Meet the PROS: Dewayne Walker
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting the achievements of our Black talent and changemakers across PROS.
A passionate philanthropist and award-winning chef, meet Dewayne Walker, Director of Procurement at PROS. When he’s not overseeing the procurement of goods and services, you’ll find this international traveler giving back to his community and cooking up memories in the kitchen with his family.
We sat down with Dewayne to talk more about his tech journey, his leadership style and values, and where he finds inspiration and joy outside of work.
Let’s get to know Dewayne!
Tell us about your journey to PROS.
In 2019, I was approached by the Director of Talent to join a thriving software company as a Senior Manager of Procurement. During the interview, the phrase ‘We Care’ was used several times and the description of the environment and people was intriguing. I have always had a passion for people, and what I liked most about PROS is the belief in people first and importance of how people help contribute to the company’s success.
My 4+ year journey at PROS has been filled with examples of a company that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of the employee. I was excited to see the smiling faces and openness of leadership regardless of title to treat everyone with respect.
What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?
Having previously worked in oil & gas, military defense, and tech industries prior to joining PROS, I have to say that tech has always been my favorite and no other industry challenges the mind like tech.
When I worked for a reseller of Autodesk, I had exposure to demo and present the latest 3D architecture software to potential clients, and I quickly developed a desire to learn more about the capabilities of the product. Just the tech culture and innovative, cutting-edge products are exciting and inspiring. The world is constantly evolving due to technology and what better career to have than in tech.
How do you contribute to fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace?
The supply chain is a great place to have diversity and inclusion as it promotes different backgrounds and underrepresented groups when procuring goods/services. We work closely with the PROS DEI Program Leader, Rashna Gummattira, and the Greater Houston Partnership to enhance our DEI strategy within procurement.
My team has been working to update our internal systems to capture DEI data on suppliers and report this data for the sales team. We focused on sources that were used in the last three years and have updated each record with the appropriate tag. This strategy has allowed us to determine the percentage of spend with DEI suppliers.
What’s one unique quality you bring to PROS and your team?
The ability to lead a diverse team towards the company’s initiatives and goals. It is my belief that happy people perform better and look for opportunities to thrive within the company.
My goal has been to create a team that is a trusted partner with its business owners and works towards saving money and cost avoidances. This has been achieved by focusing on the team and learning our strengths and weaknesses. One of the challenges of leading a hybrid team is the lack of in-person camaraderie activities. With team members from California to Philadelphia, I look to create opportunities to bring the team together. One year, I took the team to the Houston Rodeo. We learned more about each other and experienced rodeo exercises that required us to work together to achieve a goal.
How has your journey shaped your values and work ethics?
As a native of Caledonia, Mississippi, my parents instilled the importance of hard work and dedication towards work ethics regardless of if it is a professional or personal endeavor. This contributed to the creation of my consulting company, D&L Consultants, LLC, which provides financial consulting services to individuals and businesses, and with leading various non-profit groups and philanthropy events in my personal life.
I have always had a special place in my heart for the elderly and making sure they are honored for paving the way for the youth. The elders in my family and community remind me of the poem written by Will Allen Dromgoole “The Bridge Builder.” With this inspirational poem, I created an annual secret Santa program where I select different elderly people that helped influence my life and send gifts.
My family and I also participate in the annual Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) Thanksgiving food drive. We pack dinners for the elderly and deliver them to their home on Thanksgiving morning. It brings joy to my heart to give to others and see the smile on their face that people still care. We also recently volunteered together at the Houston Food Bank to pack meals for families. This was a perfect opportunity to give back to our local community and share in family bonding time.
What do you enjoy most about working at PROS?
The people at PROS make the company enjoyable along with the unique daily challenges that require solutions. My job requires that I collaborate with all aspects of the business and its leaders. I work closely with our colleagues in Office Services, IT, Cloud and Security to support indirect purchases and contracts. We collaborate on projects and have built a partnership that allows us to be more efficient in the purchasing process.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work that brings you joy and inspiration?
I enjoy cooking, traveling, and spending time with my family. My wife and I have two daughters that are actively involved in track, theater, and school activities.
We enjoy trying new recipes and cooking in the outdoor kitchen, and recently, created a cooking channel to share cooking videos with family and friends. While my oldest daughter claims to be the best cook, we haven’t had a family cook-off to determine who is the master chef.
Our favorite appetizer to cook is Cajun shrimp deviled eggs, and my favorite entrée to cook is filet mignon. My baby back ribs with dry rub were voted #1 in a local BBQ cook-off at our church.
As for traveling, my favorite city to visit is New York because it’s the city that never sleeps and has constant entertainment in Times Square and the Theater District. Some of the best international trips have been to Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Amsterdam, and London. I enjoy learning and experiencing the local cultures when traveling abroad.
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Learn more about our inclusive PROS culture on our Careers page and become a part of our growing team by applying to our open roles. Follow #LifeatPROS on LinkedIn and Instagram for more stories from the bright minds powering PROS around the globe.