Sarah Laurie

Pioneer
DISC Type : sdi

Head of Source to Contact Efficiency and Performance at SSE plc

Greater Portsmouth Area, United Kingdom

Overview

A supply chain professional with over 20 years of experience, Sarah currently leads Source to Contact Efficiency and Performance at SSE plc. She has deep expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, and data strategy, underpinned by an MCIPS qualification. Colleagues describe her as collaborative, organized, and a top contributor.

Sarah is passionate about continuous learning, particularly in the data field. She recently completed a course on communicating data insights and attended the Big Data LDN conference, where she networked with the Women in Data community and even purchased a new book on the subject.

Unique Fact: She is focused on leveraging data storytelling to drive impactful decisions and inspire action within her organization.

Personality Overview

Driven But Considerate

Friendly But Fast

Decisive But Friendly

If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product  They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)

Topics They Care About

Procurement Digitalization
Her recent roles focus on data strategy and management to support procurement's digital ambitions, indicating a strong interest in modernizing procurement processes.
Data Storytelling
Recently completed a DataCamp course on "Communicating Data Insights" to sharpen her skills in data storytelling and making informed decisions.
Strategic Sourcing
A core theme throughout her 20-year career, with proven experience in managing global categories like travel, software, and IT services.

Media Appearances

Sarah has no verified media appearances

Work History

5-2025
Head of Source to Contact Efficiency and Performance at SSE plc
12-2022 - 5-2025
Head of Procurement Efficiency and Data Management at SSE plc
9-2019 - 12-2022
Procurement Operations Manager at SSE plc
1-2014 - 8-2018
Procurement Lead: EMEA Travel Agency, OBT. Cognitive Analytics Dashboard Lead at IBM United Kingdom Limited
6-2012 - 12-2013
Business Services Team Lead at IBM United Kingdom Limied

Education

2000 - 2002
M CIPS from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply
1994 - 1998
BA International Business from Solent University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 16 Location : Greater Portsmouth Area, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Source to Contact Efficiency and Performance at SSE plc
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Insights For Selling To Sarah

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established
  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it
  • Showcase existing customers and use case-studies to grab their attention

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sarah is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sarah

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sarah move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can Sarah take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And Sarah

Personality Compatibility


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