That perspective set the foundation for how modern leaders approach value, influence, and impact. More importantly, it reinforced a critical truth: when individuals are empowered to lean into their strengths, they build confidence and consistently deliver higher‑quality outcomes.

Building on those insights, Part II shifts from philosophy to execution, focusing on what differentiates consistently high-performing organizations. At the center of that difference is leadership. The environment leaders create ultimately shape how people perform, collaborate, and grow. They examine culture, adaptability, and the courage required to lead in increasingly complex environments.

Drawing on decades of leadership across the pharmaceuticals, CPG, and technology industries, Howard shares an unfiltered look at the unconventional paths that shape successful procurement careers and why the strongest functions are built on people, not just processes, platforms, or savings metrics.

Through candid stories and hard‑earned perspective, this conversation challenges traditional thinking and reframes procurement as one of the most complete and influential business functions in the enterprise.

In this episode, Stacy sits down with colleagues Kim Neisen, Director of Workforce Talent, and Ani Roy Chowdhury, Advisory Director, to challenge the traditional decision framework and explore how organizations leading procurement into the future are  orchestrating service models in order to build a procurement function that is adaptive, scalable, and aligned to enterprise value creation.

With more than 20 years of experience spanning the pharmaceutical, financial services, retail, and food industries, Aparna Thornton brings deep global procurement and supply chain expertise to her role within GSK’s North America Commercial Procurement organization. Over the past three years, she has driven measurable value through strategic sourcing, operational excellence, and strong cross-functional collaboration. A Penn State graduate, Aparna holds Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and APICS certifications. Outside of work, she is a CASA Child Advocate and serves on the Darlington Arts School Board. Aparna lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and two teenage sons.

Listen in to hear actionable insights you can apply right away, from playbooks and stakeholder listening to the art of candid feedback and vendor development.

Note: All opinions and perspectives expressed and/or information shared by Aparna Thorton on this podcast are hers alone, and do not represent those of her firm, GSK.

In this episode, we explore the twists and turns that shaped her career, the hard-won lessons she learned along the way, and why procurement’s greatest impact comes from building trust and influence—not just managing process. It’s a discussion about relationships, credibility, and redefining what C-suite-level, strategy-led procurement really looks like.

We'll focus on how Katie elevates procurement from an internal check-the-box function to an indispensable business partner.

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Katie has been a professional in the Financial Services space for more than twenty years, and has partnered across many categories, including Marketing, Advertising, Professional Services, IT, and Non‑IT Contingent Labor. Katie also serves on the Marketing & Communications Committee for the Financial Services Roundtable for Sustainable Development and previously spent over a decade with Brighthouse Financial and MetLife in roles that led her into Procurement. She holds degrees from the University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford and stays active in her community as the PTO Communications Chair at her local elementary school in Lake Wylie, SC.