Steven Schools

Steven Schools is Head of Procurement & Supplier Governance at Vanquis Banking Group. An agent of transformation at the group, he’s ascended the career ladder since joining in 2009 as Procurement Manager of Provident.

Responsible for building a group procurement function and supplier management framework at Vanquis Banking Group, Steven has successfully integrated this standardisation across five critical banking divisions. With almost twenty years of procurement experience, he manages multiple teams and colleagues whilst running the procurement of all of Vanquis’s divisions, divisions which purchase for approximately 1000 suppliers with £250m per annum spend. He’s developed the procurement function and strategy to include category alignment, sourcing capability and operating model and process standardisation whilst integrating an ESG approach.

Steven owns Vanquis Banking Group’s framework, standards, processes and systems for procurement, leading and developing the Procurement, Governance and SRM teams. He’s developed a strategy for these teams that includes minimum due diligence standards for onboarding, in-life on/ off-site standards and SRM activities across all critical suppliers.

His actions have enhanced the overall efficiency, impact and cost-effectiveness of procurement at Vanquis Banking Group, streamlining processes and delivering on demanding commercial targets. Steven’s reorganisation and enhancement of procurement also played a critical role in steering Vanquis Bank’s recovery after a turbulent financial year in 2023. The vital mechanisms he put in place ensured procurement teams were prepared and supply chains were strengthened, enabling all departments to be ready to reboot the business.

Skilled at executing long-term procurement planning and unifying departments, Steven’s pragmatic, personable and measured approach sets him apart. Committed to efficiently and ethically maximising procurement’s business value, he expertly navigates regulatory responsibilities and sustainability frameworks to achieve the best results for the business, the public and the planet. 

He has a deep knowledge of sustainable procurement frameworks and contracting factors, crafting a procurement strategy that aligns with Vanquis Banking Group’s ESG targets and climate goals. He also has extensive knowledge and experience in risk management, advising the board and steering the procurement function to identify and reduce SRM and operational supplier risks. 

Initially pursuing a career in debt collection and also car hire/vehicle leasing, he determined procurement was his calling, he achieved an MCIPS certification from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing. Steven appreciates the collaborative and people-focused possibilities of procurement, being responsible for recruiting, mentoring and developing procurement professionals at a diversity of different career stages. 

Steven takes pride in Vanquis Banking Group’s mission to enhance financial accessibility across the UK and uplift communities through common sense lending. Keenly aware of how COVID-19, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis have deepened financial inequality, Steven works to ensure procurement is performing at its best to support the bank’s capacity to support those outside the credit criteria laid out by tier-one financial institutions. 

A skilled negotiator and mediator with a proven project management track record, Steven continues to shape the structure, function and layout of Vanquis Banking Group’s procurement, improving the area for years to come.

Read the full story HERE.

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