In celebration of Women’s Month and the fabulous women in our industry, SmartProcurement profiles Adriane Yvette Naidoo from Visa.
| Full name | Adriane Yvette Naidoo |
| Position | Head of Sourcing (Sub Saharan Africa) |
| Your organisation’s procurement expenditure | $8Bil/per annum |
| Who does P & SM report to | The CFO |
| Private sector or public sector | Private sector |
| Core business activity of the enterprise | FinTech |
| Number of people in your P & SM organisation | Approx. 180 |
| Management motto | Integrity is everything! |
| Personal motto | No matter who you are, what colour you are or where you come from, our World is a place for everyone, and everyone deserves a place in our World. |
| Professional bodies membership | IFPSM (International Federation of Procurement and Supply Chain) |
| What is your vision for P & SM? | Accelerate and dissect supplier diversity further by creating greater focus on Women- and Black Women-Owned companies across multiple sectors – driven by women in procurement in particular – to channel innovative solutions and create a competitive supplier environment. To ensure the way we operate is consistent and collaborative in both our teams and within the business. Continuously fostering a solid and sustainable foundation with our business stakeholders. |
| Personal best achievement | Being a mum, wife, sister, daughter, colleague and friend in a demanding 21st century is a daily personal achievement for me. |
| Most important commodities | Payments Facilitator |
| The person who has had the biggest influence on your life | I have two – my husband and my mum |
| The person who has had the biggest influence on your career | Ovais Abbasi, my 1st Procurement Manager who taught and coached me on the foundational grounding of procurement. |
| Person/s you would most like to meet | Two women in particular – Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris |
| What do you like most about your job? | I love a constant challenge, which is what Procurement is all about. I enjoy meeting people with whom I get acquainted daily, from diverse backgrounds and walks of life and working with a team which is always collaborative and willing to share knowledge and learnings without insecurities. What I love the most is that at Visa we enable even the smallest businesses to grow and connect with larger networks and uplift them even in tiny communities. |
| Is there anything you dislike about your job? | None. I am blessed daily to work for one of the leading payment giants on the globe which constantly develops and creates opportunities for everyone, everywhere. |
| Businessperson who has impressed you the most | Throughout my 16 years there have been many who have impressed me. I cannot justify merely mentioning one or two names. Their impression on me has resonated over the years in my career path and development, more specifically as a woman in procurement. |
| Favourite quote | Be authentic, you cannot be anything else. |
| Your favourite South African organisation | CHOC |
| Your favourite global organisation | NASA |
| Your philosophy about life | Be grateful for what you have. The more you wish for, is the little that someone else wishes they had. Wake up each morning and decide that you choose to be happy; don’t let others determine your happiness for you. |
| Favourite reading | History novels (Last Book Read: Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne) |
| Favourite music | Christian |
| Favourite sport | Football and tennis |
| Favourite website | |
| Hobbies | Writing poetry |
| Car | BMW |
| Married | 22 years this July (22 in the year 2022!) |
| Children | 1 Boy (10) and 1 Girl (7) |
