Matthew Rees has crammed a lot into his purchasing career since graduating in purchasing and supply chain management from the University of Glamorgan in Wales, just three years ago. A “sandwich” year spent at HSBC’s purchasing department in Sheffield, the UK, led to a full-time job at HSBC’s Group headquarters in London; and eighteen months later he was on a plane to Dubai on a new assignment: to build up a purchasing team in the UAE.

“Moving to Dubai was obviously a big change, personally and professionally,” Rees recalls. “Purchasing here is very different from purchasing in the UK. In the UK vendors are very sophisticated, they have been around for some time with HSBC leveraging its established relationships. The Middle East is a less mature, less sophisticated purchasing market which is much more complex in different ways.”

New culture, new game
Working at Global Banking and Markets purchasing in London meant dealing with blue chip “Silicon Valley-style” CEOs but in the Middle East it is a completely different ball-game, he says. “Here, we are unable to buy direct
from blue chip companies but have to buy through their agent which makes it more difficult and complex.” He’s also fully aware of the cultural differences. “You have to build up a relationship with clients and suppliers to succeed here in Dubai. They ask me a lot about my background; they try to get to know you and you need to know them.”

When Rees moved to Dubai, there was no purchasing team in place; today he has built up a team of nine people and has taken on a regional role for the Middle East aligning purchasing activities in Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan and Egypt with Group purchasing to ensure that purchasing is standardized in all markets. “During the past few years, HSBC has grown in the CEE region and Middle East through acquisitions and market growth and the focus now is on bringing the different markets into the Group way of working,” Rees comments. “The standardization process has gained momentum and we
need to focus on global category approaches.”

A runner-up in the 2008 Procurement Future Leader award, to a winner who had 12 years more purchasing experience than him, Rees is keen to share his views on the purchasing profession. “Getting boardroom recognition for purchasing is still tough but it’s getting better, particularly if you look at manufacturing where purchasing is now top of the corporate agenda, but in other sectors, it’s just not there yet,” he says. “We need to demonstrate more the value we bring to the organization. Today’s tough economic times are actually good for us. With the current focus on cost savings, it’s purchasing which can play a big role in saving the organization money.” He shares his experience in Dubai as an example. “When I arrived here in September it was hard to get top management to talk about purchasing, the economy was still going ok. Now things have slowed down and people need, and want, to know how purchasing can help them save money. They start to communicate with us which is very important for our profession.”

Entering Dubai as a young rookie was a challenge, not to mention trying to find the right people for his team. “As Dubai is not an area awash with purchasing skills, I took some people with expertise in certain subjects, gave them purchasing training and I hope we can turn them into purchasing pros,” he confides.

As a young graduate who has got his purchasing career well on track, Rees offers some words of wisdom to other purchasing wannabes. “Most organizations are looking for bright, young things but it’s very important you try to understand where the purchasing role fits into the organization before you accept a job. The company’s attitude to purchasing will define and shape your role and responsibility. It’s also very different if you work in procurement with manufacturing or services.” But he remains modest about his career success so far. “If you look at accountants, marketing managers, you are just one of a large number of people looking for a big break. Purchasing is a smaller industry so it’s a bit easier to ‘shine’.”

When asked what he enjoys most about purchasing, Rees reflects a moment before answering. “I think a few years ago when I started out, the whole negotiation – closing the deal and challenging the decision – fulfilled me. I also got a buzz from dealing with people a few levels higher than me. Now, however, I find sitting here in the Middle East, defining a regional strategy and making it work in line with the global strategy, is really interesting.” Rees is ambitious. “I want to be a CPO of a FTSE100 company. I would like to continue with my career in purchasing, but if I come to a point where I feel like I am not moving forward, I’d see how I can use my purchasing skills elsewhere internally in HSBC or with another company. For now, I am 100% focused on proving myself here in the Middle East and building up a regional purchasing organization.”

The move to Dubai, aside from being a professional learning curve, is also a personal one. “I am enjoying Dubai and people are very welcoming and friendly,” he says. “In one way, I was unfortunate to move at the peak of the boom when apartment prices etc were sky-high and since then the British pound has dropped by 20 percent so it has got more expensive.”


Matthew Rees
Age: 25
Career: Studied purchasing and supply chain
management at the University of Glamorgan in Wales,
UK. Did a work placement at HSBC during university
and got a job offer from HSBC when he graduated in
2006. He spent two years working with supply chain
management at HSBC Group headquarters in London,
responsible for bespoke licensing and off licensing.
In September 2008, he was posted in Dubai for two
years, responsible for building up a local and regional
purchasing team.
Likes: “A challenge and being put under pressure;
I am most satisfied when outside of my comfort zone.”
Dislikes: “How the media polarizes people dependent
on which country the media is based in. I think the
media should be accurate and unbiased.”
What drives you: “Personally, I want to be successful
as an individual. Professionally, I am proud to work for
HSBC and want to do my best for them.”