In June 2018 John Dickson assumed the role of AZ Chief Procurement Officer at AstraZeneca, accountable for the company’s external spend and supplier base across the full enterprise-wide spectrum including R&D, Operations, Commercial, Indirects and Enabling Functions. 

 John is a member of the Operations Senior Leadership Team and is based in Cambridge, UK.  He has over 30 years of experience in senior procurement roles across a range of industries, including public sector transport, oil & gas, aerospace, FMCG and pharmaceuticals. Prior to AstraZeneca, he acted as advisor to Network Rail’s Contracts & Procurement department, transforming the strategic direction of the function and increasing value for money performance.  

 Throughout his career, John has focussed on driving broad value across the organisation’s he has worked for and elevated the strategic position of the function to be a truly integrated business partner. Previously, John also held CPO roles at Rolls Royce, Heinz and Diageo. In these positions, John was responsible for developing strategies to enhance the value delivery of the function, whilst building a strong identity for the Procurement function.

 Earlier in his career, John spent 13 years at GSK in senior procurement positions, including Head of R&D Procurement, Production Procurement, strategic purchasing manager and site procurement lead.

 John has an Honours Degree in Business Studies from Nottingham Trent University.