Explore Procurement Orchestration – what it is, its current state,…
Charting Unexpected Paths: A Procurement Leader's Journey of Professional Evolution
Pamela Gerber's professional journey is a masterclass in professional reinvention. What began as a path toward criminal law transformed into a remarkable career that spans global supply chains, strategic sourcing, and organizational transformation—a journey marked by continuous learning and unexpected opportunities.
An Unexpected Beginning
"I didn't originally design to be in procurement," Gerber candidly shares. Her academic trajectory initially pointed toward becoming a criminal attorney, with advertising and public relations serving as a backup plan. When life required her to relocate to South Florida, she found herself at a pivotal career crossroads, leaving behind her career with a top global advertising firm in New York.
The turning point came with an unexpected opportunity at Office Depot, then a startup. "We were just a handful of employees," she recalls. What seemed like a simple merchandise buying role quickly became a crucible of professional development. Within a year, the company went public, and Gerber found herself creating inventory replenishment systems and building the company's infrastructure from the ground up.
Her role rapidly evolved. From merchandise buying, she moved to developing the company's transportation function—what we now know as logistics and global supply chain. By the time she left nearly nine years later, she was heading international logistics, developing supply chain functions that moved goods worldwide. She became an expert in complex areas like international buying terms, Inco terms, and establishing comprehensive supply chain practices.
Building Strategic Procurement from Scratch
Gerber has been called upon by both established and startup companies to create centralized procurement, strategic sourcing and risk management functions - a nuanced art that requires both strategic vision and operational expertise. Her approach is anything but cookie-cutter. At Bluegreen Vacations Corporation, she was initially brought in as a 90-day consultant during COVID-19, a period of significant uncertainty.
Her method? A comprehensive scope of work that evaluated the entire organization including operations, risk assessment, systems, resources and industry best practices. This was culled into a business plan that she presented to the CEO which resulted in a request to onboard and establish the company's first successful centralized Procurement and Strategic Sourcing function. Engagement and advocacy for the function came quickly through the C-Suite and leadership based on Gerber's ability to establish relationships and ability to demonstrate value add beyond cost savings.
Challenging Procurement's Perception
One of Gerber's most passionate missions is addressing procurement's branding problem. She believes the function is fundamentally misunderstood, often reduced to transactional purchasing rather than strategic sourcing. Her goal is to educate organizations about procurement's true value—not just contract negotiation, but risk management, strategic thinking, and organizational impact.
"Strategic sourcing is about being an extension of your stakeholders," Gerber explains. She sees the profession as a complex, nuanced field requiring deep business intelligence, market understanding, and emotional intelligence.
Skills for the Future of Procurement
Looking ahead, Gerber sees boundless potential for the profession. She's witnessed younger professionals discovering the field's complexity and transforming initial skepticism into genuine excitement. Her advice for aspiring procurement professionals is nuanced and forward-looking.
Technology tops her list of critical skills. "AI will continue to morph things," she says, drawing historical parallels to how email and internet access transformed workplaces. But technology is just the beginning. She emphasizes the growing importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), international trade knowledge, and global market understanding which will continue to evolve and impact the procurement function and the company/organization it serves.
Her most crucial advice? Develop soft skills. "Those skills still matter, especially in higher-level negotiations and strategic discussions," Gerber emphasizes. She stresses the importance of adaptability, communication, and the ability to understand and speak to different audiences.
Personal Inspiration and Continuous Growth
Even as her professional life evolves, Gerber remains committed to personal growth. Recently, she enrolled in a six-month program to explore potential future paths and has begun exploring yoga—demonstrating the same adaptability that defined her professional career.
Her inspirations are deeply personal and historical. She speaks reverently about her great-grandmother, an immigrant who not only learned English and raised children but also supported a business in the early 1900s—a time when such achievements were extraordinary for women. Modern icons like Michelle Obama, Melinda Gates, and Oprah Winfrey also shape her understanding of leadership and possibility.
A Career Defined by Transformation
Pamela Gerber's story is more than a professional biography—it's a blueprint for embracing unexpected opportunities. From criminal law aspirations to becoming a strategic procurement leader, her journey illustrates that the most compelling careers are rarely linear but always driven by curiosity, adaptability, and a profound willingness to learn.
As procurement continues to evolve, professionals like Gerber are not just adapting to change—they're actively shaping the future of business strategy, one strategic sourcing initiative at a time.