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Procurement Pivots®
Honest conversations and fresh perspectives to help procurement professionals, wherever you are in your career. Navigate change, grow with confidence and shape a career on your terms.
Co-hosted by Donna Bowden (Procurement Career Coach, Founder of Narrate Your Career) and Laura Sellers (Executive & Leadership Coach, Founder of Coaching for Procurement) who bring a combined 20+ years of supporting procurement growth
Procurement Pivots®
EP 51: Internal Positioning – The Key to Progression in Senior Procurement Careers
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Internal progression in procurement doesn’t happen by default.
You can be delivering, experienced and performing well in your role, and still find that the next opportunity doesn’t come.
In this episode of Procurement Pivots, we focus on internal positioning and why it is the missing link to progression in senior procurement careers.
We explore what it really means to be seen as ready for the next level and how your day-to-day actions shape how others perceive your capability, potential and leadership.
We discuss:
- Why internal progression is driven by perception, not just performance
- How your communication, consistency and contribution shape your positioning
- Why you need to be seen operating at the next level before you are promoted
- The importance of visibility with the right people, not just more visibility
- How internal opportunities are often created before they are advertised
- The role of relationships, sponsorship and advocacy in progression
- Why curiosity and cross-functional exposure can open new doors
- How to have the right conversations about your future without signalling that you want to leave
- What it means to be opportunity ready and why it matters
This episode builds on our previous conversation around performance versus progression and brings it into a practical, internal context.
Because progression doesn’t happen when a role appears.
It happens when you are already seen as the obvious choice.
Sign up for our Interactive Webinar to celebrate our first year anniversary on 15th July at 12PM UK time:
6 Ways to Elevate Your Impact and Progression As a Procurement Leader in 2026
Hosted by:
Donna Bowden | Procurement Career Coach, Narrate Your Career
Laura Sellers | Executive and Leadership Coach, Coaching for Procurement
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If this episode resonated, we’d love to hear from you. You can message us directly or connect via the Procurement Pivots LinkedIn page.
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