PwC’s Rowan Lipscombe: Procurement Drives Transformation

Rowan Lipscombe, Director at PwC and a leader within its UK procurement practice, has seen the evolution of procurement firsthand through work completed with clients across an array of diverse sectors including technology, aerospace and energy and utilities.

Drawing on more than two decades of industry experience before joining PwC, Rowan has driven large-scale transformation programmes focused on both cost and carbon reduction, positioning procurement at the heart of organisational reinvention.

The days when procurement success was measured solely by cost savings are firmly behind us. "No longer is procurement just a cost control function, it's now a driver of innovation, transformation, and managing supply chain risk and resilience."

This shift reflects the complex challenges facing businesses today. In what Rowan describes as a “VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) world", organisations must navigate disruption from multiple angles – AI, climate change and geopolitical shifts all demand new approaches to business resilience and growth.

"It used to be cost savings. Now that's no longer going to differentiate you. That's business as usual," Rowan adds.