Victor Persson
"Procurement is a profession, not just a function"
We meet Three P’s CEO Victor Persson to get his thoughts about procurement, its future and development.
Hi Victor, tell us a bit about your background.
I had an unusual childhood. I grew up on a farm in Sweden before we moved to the US and then Hong Kong. I eventually returned to my roots and started working on the shop floor at the global pharmaceutical company Astra. I studied for a degree while working full-time and rising up the company ranks. After eight years, I joined Knightec, working with sales and was one of the founders. Four years into the role – much of it working towards procurement departments – I realized I wanted to work in procurement, but not only that, I wanted to transform it. I joined Scania, becoming the Global Sourcing Manager, moved to Åkers (at that time the world’s largest producer of steel mill rolls) as Vice President of Purchasing, became the head of Procurement at Skanska with a team of 250 people, before eventually founding Three P in 2019.
Why did you start Three P?
I’d worked with many consultants in my procurement roles, but no standout companies were driving procurement innovation and development. Also, people looking for consultants had to choose between companies that offered theoretical or practical procurement. There was a noticeable gap in the market for a company that could deliver services from both a theoretical and practical aspect at the same time.
Three P, which stands for Professional Procurement Partner, fills that gap by providing expert, high-quality services across the board. Procurement is our focus; we see procurement as a business driver for companies and want to bring that mindset to our clients.
Our ambition as a company is to make senior management understand the value purchasing brings to their organizations and in doing so see procurement for what it really is: A profession, not just a function.
What is your role at Three P?
As the CEO, I manage the company and take a proactive role in sales and business development. I’m also a Senior Advisor working with clients, often with the support of another member of the team. For instance, I’ve recently been working as the Procurement Director at a major steel industry client, while we find the ideal recruit for them to fill that position. And that’s the thing with Three P, we provide expert consulting services and support clients with many of their other procurement-related needs, such as recruitment and training.
Speaking of meeting procurement needs, why do companies choose Three P over competitors?
They want to work with people and a company they can trust to deliver consistent, high-quality, which is what we stand for. One client may want a consultant to fill a strategic or tactical role temporarily. In contrast, another may want someone with a new perspective to drive transformation and develop a strategic direction for the procurement organization. We can do this and everything in between, using industry best practices and, where relevant, introducing innovations and new ways of thinking. But you can only do this if you have their trust – something we have worked hard to gain with all our clients.
The global situation has changed a lot since you started Three P, what are the biggest challenges in procurement today?
Since 2019, we’ve seen Covid, stranded ships in the Suez Canal, war in Europe, and an energy crisis. All this creates uncertainty, and uncertainty spreads like rings on water, causing business disruptions and, ultimately, supply chain issues – which impacts procurement directly. To deal with this we must be proactive, always thinking one step ahead. To that end, I believe there has to be a change in mindset; as a Procurement Professional you must look beyond buying goods and services and think about the strategic added value you can deliver to your organization to support business development.
Additionally, as for so many others, digitalization must be embraced and fully utilized within procurement. Procurement has traditionally been slower to act than other areas of a business, but that must change, particularly now that AI offers new and exciting opportunities. Finally, we need to think sustainably, putting demands on suppliers and sourcing partners at every stage of the supply chain to adhere to strict sustainability KPIs.
Three P continues to grow despite current uncertainty. What can someone joining the company expect?
They will be welcomed into an open, diverse organization full of like-minded people who want to transform procurement and develop our company. We care for one another and have fun together while being highly professional. And I’m particularly proud that one of our first employees chose to come back to us after leaving the company.
But most importantly, Three P has always been about transforming the industry, which is an exciting journey for our consultants because with that comes great responsibility, opportunity, and personal growth.
Finally, what do you do when you’re not transforming procurement?
When I get the chance, I like to play a round of golf or go skiing. I also enjoy carpentry and have done a lot of work extending our holiday home. And, having two teenage daughters keeps my wife and I plenty busy.
