Page 32 - Logistics News - September - October 2021

S A P IC S

The woman behind the

rollout of vaccines

Speaking to The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management (SAPICS) for a Women’s Month
initiative, Bridget Barnard – Pfizer’s Supply Chain Director for sub-Saharan Africa – reveals that
her most recent success story was facilitating the logistics and supply of the COVID-19 vaccine into
sub-Saharan Africa.

o date, more than 8 million doses of Pfizer’s life- Since starting out in the supply chain field in 1993,
saving vaccine have been administered in South Barnard has seen some significant changes in the
TAfrica. “SAPICS is proud and honoured to have industry over the years, from its increasing importance
Bridget as a member of our supply chain community, and recognition as a strategic business function to more
and to have the opportunity to share her story with women being employed in the profession. “At the start
supply chain professionals,” comments SAPICS President of my career, supply chain management was accepted
MJ Schoemaker. as an operational function. Today, particularly in the
pharmaceutical industry, the supply chain function is
As a member of the a key contributor to shaping organisational direction,
South African chapter of the impact and success, and supply chain executives sit at
International Association of the leadership table.”
Public Health Logisticians
(IAPHL), which SAPICS has “Over the past decade, Pfizer has actively ensured
partnered with, Barnard is also that women are well represented in its employee pool.
making a vital contribution to Presently, of the more than 200 people employed by
professionalism and community Pfizer South Africa, 149 are female. Pfizer South Africa
in South African public health has ensured that women are well represented at the
supply chains, with the objective executive management level. To date, of the 15 executive
of improving the availability managers at Pfizer South Africa, 10 are women, so we
of health care supplies and also have 67 percent female representation among
Bridget Barnard, Pfizer’s Supply medicines. executives.”
Chain Director for sub-Saharan
Africa. Reflecting on her role in the Barnard is optimistic about the future of supply
vaccine rollout, Barnard says, chains and the profession beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
“The key to success was one team, a clear strategy and an “We have already adapted to an environment where
aligned, focused vision. That vision is bringing breakthroughs we needed to review our network for risks that became
L O GI S T I CS NEWS functional team in a complex matrix environment to work as trade restrictions, shortages of medicines, switches in
to patients’ lives. It was a new learning experience for a cross-
more evident due to the many constraints we saw, such
the medicines needed and the slowdown of economies.
collaboratively and with speed to ensure efficient supply on
time. While the challenges were many, the outcome is so
Resilience is and will continue to be a key focus area for
supply chains in the future.”•
fulfilling – to impact and make a difference in patients’ lives.”

30 SEP T E MB E R/O CT O B E R 2021 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a