Framing The Search Assignment
Position: Vice President, Procurement
Client: North American fresh produce company with operations across Canada and the United States.
The Challenge
3P Partners was engaged to recruit a Vice President of Procurement for an expanding fresh produce business with an extensive grower and supplier network across North America.
The company had expanded significantly, both organically and through acquisition, but its procurement function needed to evolve with the scale and complexity of the business.
The mandate was to find a procurement leader who could move the function from reactive supply coverage toward a more structured, commercially aligned model.
The successful candidate needed to understand the realities of high-volume, thin-margin commodity procurement, including short-cycle contracting, changing market conditions and the importance of balancing supply security with margin. Just as importantly, the role required someone who could work closely with sales rather than operating procurement as a standalone function.
Key deliverables:
- Build a unified 6, 12 and 24-month procurement plan across major categories, growers and geographies, aligning committed supply and pricing with the sales plan.
- Establish procurement reporting that gives buyers clear visibility into cost performance, variance to targets and margin contribution.
- Create stronger alignment between procurement and sales, connecting supply decisions directly to customer commitments and commercial priorities.
- Assess and develop the existing procurement team, establish clearer accountability and make personnel changes where required.
- Build the processes and grower networks required to support continued expansion across Canada and the United States.
- Lead the procurement workstream for future acquisitions and integrate new supplier networks and operating processes into the broader business.
The Solution
3P Partners conducted a targeted search across fresh produce, agricultural commodities and other high-volume supply environments where procurement leaders manage complex supplier networks, short planning cycles and significant cost volatility.
The search prioritized leaders who could combine strategic sourcing experience with practical operating discipline. We looked for candidates who had built procurement and supply planning processes, managed supplier performance, improved reporting and accountability, and worked cross-functionally with commercial and operations teams.
Given the company’s growth plans, we also placed particular emphasis on candidates who had helped companies scale and who could build structure without adding unnecessary complexity.
Our team ultimately placed a senior procurement and supply chain leader with more than 20 years of experience across sourcing, agricultural raw materials, supplier strategy, inventory planning, logistics and risk management. Her experience spans both Canada and the United States, with a track record of aligning procurement execution with customer commitments, operational capacity and margin objectives.
In her most recent role, she had been responsible for redesigning procurement and supply chain processes to support a growing food business, including establishing longer-term procurement and supply planning strategies and moving the organization toward a more proactive S&OP model.
What set her apart:
- More than 20 years of procurement and supply chain leadership, including agricultural raw materials and food supply chains.
- Experience building longer-term procurement, inventory and supply planning strategies that balance supply security, cost, customer commitments and growth.
- A strong track record of building teams, clarifying accountability and developing the org structure required to support expansion.
- Experience establishing procurement governance, supplier performance management, KPIs and operating rhythms to improve accountability and decision-making.
- Cross-functional leadership experience connecting demand, procurement, inventory, production and customer requirements.
- Direct experience building supply chain infrastructure for scaling organizations, including establishing the people, processes and operating discipline required as businesses grow.
She also brought experience outside food and produce that strengthened her procurement toolkit, including leading a procurement team supporting three manufacturing facilities, managing approximately $45 million in annual spend and establishing formal supplier performance and RFQ processes.
The 3P Difference
This search required more than finding someone with procurement experience. The challenge was identifying a leader who could professionalize the function while still operating effectively in the fast-moving realities of fresh produce.
3P Partners worked closely with the client to define the gap between the current procurement model and what the business would need at its next stage of growth. That meant assessing candidates not simply on sourcing experience, but on their ability to build forward planning, establish cost accountability, develop people and create stronger alignment between procurement and sales.
We also evaluated candidates against the company’s longer-term strategy. With additional acquisitions expected, the successful hire needed to be capable of building procurement infrastructure that could be replicated across new businesses and geographies rather than relying on senior leadership to manage each integration directly.
The Results
The selected candidate brought the combination of procurement discipline, supply chain leadership and organizational development experience required for the next stage of the company’s growth.
Her background building planning processes, strengthening supplier performance, developing teams and creating scalable operating structures positioned her to immediately begin moving procurement from short-term execution toward a more proactive and commercially connected function.
Her appointment also gives the business a leader capable of supporting future expansion across North America and potentially taking on broader commercial responsibility as the organization continues to grow.
If your company is scaling its procurement, supply chain, or commercial organization, 3P Partners can help you identify leaders who understand the unique complexity of food, beverage, and agribusiness. Connect with our team to discuss your next critical hire.