Publisher’s Note: In 2019, Ardent Partners is celebrating 10 years of delivering “Research with Results” to Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and other readers of this site, including published reports, eBooks, presentations, insights, articles and events. To commemorate the occasion, we are going to reflect on the firm’s first decade by presenting this weekly “throwback” series that will include a blend of top articles from our earlier days on this site. Despite procurement’s recent advances, we believe these articles are as topical and relevant as the day they were published. And, in light of our fourth-annual procurement executive summit, CPO Rising, now just a month and a half away, we thought this particular article is most appropriate for a throwback. Enjoy!
In January, 2010, I made a series of predictions for the decade ahead in the second article ever published on this site. The first prediction was:
- Many of today’s leading CPOs will move into roles that command greater responsibility and control. During the tough times, a great number of CPOs went above and beyond the call of duty to drive value when it was needed most. The leadership and managerial skills found in many of today’s CPOs leave little doubt that this prediction comes true (01/06/10).
I didn’t know it at the time, but Scott Singer, former Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), CIO, and Head of Global Business Services (GBS) at Rio Tinto was the procurement leader I had in mind when I wrote that. A lot has changed in the nearly nine years; but in some pretty significant ways, a lot has not changed. What I wrote on that blistery winter night in 2010 rings true this morning, less than a day after my firm and I inducted him into the CPO Rising 2018 Hall of Fame at our third-annual CPO Rising executive procurement summit.
Scott’s long and illustrious career, that continues today, deserves a longer and more thoughtful write up. But as my firm and I wrap up CPO Rising 2018, I wanted to take a moment to recognize Scott’s career and offer my hearty congratulations to him on this momentous achievement.
Career Spotlight: From CPO to EVP & Global Head of Business Services
Scott Singer’s career in procurement started at United Technologies where this Hall of Famer, rose quickly making an impact in driving technology adoption, expanding supplier innovation, and driving a large, Best-in-Class operation. It was no surprise that he ultimately ascended to the role of CPO.
When he decided to move from Connecticut to Brisbane in early 2008 and become Rio Tinto’s Head of Procurement, he was already a renowned procurement leader who had spent many years leading the Best-in-Class procurement operation at United Technologies. Scott was looking for an adventure and the opportunity to lead Rio Tinto Procurement (“RTP”), the 1,000+ person organization that coordinates all strategic sourcing, buying, inbound logistics, and warehousing for the global mining company fit the bill.
First up for Singer was the challenge of combining the RTP team with their counterparts in the newly acquired Alcan organization while also delivering significant synergies. With an integrated team and a streamlined set of processes in place, Singer set about to automate, simplify, and transform the entire RTP operation by attaining a consistent, high-quality view of all spend and by aligning processes to leading technology solutions.
Four years into his adventure, Scott made another move, this time to Singapore, to assume the role of Rio Tinto’s EVP and Head of Global Business Services (GBS) with responsibility for the Procurement, IT and Shared Services functions within the Business Support & Operations portfolio at Rio Tinto. In his new position, Singer is leveraging his experience in procurement to drive transformational and cultural change and further integrate the three functions within Global Business Services so it can deliver consistent, effective and pragmatic support to the parent company. Scott is also the interim CIO and the senior-most company official in Singapore today. “We have numerous initiatives that will allow me to directly leverage the skills I developed during my career in procurement.” said Singer. “For example, the ability to drive innovation in the market is reliant upon third parties; the skills that procurement professionals develop in vendor management are extraordinarily valuable in that regard. Additionally, anyone who spends time working in procurement develops a total cost of ownership mindset that helps avoid short-sightedness and keep a focus on driving value through internal and external relationships.”
Stay tuned for a more thorough and proper review of a great friend of the site and the newest member of the CPO Rising Hall of Fame, Scott Singer.
This article originally published on November 8, 2018.
Post Script: If you and your team would like to be recognized for Best-in-Class procurement achievement over the last year, make your nomination today!
