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Interview
Strategies for SUCCESS
Amanda Prochaska ’ s extensive career in procurement has shaped her approach to leadership and how she navigates ever-evolving market expectations
Like many procurement professionals , Amanda Prochaska fell into the industry after studying International Political Economics and French . Having worked in large corporations like Schneider Electric , Kellogg ’ s , Kraft Foods , and American Express , Amanda often occupied a position as the youngest professional in the room , as well as the only woman .
Reflecting on her career journey , Amanda begins : “ I always wanted to go into international business and came across the role of a buyer . Fortunately , I secured my first corporate role at a French headquartered business , Schneider Electric , that had a North American office close by . I then spent 16 years in procurement roles for some amazing companies and ended my corporate career at MGM Resorts International . Across all these roles , I worked on large scale transformations and earned the industry nickname of ‘ Mrs Fix It .’
“ I would go into organizations that needed to be transformed in some way and help them create a strategy and deploy the relevant transformation . Transformation is constantly ongoing , so I would often move on to the next opportunity once the strategy was underway and the company was reaping its benefits .”
Although Amanda enjoyed traveling between organizations , she had two young daughters and wanted a career that allowed her to be present in their childhood , which led her to establish Wonder Services . “ From my corporate career , I noticed that the most successful projects or implementations had a very strong and well-deployed change management strategy ,” she recalls . “ I took the plunge and decided to set up my own consulting firm with a focus on change management to help companies across the globe achieve optimum results when completing these transformations .
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