Take charge of your career development this November with PASA’s Personal Development Day (PDD) and benefit from practical guidance, candid career conversations and fresh perspectives from leaders across the profession.
When: Friday 27 November from 9am to 2pm AEDT
The PDD event will explore the capabilities procurement professionals need to remain relevant and resilient as workplace expectations, commercial risks and technology continue to evolve at a rapid pace.
Covering career growth, transferable skills, leadership, workplace conflict, professional accreditation and the changing role of artificial intelligence, PDD also lets attendees collect CPD points.
Sharyn County, GM Procurement, Property Projects at APA Group, will open the program with a personal growth session examining how professionals can embrace change, build transferable capabilities and pursue opportunities before they feel entirely ready.
Drawing on a career spanning procurement, contract management, supply chain, commercial leadership, transformation and executive roles, Sharon will challenge attendees to consider whether they have remained in the same professional “container” for too long.
Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers MCIPS, hosts of The Procurement Pivots podcast, will share practical strategies for increasing influence, making professional contributions more visible and taking greater ownership of career progression.
Later that morning, Barbara Clifford of The Hinwood Institute will explore the hidden conflict procurement practitioners often encounter when balancing the competing priorities of internal stakeholders, suppliers and the procurement function.
The session will examine how to recognise underlying tension and avoid common traps when attempting to resolve it.
Looking ahead to the forces likely to shape the profession, SAP Global Vice-President of Procurement Research Gordon Donovan FCIPS will draw on major global research to identify the lessons of 2026 and the issues procurement professionals should prioritise in 2027.
Leadership will also be in focus, with Racing and Wagering Western Australia Procurement Manager Adam Blower sharing hard-won advice for leading a small procurement team.
His session will consider how managers can balance individual needs with strategic objectives, oversee hybrid and remote teams and continue delivering against organisational targets.
Elsewhere, Kendall Richardson FCIPS, Director of Mindset Procurement, will examine how changing organisational expectations and AI are reshaping procurement careers, including the roles and capabilities likely to become more valuable and the steps professionals can take to future-proof their careers.
The program will conclude with Six Degree Executive Recruitment’s Christine Armadass, who will also MC the event, exploring the dos and don’ts of using generative AI to prepare job applications.
The session will look at how candidates can present their value effectively as recruiters increasingly use AI to filter and shortlist applications.
The day will also feature guidance on pathways to achieving MCIPS, including the routes available to procurement practitioners across Australia and New Zealand, and a short introduction to PASA’s Procurement Insider from editor Samantha Webb.
Invest one day in what comes next.
