CIPS Futures

Procurement leadership 101: How to be an agent of change and value

A revealing interview with CIPS MENA Leader of the Year, Sulaiman Abdulla MCIPS, director at the UAE Federal Tax Authority. What are the traits of a successful leader? How do you use influence to drive change? And, is it time procurement had a rebrand…?

Mentioned in this podcast:

• CIPS MENA Procurement & Supply Excellence Awards 2024

Driving positive social change through procurement - the Nationwide story

Why should social value be at the heart of a cost transformation programme? How can you find and engage social enterprises? And, is it possible to drive positive social change through your supply chain in the highly regulated financial industry?

Laura Faulkner FCIPS, of the market-leading UK mutual building society Nationwide, has the answers in this special episode of Futures recorded live at the CIPS Procurement & Supply Futures Conference in London. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Nationwide Oakfield Community Housing Project
• Social Enterprise UK
• CIPS Futures Conference highlights

"It's our job to sell this profession": how to attract and retain the best procurement talent

Stephen Day, chief procurement officer at Kantar, is on a mission to bring a new, diverse generation into procurement. He's calling on other procurement and supply leaders to join him in breaking traditional recruitment cycles to create a truly accessible profession fit for the future.

Eliminating waste: the secrets of lean management for procurement

Step into the world of lean management as Professor Danny Samson from the University of Melbourne explains how you can reenergise your procurement function by adopting lean principles. Where can you find wasteful processes holding you back? Why do most companies fail in implementing lean principles? How does technology play a role in success?

Why (and how) procurement must think differently to drive sustainability performance

How can you think differently to build better supply chain relationships? Why do we need a culture shift to really embed meaningful change? What does the 'broken windows' theory have to do with sustainable procurement? George Mosey and Rossella Nicolin from global construction firm, Laing O'Rourke, delve into this critical subject.

Creating a world-class procurement function: Anna Spinelli, DHL

DHL's chief procurement officer and head of mobility on transforming a 700-strong global team to world-class standards. Plus: electric planes, anyone? 

Women in leadership: Embedding gender equality into procurement and supply

In the third episode of CIPS Futures we hear from CIPS' own Alison Barto, chair of our global board of trustees and chief partnership officer at Carbonaires, and Jane Wagner, assistant secretary of the Vaccine Supply Management Branch at the Australian Department of Health. Leaders in their field, Alison and Jane share their personal career journeys, offer advice on leadership and discuss what it takes to carve out a successful career. We also explore the importance of global initiatives like International Women's Day, and how to build a strong talent pipeline for the profession – with equality, diversity and inclusivity at its core.

Find out more:

• International Women’s Day CIPS

‘Don’t wait for the data’: Sustainability priorities for the procurement and supply professional

How can procurement and supply professionals tackle the sustainability challenges facing them today? In this episode, Oliver Hurrey, Sustainability Procurement Pledge champion, discusses everything from Scope 3 emissions and incoming legislation to value chain collaboration and carbon reporting mechanisms. His message? Act now, don’t delay.

Procurement and sustainability: our role in combating climate change

A revealing conversation with Amanda Davies, chief procurement and sustainability officer, Mars Wrigley