David J. Watkins
Global Procurement and Supply Chain Executive
Driving Bottom Line Return on Investment
Supply Chain Executive with a perspective for innovating solutions that transform businesses, improve performance while maximizing value at the lowest marginal risk. Fully engage stakeholders in the decision-making process to amplify visibility and ensure transparency while reaching or exceeding objectives.
Maximize supply chain performance to drive bottom-line ROI as a transformational leader who focuses on:
Madison, WI
(914) 325-7917
david@watkinsgroup.com
Defining Cross Functional Objectives
Understanding, sharing and refining the desired objectives of the organization then to test and validate the rationale for those objectives as they impact procurement and supply chain decision making.
Innovating Solutions
Discerning, evaluating and addressing the limitations of existing processes, policies and procedures creating and or innovating “out of the box” solutions that maximize the greatest value at the lowest marginal risk / cost.
Communicating Direction
Ensuring that all stakeholders have been fully engaged in the decision-making process and maximizing real-time visibility reporting on the progress of satisfying and or exceeding set objectives.
Driving Results
Exceeding ROI expectations through application of best practices, building and motivating high-performing teams and aligning all resources to the vision and mission of the organization.
Achievements
Work History
Public utility company providing affordable electricity and natural gas service to 1.5 million customers.
Director, Head of Supply Chain Management
Leading and transforming the supply chain organization to support development of innovative customer solutions. Own long- and short-term strategies, planning, policies and procedures and operations. Accountable for $4 billion in annual operations, maintenance, and capital spend. Manage four direct reports with a total of 40+ team members.
- $8.3 million above annual target of $10 million cost savings realized by defining and implementing guiding principles, forming action plans, and key performance indicators to embed new skills within management teams.
- Guaranteed critical materials availability to maintain uninterrupted service and disruption of capital projects.
- Recruited, identified, and engaged top quality talent by piloting and standardizing organization wide staffing video depicting corporate culture, active opportunities, and workplace experience.
- Attained $32+ million cost saving by revising alignment between supply chain and cross functional fiscal stakeholders, strategically sourcing services and materials, and rigorous category management.
- $3 million in hard expenditures averted fused with $8 million in soft benefits gained by leveraging technology and an analytic approach to engender a strategic mindset among team members.
- Optimized performance for significant portion of $4 billion operations, maintenance, and capital budget by defining, utilizing, and enforcing supply chain best practices.
- $2.3+ million in operating expenses avoided by developing and executing a cohesive, coordinated methodology to support procurement and supply chain initiatives.
Multinational company focused on transportation of crude oil and liquid with 3,100 miles of pipelines.
Director, Supply Chain Management
Trusted business partner to North American gas transmission and midstream business unit with annual operating expenses and capital expenditures of $5 billion. Shepherded 100+ employees and contractors as well as seven reports.
- $35 million in value created within two years counting $19+ million in United States market relief synergies by evaluating and amending supplier contracts and strategic sourcing plans.
- Maximized operational performance during sensitive post-merger transition by engaging team members in continuous improvement plans for geographically dispersed employees.
- Optimized identification and implementation of strategic areas of efficiency while aligning newly combined supply chain management organization to borderless gas transmissions and midstream operations.
- $19 million savings found versus $8 million goal by integrating dual supply organizations as part of merger.
Ranked amongst the top 15 oil and gas producers in Western Canada generating conventional fuel, coal bed methane, and tight gas along with producing an average of 78,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Supply Chain Center of Excellence Lead
Drove continuous process improvement and directed national and international strategic sourcing plans to achieve excellence in a decentralized supply chain. Significantly influenced 10 staff members and 25 executive stakeholders.
- $40 million reduction in expenses within five years combined with 60% descent in headcount by renegotiating operations and corporate service agreements and championing a transformation process to streamline tasks.
- Identified and sealed operational gaps and synergies by conducting a thorough analysis of systems and processes melded with a training program and procedural manual to bolster performance and eliminate deficiencies.
- $22 million bottom line cost cutout completed by identifying top suppliers and renegotiating agreements in response to market volatility along with lowering overhead, general and administrative charges, and capital expenses.
- $7 million reset in electric energy rates delivered within two years through negotiations and deploying a hedging strategy to eliminate reliance on fluctuating market charges.
Specialty supply chain management consulting firm supporting global companies to attain transformational results.
President
Started up and provided executable strategies and protocols across the entire supply chain for multinational companies.
- Triggered 15%+ cost cutting measures by assessing internal capabilities, restructuring processes, outlining programs for total transformation, and guiding development of communications and methodologies.
Amongst the world’s seven supermajor oil and gas companies headquartered in London, England.
Senior Procurement Specialist
Lead procurement reimagination of $1 billion in global marine logistics spend.
- Activated $375+ million expense reduction for six operational units located in the United Kingdom for a period of 10-years by conceiving, gaining approval to implement offshore support vessel strategy in the North Sea.
- Blocked overspending at upwards of tens of millions of dollars by actualizing a cultural change and subsequent worldwide adaptation compelling negotiation by exception to negotiation as a 100% rule.
- Rescued $10 million through an innovative arrangement for ad-hoc chartering and competitive tendering of supply vessels by actively negotiating with the business unit’s largest supplier.
A global services provider within the real estate and travel industries that disaggregated its businesses in 2005/6 into: Avis Budget Group, Wyndham Worldwide, Realogy, and Travelport.
Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing
Formalized company-wide processes for indirect spending during a period of significant transition. Provided leadership to 15+ staff.
- $5+ million conserved coupled with +21% return on investment by receiving endorsement from chief financial officer for a personally built business case to outsource services and shouldering responsibility for advisory services to the global president and chairman post-divestiture.
- Claimed $16+ million exception by capturing 10% to 40% discounts for commodities and services and meticulously effecting sourcing advantages in compliance with diversity requirements.
Senior Financial Analyst, Starwood Hotels | Manager, Salomon Smith Barney | Financial Analyst, Unimin Corporation
Education
Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics | Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Boards / Ambassadorship
Board Member – Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA)
Board Member – CSR
Alliant Energy “Ambassador” to Energy Impact Partners (EIP)