Gillian passes to Pauline Macdonald: • Pauline’s background in procurement and supply chain • Pauline has been in Canada for the last 6 and half years • She was on the board of directors for WBE Canada helping women owned business specifically – the CEO of the company was working with govt to mandate that a certain percentage of all public sector bids went to women owned businesses - In Canada 5% of every single public sector contract has to go to indigenous suppliers and so she was fighting for the same for women owned businesses • WBE helped certify suppliers so they could use the WBE Canada logo so that when the public sector went out to tender, they could ask if they were certified – if a company is certified they know all the due diligence has been done on suppliers, it was definitely women led, certificates were valid 2 years however they can be taken off them at any time if they are in breach, WBE also ran courses to help with bidding • Old boys club easier to control and govern in public sector but very hard to do so in private sector – a lot of who you know rather than what you know • As a women owned business you have to go above and beyond to show your worth • To have a register of how many SMEs suppliers in Scotland would be helpful to get people signed up and show public sector these women owned businesses have gone through due diligence and they are certified it would minimize risk for them so more chance of winning business • WBE magazine...