A conversation with Melissa de Roquebrune, Executive Director Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP).
In this exclusive interview, Melissa De Roquebrune shares insights on the compelling reasons behind her decision to lead a transformative organization like SPP, underlining the critical role of procurement professionals in driving sustainable change and the key initiatives and activities undertaken by SPP – including global events, regional chapters, and collaborative programs. De Roquebrune sheds light on the recently launched SPP Sustainable Procurement Pulse Survey, which helps SPP understand its impact on the procurement profession for a more sustainable and equitable world.
You are the first Executive Director of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge. Could you tell us something about your career and why you have decided to join this organization?
Melissa de Roquebrune: My career has been a purpose-driven journey, rooted in the belief that positive change is not just a possibility but a responsibility. I have had the privilege of being in roles that aim to empower and support individuals and organizations to make positive change. I have always felt lucky to have built a career with meaning and I continue to be drawn to the transformative potential of sustainability. I like big challenges, I like to dive deep into new topics and I am always curious to find opportunities to align my experience and knowledge to support and empower others. Joining SPP offered the opportunity for me to incorporate all of these aspects of my personality, but what really convinced me… the people. The SPP volunteers, founders, and supporters truly embody the values of the organization. It has been inspiring every single day to work with the SPP team. Not many people get the opportunity to align passion and purpose with their careers! It’s important to acknowledge that this role also carries a sense of responsibility and occasionally feeling daunted, as the challenges in the realm of sustainable procurement are HUGE. And I feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver all the tools, support, and opportunities the community and our partners need. I firmly believe that together we can shape a future where ethical choices become the driving force behind global supply chains. It’s a mission that fills me with both excitement and a sense of urgency, knowing that the road ahead may be challenging. But I also know that we are going down the road as a strong community. We are doing this together and that’s amazing. Every day as the Executive Director of SPP, I wake up inspired, knowing that together, we are writing a new chapter in the story of procurement, one that champions sustainability, ethics, and positive change for generations to come.
Why is it important to be part of this challenge?
Melissa de Roquebrune: Procurement Professionals are in a wonderful position to use their profession as an agent of change. But they are finding it challenging to go at it alone. By coming together, supporting each other, and learning from one another to make procurement Sustainable, as a global community we are working to build a more equitable and sustainable world. SPP is working to recognize the power of Procurement. We are building a sense of belonging and a space to discuss problems as well as solutions to tackle the big challenges we have facing us. By joining the Sustainable Procurement Pledge, individuals and organizations firstly take the SPP Pledge. The five principles of this pledge bring us together as a community under shared values. We don’t have a lot of time between now and 2030 and we believe that together we can reach our targets faster. We can leverage each other’s experience and learnings so that we can accelerate change toward truly embedded sustainability in procurement. This not only helps reduce the negative impacts of supply chains but also fosters innovation, enhances learning and establishing best practices, so that procurement professionals no longer feel alone in the challenges they face. Being part of this community means taking a proactive stance in addressing global sustainability challenges and driving positive change through procurement. We say By Procurement, For Procurement. It is only together that we can truly change the world.
What are the main activities you have promoted with SPP so far?
Melissa de Roquebrune: Since the launch of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge, we have engaged in several key activities to promote sustainable procurement. These include: World Sustainable Procurement Day – This is an incredible 24-hour event that is truly global. For 24 hours we hear from procurement professionals on a number of topics. It is an event designed to inform, empower and equip; Quarterly Global Ambassador meeting: Open to all SPP Ambassadors and community members: these events bring together amazing speakers to address the most timely subjects and dive deep in conversation; SPP Chapters: We have 20+ global chapters. Our Regional, Topic, and Industry Chapters are led by industry leading Co Chairs and dive deep into topics such as Packaging, Scope 3, Travel & Hospitality and often collaborate for even more learning and exchange. These chapters are a wonderful way to learn, but also to contribute to the SPP community; Champions Program – The League of Champions is a group of CPOs from 20+ companies and the Transformational Panel is made up of members of their team. Together they are collaborating on the future of sustainable procurement leadership and tasked with embedding sustainability and capability-building procurement. They are collaborating on how to drive change; Ongoing exchange, collaboration and learning. Across all our platforms there is an ongoing dynamic conversation among Procurement Professionals. We are working to be 1 Million strong by 2030 – because only together we can drive change. So do join us.
We know SPP has launched a survey recently. Could you tell us something about this initiative? What’s the purpose of it?
Melissa de Roquebrune: In partnership with Gartner, we conduct our annual SPP Sustainable Procurement Pledge Pulse Survey to assess the state of sustainable procurement and identify if and how SPP is supporting Procurement Professionals across the world in closing the gaps that they have been sharing with us in our previous surveys: the knowledge gap, the support gap, the confidence gap, and the leadership gap. We are building SPP for you, the procurement professionals, this survey helps us understand how we are doing. What we need to strengthen or work on together to do better. We truly do not have a lot of time, so taking a moment to review our work is always helpful. At SPP we say For Procurement by Procurement. This is not just a tagline. It is truly how we operate every single day. It is also important that we all understand what we are collectively working towards and what impact we are having. The SPP Community is mighty and strong. There is a lot of knowledge and expertise in this group. Annually the survey also focuses on one area, in 2023 this was Scope 3- hearing from you allows us to then share with the SPP community and beyond, important reflections and learnings.
More broadly, from your privileged point of view, can you define what are the main drivers and the latest transformation in (and of) procurement?
Melissa de Roquebrune: I am not a procurement professional, however, I work with thousands of procurement professionals from all regions of the world and in every industry on a daily basis. What I am witnessing is that the procurement landscape is undergoing significant transformation, driven by several key factors:
- Sustainability: Increasing awareness of environmental and social issues is driving organizations to prioritize sustainability in their procurement practices.
- Technology: Digitalization and data analytics are revolutionizing procurement, enabling more informed decision-making and greater efficiency.
- Supply Chain Resilience: Recent disruptions have highlighted the need for resilient supply chains, leading to a focus on diversification and risk management.
- Regulation: Governments and international bodies are imposing stricter regulations on supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing.
As we now say at SPP, we also see that Sustainability is becoming sexy. The profession has the real potential of being an amazing agent of positive change, and by working together as a global community we are working to unlock this potential and accelerate the impact.
What does the future hold for the organization you are leading? What values will guide your actions?
Melissa de Roquebrune: The future of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge is exciting and full of potential. It has been one year that the organization transitioned from being volunteer-led to having a full-time team to lead the strategic development. 2030 is around the corner and we have a lot to do in a very short time. We will continue to grow and evolve as a global hub for sustainable procurement collaboration. Our approach of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability will guide our actions. We will continue to strive to grow our Ambassador community to 1 million members! We are making even more resources available to share best practices to drive continuous improvement. We are building key partnerships with leaders in business and in the ecosystem including with educational institutions, multilaterals. We do not want to replicate; we want to help good content and tools resonate and fill the knowledge gaps where needed. To achieve this we are fostering a community that inspires and supports one another in our sustainability journeys. We are continuing to create engagement opportunities not only for companies but also, for individuals. We each have an important role to play! Our ultimate goal is to change the profession of procurement and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world and see all supply chains across the world have embedded sustainable procurement practices.
