Mavelyn Cuches, MBA

I built and scaled the IT procurement function for a fast-growth biopharma — owning the full vendor lifecycle across SaaS, software, cloud, hardware, and services categories across Roivant and its spin-out Vants. When the function was formally established, it wasn't a launch — it was a recognition. The governance infrastructure, vendor relationships, and category frameworks I'd built as Vendor Manager became the official procurement function. The title changed. The scope expanded. The work continued. Eighteen months later: 325+ vendors under governance, forecast accuracy at 90% (up from 45%), and vendor onboarding cut from 30 days to 5 — so R&D and IT could move without waiting on procurement. The category scope went beyond traditional IT. Services included outsourced clinical and R&D support — meaning I managed sourcing, contracting, and vendor governance for the tools and providers R&D depended on to run their programs. SaaS and software procurement for the R&D organization ran through this function as well, which required partnering directly with Clinical Operations and R&D leadership to align procurement timelines to study needs, not just IT roadmaps. The work wasn't just sourcing. It was building a function the business actually wanted to call before the contract landed on Legal's desk. Tools: Coupa · SAP Ariba · Oracle · Ironclad · DocuSign · ServiceNow · Power BI · Microsoft 365

I managed vendor relationships and performance across a complex, multi-entity biopharma environment — spanning clinical outsourcing, R&D, and operational supplier categories in a GxP-regulated environment, before the IT procurement function formally existed. The role required being the connective tissue between procurement, Clinical Operations, Legal, Finance, and business stakeholders — translating vendor performance data into decisions leadership could actually act on. What I built in this role became the foundation for everything that came after: Governance infrastructure across a $40M portfolio growing to $62M — 100 to 260 vendors as the company scaled, spanning outsourced clinical service providers, research-supporting technology vendors, and regulated business operations suppliers. Built tiered preferred supplier frameworks, QBR cadences, and performance scorecards that held up in an audit-ready environment. Renewal leverage that didn't exist before — inherited a state where 80–90% of agreements were hitting auto-renewal within 30 days. Built a tiered review framework that extended critical vendor windows to 180 days, including clinical and enterprise agreements where negotiation leverage actually mattered. That foundation — governance infrastructure, category frameworks, and vendor relationships built across clinical and technology categories — became the official IT procurement function.

Founded an independent consulting practice to keep the discipline active and put the methodology to work — advising small businesses and nonprofits on procurement controls, vendor/payment processes, and financial-controls governance. The first client engagement was Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County — a nonprofit managing homeowner mortgage accounts, escrow activity, and board-level financial reporting across a portfolio of low-cost housing programs. The work wasn't bookkeeping. It was procurement-controls discipline applied to an environment that had outgrown its financial infrastructure: reconciliation review across 12 accounts, approximately $135K/month in transaction volume, and a payment structure that needed governance rigor to support audit readiness and board reporting. What that surfaced: Identified 10 reconciliation discrepancies across 4 months of activity; resolved 8 directly, escalated 2 prior-period variances to the board with documented findings and scope boundaries clearly stated Tracked $12K/month in mortgage payments and $6K/month in escrow activity — mapped against account structure gaps to improve transaction visibility and reconciliation readiness Recommended separating operating and escrow account activity into dedicated structures; recommendation adopted by leadership and supported transition to Zimple Operating for digital payment processing, reducing reliance on manual deposits and mailed checks The lesson this reinforced: procurement controls discipline transfers. The domain changes. The methodology doesn't.

Led category strategy and contract management for manufacturing, service, and technology suppliers supporting Sperry Drilling — one of Halliburton's critical product lines. The work required translating business continuity needs into sourcing decisions: production couldn't stop, suppliers had to perform, and cost targets had to be met without sacrificing either. What that delivered: Reduced supplier lead times by 20% and improved on-time delivery to 80% — giving manufacturing the predictability to plan without buffer stock. Negotiated 2-10% volume rebates on $1M+ machining contracts, converting spend leverage into margin improvement. Drove 10-16% savings through data-driven category initiatives while maintaining supplier diversity commitments. Category strategy only works when it solves problems the business already cares about. Here it was production continuity and cost predictability. The savings followed from solving those problems — not the other way around.

Inherited a procurement operation with a 70% on-time delivery rate across 1200+ suppliers and a supplier risk portfolio that had 50 critical vendors rated high risk. The business needed predictability. What it had was exposure. Restructured the procurement team around business outcomes rather than procurement activities — aligning the team's priorities directly to what operations and leadership were being held accountable for. What followed over the next two years: On-time delivery improved from 70% to 95% — driven by 20-30% month-over-month gains through direct supplier engagement and performance cadences that didn't exist before. All 50 high-risk critical suppliers moved from risk level 10 to risk level 1. Quality defects reduced 50-60% year over year through supplier relationship strategies tied directly to PPM targets. Category and market analysis identified 30-40% cost reduction opportunities by mapping external market conditions to internal sourcing decisions. The lesson from this role: supplier performance problems are almost always process and relationship problems in disguise. Fix those — and the numbers follow.

Started as Procurement Specialist I and earned two promotions to Senior Procurement Specialist — each expansion in title reflecting expanded supplier scope: 200 suppliers growing to 500-600 through demonstrated performance. This role was where I learned that on-time delivery problems are rarely supplier problems. They're communication and process problems. Once I understood that, the results followed quickly. Improved domestic supplier on-time delivery from 30% to 95% within a year by building performance cadences and direct engagement structures that didn't exist before — then documented and rolled the approach out to the broader team as standard work. Applied the same framework to international suppliers: on-time delivery moved from 10% to 85% in under six months. Rebuilt forecast adherence from 10% to 70% by partnering with Planning to align procurement activities to what suppliers were actually capable of delivering — closing the gap between what the business expected and what the supply base could execute. The processes I built in this role didn't stay with me. They scaled across the team — which is what good procurement process design is supposed to do.

Started in data entry supporting procurement operations — and expanded into managing MRO purchase orders as the role evolved.That shift from data support to active procurement execution was the first signal that procurement was where I was headed.

Entry point into procurement through data management and process support — serving as data steward for the North American region across the Procurement Department. The role built the analytical foundation that shaped everything that followed: understanding how procurement data flows, where it breaks down, and what clean data actually enables for sourcing decisions.

Contracted through Apex on-site at Anadarko Petroleum — supporting procurement operations through data entry and evolving into data structuring work that improved how procurement information was indexed and retrieved across internal search systems. The role started as execution support and grew into something more analytical — an early signal of where the career was headed.

Protocol and logistics intern supporting the Houston Mayor's Office of International Affairs — coordinating data organization for executive travel and assisting with procurement of services for diplomatic events. Supported vendor negotiations and contracting for catering and transportation when international delegations visited — including coordination for a Turkish government representative. Early exposure to what procurement actually looks like when the stakes are visible and the timeline is fixed.

During my undergraduate studies in international business, the program didn't offer international internships — so I created my own path. Joined GrupoSEPROPE, an international services company, specifically to gain hands-on exposure to how global organizations operate — their structures, compliance frameworks, and cross-border client management practices. Supported QA auditing, client administration, and records management across a high-volume operations environment while building the international business context my coursework was teaching in theory. The lesson stuck: if the formal path doesn't exist, build your own.

Post-degree role that turned out to be an unexpected foundation for contract work. Analyzed mortgage loan documentation and drafted borrower correspondence explaining contract clauses — all reviewed by Legal before going out. Also reviewed real estate purchase agreements, which sparked an early interest in how contracts govern purchasing decisions. Not procurement. But it's where I first learned to read a contract and understand what the language actually meant.

First professional role — managing real estate closing operations and title company administration for a law practice specializing in real estate transactions. Worked across the full closing lifecycle: auditing closing funds, preparing title documents, coordinating with lenders, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents, and ensuring transactions closed on schedule. Progressed from Closing Assistant to Escrow Officer through demonstrated performance. The foundation for understanding how contracts, financial obligations, and multi-party coordination actually work in practice.