Jean-Patrick Ceant

With a background in auditing and supply chain management, plus a 23-year history with his company, Jean-Patrick Ceant prides himself on being able to efficiently and creatively deliver the talent Marathon Oil needs. His strategy is people focused: developing good relationships with suppliers and business leaders, building trust and sharing information to improve the company’s ability to get out ahead of company needs and market trends. “My favorite thing is when a hiring manager reaches out prior to there being a problem and says, ‘This is what’s coming up. How can you help?’” he says.

Ceant has focused on establishing systems to get the best talent on board and support them so that they come back again and again. He has also worked hard to clean house around compliance and worker classification systems, saving time and money for the business. In the nearly five years since he took on his current position, he has grown the program by 80% in head count and over 100% in spend.

Looking at the contingent workforce ecosystem, Ceant sees challenges in the form of increases in nearshore supply and supplier saturation. On the latter, he explains, “I get loads of emails, often from the same supplier. Finding the balance between supporting entrepreneurs and identifying the best talent is tricky.”

Ceant extends his impact by serving on the ProcureCon advisory board. He is also frequently tapped as a panelist and speaker at industry conferences, and he regularly mentors newly hired practitioners.