Procurement Leaders, Digital tools & Healthy Work Cultures

Danelle DiLibero is the VP of People at Augury, ensuring that the company's people strategy aligns with its company goals.

She's an expert on hiring and retaining the best talent, understanding the myriad of ways digital tools can be utilised to enhance employee success, satisfaction and training.

Danelle shared insights on how procurement leaders can build environments where innovation and collaboration are more than just buzzwords.

What impact have you had on Augury in your role as VP of People — and what’s your take on how procurement leaders can create a healthy organisational culture?

I joined Augury at a pivotal moment in the company’s journey. We are transitioning from start-up to scale-up and this requires the entire People team to work toward establishing and strengthening scalable processes and systems. These are important steps in a maturing organisation’s journey because it not only establishes a level of compliance but it also develops HR operational efficiencies.

By strategically aligning our team’s work with the company’s goals, we help manage challenges that come with expansion while maintaining our company culture and employee engagement. 

A company culture is an agreed-upon way in which we work. This is especially important for multicultural/geo-diverse teams. You don’t want to pick a country's culture, you want to make sure that you understand who you want to be as an organisation and begin to work in that way.

Culture isn’t something that is written down or told, it’s a behaviour — a way in which we work and treat each other day after day. This needs to be visible and consistent throughout all levels of the organisation and called out when not followed. 

Augury provides AI solutions for some of the world’s biggest manufacturers, like Heineken and PepsiCo.
​​​​​​​We all know AI is being used to optimise processes and knowledge gathering, but how is it being used to shape relationships and the position of people in the workforce?

By taking care of the more repetitive tasks, AI is enabling teams to focus on the creative and strategic parts of their jobs.

This shift lets people connect more deeply with their work and with each other, which strengthens collaboration and drives innovation. It’s not just about making processes more efficient — it’s about creating a workplace where people can do more of what they truly love within their role and really thrive.

There’s a lot of discussion about AI and unconscious bias.
What is Augury’s process to detect and mitigate this risk — and how can companies build a resilient, responsible strategy to ensure AI isn’t contributing to legacies of harm?

Mitigating bias in AI requires intentional action, starting with a diverse and balanced team.

Having people from different backgrounds and demographics collaborating together is essential to ensure varied perspectives are reflected in AI development. Just like making critical decisions in a meeting, we need a wide range of voices to shape AI systems in ways that minimise bias.

Establishing clear ethical guidelines around how AI is used ensures we remain accountable to our work and each other every step of the way. Regularly reviewing these guidelines and remaining transparent in our process allows us to develop AI that not only drives innovation but also prioritises fairness and responsibility.

While the rates have increased, women still only account for a small percentage of the procurement and manufacturing global workforce. Why is this the case?

The procurement and manufacturing industries have historically been male-dominated. This is not something that is changed overnight.

It’s a complex issue and while we’re seeing progress, there’s still a lot of work to be done to make manufacturing more accessible and appealing to women.

With the expansion of vocational schools where all students gain access to different careers and not simply put on a college prep track, we will see more women entering both manufacturing and other traditionally male-held roles. And vice-versa, seeing young men move into roles that were once considered female-dominated. 

Separately, as procurement and manufacturing companies continue to set and raise safety standards, increase their use of technology and provide career growth paths, the next generation will take notice and consider it as a viable career choice.   

What role can procurement leaders play in increasing women’s participation in the workforce?

Leaders have a big role to play here. It starts with creating a workplace culture that’s genuinely inclusive and helps us bring different perspectives together.

That means actively supporting women’s career growth, offering mentorship and making sure that opportunities for advancement are available to everyone.

It’s also about challenging the status quo and being willing to make changes, whether that’s offering more flexible work options or addressing unconscious biases within the organisation and focusing on those shared experiences within the workplace rather than interests outside of it. It’s also important to have representation at the top.

Whether this is a woman or a POC, entry-level workers want to see someone who looks like them represented in the organisation. 

Women are significantly underrepresented in manufacturing and procurement.
​​​​​​​What factors are at play here? And as someone in a senior role, do you have any advice for women seeking to climb the ladder?

For women looking to advance in procurement and manufacturing, my advice is to seek out mentors and build a strong network.

There are some amazing women at all levels in these industries. If you don’t have someone internally at your company, join an industry group that focuses on supporting women in their careers.

Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you — go after them, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone. Be your own advocate and find the people who can help you better understand your role and help you expand your knowledge. 

Many argue that digital transformation with its interconnectedness necessitates the adoption of certain approaches and skills that women are more likely to exhibit, like being collaborative and conscientious.
​​​​​​​Do you think digital transformation opens up new doors for women in industry?

I do. Digital transformation is changing the game in manufacturing and it’s creating new opportunities.

The skills that are becoming more valued — like collaboration and conscientiousness — are areas where women often excel.

As the industry evolves, I think we’re going to see more women stepping into roles that may not have been as accessible before.

The key is to make sure we’re continuing to push for that inclusivity and offering opportunities to all employees.

How we can come together to tackle gender inequality across STEM fields and Procurement?

A key element in addressing gender inequality across STEM fields, particularly in manufacturing, is starting the conversation much earlier. It’s important to expose children and young adults to the possibilities within manufacturing and engineering from a young age, allowing them to see these paths as real career options rather than something to fall back on.

By incorporating hands-on learning, real-world applications and mentorship programs into schools and communities, we can inspire interest and help young people, especially girls, envision themselves in these roles. Shifting this mindset early on is critical for breaking down stereotypes and encouraging more women to pursue careers in these areas.

Collaboration is also vital. Leaders in education, industry and policy must come together to create programs that are both accessible and inclusive. We need more mentorships, internships and initiatives designed to engage young women in STEM.

It’s about building a pipeline of diverse talent and ensuring that gender equality becomes part of the culture at every level, from education to senior leadership positions.

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