Ep. 6 | Be 1% Better Every Day with Jabil’s Heidi Banks

Heidi Banks, VP Global Supply Chain at Jabil, shares how technology, supplier relationships and strong leadership are shaping the future of procurement

Procurement leaders are facing increasing pressure to deliver more value, greater resilience and better visibility across global operations. As organisations navigate geopolitical uncertainty, supply disruptions and rapid advances in AI, the role of procurement is evolving beyond cost control and into a strategic business function.

Few people have witnessed that transformation more closely than Heidi Banks, VP Global Supply Chain at Jabil. Approaching 25 years with the company, she has helped guide the organisation through significant growth, from a US$3bn business to a global manufacturing leader managing billions in spend.

Throughout her career, Heidi has worked across inventory control, manufacturing planning and procurement, developing a broad understanding of how supply chains operate across industries and regions.

Why supplier relationships still matter

Despite advances in automation, analytics and AI, Heidi believes one thing has remained constant: the importance of supplier relationships.

For her, collaboration, communication and trust continue to form the foundation of successful supply chains. Strong supplier partnerships help organisations navigate constrained markets, respond to disruption and secure critical resources when they are needed most.

As supply chains become increasingly interconnected, Heidi argues that resilience starts with supplier visibility. Understanding where suppliers are located, how they operate and where potential risks exist allows organisations to respond more effectively when disruptions occur.

Balancing global standards with local flexibility

Jabil's global operations span dozens of countries, requiring a balance between standardisation and local agility.

Heidi explains that the company's digital procurement transformation focused on creating consistent governance, supplier data standards and approval processes while still allowing local teams the flexibility to meet operational and regulatory requirements.

This approach has helped improve visibility, strengthen compliance and create a more scalable procurement function without sacrificing regional responsiveness.

Preparing procurement teams for the AI era

With AI becoming an increasingly important part of procurement, Heidi believes organisations must focus on helping employees understand how technology can support their work rather than replace it.

For procurement professionals, AI has the potential to reduce manual, repetitive tasks and allow teams to spend more time on strategic activities such as supplier engagement, negotiations and business partnering.

Rather than pursuing large-scale transformation immediately, she advocates for a gradual approach, identifying practical use cases that deliver measurable improvements and build confidence across teams.

Leadership through communication and trust

Leading a global team of around 400 people, Heidi places significant emphasis on communication, transparency and personal connection.

She believes effective leaders must remain approachable, understand the challenges their teams face and create opportunities for employees to grow and be recognised.

Whether through regular team updates, development programmes or celebrating small successes, her leadership approach centres on helping people feel connected to both the organisation's goals and their own professional development.

Looking ahead

As procurement continues to evolve, Heidi sees AI as one of the most exciting developments shaping the future of the profession.

However, she believes technology alone is not enough. Success will continue to depend on strong supplier relationships, quality data, resilient processes and leaders willing to embrace change.

For the next generation of procurement professionals, her advice is simple: be fearless, keep learning and build experience across multiple areas of the business before accelerating your career.