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Making the grade:
Meeting the top three scorers on the C.P.P. national exam
PMAC
What do Lee Ann Carver, Lori Quaggiotto and Adele Neuman all have in common? These high-achieving individuals are the top scorers in PMAC's National Written Examination, the final step in attaining the Certified Professional Purchaser (C.P.P) designation. All three worked hard—and succeeded—because they recognize the C.P.P. accreditation program improves their career prospects.
Lee Ann Carver
Lee Ann Carver is the manager of offshore logistics with Canadian Tire. She scored first among the 180 PMAC members who wrote the exam in June. She attributes her success to lots of studying and the foundation provided by her MBA from the University of Ottawa, and her engineering degree from Queen's University.
Carver is a strong believer in the value of the C.P.P. program. "(It) has helped my performance," she says. "The program offered me a balanced view of supply chain business issues through its focus on buying, operations management, logistics and quality."
Another benefit of the C.P.P. program was undoubtedly the networking, adds Carver. Working with colleagues and bouncing ideas off each other helps supply chain and procurement professionals address their own challenges, she says.
On Nov. 1, Carver began transitioning to her new job as the operations support manager for Canadian Tire's Brampton, Ont. distribution centre.
Lori Quaggiotto
Lori Quaggiotto placed second in the national exam. She's a purchasing manager for Casino Windsor. She said her high score came from her ability to master the case study. The case study had a large inventory component similar to her current line of work. She describes herself as a very process-oriented thinker with a knack for correcting and improving inefficiencies.
Quaggiotto started out as a food and beverage purchasing specialist at Casino Windsor. Realizing she needed to learn more about procurement, she enrolled in some initial PMAC courses. After excelling in these, she decided to take the entire program and pursue her C.P.P. designation.
The C.P.P. accreditation program is more a process than an end result, stresses Quaggiotto. As you take each course, you apply what you learn on the job, she says.
Overall, Quaggiotto is pleased with the direction PMAC is taking the C.P.P. program with its greater emphasis on strategic supply chain management. "On an average day, we are not just looking at cutting the PO," she says. "The C.P.P. increases your knowledge not only with buying but the entire supply chain as well."
Adele Neuman
Adele Neuman, manager of purchasing and food services for the Vancouver School Board, finished first in BC and placed third nationally on the C.P.P exam. She attributes her success to her family's support and her study group. The study group met once a week from January to April and twice a week from April to June. They even booked a weekend retreat in a cabin for an intense group study session.
Neuman knew the C.P.P. was the best way to attain a management position in procurement. "In most job advertisements, employers require you to have your C.P.P.," says Neuman. "Resumes that don't have these requirements are put aside."
Taught by experts who work in the industry, the program's courses address how to deal with challenging business cases that often arise in procurement and supply chain management, Neuman says. The peers she met in her courses have provided her with an impressive network of contacts that she can rely on for advice when she needs it, Neuman adds.
Neuman recommends that anyone who is serious about a career in supply chain management take the program. In fact, two of her colleagues are enrolled now. "I am behind them 100 per cent," she says.
Carver, Quaggiotto and Neuman all agree that earning your C.P.P. is more of a journey than a destination. Although scoring high grades and obtaining the designation are important milestones in your career, you must also apply what you have learned in the program to your work, they say.
Their message to fellow professionals: Continuous learning is not the exception any longer, it’s the rule.
The above column was contributed by the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC). To learn more about the association and the C.P.P. program, visit www.pmac.ca
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