Making play in Procurement work for everyone. Meet, Global Procurement Leader, Nicola. 💡
For us, procurement is not just about managing contracts - it’s about embracing innovation, collaboration and a playful spirit in what we do. Nicola and his colleagues are pushing the boundaries in this area, showing us that even some more traditionally formal business functions can benefit from a touch of creativity and fun.
"The global focus of my role means I oversee the sourcing of key services across multiple regions, including Denmark, the US, India, Singapore, and Shanghai. We collaborate closely with corporate functions to source consulting, legal, HR, and other critical services, always with a key emphasis on helping our stakeholders succeed, while maximising value for the organisation and safeguarding the LEGO® brand. But it also means fostering a culture of play within the team.”
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"Our job can be demanding but also incredibly rewarding. No day is the same in Procurement and there is strong purpose in knowing we can protect the bottom line of the organisation to enable reinvestments in other areas of growth. In addition, we play an important role in protecting the brand. Whether it’s ensuring compliance with legal standards or managing data privacy and ethical considerations; especially around sensitive areas like child protection, every decision we make is driven by our commitment to the bigger picture.”
Nicola’s team is dedicated to creating value beyond cost savings.
“It’s about choosing partners who not only excel in their services but also embody our spirit of collaboration. Yes, best value is a focus, but we need to mitigate risks, like cybersecurity, confidential and personal data, financial risks that could impact our operations."
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“We like to bring play into the procurement process. During one super-competitive tender, we handed our suppliers some LEGO bricks and challenged them to build something that represented their proposal. It was fascinating to watch as people were taken out of their comfort zones. But it sparked creative thinking and a deeper connection to our brand."
This playful approach applies equally to how Nicola and his team work internally.
“I’m a big fan of our ‘leadership campfires’. These give us the chance to explore essential skills like curiosity and courage. In procurement, we’re constantly testing the market for best practices and innovation, so it follows that we need to be brave to challenge the status quo and drive change.”
“We’re having to navigate a rapidly evolving technological landscape, not just for the services we source for the organisation, but also for how we operate as a function."
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“We have embarked in a digital transformation where we are looking to automate more of the repetitive tasks so that our team can focus on higher-value activities like scouting and innovation, managing supplier relationships and creating deeper trusted business relationships partners with our internal stakeholders so that we can work as One Team.”
Sustainability is another key area for Nicola, who acknowledges the complexity of integrating sustainable practices across global procurement.
"It’s an interesting challenge. ESG is not something one company can solve alone - it requires cross-functional collaboration and a shared commitment. It’s an exciting opportunity for Procurement: we are a function which is uniquely positioned to orchestrate an ecosystem of relationships inside and outside the LEGO Group. There is a strong human factor in this job: it’s our opportunity to bring people together, foster relationships and create something bigger than the sum of its parts.”
Just imagine your LEGO® career.