Christina Nemeyer’s Unexpected Path to Procurement Success
Christina Nemeyer is director of corporate strategic sourcing with Performance Food Group (PFG), one of the largest foodservice distribution companies in North America.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Oversee the team responsible for establishing national account programs for indirect spend, leveraging PFG’s scale to generate value.
EXPERIENCE: Senior manager, corporate strategic sourcing, and corporate sourcing manager, PFG. Fuel supervisor, Estes Express Lines. Inventory control and loss prevention supervisor, S&K Menswear. Market loss prevention manager, Shoe Carnival, Inc. Regional loss prevention analyst and EBR analyst, LP Innovations, Inc. Investigative technician, Capital One Financial Corporation.
EDUCATION: MBA, James Madison University. BS, Economic Crime Investigation, Utica College of Syracuse University.
Where I initially thought my career would go is not where I’m at now. At Utica College (now Utica University) I studied economic crime investigation with a concentration in financial crimes.
I also interned at Capital One’s internal fraud department, using data analysis to help identify employees who were stealing information. That was so exciting.
Then I held several roles in auditing, loss prevention, and fraud analysis for retail organizations. When one went out of business, my career path changed. I moved to Estes Express Lines, where my team managed the procurement of truck fuel and related products. Since I had inventoried suits and ties, I figured I could inventory gallons of fuel.
Then I moved to Performance Food Group (PFG). It has been great. I oversee a small team that handles strategic sourcing for indirect categories. It’s a large budget amount and affects the bottom line, so we try to put into place national programs that leverage our size and can help PFG’s operating companies run more efficiently and cost effectively.
For example, we help procure diesel fuel for the entire organization, negotiating prices and making sure that we have the supply we need. I love helping PFG and I love working with suppliers and handling negotiations.
In any negotiation, I like to create relationships. I try to understand where both sides are coming from and how we can partner and compromise to come up with a solution that benefits both of us.
A Collaborative Effort
At PFG, our drivers are everything. I launched a collaborative effort to come up with the company’s first driver uniform program. I assembled colleagues from across the organization to develop branding ideas and identify the characteristics of the uniform we wanted. For instance, we wanted safety elements, such as reflective piping, so drivers can be visible in the dark. We also wanted a professional look, because the drivers are the face of our business. I obtained samples and sent them to our pilot group for testing and to narrow it down to one offering.
We now have a custom uniform program that has all the safety features drivers need—even a sunglass loop. We’ve since developed several iterations, so we keep our uniform relevant as the company grows. We’ve also created similar programs for our sister companies within PFG.
The uniforms build on the PFG brand and help with cost control. Most locations had been doing rental programs. Purchasing uniforms saves time and money, and looks better. It’s a win-win and it was wonderful to be a part of that.
I love being able to partner with my customers inside the PFG organization and with suppliers to come up with win-win scenarios. I don’t fit the typical mold of a procurement person, but we are changing that perception and showing how we think more strategically.
Christina Nemeyer Answers the Big Questions
1. What hobbies or activities make you better at leadership or supply chain and logistics management?
I can’t complain if I don’t get involved, so I try to get involved. I volunteered at a recent folk festival where Performance Food Group was a main food court sponsor. I answered questions about PFG and communicated my pride in our company.
2. What book has had an impact on you?
Inclusion on Purpose by Ruchika T. Malhotra is about creating a culture of belonging and inclusion, and how to be adaptable, understanding, and to listen, recognizing everyone comes from a different background and has a different perspective.
3. If you could throw a dinner party for anybody in the world—past or present—who would be at the top of your list?
My paternal grandmother, who passed away when I was 14. She was loving, but also listed her expectations so you knew where you stood with her. To this day. I would rather someone be completely honest than to sugarcoat things.