Neil Hind

NHS SBS

Interim Head of Commercial Consulting

What are you most proud of?

Maybe slightly cliched but the way the procurement community came together to support the COVID response still makes me very proud. Those barriers to collaboration disappeared overnight with some amazing joint working being evidenced.

I’m also really proud of the transformation work that I supported in Greater Manchester before the formation of the ICSs. The model we implemented there was a good blueprint for regional procurement collaboration with clear evidence of efficiencies being delivered.

What makes you angry?

In the procurement world some anger directed to those not willing to push the community forward and support the true transformation that is needed in many areas. In the real world,bad manners and the inability to wear headphones, especially in restaurants and on public transport tend to raise the blood pressure.

Also, I guess more disappointed that angry that we didn’t keep the momentum generated on collaboration and transformation from the COVID activity to take procurement to the next level. It seems in a number of areas we have regressed that has been a missed opportunity.

What sports team do you support (if any)?

I’ve been a lifelong Manchester City supported and held a season tickets for many years – before they had the recent success. There is a lot to learn for the procurement community around balancing the books, making some shrewd commercial decisions and having strong leadership. (I’ll refrain from making comment on the 115 alleged breaches for now!)

Which famous person would you most like to meet and why?

I think it would be fascinating to discuss the NHS supply chain with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Under Tims leadership Apple have gone from strength to strength, not only around innovation but also with a well-managed supply chain with a focus on ethical sourcing, balancing cost optimisation with corporate responsibility. He is also known for his focus on empowering teams and fostering strong relationships, traits essential for successful leadership in any field.

What superpower would you most like to have and why?

The ability to predict the future would be the power for me – and no, not just to pick the winning lottery numbers. We know that in the procurement world uncertainty is a massive challenge so optional decision making would make life much easier; no supply chain disruptions, demand forecasting always 100% accurate, always contracting with the right supplier.

What historical figure do you most admire and why?

After studying Economics many years ago I was a big fan of Adam Smith, often knows as the “father of economics”. Many of his principals from the 1700s around competition and specialisation are still relevant today. He also introduced theories around mutual gain being a key factor in successful trade – something that we can easily overlook in a push to delivery continuous efficiency savings.

What’s your perfect weekend?

Not doing very much is a dull but probably accurate answer. In the summer a spot of paddleboarding and a BBQ could feature – difficult to think about much else when trying to keep your balance. A yoga class, the Sunday papers, a walk in local woodland, a country pub and decent craft beer would all feature in there somewhere.

Having Man City returning to their winning ways would also be a bonus.

What’s your favourite meal?

I’ve many favourite meals from the traditional Sunday Roastto a love of more spicy Asian cuisines. However, if I could only have one meal it would need to be an English Breakfast – enough variation in there to keep most people happy.

Can you describe yourself in one word?

Persistent.

What do you hope to be doing 5 years from now?

In 5 years’ time suspect I’ll be sitting back and admiring the42 efficient and well resources procurement shared services across the UK!? If not, suspect much similar to now, working with willing NHS organisations to try and deliver on that aspiration (as well as a bit more travel that I know some colleagues probably think couldn’t be possible.)

Date: 18 December