Talent Talks Podcast
The Talent Talks Podcast provides regular insights and guidance to procurement and supply chain professionals. Host, Martin Smith interviews CPO's within large corporations and brands in the UK such as John Lewis, Mars, Babcock International, Managing Directors of procurement specialist companies including as Procurement Excellence and Embedded IT as well as thought-leaders and authors from the sector. Martin Smith, founder of Talent Drive is a specialist procurement and supply chain recruiter. He uses his network and expertise to provide insightful, thought provoking discussions, as well as providing tips on building your own career in the industry. The podcast is just one area of #projectprocurement; Martin's network of like-minded procurement professionals including webinars, content and events. Register your email to find out about our next meet-up and get involved: https://bit.ly/talenttalksmailinglist We'd love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, and do please reach out if you'd like to be a guest; martin@talentdrive.co.uk. All links and references at https://talentdrive.co.uk/
Talent Talks Podcast
From Apprentice to Procurement Director: Leigh Hurrell's Journey
What does it take to grow from a young apprentice to leading global procurement transformation?
In this episode of Talent Talks, Leigh Hurrell, Director of Indirect Procurement at Entrust, joins Martin Smith to discuss his two-decade journey through aerospace, defence and technology. From BAE Systems, Thales, Onfido and now Entrust.
Leigh shares how he built a career grounded in curiosity, long-term planning and a deep belief in the value of trust and relationships.
Leigh offers practical advice for building great teams, fostering transparency with suppliers and balancing commercial rigour with innovation and agility.
This episode is proudly sponsored by Omnea!
If you enjoy conversations that unpack leadership, growth and the evolving role of procurement, this one’s for you. Don’t forget to subscribe, share and leave a review to help more people discover Talent Talks.
Some of the key moments during this podcast include:
How Leigh first discovered procurement at BAE Systems
The lessons learned from early management roles
Why having a 10-year plan changed his career
Building long-term supplier relationships based on trust and respect
Leading procurement transformation at Onfido and Entrust
Managing growth, acquisitions and rapid change
Balancing commercial decisions with innovation and risk
Hiring for values, not just skills
The evolving role of procurement in cyber and digital supply chains
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:40 – How Leigh started in procurement
02:50 – Early lessons from BAE Systems and Thales
06:36 – The power of curiosity and career planning
08:24 – Building lasting supplier relationships
13:19 – Moving to Onfido and adapting to rapid growth
17:42 – Procurement during acquisition and transformation
20:30 – Balancing technology, budgets and risk
23:14 – Building teams and hiring the right people
27:29 – Leadership and team culture
31:10 – The evolution of procurement and new challenges
37:14 – Quickfire questions and final reflections
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