The Past, Present, and Future of Public Procurement

What does 25 years in procurement teach you? Maybe the better question is, what doesn’t it?

Just ask Carrie Roberts, Director of Procurement at Atlanta Public Schools. With more than two decades in purchasing-related roles, she’s guided agencies through major transformation, earned multiple procurement certifications, and achieved national recognition from her peers. While it may be true, as Carrie says, that “little children don't dress up as purchasing agents for Halloween,” it’s safe to say she’s carved out an impressive career.

Through it all, she’s seen the profession evolve, processes change, and public purchasing come into its own. In this episode, she sits down with Bonfire CEO Omar Salaymeh to discuss the past, present and future of procurement, including:

• Learning the ropes with some of the country’s strictest procurement laws
• The trouble with being “the department of no” and how to get a seat at the table
• Generational shifts and the evolution of procurement as a profession
• Navigating the eProcurement learning curve and why she’ll never go back

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

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