“Expoquimia should be visited with an open and strategic mindset. In a context of uncertainty, we cannot afford to manage the supply chain from behind a desk. The exhibition brings together in just a few days what would otherwise take months of scouting. For a Procurement director in the pharma sector, not attending is simply a missed opportunity.”
Interview with Anna Trunas, expert consultant in procurement in the pharmaceutical sector and board member of AERCE’s regional chapter in Catalonia
Your career combines a strong technical background in chemistry with extensive experience in Procurement at major pharmaceutical companies such as Roche or Grifols. What is the added value today of having deep technical knowledge of the product and industrial processes in Procurement?
It depends on the role you are in. If you work as a category manager, having a technical background is definitely very important, as it allows you to share a common language with your internal stakeholders — typically R&D, engineering or production profiles — and it also helps to have a deeper understanding of product composition and, therefore, more criteria regarding cost drivers.
The pharmaceutical sector is a major consumer of chemical solutions (raw materials, specialties, services, technology). From the perspective of a pharma Procurement manager, what is expected today from a chemical supplier beyond price and supply?
In pharma, two very different types of chemical products are typically purchased: commodities and high value-added products. Within this second group, there are also two categories: products with a limited supplier market due to the required know-how and manufacturing rigor, and suppliers that directly develop the product ad hoc for you. For each of these three types of supplier, different expectations apply:
- From commodity suppliers, we expect reliability, price containment and visibility to support good decision-making. They are usually expected to share cost breakdowns and provide transparency across the entire supply chain.
- For producers of high value-added specialties, we expect preferential treatment: access to their innovations before they are launched to the market, flawless quality, and the ability to establish medium- and long-term agreements.
- For those developing a molecule specifically for us, we aim to build strategic partnerships and expect a high level of adaptability to our business needs.
Based on your experience, what would you say are the main supply chain challenges today in highly regulated pharmaceutical and industrial environments?
What can we say about the current situation? There are many challenges, and the main one is geopolitical.
We are seeing distribution channels partially closed for weeks, a critical energy shortage affecting chemical products, and an increasing trend towards regulation that makes sourcing outside Europe more difficult and bureaucratic.
In this context, we must focus on conducting strong risk assessments, shared with senior management, as this is a vital element within any chemical or pharmaceutical company’s business continuity plan.
AERCE emphasises the evolution of Procurement as a value driver. Where do we really stand in the pharma sector? Does Procurement still play mainly an operational role, or is it already at the strategic table?
We still have a long way to go, but we are definitely in a much better position than a few years ago.
From our perspective, healthcare did not previously prioritise Procurement, and there was no real urgency around it. However, since COVID this has changed dramatically. We live in such an uncertain world that supply chain visibility and control have become essential, which has helped place Procurement on the leadership agenda. It is now our responsibility to take advantage of this context, transform ourselves and demonstrate that we are up to the task.
Procurement decisions have a direct impact on innovation, sustainability, ESG compliance and risk management. To what extent is Procurement influencing the selection of more sustainable and innovative chemical solutions in pharmaceutical companies today?
In terms of sustainability, two-thirds of a company’s carbon footprint lies within its supply chain. Therefore, having visibility and control over it, and ensuring suppliers have strong sustainability policies, is a requirement to achieve corporate objectives — and this is 100% Procurement’s responsibility.
Regarding risk management, as mentioned, one of the key pillars of any business continuity plan (BCP) is the robustness of the value chain, which also falls entirely under Procurement’s responsibility. In fact, we are already seeing cases where the BCP owner is the Chief Procurement Officer.
You are an expert in digital transformation and AI applied to Procurement. Which procurement processes are currently being most impacted by digitalisation?
There are two main levers of digitalisation: saving time within the company in the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) process, and automating the more transactional and compliance-heavy areas, such as supplier onboarding, qualification and re-evaluation. With this second wave of digitalisation, many companies integrate external assessments such as EcoVadis, Achilles or D&B, which help analyse supplier risk from supply, financial, reputational and ESG perspectives.
Expoquimia brings together chemical, technology and industrial solution providers. Why is it important for pharma Procurement professionals to attend trade fairs like Expoquimia to discover new suppliers, trends and solutions?
It is a unique opportunity to have a large number of potential and existing suppliers in one place. At leading trade fairs like this, they present their latest innovations and offer a valuable advantage that is increasingly rare: face-to-face interaction. The ability to meet both current and potential suppliers outside the office, in person, is an opportunity that should not be missed.
From your cross-functional perspective and your role at AERCE, what mistakes are chemical industry suppliers still making when approaching Procurement, and what do pharmaceutical buyers really value in a first contact?
One of the most common mistakes is approaching Procurement with a message focused solely on product and price, without understanding that today’s pharmaceutical buyer evaluates far more than that. When a supplier does not understand our processes, has not researched our regulatory requirements, or cannot speak about supply continuity, they lose credibility from the outset. It is also common for them to arrive without data: no cost breakdowns, no quality reports, no ESG positioning. In a first contact, what we truly value is preparation, understanding of our sector, transparency about their supply chain, and the ability to provide solutions, not just catalogues. Commercial empathy and listening skills make a real difference.
Finally what message would you give to pharmaceutical Procurement professionals who still see trade fairs as “non-essential” in their annual agenda, to encourage them to attend Expoquimia next June?
Come to Expoquimia with an open and strategic mindset. In a context of such geopolitical, energy and regulatory uncertainty, we cannot afford to manage the supply chain from behind a desk. We need to understand the market in depth, identify new solutions before the competition, and build relationships with suppliers who will be key in the years ahead. A trade fair like Expoquimia concentrates in a few days what would otherwise take months of meetings and scouting. For a pharma Procurement director, not attending is simply a missed opportunity.
