Sharron Bird is a highly experienced and successful Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist with over 20 years of expertise across both public and private sectors. She is an elected committee member of the SA/NT Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), MCIPS certified, and also serves as a CIPS assessor—reflecting her commitment to advancing best practices in the procurement field.

Throughout her career, Sharron has effectively led large and complex procurement processes, ensuring key business outcomes are met without compromising on supplier or vendor relationships. Her leadership style is grounded in strong interpersonal and communication skills, enabling her to collaborate with stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines. Sharron's time management and prioritisation capabilities have proven invaluable in tackling the challenges of multiple, concurrent procurement projects.

In addition to her technical expertise, Sharron’s adaptability, honesty, and reliability make her a trusted partner for organisations seeking to streamline their procurement operations. She believes in harnessing innovative solutions to drive efficiency and reduce costs, ultimately helping businesses stay ahead of industry demands.

Kendall Richardson is an accomplished senior procurement executive, elected Chair of the SA/NT Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), and MCIPS certified. With over 18 years of experience spanning government and industry, Kendall has worked with large organisations facing complex spends, stringent regulatory pressures, and high-risk challenges across sectors such as defence, construction, health, technology, and beyond.

A results-oriented professional, Kendall excels at leading project teams, fostering strong stakeholder relationships, and responding to evolving requirements with innovative, strategic thinking. Her proven track record includes identifying, negotiating, and delivering multi-million-dollar contracts for goods, services, and construction projects, each tailored to meet the organisation’s unique strategic objectives.

Kendall’s deep industry knowledge, combined with his ability to quickly adapt to new project structures, ensures that businesses can achieve optimal outcomes in fast-paced or high-stakes environments. Her commitment to best-practice procurement helps organisations navigate regulatory hurdles, minimise risk, and stay competitive.

Lee Houlson is a highly experienced commercial, procurement and risk management professional with more than 35 years of experience across defence, aviation, infrastructure, oil and gas, mining and major commercial environments. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (FCIPS), Lee has held senior commercial and procurement leadership roles with major organisations including BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and KBR.

Throughout her career, Lee has led commercial and procurement functions from both customer and supplier perspectives, with expertise spanning procurement strategy, contract negotiation, commercial governance, risk management and major tenders exceeding $1 billion in value. This breadth of experience gives Lee a strong understanding of the complexities organisations face when navigating high-value, high-risk commercial environments.

Now Director of Lee Houlson Commercial, Lee works with organisations to simplify commercial complexity, strengthen procurement and contracting foundations, and achieve stronger business outcomes. A long-standing contributor to the Australian procurement community and Chartered Fellow of CIPS, Lee combines deep industry expertise with practical, strategic advice to help businesses navigate tenders, contracts and commercial challenges with confidence.

Samantha Atkins is an experienced senior procurement and contract management professional with more than 30 years of experience across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. With the past 20 years focused extensively on procurement and contract management, Samantha has worked across diverse and complex business environments and currently leads procurement and supply chain at Flinders Port Holdings.

Throughout her career, Samantha has gained considerable experience across high-profile and complex contracting environments, with expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier management, commercial performance, contract risk and operational efficiency. She is known for building strong and trusted stakeholder relationships, leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple complex contracts while maintaining a clear focus on service delivery, quality, cost optimisation and sustainable business outcomes.

An MCIPS-qualified procurement professional, Samantha is also a committed contributor to the South Australian procurement community. She has previously served on the SA/NT CIPS Committee and is an active member of Adelaide Women in Procurement. Samantha is passionate about mentoring and developing procurement professionals and advancing procurement as a trusted, collaborative and data-driven business partner that delivers meaningful organisational outcomes.