Success in today’s business climate requires strategy and agility — talents Richard Lawson has been honing throughout his 20 years working in the workforce solutions ecosystem. As the global external talent supply chain strategy lead in Accenture’s procurement organization, named Procurement Plus, Lawson oversees the supplier strategies for the four categories of talent the company employs across the globe: employees, contractors, Services-SOWs (statements-of-work) and freelance/gig workers.

As Lawson continues to contend with change, he’s looking ahead and working to deliver strategies that will be what he calls “fit for now, the future, and fit for disruption.” His upcoming programs focus on agile solutions that are change-friendly and drive value across the total talent ecosystem. With HR on board and engaged, driving this agenda forward has been a massive win for the team, and he plans to take full advantage of every opportunity.

The new strategies and programs will enable Lawson’s team to react quicker to the evolving talent marketplace, find good talent faster and serve clients more effectively. He calls it a holistic workforce approach, one that helps make Accenture more resilient and keeps suppliers empowered and engaged as the talent industry fluctuates.

Today, Lawson says his biggest challenge is speed — finding the right talent at the right time. Business disruption is happening faster than ever, and talent remains a significant competitive advantage. Lawson is ready to adapt to all the changes and opportunities that lie ahead.