The Healthcare Interview: Jacqui Rock

When Jacqui Rock left her role as Chief Commercial Officer at NHS England last year, she took with her decades of procurement and commercial experience across healthcare, defence and financial services. 

She now serves as a Chief Advisor in Riyadh, helping shape the procurement strategy for Saudi Arabia’s healthcare reforms. It places her in a key position within the development of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s economic diversification plan, aiming to modernise public services. 

At the NHS, Jacqui oversaw an annual spend of £30bn (US$37.8bn), managed high-value contracts and led supply chain decision-making at a national level. Her earlier career included Chief Commercial Officer of the UK Test and Trace function, Commercial Director for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation at the Ministry of Defence and multiple senior roles across 20 years in investment banking. 

“When the pandemic hit,” Jacqui explains, “I was asked to run the country’s response, setting up Test and Trace. I had never been in healthcare before and it was fascinating. We then set up the UK Health Security Agency, where I acted as CCO, then took on the role at NHS England. I felt privileged to have held those positions.”

Moving between public and private sectors has given Jacqui a wide-ranging perspective on the role of procurement in global operations. 

"Procurement has the power to shape outcomes,” she says. “It's not just about price – it's about impact, value and resilience."

Why procurement transformation is a global obligation

Jacqui’s transition – and transformation – signals how procurement can shape policy delivery and long-term reform. The current global context adds weight to her appointment.

Universal health coverage (UHC), a key target of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is off course. As of 2021, an estimated 4.5 billion people lacked full access to essential health services.

Financial hardship also remains widespread, with two billion people pushed into difficulty by health costs – and half of those facing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is now prioritising the strengthening of primary health care (PHC) as a path forward. It suggests that improved PHC could save 60 million lives and raise life expectancy by nearly four years by 2030.

It is within this context that Jacqui takes her expertise overseas: “When I was looking at what was going on in global healthcare and where the most exciting innovation was, where the biggest transformation was, I was watching Saudi Arabia.” 

The Kingdom’s rapid diversification from oil and the scale of its healthcare ambitions proved hard to ignore. 

“Quite frankly, what they're aiming to achieve in terms of healthcare transformation is phenomenal and it was too big an opportunity to pass up,” she adds. 

The aim of Vision 2030 is to increase private sector involvement in healthcare from 40% to 65%, expand hospital bed capacity to match OECD standards and recruit 175,000 healthcare professionals by the end of the decade. The programme focuses on digital health, integrated care and sustainable models of delivery – meaning procurement is at the centre of reform.

“The culture is different,” she notes. “Saudi’s hierarchy means decisions are swift and clear which is a sharp contrast to the UK’s often slower, consensus-driven process.”

There are also more operational challenges: “47C heat, sandstorms and a reliance on imports for healthcare supply chains. You have to adapt rapidly and tailor your advice to that context.” 

Procurement strategy transcends industries

Saudi Arabia’s procurement and supply chain agenda stretches far beyond  healthcare into giga projects, entertainment, education and infrastructure.

“Saudi Arabia is deeply focused on building its national capabilities across a wide range of sectors,” Jacqui explains.

“Look at The Line, part of the NEOM program, a futuristic city rising out of the desert in Tabuk, or the Red Sea development, or Qiddiya, which will be an incredible new entertainment city. And it’s not just that: there’s massive investment in healthcare, education, transport, sport and culture.”

It is this whole-country effort that places procurement in the spotlight. 

“Without the right models of procurement, supply chain, category management,” Jacqui says, “you cannot deliver these giga projects without it absolutely being the best-in-class, world-class procurement activities.”

There are some key industrial differences Jacqui has discovered when it comes to procurement transformation. She says: “In Europe, we are focused on sustainability and social value. They [Saudis] are very much focused on localisation, ‘Saudization’ and building local industries.”

As Saudi Arabia relies heavily on imports, there are additional challenges to consider, but Jacqui sees it like any other role.

“Every time you go and work in a different environment, a different country,” she continues, “procurement and supply chain is global. You have to have a global head on you, otherwise you'll fail. Everything we do is global. Then it's just adapting to that country and that location and that culture and that business ethos.”

This global, big-picture outlook is becoming more essential by the day, as risks ripple from one continent to another. Too local an outlook means many miss the chance to catalyse transformation. 

“Globally, there are big missed opportunities in procurement transformation,” Jacqui says. “Look at what the US federal government is doing under President Trump and the GSA: centralising procurement across departments and negotiating huge national deals with Microsoft and Google. 

The goal is scalable efficiency through a business-minded approach,” she explains. “It’s a model of consolidation that offers valuable lessons for both the UK and Saudi Arabia.”

She is also clear about the changing role of the profession itself: “Procurement professionals today must shift from ‘buyer’ to ‘commercial creator’. You’re not just procuring – you’re delivering strategic outcomes.”

That shift must be reflected in decision-making structures. 

“Procurement leaders must claim their seat at the top table,” Jacqui goes on. “Being part of the executive committee isn’t optional. We are professional experts, not finance support functions.”

Building partnerships beyond procurement

While Jacqui may want procurement leaders to rise to the top, she also recognises the importance of collaboration. 

Long-term partnerships, as opposed to one-off supplier transactions, are particularly crucial for the success of Vision 2030. Looking ahead to 2030, smaller suppliers’ involvement is projected to grow by 70%, unlocking innovation, inclusion and more dynamic supply chains.

“Collaboration is key and it's absolutely critical to all of the strategies and everything we're putting in place,” notes Jacqui. 

“What’s really interesting about Saudi Arabia is that we are actually reaching out and forming these partnerships with the view of: invest in us, invest in Saudi Arabia.”

The approach moves far beyond short-term thinking. 

“Let’s not make this just a transactional [relationship],” she says. “Let’s not just make it, ‘you are selling, we are buying’. Let’s make these long-term partnerships; let’s move from just procurement to real outcomes.”

This view reflects a broader trend among procurement leaders. According to Deloitte’s 2025 Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) survey, based on responses from more than 250 senior procurement leaders across 40 countries, 61% say enhanced supplier collaboration through data sharing is a key strategy to improve resilience and value creation.

Jacqui sees these skills as essential in today’s market: “Procurement, category management, supply chain sourcing – these are all absolutely key things, but you need to have an overall commercial head.”

When looking for talent or external partners, Jacqui is clear about what stands out.

“I always look, especially when I'm recruiting or when I'm partnering with people, for people that are thinking bigger than just the traditional procurement or the traditional sourcing parts,” she reveals. 

For Saudi Arabia, that bigger picture includes attracting international investors, embedding long-term suppliers and establishing procurement as a driver of national success. 

For procurement professionals, it signals a new standard of strategic, collaborative thinking in order to deliver outcomes beyond a contract.

The future of leadership

Vision 2030 is reshaping Saudi Arabia’s economy, expanding opportunities in technology, tourism, renewable energy and digital infrastructure. For Jacqui, the future of procurement is closely aligned with that vision – in the Kingdom and beyond.

As the procurement landscape evolves, so too does its position in the organisation. According to Deloitte’s aforementioned survey, 72% of CPOs now report directly to the C-suite, a huge shift compared to boardroom attitudes just a couple of years ago. 

“I’m seeing a lot more Chief Commercial Officers sitting on boards, sitting on the executive team,” Jacqui says. “And that’s exactly where we need to be – at that top table.”

Her advice is refreshingly direct: take ownership of your career and recognise the industry’s growing influence.

She adds: “For anyone feeling stuck – move on. This is our era. COVID made the world realise procurement’s value. Be creative, raise your profile and be where procurement is valued for strategic impact.”

In her view, leadership today demands far more than authority or hierarchy. It’s about behaviour, integrity and the way you make others feel. 

“Authenticity matters,” she reflects. “I’ve worked for bad bosses and vowed never to lead that way. Be ethical, be authentic, lead with humanity. That’s what earns loyalty.

“True innovation is born from diversity, of thought, background and geography. Effective procurement is the key that unlocks it.”