Nathan

Swinney

Head of Category

Bio

Hi, I’m Nathan Swinney, Self confessed Procurement nerd and proud to work at 2buy2. I’m ‘Head of Category’, what’s that? (is the most common question I get, along with what is procurement?!) Well I head up a wonderful dedicated team of procurement professionals who are all passionate about securing the best outcomes for our customers through best value and excellent procurement.

Our team are responsible for the development of new products, frameworks and contracts for our customers to access as well as responsible for managing our wonderful suppliers and relationships. Finally, we are the procurement professionals that deliver the services and consultancy support to schools, churches, charities and businesses. I am incredibly proud to lead such a great team and we have some really excellent experience and skills to help across all different types of procurement.

What do you like about working at 2buy2?

Two things:

Primarily it’s the family feel to the business. We all get on so well and it’s obvious that everyone at 2buy2 is here by choice and because we want to use our procurement skills for good causes and to help organisations to achieve their best. Working with such passionate and committed colleagues cannot help but encourage you and despite working remotely I love it when we meet up and get together as a whole business!

Secondly, I love that I get so much freedom to innovate and deliver world class procurement solutions for our customers. We have recently been nominated for an award in social value procurement. 2buy2 enables staff to come up with suggestions and ideas that are truly unique and innovative. It’s good to feel valued!

How are you changing the world for our clients?

Hopefully in a way that they see value for themselves as individuals and corporately as organisations. We work with a lot of ‘individuals’ who are tasked with delivering huge outcomes for their business, church, school or charity. There is a lot of pressure on people these days and for me helping individual colleagues in those organisations to get through a procurement, but not just get through it but deliver a good outcome. Value for money, an exceeded service and social value outcomes to boot is a good outcome. We work with individuals, people, humans, and it’s my job to help them!

What's the most important 2buy2 value and why?

For me it has to be integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. This is where we value our clients and customers, by doing the right thing even if we don’t get praised or recognised for it. Through 2buy2 we are serving, ultimately, and enabling organisations to achieve their best, for me that comes from a heart of integrity. Integrity challenges us to ask the question: How can you deliver the best today, how can you exceed expectations? it also requires us to address our faults and improve. When you value integrity you cannot stand still, you can only improve and grow.

What are your interests?

Many things… too many to mention. Well, I am a Christian and my faith is very important to me and working for 2buy2 to help churches helps me to exercise my professional skills in the faith sector which is fantastic. I’m passionate about family, (my own of course) but I consider my 2buy2 colleagues as part of a big 2buy2 family too. I’m passionate about procurement (goes without saying). I’m passionate about what procurement can deliver in terms of social value outcomes that help the environment and social causes too! And I’m passionate about history! I love history and would happily spend a day exploring some random castle or historical place!

Your favourite quote:

Winston Churchill - "Attitude is a little thing that makes a huge difference" I love that quote!!

What would you never do?

Nathan would never.....

Well, firstly I'm not a fan of heights, so anything involving mountains or sky-diving is a no. Secondly is compromising on integrity. It takes years to build a reputation and seconds to loose one. Integrity is everything!