For this month’s In the company of… we sit down with Andrew Swift, Chief Procurement Officer at the British Council.
A brief summary of your role and what your organisation does
I work at the British Council as Chief Procurement Officer. The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, supporting peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and over 200 countries worldwide.
We combine the UK’s expertise in arts and culture, education and the English language, working directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world. We support people across the globe to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. We also work with governments and our partners in the education, English language and cultural sectors, in the UK and globally, ultimately benefitting millions of people all over the world.
Our procurement team consists of almost 90 colleagues who work in various countries in our regional teams. We also have a category management team here in the UK and our compliance, governance and systems team based out of India.
How did you start working in procurement?
After leaving university back in 1996 I owned a surf shop in Leeds and I used to close the shop on a Monday. I then took a part-time job at the Yorkshire Post newspaper inputting data for Management Accounts. This led to me moving to Purchase to Pay and really that was my first role in procurement. After helping the purchase to pay manager negotiate an electricity contract it was suggested that I become their first buyer which is where I started – the Yorkshire Post paid for my CIPS foundation level as it was then known and the rest as you say is history!
What has been the biggest highlight of your career to date?
That’s a hard question to answer as I think I have a career highlight in every job I have had.
At the Yorkshire Post, my first-ever procurement project led to millions of pounds saved in electricity and gas. While I worked at Thistle Hotels, it was the successful delivery and installation of 56 new switchboards, air conditioning and fibre systems without the hotels having to close. At SKY we led the concept of flexible procurement of storage for the emerging SKY GO systems which needed more storage when big sports games were on. While I was at SITA my highlight had to be during the COVID-19 pandemic when procurement stepped up and saved over £65m in one year when our normal savings were around £20m per year.
At the British Council we are still writing the story but already I would say the highlight has been to see the transformation of our team, from being focused just on their regions or countries to thinking more strategically as one procurement team.
Which emerging trend do you think will be most crucial in your industry in the next ten years?
I think there are four major trends which are not just impacting one industry, but every organisation and procurement team globally:
- Digitisation and AI
- Environmental and sustainability efforts
- Global inflation and cost increases
- Supply chain risk
Procurement is no longer just transactional – it’s more about adding value and reducing risk.
That’s why digitalisation and AI can help tremendously because they take away the low-value transactional spend from our teams – which means we can focus on adding value, reducing the risk of supply interruptions and mitigating cost increases we see across the globe.
If you could spend a day in the life of another profession, what would it be and why?
Procurement is the best career you can be in as it has a number of professions all wrapped into one – from sales and business development to finance and supply chain, I can go on! But if I could spend one day in another career it would be as a stuntman. As a kid I watched the original Fall Guy films all the time and I always pictured myself on the set of a movie film as a stuntman!
Outside work, what helps you feel like the best version of yourself?
My main thing is running, which helps me to stay focused and be mentally alert. I try and run 1,200 miles a year which I have managed for the past 10 years, although this year I did the London Marathon and the week after I played badminton with my son and twisted my knee which has taken me out for many weeks. I also enjoy other sports such as golf and surfing, and I like to take my kids on the Thames on our SUP boards.
Before we go: what advice would you like to share with our readers?
Gandhi said it best when he said “Learn as if you will live forever, live as if you would die tomorrow.” Take every opportunity to enjoy yourself but keep learning, teach yourself new skills and stay on top of emerging trends. And finally, always find a mentor that you can aspire to and remember to be a mentor to someone else, we need to pass on the things we have learned!
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn.
