WEIRBULLETIN | AUGUST 2011
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO WEIR? TL: Quite simply, the size of opportunity that the company has to offer. There are really very few companies that have the presence, the ambition and the capability to grow and develop in the way Weir has in the last years and plans to in the years to come. The culture of a company is important to me and I had a very good impression about how the company was run and the commitment to its core values. Finally, on a personal front, my wife and I love Scotland and are looking forward to living here.
WHERE DID YOU WORK BEFORE WEIR? TL: I learned my trade in the automotive sector with GKN and Federal-Mogul, located over the years in Geneva, Barcelona, Detroit and Wiesbaden. I then led the Global purchasing organisation for JCB Excavators in the UK but spent a lot of my time developing supply bases in China, India and Eastern Europe. In addition to Automotive and Construction I have worked in the retail business with MFI, the ceramics industry, representing Goldman- Sachs investment banking and Merck Pharmaceutical.
IN TERMS OF YOUR APPROACH TO LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? TL: Training and development are key drivers in creating and sustaining best in class performance. An important part of my role is to ensure the various procurement teams across the Group are suffi ciently trained and to provide them with best in class tools to make them more effi cient. Development is an important consideration in attracting and keeping talent. I want Weir to be known as a good company to join if you want a career in procurement. This doesn’t happen overnight but we will get there.
I AM GENUINELY EXCITED BY THE
OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE IN PROCUREMENT ACROSS THE GROUP
WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES? TL: This has to be supporting the Divisions in their growth plans. There are many things we can go at in procurement but it is clear from talking to the business leaders that improving on time delivery and reducing lead times are high priorities. To do this we need to have procurement strategies aligned to business requirements and use tools that make us more agile and effi cient in what we do. The introduction of a standard way of working, known as the Weir Procurement System (WPRS), will be the foundation of this approach. We need to be sure we are leveraging our global spend and market leadership with our supply base in order to secure the most competitive cost.
AND YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS SINCE JOINING WEIR TL: I am genuinely excited by the opportunity we have in procurement across the Group. My role is a new one but I have been well received by the businesses, which has been great. I enjoy my job the most when I am out working alongside the businesses. I often use the old cliché ‘I’m from Head Offi ce and I’m here to help’. Hopefully I can be recognised as doing just that.
Trevor Latham joined the company in January 2011. Married with two children, Trevor lives in the Merchant City area of Glasgow, Scotland. He has a combined Hons Degree from Aston University, Birmingham, England.
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