advice because to be given authority, you need to be held accountable for it. Many talented people are stuck in lower management because they resist getting on a pedestal and being held to account. This is a fear of failure, but you must be confident in yourself.

Procurement no longer

I do not believe the profession will be called procurement five years from now. It will transform into a commercial department because at many firms it is cross-functional and facilitates projects outside of the traditional purchasing sphere.

CV: Stephen Rowe

Career history:

2005-present:
CPO, Parmalat Australia

2003-2005:
Regional strategic sourcing manager, Cadbury Schweppes Asia Pacific

2002: Purchasing consultant

1997-2002: Various procurement roles, Arthur Andersen

1995-1997: Byte Computer Superstores, retail manager roles

Hobbies:
Spending time with the family and maintaining our property

Guiltiest pleasure: Computer gaming

Greatest fear: Dark water

Favourite film: Notting Hill

Hero: Margaret Thatcher

Favourite TV show: Star Trek

Most treasured possession: My old military kit