ProcureCon Indirect East 2024

September 09 - 11, 2024

Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Orlando, FL

1.888.482.6012

ProcureCon Story Cody Aguirre

Cody Aguirre Clearwater

Senior Manager, Indirect Procurement
Brightstar Corp.

At ProcureCon we are always having conversations about emerging technology and how we can integrate that technology into our individual procurement situation
Cody Aguirre Clearwater, Senior Manager, Indirect Procurement, Brightstar Corp.

Cody’s ProcureCon Story At a Glance

  • First year at ProcureCon: 2013
  • How she has participated: Attendee
  • ProcureCon highlight: Attending the Women in Procurement Breakfast
  • Why she comes to ProcureCon: She can improve her creative resource management and learn more about the emerging technologies disrupting the space

The Millennial Experience: Cody Aguirre Clearwater’s ProcureCon Story

A Conference of Peers

In one of the very best sessions I’ve seen at ProcureCon, the speaker argued that the best way to break through barriers in the procurement organization is to disregard people’s titles. The point wasn’t to disregard them in an unprofessional manner, but rather to recognize that when two people are connecting face to face, the titles don’t really matter as much as the personal connection. ProcureCon does a great job of getting people of all different titles and levels in the same room at the same time.  While we’re here, everybody is a peer and everybody gets to be a part of the flow of ideas and make connections outside of the typical silos.

I don’t have any other procurement executives within my organization that I can bounce ideas off, so I find the networking aspect of ProcureCon to be extremely helpful. It is valuable to have this strong network of peers who have overcome similar challenges and who are open to discussing ways in which they have approached certain situations or give feedback on negotiation strategies.

Another reason I come to ProcureCon is to learn about new ways of using creative resource management and technology to maximize impact with a small footprint.  What is unique about this event is that the organizers always keep the topics extremely relevant and very timely.  At ProcureCon we are always having conversations about emerging technology and how we can integrate that technology into our individual procurement situation.

A Millennial Voice at ProcureCon

During this ProcureCon I was able to represent the voice of the millennial generation in procurement within a breakout group.  The reality is that procurement is a dynamic field that offers an opportunity to gain behind the scenes access to the inner workings of a company and interact with senior level professionals - and that excitement will continue to attract more Millennials into the field.  Millennials are digital natives, collaborators, and out of the box problem solvers by nature – but many are guarded about our integration into their departments because of our strong desire for flexibility and our views on work-life balance.  I was able to provide some insight into who we are and what we are looking to achieve in our corporate careers – and hope to serve as a resource moving forward for other ProcureCon attendees looking to expand their understanding on our up and coming generation.

Finding Inspiration Through the Women in Procurement Breakfast

One of my favorite events at ProcureCon is the Women in Procurement Breakfast. It’s a fantastic opportunity to network with other female executives in the procurement space – women who also negotiate, source, create infrastructure from scratch and face similar challenges in the corporate world while also sharpening our unique tactical/strategic skill sets. Every day, we parachute into STEM categories (finance, IT, logistics, engineering) that are traditionally male dominated and we not only cultivate a meaningful advisor/partner relationship with executives at varying levels, but also capture a seat at the table and influence major business decisions.  It’s really a wonderful experience to be surrounded by strong women with finance prowess, negotiation expertise and emotional intelligence to boot!

I hope to serve as a resource moving forward for other ProcureCon attendees looking to expand their understanding on our up and coming generation.

Innovative. Intimate. Collaborative. This is ProcureCon.

Join the conversation