I am Lamin Jallow from the Gambia. I am 28 years old. Besides academic exposure, I also confronted different professional challenges in my role as a Logistics Assistant at the United Nations World Food Programme's Gambia office. I am responsible for coordinating transportation providers and third parties, leading a national staff team, assisting with project management, preparing and managing budgets, WFP warehouse management, invoice processing and verification, physical inventory counts, and commodity accounting.
I am currently the Chief Executive Officer of Larreth Group, Gambia, where I am in charge of spearheading the strategic planning for Larreth Group. I'm responsible for developing training materials for corporate training services and coordinating CIPS online training at the larrethgroup.com portal.
With these experiences and knowledge, I am able to contribute effectively to the planning and maintenance of procurement and supply chain management. My experience with different institutions has given me the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities. I am a conscientious and diligent individual capable of demonstrating versatility in different challenges and can perform quality work with minimal supervision.

Supply chain and logistics management have always been my passion since I started my professional career. I want to improve my knowledge, skills, and confidence in this profession. Studying at UniAthena is a plus for me, as I am receiving continuous support from the student engagement and experience officer even before starting the programme at its fullest. I believe this will substantially contribute to the realization of my career goals and aspirations.

I want to learn about supply chain design and networks, particularly how to handle supply chain complexities in the global market. I would also like to learn about sustainability in the supply chain and innovation.

I want to become a pharmaceutical supply chain management expert, auditor, and consultant. Upon starting my new position, I will be working as a Senior Procurement Specialist with the Medical Research Council at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, the Gambia.

Being a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain requires a lot of effort. In addition to gaining knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities, I was able to build a strong professional reputation with the institutions I have worked with. This has prepared me to become a procurement and supply chain management specialist for many reputable international institutions, including the United Nations World Food Programme.

Following my contract with UNWFP, I joined the National Roads Authority as an assistant procurement officer. The procurement unit relied heavily on manual procurement processes. I was able to develop a procurement policy for the unit and segregate the roles and responsibilities of each staff member in the procurement unit. I was able to transform the procurement process from traditional to e-procurement, and we were able to gain efficiency and effectiveness in our operations.

I do believe attributes that lead to success are working smartly, being willing to learn more, having a strong sense of determination, and having a hunger for success.

I can recall a time when Larreth Group planned to make a proposal presentation for a Gambia-based organisation. The chairman was supposed to present since the meeting was conducted virtually, and I was the only representative of Larreth Group on the ground during this presentation. Our chairman lost the internet connection once all the board members of that organisation were at the table. In my capacity as a member present during this time, I was required to take the lead. Although I wasn't prepared for it, eventually the Director General of that organisation was not only convinced but impressed with my leadership skills, which I demonstrated during the presentation, and our proposal was given consideration.

I recommend a book called Seven Habits of "Highly Effective People to everyone by Stephen R. Covey". This book teaches you all the habits a person needs to thrive.

I dream of owning an international company where I will serve as chairman.
My dream has always been to pursue higher education all the way up to a PhD level, acquiring critical knowledge and skills for starting my own company.

I will advise them to be determined, work smartly, and be hungry to learn more.