EP 19 - Russell Stover’s Jeff Bever on Leadership in Strategic Sourcing

In this episode of Smarter Sourcing, John welcomes Jeff Bever, VP of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement at Russell Stover Chocolates, to discuss how a 100-year-old company is transforming its procurement and supply chain operations for the modern era. Jeff reflects on his diverse career journey across agriculture, construction, and confectionery, sharing how each experience has shaped his leadership style. 

He discusses the challenges of building sustainable supply chains, managing cocoa supply in a volatile market, and using an enterprise-wide mindset to drive business value. Jeff also discusses mentoring the next generation of supply chain professionals and the evolving role of AI in procurement.

 

Topics discussed:

• How diverse career experiences across industries drive innovation in procurement and sourcing.
• The importance of building trust and relationships across global management teams.
• Sustainability challenges in cocoa supply chains, including pricing volatility and farmer welfare.
• Why a growth mindset is critical for sourcing professionals and team building.
• The enterprise mindset: thinking beyond silos to drive holistic business value.
• The role of AI and technology in accelerating procurement innovation and decision-making.
• Contingency planning for a constantly volatile supply chain landscape.
• Mentoring the next generation of supply chain leaders to think beyond traditional boundaries.
• Aligning procurement strategies with broader organizational goals and future growth.