Changsheng Wu, Executive Vice President for Procurement, sees tremendous opportunities to unlock value in global procurement. Joining Huhtamaki in March, he now leads the newly established Huhtamaki Global Procurement team. With him, Changsheng brings over three decades of international experience in procurement leadership roles from global companies such as Amcor and Unilever.
In this interview for Huhtamaki in Action, Changsheng discusses the importance of this unique opportunity, his ambition for the procurement team, and his approach to driving long-term procurement excellence at Huhtamaki.
- Could you share some insights into your professional background and what brought you to Huhtamaki?
I’ve had the privilege of working in two prestigious companies, Unilever and Amcor, for 15 years each. Those experiences brought me to live and work in seven different countries across Europe and Asia, allowing me to immerse myself in diverse cultures and develop a profound appreciation for different business dynamics.
Joining Huhtamaki was a pivotal decision and moment for me. The company recently elevated the procurement function to the executive level, which highlights the important role our team has in the company’s present and future.
- Since joining Huhtamaki, can you share what your main focus areas and key deliverables have been so far?
Time really does pass quickly when you are surrounded by great people. I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all my colleagues who have supported me during my onboarding process.
My main focus has been to fully align procurement deliverables with our company’s priorities, ensuring that everything we do efficiently supports both the short- and long-term success of our company.
- Looking forward, what are your key priorities and goals for the first year in your position?
Our overarching goal is to embody our company culture and support Huhtamaki’s success. I believe that people are our greatest assets, so we’ll aim to establish the right organizational structure and build a motivated team that can drive us forward.
I also see a tremendous opportunity to unlock procurement value for our people and business but also for our suppliers, so I’m focused on making that a reality. Finally, we’ll focus on delivering and exceeding expectations in everything we do, so we can create increasing value for our customers and ultimately our stakeholders.
- In your role, how do you plan to build on Huhtamaki’s strategic priorities to drive our 2030 Strategy?
Effective procurement plays a key role in driving competitiveness, accelerating profitable growth and in capital discipline.
In my opinion, success begins with always putting our people and customers at the center of our work. At the same time, even though it can be challenging, simplifying processes will be important and we’ll be focused on moving quickly and streamlining how we work. I also believe that continuous, year-over-year improvement will be the foundation of our long-term success leading up to our goals and strategy for 2030.
- What’s one piece of advice or philosophy that has guided you throughout your career?
At the end of the day, business is all about people. Leading a team with purpose and focusing on teamwork makes all the difference in the world when you need to overcome obstacles and achieve lasting success.
- Outside of work, what is something your CV doesn’t reveal about you?
People know that I’m competitive and that losing isn’t really an option. However, there’s one race that I lose constantly. My wife is from Ireland and every year my family sets me a challenge to race against … sheep. Sheep might look calm, slow and laid-back, but trust me they’re uncatchable!