It is a privileged position to lead the world’s premier procurement consultancy; we are a group of people who want to create exceptional stories for ourselves, our company, and our clients.
Every day I am inspired by the people who work here, and it is my responsibility to create an environment that feels like home but also challenges and encourages them to achieve.
It is also important that our people bring their real and full selves to work each and every day. Yes, we are skilled procurement consultants, but more than that, we are a collection of individuals united by our desire to impact our clients, society, and each other positively.
One of the other things that I love about working for Proxima is the sheer breadth of clients that we work with. It is not just the prestige of their brands, it is also the people that we meet and the cultures that we become a part of. We have a very special corporate DNA at Proxima, and the diversity and difference that comes from our clients is a key part of it.
So when I am asked to talk “about us,” I immediately tell them about the exceptional group of people we are and the fantastic organizations we work with.
The following pages have been pulled together by a selection of our procurement specialists; I asked them to paint a picture of who we are, what we deliver, and what we are passionate about. This is the result.
WHAT WE DO
At Proxima, we are also inspired and defined by who we work with. We provide expert procurement services to a brilliant client list that ranges from some of the world’s largest businesses right through to some bespoke businesses that you’ve probably never heard of.
Read moreInclusiveness and openness
Diversity challenges us to think differently, and we become better people and better businesses as a result. Procurement, like many other careers, has not been the most diverse of professions in the past. It has some catching up to do. The good news is that things are changing fast, and we want to be at the forefront of leading that change.
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Our people
Running a procurement consultancy opens up a range of roles from expert procurement consultants to deep category specialists to operations and support gurus. At Proxima we employ brilliant minds from all backgrounds and walks of life, and all come together as part of the same collective effort. Meet some of our people here and learn more about what being at Proxima means to them.
Rayvaughn West
Principal Consultant, Chicago
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
Professionally, I’m known for being an expert in Procurement specializing in Technology and highly skilled in complex and transformative environments.
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
Providing commercial leadership in support of a $1.5b global transformation program was quite the challenge but despite being a huge success, I was afforded tremendous growth opportunities.
Beth Bradley
Senior Consultant, Cwmbran
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
My proudest moment over the last five years was applying for a completely different role internally and making it my own!
What are you most passionate about personally or professionally? What can’t you stop talking about?
Personally, I’m absolutely obsessed with my new puppy Eric. He makes frequent appearances on video calls and I make any excuse to show him off!
Professionally, I’m really passionate about the work we are doing to help our clients in sustainability and social value. It’s an area with an increasing spotlight and we can really help deliver additional value and help make sustainable choices.
Al Maranon
Senior Consultant, Chicago
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
A proud moment at Proxima was when I received high praise for a job well done from one of Proxima’s legends, and I personally have the utmost respect for Mark McPhee. Sometimes it’s not the epic display of value that makes an impact, but the smaller, somewhat quiet show of appreciation that means the most.
What are you most passionate about personally or professionally? What can’t you stop talking about?
Diversity and inclusion have been a passion for me throughout my professional career. Through education and open dialogue, Proxima is at the forefront of leading the charge, and I’m very proud and excited to be included in this fundamental issue.
Bridget McCormick
Senior Consultant, Chicago
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
Professionally, I’ve delivered savings and complex projects primarily in the Facilities Maintenance space. I enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and working to understand the challenges our clients face. In addition, I’ve really enjoyed being able to get involved in broader aspects of the Proxima business through lecturing at universities, leading recruitment efforts, and working to help orient new colleagues to our business.
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
I was the first employee to join Proxima in the US directly from college. At that time, Proxima had very few employees in the US. It’s been rewarding to see my professional and personal growth over the last four years and to be a part of Proxima’s growth.
Rachel Watson
Senior Consultant, London
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
Receiving a call from our CEO to thank me for my contribution to a successful year, on top of receiving great feedback from peers for my work across multiple teams and Clients. It’s a testament to our people-focused business that the time is taken to positively feedback when it’s thought due!
Oh and also being nominated to launch our internal Gender Equality Network, delivering a presentation to over 100 people!
What are you most passionate about personally or professionally? What can’t you stop talking about?
I can’t stop talking about my Beagle, Kobe. He’s a real character and often a contributor to video calls. I’m also a big health fitness fan and F45 regular.
Professionally I’m passionate about Procurement (of course!) – helping Clients to realize cost efficiencies as well as supporting responsible supply chain decision making.
Jack O’Farrell
Consultant, London
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
I’m part of our client delivery team, responsible for identifying, sourcing, and implementing strategic projects, across varying categories. During my time at Proxima, I’ve established a particular interest in the developments of sustainable procurement, and the impact that procurement can have on social equality.
What are you most passionate about personally or professionally? What can’t you stop talking about?
Outside of work I love all things sports and music. Also, give me a dog over a cat any day of the week! In work, I have a passion for sustainable procurement solutions and the value we can create for our clients and wider communities
Courtney Brearley
Consultant, Chicago
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
While I’ve been on client delivery teams across multiple industries and categories, my experience is largely within the Directs space. I’m known to be a team player and a champion for those around me, I try to ensure everyone’s voice is heard and that we’re motivating towards the same goal both internally and with our clients. Relationships are at the core of what we do and are very important to me, so I try to cultivate and build them every day.
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
This year I was nominated for the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award. It was a huge honor to be recognized for this among my peers!
Arsha Etebar
Principal Consultant, Cwmbran
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
My specialty is team management and building/managing relationships with clients. I’m known as someone who can create an effective environment for a team to prosper
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
Two weeks into my time at Proxima, traveling to Chicago at short notice to lead the completion of a key client deliverable that was crucial to the whole engagement. The deliverable was very well received and I felt a great amount of pride in being able to pick up such an important piece of work at short notice for one of our largest clients
Julie Craig
Vice President, Leeds
What are you known for professionally? What’s your specialty?
Ensuring a good team spirit on engagements, with an appropriate mix of hard work and play. My specialty is karaoke – we have had some legendary team nights out in Manchester!
What’s been the highlight/ proudest moment of your career at Proxima thus far?
Seeing team members progress in their careers and gain well-deserved promotions is something I am passionate about.
Proxima In the Press
Leadership
In a business like Proxima, there are leaders everywhere, we ask people to step up and take charge and empower them to do so. That might mean running a function, a team, a project, or managing or mentoring colleagues. Leadership is a behavior, not necessarily a role.
Read moreResponsible business
Being a responsible business is a corporate goal, and we have a board sponsored initiative to ensure that this aspiration is also a reality. There are lots of exciting things happening in and around our business, most of which are suggested by, and led by our people. You can read more about that here.
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Everything you need to know about Procurement
Why is procurement so important? Most businesses depend upon suppliers. In fact, the work that an average business does with its suppliers accounts for 70% of the total revenue. That’s right, our research found that for every pound or dollar you make, 70% of it is invested back in the supply chain. This is because in a specialized and global economy someone else is often better placed than you to do something, or provide something. What was once a paycheck is now….
Read moreCharities and Partnerships
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