People and Skills Zone
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the field of procurement is undergoing significant transformation driven by new legislation, advancements in technology, shifts in regulatory frameworks, and increasing emphasis on sustainability and ethical practices. As the procurement environment becomes more complex and dynamic, it is imperative for professionals to equip themselves with the requisite skill set to navigate these changes effectively.
Staying informed about the latest trends and innovations in procurement enables professionals to adopt best practices that enhance their strategic capabilities, including sustainable and ethical procurement practices, aligning with modern standards and expectations.
The People and Skills Zone at Procurex Wales will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from key figures through a range of topical educational and interactive sessions designed specifically to enhance your knowledge and ability to contribute to deliver on these ambitions.
People and Skills
People and Skills Zone Speakers
Mark Learmonth
Professional Management Development Practitioner
Rhian Rogers
Commercial & Procurement Directorate
Jonathan Irvine
Director of Procurement, Supply Chain, Logistics & Transport
I have been working in NHS procurement for over 30 years with the majority of my career spent in Northern Ireland Health and Social Care national procurement organisations. In recent years I have worked at a senior level in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and my present role in leading Procurement Services within NHS Wales. I hope my experience over many years of working within different political and operational environments in the NHS has allowed me to develop a keen sense of what works well (and not so well). I look forward to continuing the work with my procurement colleagues across Wales and beyond to help meet the many current and emerging challenges where our profession can make a real difference for our patient population and wider society.
Sue Hurrell
Head of Fair Work Procurement
Carl Thomas
Procurement Reform Stakeholder & Policy Lead
Richard Dooner
Programme Manager
WLGA’s lead officer for procurement. Richard came into public procurement “From a background of Logistics, Branch Management and B2B Sales in the private sector.” Initially as one of Cardiff Councils operational procurement team where he ran the County Supplies Catalogue and a delegated suite of procurement frameworks; then to a joint Welsh Government & WLGA initiative, the Welsh Local Government Procurement Support Unit; from there to the WLGA core team. A champion of social value and the wellbeing of future generations; he's taking a pivotal role in central/local government relations, coordinating the National Procurement Network for councils in Wales and much more. Army of one and fiercely loyal to his procurement officer network, he is coordinating local government responses to consultation and participating in the Government's reform programme. In 2021 Richard initiated the NPN Market Intelligence Expert Group and currently acts as researcher, editor, publisher. He says that he’s just a middleman; the value comes from the people on the group and the knowledge they have; but that’s what Richard does, he brings the good from the people he’s with. Richard has been speaking on the National stage, at the National Local Government Procurement Expo about Procurement in Difficult Times, about the Local Government Showcase at the National Social Value Conference and about Digital Transformation in a Gov News Masterclass. Wales representative to LGA's National Advisory Group for procurement, he's providing a weekly bulletin to an extended network of 114 procurement stakeholders and is credited in the Social Value Roadmap 2023, an important document nationally. So far, in 22/23 he's appeared in 10 separate external (non-WLGA) searchable and public facing digital media events. There were at last count 21 separate live events online featuring interviews, presentations, keynotes and reports where Richard is recorded or credited as a contributor.
Ian Schollar
Head of Teaching and Learning