We are starting off 2022 with a special Meet the Team article, featuring Ian Dagg, managing director for Xoomworks Procurement. Ian leads the Procurement Consulting business at Xoomworks and is responsible for the team’s delivery and growth of the practice.
Tell us about your journey in Xoomworks.
Well – it’s certainly been a journey! I arrived over 20 years ago from PwC, a massive organization with thousands of clients, to a very small Xoomworks with precisely zero clients. But it was the dotcom boom, and everyone was going to be a millionaire so those facts didn’t seem important, and there was just a feeling of excitement. As we started to win work, my role moved from SQL and XML programming to supplier enablement back when eProcurement was really just beginning. This was followed by solution architect roles, project management and change management and I was lucky that this all coincided with these types of projects really taking off. Plus, the fact that when we had a smaller team everyone had to take on all sorts of different roles, so I managed to cover quite a bit of ground. As Xoomworks grew I took on the lead role for Procurement and focused more on our growth. About seven years later we became part of Accenture, and so it feels like it’s the start of the next chapter, but thankfully with more clients.
What do you like most about working at Xoomworks?
There are two things that really stand out for me. The first is the people. Working with people who are enthusiastic about building a business, and that you’re happy to have a pint with after work has been key to me staying at Xoomworks. Everyone says that it’s a supportive team, and so it’s great that we have this culture, and people joining the company keep saying this is one of the things that stand out for them. The second is the freedom to get on with things – I’ve never been one for micro-management, and the culture of the business has given me the opportunity to try things, make mistakes and learn from them.
Are there any projects that you are particularly fond of?
One of my first projects was based in London, Hong Kong and Singapore – and so that was an amazing experience travelling around those locations. Diageo also stood out for me – the project go-live celebration in their Moet vineyards in Epernay was a masterclass in how to mark success. Then there have been the ones where I’ve really enjoyed the challenge – Sky stands out for this, plus they were a nice bunch of people to work with.
Let’s talk about your team. Who are they and what makes them special?
I love working with the team we have, and as we grow, we’re bringing on more people with fresh ideas and new ways of seeing things. As I said earlier, I think the way everyone supports one another is the behaviour that really sticks out for me. But probably one of the best elements of my role is seeing people we took on 5,6 or 7 years ago as a junior person and they’re now leading some of our most complex projects. I hope we can continue this with many of our young and energetic new joiners.
What are your hobbies? What do you like doing in your free time?
There isn’t a ton of time for hobbies at the moment. My two boys are teenagers now and seem to play a different sport in a different location most evenings and weekends, so there’s a heavy element of free taxi going on. When I’m not driving or cleaning the mud out of the car, I’ve been trying to learn the guitar for the last 3 years (which worked well for lock down) with the goal of being able to play through the whole of Appetite for Destruction – I’ve got 7 out of 12 so far but still got the hard ones to go. I’m also not adverse to a game of poker and a pint of ale.
Interested in joining Xoomworks Procurement team? Check out our Career Page for opportunities!
We are starting off 2022 with a special Meet the Team article, featuring Ian Dagg, managing director for Xoomworks Procurement. Ian leads the Procurement Consulting business at Xoomworks and is responsible for the team’s delivery and growth of the practice.
Tell us about your journey in Xoomworks.
Well – it’s certainly been a journey! I arrived over 20 years ago from PwC, a massive organization with thousands of clients, to a very small Xoomworks with precisely zero clients. But it was the dotcom boom, and everyone was going to be a millionaire so those facts didn’t seem important, and there was just a feeling of excitement. As we started to win work, my role moved from SQL and XML programming to supplier enablement back when eProcurement was really just beginning. This was followed by solution architect roles, project management and change management and I was lucky that this all coincided with these types of projects really taking off. Plus, the fact that when we had a smaller team everyone had to take on all sorts of different roles, so I managed to cover quite a bit of ground. As Xoomworks grew I took on the lead role for Procurement and focused more on our growth. About seven years later we became part of Accenture, and so it feels like it’s the start of the next chapter, but thankfully with more clients.
What do you like most about working at Xoomworks?
There are two things that really stand out for me. The first is the people. Working with people who are enthusiastic about building a business, and that you’re happy to have a pint with after work has been key to me staying at Xoomworks. Everyone says that it’s a supportive team, and so it’s great that we have this culture, and people joining the company keep saying this is one of the things that stand out for them. The second is the freedom to get on with things – I’ve never been one for micro-management, and the culture of the business has given me the opportunity to try things, make mistakes and learn from them.
Are there any projects that you are particularly fond of?
One of my first projects was based in London, Hong Kong and Singapore – and so that was an amazing experience travelling around those locations. Diageo also stood out for me – the project go-live celebration in their Moet vineyards in Epernay was a masterclass in how to mark success. Then there have been the ones where I’ve really enjoyed the challenge – Sky stands out for this, plus they were a nice bunch of people to work with.
Let’s talk about your team. Who are they and what makes them special?
I love working with the team we have, and as we grow, we’re bringing on more people with fresh ideas and new ways of seeing things. As I said earlier, I think the way everyone supports one another is the behaviour that really sticks out for me. But probably one of the best elements of my role is seeing people we took on 5,6 or 7 years ago as a junior person and they’re now leading some of our most complex projects. I hope we can continue this with many of our young and energetic new joiners.
What are your hobbies? What do you like doing in your free time?
There isn’t a ton of time for hobbies at the moment. My two boys are teenagers now and seem to play a different sport in a different location most evenings and weekends, so there’s a heavy element of free taxi going on. When I’m not driving or cleaning the mud out of the car, I’ve been trying to learn the guitar for the last 3 years (which worked well for lock down) with the goal of being able to play through the whole of Appetite for Destruction – I’ve got 7 out of 12 so far but still got the hard ones to go. I’m also not adverse to a game of poker and a pint of ale.