A Welcome Message from New Procurement Officer, Michael Durkin, CPO
By Michael Durkin, New Chief Procurement Officer
I have a colleague who likes to quote “Mile’s Law,” the idea that “where you stand depends on where you sit.”
As we approach the five-year anniversary of UPST, this old saying continues to ring true for how we have experienced the creation of the UPST over the past five years.
"I am aware that UPST does not succeed by the acts of a single person; rather, it delivers with the support of the entire team."
- Michael Durkin, Chief Procurement Officer
The idea of leveraging the size and scale of UMass’s collective buying power, creating operational efficiency by unifying procurement processes, and reinforcing policy compliance was not new. What was novel for UMass was the idea of leveraging a single organization to manage and execute procurement on behalf of our campuses.
How we buy and who we buy from is fundamental to how we operate. Changing that process took everyone at UMass. The Board of Trustees and campus leadership had the courage to change, the newly created UPST team had to forge new systems, processes, and relationships, and the faculty and staff at the campuses had to endure a cycle of change they had never experienced before.
What we accomplished and our success depends on “where you sit.” UPST has undeniably achieved the goals set out for the organization in 2019 when it was established. In the first five years, we reduced costs, established new processes and procedures, increased processing speed, answered countless questions, and served thousands of campus stakeholders. The amount of change and pace at which we changed pushed us all, but together we made incredible progress.
From those of us in UPST, we cannot thank you enough for your engagement, trust, and patience over the past five years. Where are we going next? We will continue to build on what we have created, listen to what you need, and deliver value together for UMass!
About Michael Durkin: Michael is the current Chief Procurement Officer of the University of Massachusetts. He was pivotal as Director of Strategic Procurement at UPST, driving cost benefits, innovation, and efficiency across UMass campuses. His extensive experience in higher education procurement, including his time as Chief Procurement Officer for the University System of New Hampshire, makes him uniquely qualified to lead UPST. Michael’s leadership has been integral to UPST’s success, and we are excited to see his vision and expertise continue to guide our team in this new capacity.