Ed Mills, the chief procurement officer at the University of Colorado (CU), oversees a wide range of services including purchasing, contracting, strategic sourcing, travel, expenses, data analytics, and technology for the university. He describes his role as similar to operating several small cities, ensuring that each campus and system administration receives necessary supplies and support.
“My team makes sure those things are there, on time and at scale, in support of each one’s mission,” Mills said.
Each year, more than $1 billion flows through CU’s Procurement Service Center (PSC), representing thousands of contracts and transactions. Mills emphasizes that these expenditures are closely tied to CU’s mission in education, research, and health care.
“Every one of those dollars is tied to CU’s mission of world-class education, research and health care,” he said. “That’s what makes the work meaningful and every transaction important.”
Reflecting on his approach to procurement at CU, Mills explained how early experiences shaped his current philosophy:
“Early in my career, I was a procurement customer, and I remember sitting in meetings thinking, ‘Why is the answer always no?’ That experience taught me that good procurement is about listening, adapting and still finding a way to deliver… We always try to show what ‘yes’ looks like.”
He pointed to a recent policy exception request where instead of denying it outright based on existing standards, his team worked with stakeholders to find a creative solution. This process not only resolved the immediate issue but also sparked discussion about long-term strategies with significant benefits for the university.
Mills also highlighted CU Boulder Athletics’ recent 10-year agreement with Pepsi as an example of successful collaboration. The contract eliminates single-use plastics from athletic events—a first for CU Athletics—setting a precedent for sustainability efforts within collegiate sports partnerships.
“That one demonstrates the power of partnership… The result was a better deal for CU, a first-of-its-kind sustainability win for Athletics… Shortly after we announced the deal… he said ‘You beat us to it!’ That’s a good feeling and a testament to CU’s leadership in this area,” Mills said.
When discussing how PSC delivers value across departments within CU’s system—including cost savings and improved efficiency—Mills cited moving Amazon purchases into the centralized CU Marketplace platform as an example. This shift brought improved pricing controls while reducing administrative burdens on staff handling receipts or reconciliations each month.
“We aim for cost savings, efficiency, speed and quality at scale…” he added. “A good example is how we moved Amazon spending from P-Cards into the CU Marketplace… Now people have convenience… It is a win for the university and for the people who no longer wrestle with receipts at the end of the month.”
The university has also focused efforts on supporting Colorado-based businesses through its Impact Spending program. By expanding outreach initiatives such as mentor-protégé programs and granting departments more flexibility when choosing local suppliers—and with backing from both campuses and regents—the university aims to strengthen economic ties within local communities.
“We’re a Colorado institution… our spending can strengthen local communities… Our campus partners have been very supportive… all have created or branched out from our Impact Spending program,” Mills noted.
In terms of innovation within procurement processes at CU over recent years—including major updates to requisition systems—Mills expressed optimism about artificial intelligence (AI) transforming future operations:
“The next frontier that excites me now is the potential for AI to accelerate and expand our process improvements… One with growing momentum is AI-enabled contracting. Done right… reducing email threads and freeing [faculty] to focus on their work.”
Finally, Mills stressed that while procurement often operates behind-the-scenes across many functions at CU—with most attention drawn only when issues arise—the team remains committed:
“What I’d love the CU community to know is that there’s a team of dedicated professionals working hard every day… They deeply care about your mission…”
For additional information about Procurement Services Center activities or initiatives at University of Colorado visit cu.edu/psc.
