Leading change is important to Daniel Cameron, who says procurement must be a destination function – influencing and challenging decisions to drive innovation
There exists a photograph, taken as Hurricane Sandy battered New York in 2012. In it, the city’s skyline is black, the storm having taken out the power and left skyscrapers in darkness – with one exception. Only Goldman Sachs’ HQ shines bright: the lights stayed on.
For Daniel Cameron, who back then was head of EMEA procurement at the bank, the photograph is a perfect reminder of the importance of paying attention to detail. Goldman’s lights stayed on because the company’s generator was on the roof rather than in the basement, thus escaping floodwater. “It’s a testament to thinking: if you get the basics right, you can get a competitive advantage,” says Cameron. “[Goldman CEO and chair] Lloyd Blankfein has that picture on the wall in his office. You can imagine customers looking at it and thinking: ‘our money is safe with Goldman’.”