During our annual CPO Rising 2017 Summit, we hosted our first ever CPO Honors Gala Dinner. During the Gala Dinner, four distinct CPOs and/or procurement teams received CPO Honors awards for their outstanding work and achievement in procurement in 2017, while two highly-regarded CPOs were inducted into the CPO Rising Hall of Fame. The CPO Rising Hall of Fame was developed by Ardent Partners to recognize procurement leaders who have differentiated themselves and their organizations through a blend of leadership in innovation, executive stewardship, process excellence, and a dedication to their craft. Up to five new members can be inducted each year, and current CPO Rising Hall of Fame members, as well as the Ardent Partners’ analyst team, are eligible to vote on the nominees.
CPO Rising Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Inductee: Tom Linton
To be eligible for the CPO Rising Hall of Fame, a nominee must have over 20 years of experience in the procurement, sourcing, or supply management functional capacity. They must have a proven track record of success across a variety of performance determinants. They must be a supporter of innovation in the field of procurement, including technology and software. These CPOs must also understand the significance of technology and innovation and have leveraged procurement solutions to support their Best-in-Class procurement programs. Lastly, they must be a true thought leader that has consistently pushed the industry forward for a number of years. We were thrilled to induct two new members during the CPO Rising 2017 Summit Gala. Our first inductee is Tom Linton, CPO at Flex.
Tom Linton holds nearly 40 years of procurement experience and expertise across multiple geographies. He is an evangelist for center-led procurement structures, and, over the past four decades, has become a “go-to” procurement leader for numerous business and academic advisory boards. Tom is the founder of a procurement and supply chain software solution, has served as IBM’s CPO for global hardware procurement, and is the CPO of Flex, one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers. Tom has widely published articles on procurement and supply chain and has co-authored a book dedicated to the profession. He is passionate about talent and supporting future leaders and is the past Chairman of the Board of the ISM.
At Flex, Tom and his team manage supply chains for about 1,000 customers worldwide, and with 14,000 active suppliers, they manage the supply chain relationships with their customers, each of whom Tom notes has different requirements. They also manage about $21 billion in direct and indirect spend, including logistics and materials management, which involves inventory management and all the site-level procure-to-pay (P2P) activities and order execution.
The Hall of Famers have each made a significant contribution to the procurement profession over the course of their respective careers. Tom is not only a procurement visionary, he is also considered among the most forward-thinking executives working in business today.
On behalf of the Ardent Partners team, I would like to congratulate Tom Linton on this great achievement.
To see a few images from the event click here – CPO Honors: Stars Shine Bright at the 2017 Summit
The CPO Honors 2018 Awards Gala is scheduled for November 7, 2018. Please be sure to check back in early 2018 when we will be begin accepting nominations.
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