Eric Osterhout

Eric Osterhout is part of Enbridge SCM (procurement), under the indirect spend team, whose particular category team is responsible for contingent labor and consulting. In 2019, the program managed almost $500 million in spend, with an average census of about 2,500 workers across North America. He was involved in bringing the legacy Spectra Energy and legacy Enbridge programs together to launch as one Enbridge contingent labor program called RightStaff in January 2019. “Now that we’re post-harmonization,” he says, “we plan to devote more time to strategic initiatives, such as direct sourcing of contingent labor roles, expanding our [freelancer management system] offerings, and implementing [statement of work].”

Osterhout anticipates changes in the contingent labor atmosphere in the near future. “Direct sourcing of contingent labor roles will become mainstream, resulting in savings and efficiency gains for our program,” he predicts. “It will decrease dependence on third-party staffing firms, creating a smaller supply base of true partners that intimately understand our business.”

He also notes that change management is an ongoing challenge, especially in the wake of Covid-19 shifting the program’s focus from strategy to more pressing tactical needs. Fortunately, Enbridge’s proactive thinking in regard to getting ahead of the shutdowns enabled the program to maintain business as usual, and Osterhout is confident that the program will soon return to long-term strategic planning.