Meet the Buyer - Laura Megson

Name: Laura Megson

Position: Category Buyer - Emergency Services

How long have you been working at YPO? 4 years.

Before joining the Procurement Services team in 2019 as an Assistant Buyer, I joined YPO as the Risk & Insurance Office in Finance and was also part of the Internal Audit team supporting the Quality department.

More recently I have successfully secured a Category Buyer role in Procurement Services.

What do you like most about working at YPO?

That you feel valued and there is always career progression. It’s a great place to work, with great people. The YPO values are at the heart of everything. The management team make business decisions to drive the business forward, but you never feel forgotten about. You’re always kept up to date with internal communications, Simon Hill (our Managing Director) even holds live chat session to catch up and see how we’re all doing as well as giving us updates on business activity. It sounds like a cliché but you’re not just a number, you’re part of the YPO team.

I am proud to work for YPO, the way YPO supports its customers and gives back to the community is something I enjoy being part of.

What are your main responsibilities?

I manage several frameworks that fall within the Emergency Services category, such as Specialist PPE, Uniforms and Workwear, Emergency Response and Control and Restraint Equipment, Drones (UAV’s) with Associated Products and Services, Specialist Laundry Solutions and Incident Ground Feeding.

My main responsibility is to manage the procurement cycle end to end. I manage the current Emergency Services frameworks and framework renewals. This includes managing and reviewing supplier performance at annual review stage of current frameworks, marketing the frameworks and renewing all fit for purpose frameworks which have proven to be beneficial to customers.

I also support customers by offering advice on how our frameworks operate and how they can be the ideal and compliant route to market for them. I enjoy working with suppliers and customers, I find the Emergency Services sector exciting. By maintaining positive relationships in the industry it helps ensure YPO are in touch with the latest innovations and market news so we can provide the best possible service.

Moving forward, the Emergency Services team has been merged with the Health and Social Care team in Procurement Services, so I will also be responsible for supporting the management of these frameworks alongside my colleagues.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I am continuously learning the Emergency Services industry and keeping up with innovation to ensure I can provide the best support to the Category Manager, suppliers and our customers. Although it's hard work at times, the Emergency Services category is so diverse it never makes a job boring. Our frameworks offer a compliant route to market for the purchase of products such as Firefighters PPE kit, Police body armour, station wear and corporate workwear, handcuffs and batons, Firefighters’ hoses, thermal imaging cameras, industrial and medical gases, drones (UAVs), to services such as driving licence verification.

In addition to keeping up with the world of Emergency Services, my new challenge is to gain an understanding of Health and Social Care. This is a new area for me and I’m looking forward to learning everything I can from my new team members.

Understanding our customers’ needs and ensuring our frameworks have the right level of offering that meets their needs certainly keeps you on your toes.

Describe your role in 3 words - Exciting, diverse, gratifying

How did you get involved in procurement?

Over the last 20 years I have had various job roles across a wide range of business areas, 16 years of that was within private retail sector and the financial services industry. After joining YPO in 2017 as the Risk & Insurance Officer it gave me great insight and an excellent understanding of the business, its values and how it works within the Public Sector.

After seeing a Procurement Services job opportunity advertised in 2019, I knew my previous experience in customer service, stock distribution alongside my compliance and risk management background I would make me a great addition to the team. 

If you’d like to contact Laura to discuss your emergency services requirements, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

If you enjoyed this read, you can find out more about our employee’s and how they found themselves at YPO, as well as their job responsibilities and progress throughout the business. Meet the YPO team now!