The Sustainable Procurement Pledge + Making Circular Supply Chains Real with Thomas Udesen, CPO of Bayer and Co-Founder of SPP.Earth
- S1E56
- 21:17
- March 11th 2021
We all have a role to play in the decade of our lives to reach the 2030 SDG vision. Procurement professionals though have a unique opportunity controlling about $8.3T of world trade in materials flow and services annually.
In one of the most inspiring episodes to date, Thomas Udeson, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer and Co-Founder of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP.Earth) chats with Sheri Hinish (SupplyChainQueen) about his journey, the power of uniting under the SDGs for climate action and sustainability, and how procurement professionals are uniquely positioned to make this happen.
For Thomas, it started with a global curiosity hearing his father talk about shipments. He eloquently describes that "supply chains are the pulse of our society and humanity. Supply chains make things happen and what makes the world the great place it can become. And if you work in a supply chain you naturally get exposed to the beauty of people and diversity."
The Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) was born out of the climate strikes in late 2019. Thomas fundamentally believes that we have everything to make a meaningful impact and change. The SPP builds on commitments at the individual level.
The Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) is a pro-bono community of those committed to embedding sustainability in to their procurement practices - and sharing knowledge and tools of how to do so.
To take the pledge and learn how to get started in embedding sustainability in your organization, visit spp.earth.
To connect with Thomas and SPP on LinkedIn, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-procurement-pledge/
Please join the Ambassador LinkedIn Group on www.linkedin.com/groups/8845732/ !
To learn more about the podcast, visit supplychainqueen.com
Supply Chain Revolution
The Supply Chain Revolution podcast is a series focused on the latest trends and innovations in sustainability and supply chain management. The podcast is hosted by Sheri Hinish, also known as the Supply Chain Queen, who is a sustainability consultant and digital transformation expert, and features interviews with a wide range of supply chain professionals, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs.
The podcast covers a variety of topics related to the supply chain revolution, including digital transformation, sustainability, circular economy, diversity and inclusion, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, data analytics, and robotics. Each episode features in-depth discussions and insights from guests, providing a valuable resource for supply chain professionals looking to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in the field.
The Supply Chain Revolution podcast is known for its engaging and thought-provoking content, and has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets. It is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about the rapidly evolving world of supply chain management, and for professionals seeking to improve their skills and stay ahead of the curve in this dynamic field.
Join podcast host, Sheri Hinish also called the Supply Chain Queen, and reimagine the future of how we interact with the world and business in the decade of our lives. In each episode, provocative points of view that challenge paradigms for progress are evangelized holding the SDGs, purpose, and diversity as a business imperative as a North Star. This is the TOP Supply Chain podcast unpacking the future of supply chain that explores shifts in generational, social, environmental, technological, and "the people side" of leading change in transformation.
The Supply Chain Revolution is the supply chain podcast that highlights progressive ideas that challenge the status quo, giving people access to insights, strategies, and tools to make better choices that shape critical aspects of their business and personal lives, building transformational change for a better, sustainable world.
This is the supply chain podcast for supply chain leaders, thinkers, dreamers, doers, learners, builders, and supply chain professionals who want to change the world using a different approach to traditional supply chain, leadership, circular economy, digital transformation, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, technology, strategy, and camaraderie to create new ways of working in the supply chain revolution. We are an inclusive group where all are welcomed and represented.
Learn more at http://www.supplychainqueen.com
The host Sheri Hinish believes supply chains can save the planet, save lives, and transform traditional business models. Recognized as 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019 Supply & Demand Chain Executive "Pro to Know," a 2021 Top 100 Women in Supply Chain Award winner, and recipient of the 2020 Global Women Supply Chain Leaders Award, Sheri Hinish is a leading advocate, strategist, and influencer in supply chain, sustainability & the SDGs, leading with purpose, and change management in digital transformations. She is a Principal and Global Lead for Innovation + Ecosystem at EY and formally the Global Lead for Sustainability, Alliances, and Strategy at IBM.
Top Podcast Exploring #SupplyChain #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #Technology #Diversity and #Innovation
Learn more at supplychainqueen.com
My purpose is to make a meaningful impact for the clients, colleagues, partners, and communities I serve. I have spent my career at the intersection of supply chain, sustainability and innovation in large-scale transformation. I’d love to walk with you on your journey.
I'm the Founder and Host of the Supply Chain Revolution podcast. In my day role, I currently serve as the Global Consulting Sustainability Services, Technology + Ecosystems Leader at EY serving across sectors, alliances, sustainability solutions, and digital ventures. I formerly led Sustainability Services + Alliances at IBM with a passion for sustainable supply chain, circularity, and hardening emerging sustainability tech use cases.
Colleagues and clients affectionately call me the nickname “Supply Chain Queen.” I'm recognized as a trusted partner that F500 companies consistently leverage for connected transformation, end-to-end digital supply chain, purpose-driven leadership, and disruptive thinking in embedding sustainability and emerging innovation in transformations.
Recent awards include: Top 250 leaders in Sustainability (2025), Leaders in Excellence, Supply & Demand Chain Executive (2025), Top 100 Women in Sustainability and Supply Chain (2024), Top 50 influencer in Sustainability by Onalytica (2023), 100 Women in 2023 by March8 Magazine, the 2021 #1 Supply Chain Leader by Supply Chain Digital, a 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019 Supply & Demand Chain Executive "Pro to Know," the "People's Choice 2020 Global Woman in Supply Chain Leader,” and a Corporate Vision Excellence award in 2020.
I’m a Rebel who loves creating, building, and bringing out the best in people, helping to grow high-performance teams. I've made a career in turn-around and scaling high growth opportunities (product, solutions, infrastructure for practice areas and alliances), simplifying the complex, rethinking paradigms for F500 clients, mainly in CPG, Financial Services, Retail, Advanced Manufacturing, Chemicals and Energy.
I am a graduate lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Arkansas and have a Masters from Harvard University with emphasis in Sustainability + Liberal Arts. I hold 2 credentials from Rutgers University with highest distinction (Beta Gamma Sigma), an MS in Supply Chain Management, and a Mini-MBA in Digital Supply Chain. I also have a BS in Business, Supply Chain Management (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland. I hold an IBM Industry Academy Expert designation (in Consumer), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
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