“Before joining EC Source in March 2020, I’d worked 20 years as a procurement manager for an investor-owned utility in Louisiana and, after that, a couple of years consulting,” says Cedric Bibby, Procurement and Supply Chain Manager for EC Source, part of the MasTec Transmission and Substation Group. “After consulting, I wanted to get back into the workforce, and an employment agency referred me to MasTec.”
Bibby researched the multi-billion-dollar corporation, and says he was “quite impressed” with MasTec. An interview soon followed, and MasTec hired him to strengthen the procurement and supply chain methods at EC Source.
“It was a start-up atmosphere at EC Source, and one of my main tasks was developing systems and procedures to procure essentially anything that you can put your finger on—from physical assets to services related to operations and maintenance,” Bibby says. “The businesses within MasTec TSG run independently, but management saw the value of working more closely together on procurement.”
When asked to describe a typical day, Bibby says, “No two days are the same, and there’s always something new.” When a project is underway, for instance, and the scope changes and project managers need more material—anything from conductors to a ground rod—Bibby says his team might find itself racing to get components in days versus weeks. Despite the frenetic pace and requests, Bibby’s nearly 30 years of experience with procurement means he reacts to the unexpected in a measured way. What he loves about the job is accomplishing something that seems impossible. For example, requests might seem unrealistic because there’s no warning, yet a construction manager needs the item urgently to keep a job on schedule.
“Earlier in my career, a supervisor once told me ‘Impossible is unacceptable; our job is finding a way,’” recalls Bibby. “That keeps the adrenaline going.”
Bibby says if he weren’t working in the utility industry, he would build homes because it’s a passion. He likes creating something, often from nothing. And he’s brought that same passion to EC Source where he’s created a diverse team of procurement and supply chain professionals. His six-person team is equally split between men and women. And the group includes one Hispanic, a team member of Lebanese decent, one Nigerian, two white people, and Bibby, who is African American. In another first for the group, Bibby recently hired an intern; she’s from the University of Houston and hails from Nigeria. He’s also building a network of suppliers who include minority-, veteran- or women-owned businesses.
“Diversity has always been a close concern for me,” Bibby notes. “I spent my formative years in Toronto, then went to McGill University in Quebec where I earned my economics degree and eventually moved to Louisiana.”
Bibby quickly points out that he’s not hiring for personalities or profiles. His focus is hiring for talent.
“In our department, and within EC Source, we strive to find talent irrespective of what the talent looks like,” adds Bibby. “The benefit is gaining a different way of seeing an issue; quite often, I’ve never thought about the issue that way.”
When Bibby’s not on the job, his other passion is spending time with his three-year-old grandson in Alexandria, La.