Sustainability - More action, less talk

The Thames Valley CIPS branch is delighted to host "Sustainability Face to Face Meeting," - an engaging event designed to connect procurement professionals, students and the local branch of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) team with invited specialist guests, to debate the issues of Sustainability, reviewing case studies and application of Sustainability in practice.

This is an opportunity to learn more about the branch's initiatives, network with fellow professionals and gain insights into the latest trends and developments in the procurement field. Whether you are new to CIPS or a long-standing member, this informal gathering promises to foster connections and provide valuable resources to support your professional journey.

If you have any queries please contact branchevents@cips.org

EVENT VENUE:

Holiday Inn Reading South, Basingstoke Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0SL

Parking available at the hotel and the location is less than a 5-minute drive from M4 J11 near to Reading Stadium

EVENT SPEAKER

Stephen Thornhill 

EMEA Category Manager – Utilities, Sustainability and Lab Management

Becton Dickinson 

Stephen Thornhill is the EMEA Category Manager for Utilities, Sustainability and Lab Management at Becton Dickinson. His main focus is on Energy procurement, together with leading ESG initiatives to support scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions reduction targets and enabling energy efficiency initiatives across the business in order to reduce consumption and drive savings.

Stephen has extensive global Procurement experience across both Source to Pay and multiple categories, including MRO, Real Estate, FM and Energy, with major blue chip companies including Johnson & Johnson, Cap Gemini and Mars. Stephen is passionate about the impact Procurement can have on ESG and Sustainability and has achieved successes in his categories with waste circularity, renewable energy, supplier diversity and responsible sourcing programs.

Outside of work Stephen is a keen football fan and spends his Saturday mornings cheering on his kids from the touchline. He also enjoys travelling with his family and tries to drag them to museums to share his interest in History… usually without success.

Stephen is also a committee member of the Thames Valley branch of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS).

Samantha Rix

Senior Consultant 

Turner & Townsend 

Samantha Rix is an accomplished procurement professional with over 20 years of experience at senior management and director levels. She has a proven track record in managing major capital procurements, streamlining operations, achieving cost savings, and enhancing reporting procedures.

Her passion lies in clean power and sustainable energy, with a strong focus on embedding Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into procurements and the supply chains. Samantha aligns projects with international green funding expectations, ensuring they meet stringent sustainability criteria through the project lifecycle from inception to decommission.

Samantha's expertise spans major construction and infrastructure projects, energy generation projects digital transformation, large scale laboratory and scientific equipment, and general procurement. She emphasizes the circular economy for sustainable procurement, helping clients exceed their expectations in delivering top-tier buildings and infrastructure projects.

By employing fully conceptualized procurement strategies aligned with program portfolios, Samantha supports clients from inception through design and planning to project completion, ensuring that ESG principles are deeply embedded in every stage of the procurement process.

Sam Wells 

Head of Procurement 

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Sam Wells is the Head of Procurement for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.  UKCEH is a world-leading independent research institute, carrying out critical environmental science with impact.  Because of what UKCEH can do and how we contribute to our environment, Sam recognises the vital role that procurement can play in not only helping to understand our supply chain and its approach to ESG but also how we must work collaboratively to achieve Net Zero targets.

Sam has spent the last 20 years in a variety of procurement roles from sourcing to operations and designing SRM programmes and she has moved effortlessly across industries, both public and private, from research to housing to name the most recent sectors.  Prior to settling into her procurement career Sam is an award-winning account manager supporting high profile clients from the automotive industry, financial services, a high street beauty chain and tourism, and managing European field teams across Germany and France.

When she’s not working Sam is a keen baker and is proud of winning a charity Bake Off judged by Mary Berry.  Sam is married and enjoys gardening with her husband.  (Translated: watching her husband doing the gardening whilst she enjoys a gin and tonic.)