Driton Tony Shala

Driton Tony Shala is something of a rarity in procurement in that he always intended to pursue a career in the field – despite the fact he has also trained as a crime scene investigator. 

Tony has spent two-and-a-half decades in procurement, working initially as Head of Administration and Procurement at OSCE, the largest security organisation in Europe. 

From there, he took up a similar role with BNP Paribas, one of the region’s biggest banks.

But having spent 18 years in corporate procurement, Tony decided it was time to truly test himself and head in a different direction. In 2015, he became Procurement Manager at Teachers College (TC), Columbia University in New York City, the first and largest graduate school of education in the US. 

“When I left BNP Paribas, I was working with the government here in the US and was introduced for the first time to cybersecurity, forensics and crime scene skills,” explains Tony. “But actually, after that, I decided to continue in procurement and wanted to try something new.

“I’d worked for 18 years in procurement but only in the corporate world; I wanted to try procurement in higher education, which involves taking a completely different approach. I said to myself, ‘I’d love to see how I can contribute’ and that’s what brought me to TC as Procurement Manager.”

Transforming procurement at Teachers College

Tony’s role at TC includes anything and everything relating to procurement: approvals, requisition, sourcing, contract negotiation and beyond.

His small team of two procurement clerks are in charge of connecting vendors into TC’s e-procurement system and ensuring they fulfil necessary requirements. 

When Tony first arrived, all procurement activities were carried out manually. In the ensuing years his primary focus has been the transition from manual to electronic, while building out the capacity of the institution when it comes to procurement procedures. 

“That’s one of my strengths: to help institutions build their e-procurement platforms and start using them,” Tony continues.

“In higher education and other not-for-profit institutions, it can be challenging because faculty and staff are focused on obtaining the goods or services they’re trying to purchase, whereas our goal is to get the best value for money.

“My role is to bring balance between the two – purchasing goods and services that academics are looking for while taking into account pricing and other factors.”

Forming strategic partnerships

Tony clearly has a lot of love for his job – thanks, in large part, to the way he is able to approach procurement. 

Once thought of as a spending department, procurement is now seen as a strategic partner because of the way it impacts the wider organisation – especially since COVID-19.

“When I start any type of contract negotiation or bidding process, I’m not only looking in one direction – i.e. getting the contract done or purchasing goods,” Tony details. “I’m also looking at how I can gain a new strategic partner.

“Vendors, at the end of the day, are our strategic partners and I want to ensure the relationship is a win-win situation. 

“Being at Teachers College, Columbia University allows you to take a broad approach in the implementation of your procurement strategies.”

Of course, it can’t all be plain sailing for Tony. Procurement challenges arise on a regular basis and he is the man expected to come up with solutions. 

“Teachers College is not an institution where there is always the same flow of processes and you can simply go with the flow,” he says. “Everything is dynamic and different from day-to-day business. 

“That’s what keeps me busy but it’s also what keeps me happy.”

To read the full story in the magazine click HERE.

Explore the latest edition of Procurement Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.

Procurement Magazine is a BizClik brand