Meet Mark, Director, Procurement and Contract Management Services at MacEwan University
My name is Mark Topping and I am excited to join this wonderful community as an industry expert in service of youth and learning.
As a professional who values education, I have watched the evolution of modern classrooms with great admiration. Today, more than ever, students need a bridge that connects their academic studies with the fast paced and dynamic realities of the corporate landscape. Through the Digital Human Library, I am offering my time and experience to help your students cross that bridge, exploring industries they might not otherwise encounter in their daily textbooks. I am eager to collaborate with teachers across the country to design virtual sessions that align with your classroom learning goals and inspire your students.
I am a senior procurement leader with more than 35 years of supply chain experience spanning higher education, banking, insurance, commercial, and energy sectors. Currently, I proudly serve as the Director, Procurement and Contract Management Services at MacEwan University. Over nearly four decades, my work has focused on the systems that keep large organizations running smoothly. This includes public and private sector procurement, risk management, business technology, transportation logistics, warehousing, and inventory control.
Procurement is essentially the strategic process of purchasing goods and services efficiently and ethically; it’s how institutions manage large budgets responsibly while ensuring fairness and value for money. Supply chain management encompasses the entire journey of a product, from raw materials to final delivery. These are the invisible networks that dictate how goods arrive in our stores, how technology is deployed in organizations, and how public resources are managed.
You might wonder how these business concepts translate to an educational environment. The truth is that every single product your students interact with, from their smartphones to the desks in your classroom, relies on an intricate global supply chain. By introducing students to these systems, we can help them develop essential transferable skills, critical thinking, financial literacy, and an analytical growth mindset. My content is more tailored for senior students in grades ten through twelve, providing them with a comprehensive look at operational integrity and global commerce. Whether your class is studying business, science, or technology, understanding logistics and risk management offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective that prepares youth for future workplace readiness. It expands their worldview and challenges them to think about how global problems are solved.
I am making myself available for multiple formats to best accommodate your unique lesson plans. For teachers looking to introduce new career horizons, I offer career talks where I share my personal professional journey, the educational requirements of the industry, and the essential soft skills like leadership and collaboration that drive success. If your students are currently working on assignments or exploring specific industry topics, I provide inquiry support and question and answer sessions. For this format, students can prepare their questions in advance so that I can bring targeted resources and real-world examples to our virtual meeting. I am also available for student mentorship, which involves a structured series of virtual visits over an extended period to guide a class through a multi week business or technology project.
Ultimately, my goal is to support your incredible work as educators by serving as an active, practical resource. Successful learning experiences happen when we work together. Let us work together to inspire the next generation of logistics experts, procurement leaders, and global citizens.
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