Faith Koen: Procurement with Purpose

A Team-Centered Approach

When speaking about her role as a Senior Manager of Purchasing, Faith Koen made it clear that she is part of a broader team committed to making a difference for McKinstry’s project and worksite teams alike. She emphasized that her expertise and involvement are just one piece of a larger effort, a continuation of what McKinstry’s Supply Chain team does best: putting customers and outcomes first.

That dedication is what makes Faith such a meaningful member of the team. She is not only an expert in sourcing materials for projects and jobsites, but she is also part of a team that strategically assesses and meets McKinstry’s evolving needs. By balancing cost-effectiveness with sustainability, Faith plays a key role in ensuring procurement decisions support both immediate project requirements and long-term environmental goals. This alignment with McKinstry’s core values—people-first service and a commitment to sustainability—makes her work especially impactful.

Faith’s career has spanned roles as an associate buyer, electrical project leader and procurement manager throughout the Seattle area. What ultimately drew her to McKinstry was a desire to find a culture that aligned with her values. Blending business efficiency with meaningful relationships and a positive workplace culture, Faith discovered a strong fit within McKinstry’s team. One of the aspects she values most about her role is the opportunity to work alongside dedicated peers and internal stakeholders, which has reinforced her decision to grow her career at McKinstry.

The Strategic Role of Procurement

When defining success in her role, Faith focuses on meeting stakeholder needs—whether that be a member of her team or someone on a project site requiring immediate support. Her ability to provide rapid solutions while anticipating future project demands ensures that each interaction is marked by efficiency and a sense of partnership. She aims to not only fulfill requests but also to leave internal clients with a sense of confidence and trust in procurement’s ability to deliver.

A crucial aspect of Faith’s role is balancing quick-turn procurement with more complex, long-term supply strategies. Some project requirements demand immediate material sourcing, while others necessitate careful planning and alignment with strategic objectives. By implementing thoughtful sourcing strategies and fostering strong vendor partnerships, Faith and her team play a critical role in the success of McKinstry’s project work, ensuring both short-term and long-term needs are met effectively.

One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is elevating purchasing from a transactional function to a strategic cornerstone of McKinstry’s operations. As an emerging part of her work, Faith takes pride in thinking about how to integrate sustainability and carbon reduction into sourcing decisions, and how she can ensure procurement contributes holistically to project success. By making decisions with both present needs and future impact in mind, she helps McKinstry build a more sustainable and efficient supply chain.

Opportunities for Environmental Leadership

Faith is particularly passionate about the role procurement can play in advancing McKinstry’s environmental leadership. She sees key areas of opportunity, including:

Fleet Electrification: Transitioning McKinstry’s vehicle fleet to electric models to reduce emissions and support sustainability initiatives.

Building Transparency Initiatives: Leveraging industry-wide efforts to track and reduce carbon footprints in material sourcing. This also includes work that Faith’s team is doing with our Social Impact and Engineering teams, making this effort a broad and collaborative one.

Smarter Equipment Selection: Ensuring material and equipment decisions align with long-term sustainability goals while maintaining operational efficiency.

The Future of Sustainable Procurement

Looking ahead, Faith recognizes the growing expectation for carbon impact to be a key factor in supplier selection. While industry-wide adoption remains a challenge due to cost and complexity, she is committed to helping clients navigate these decisions and make informed investments. By championing sustainable procurement practices, Faith is positioning McKinstry at the forefront of responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship.

Faith Koen’s approach to procurement is both strategic and people-centered. Her work directly supports McKinstry’s mission to drive sustainability and operational excellence, ensuring that sourcing decisions are made with integrity, efficiency, and long-term vision. Through her leadership, procurement at McKinstry continues to evolve into a function that not only meets immediate project needs but also shapes the future of the built environment. With every thoughtful decision, Faith and her team contribute to a more sustainable and resilient industry, reinforcing McKinstry’s commitment to making a lasting impact.