Procurement Pathways Podcast: Trust by Design: Elevating Modern Procurement Partnerships
Host Stacy Joslin sits down with Aparna Thornton, Director of North America Commercial Procurement at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), to unpack how business partnering, supplier relationships, and cross-functional trust turn procurement into a true enabler for commercial teams. The conversation emphasizes modern procurement and highlights that when procurement treats stakeholder and supplier relationships as strategic priorities, not just tactical sourcing, the entire organization moves faster, operates smarter, and experiences less friction.
What you’ll learn:
- How a modern procurement model drives earlier engagement and better outcomes for sales and marketing teams.
- Practical ways to build transparent, two-way supplier feedback loops that improve performance and why “closing the loop” matters.
- How to connect the dots with legal, IT, finance, and compliance so procurement can scale impact beyond cost savings.
About Our Guest
With more than 20 years of experience spanning the pharmaceutical, financial services, retail, and food industries, Aparna Thornton brings deep global procurement and supply chain expertise to her role within GSK’s North America Commercial Procurement organization. Over the past three years, she has driven measurable value through strategic sourcing, operational excellence, and strong cross-functional collaboration. A Penn State graduate, Aparna holds Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and APICS certifications. Outside of work, she is a CASA Child Advocate and serves on the Darlington Arts School Board. Aparna lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and two teenage sons.
Listen in to hear actionable insights you can apply right away, from playbooks and stakeholder listening to the art of candid feedback and vendor development.
Note: All opinions and perspectives expressed and/or information shared by Aparna Thorton on this podcast are hers alone, and do not represent those of her firm, GSK.
