Ep 74: Creating Opportunities for Networking & Education feat. Kathy Perna

Networking has changed a lot in procurement - and the transition from in-person to digital was underway even before the pandemic hit. Digital networking requires a different kind of energy, and when the whole world stopped and went home to work, the most creative educators in the field of procurement found new ways to bind the community together and add value. 

In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Kathy Perna. Kathy may not be a procurement professional in practice, but she is a critical member of the community that has been hard at work promoting networking and education for thirty years, first as part of the National Association of Purchasing Managers (NAPM) and now as the Executive Director of ISM-New Jersey.  

In this conversation, Kathy shares her perspective on how networking has changed and the variety of educational needs that have to be met for procurement professionals to shine:

• How the professional association model has been affected by the very unusual last two years
• Why it is important for procurement training and education to go beyond “traditional” topics 

Some of the trends she has watched during her (almost!) three decades working to support the procurement community