Welcome to Procurement News, part of our ongoing aggregate news series covering recent supply management headlines and trends pertinent to Chief Procurement Officers and other procurement leaders! Contact us with your news story here.
Procurement Executive News
Golden State Foods Promotes Trisha McRoberts to Corporate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer
IRVINE, Calif. — Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice and retail industries, announced the promotion of Trisha McRoberts to corporate vice president and chief procurement officer. McRoberts will continue collaborating with key stakeholders to broaden the strategic sourcing team’s impact on centralizing the company’s procurement of packaging, food ingredients, and indirect spend categories.
The company stated that as GSF’s group vice president of strategic sourcing since 2021, McRoberts has effectively driven the creation of new processes and the adoption of a category management approach to procurement in food processing. Additionally, she has developed internal talent and brought in new talent to drive the team’s continuous improvement in the procurement process.
According to Brian Dick, GSF president and CEO, “Trisha has brought a great deal of value to GSF since she joined us in 2021,” said Dick. “Her great experience and industry knowledge have helped us improve our procurement process and driven tangible, significant outcomes for our company. Her strategic vision for the future of procurement for GSF will continue to drive change and pay dividends for GSF and its stakeholders.”
Prior to joining GSF, McRoberts served as global head of Americas Procurement with McCormick and Company, Inc. Additionally, her earlier career experience encompasses logistics management with Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and Jack Links, Inc.
Read the full announcement here.
Robert Howell Named Senior Vice President and CSCO for Academy Sports + Outdoors
KATY, Texas — Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc., announced the appointment of Robert (Rob) Howell to the role of senior vice president and chief supply chain officer. In this role, Howell will oversee supply chain operations, distribution centers, and domestic and international logistics.
The company stated that Howell brings nearly 30 years of supply chain, distribution, and logistics experience to Academy. Previously, he spent nearly 20 years with Sysco Corporation, a wholesale restaurant food distributor, where he performed various supply chain, logistics, and merchandising leadership roles.
According to Sam Johnson, president of Academy, “Rob is a proven leader with a record of driving strategic initiatives and optimizing operations to achieve supply chain excellence and cost savings, which will be valuable to Academy as we execute on our long-term growth initiative to leverage and scale our supply chain function to enable industry-leading growth.”
Read the full announcement here.
Hormel Foods Makes Two Supply Chain Promotions
AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods Corporation, a Fortune 500 global branded food company, announced that Steve Lykken, group vice president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, will advance to group vice president of supply chain, while Matt Schrupp was promoted to vice president of supply chain operations — Jennie-O Turkey Store.
In his new role, Lykken will lead the company’s One Supply Chain organization, including procurement, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, research and development, quality management, and plant operations.
The company stated that Lykken began his career at Hormel Foods in 1992. He has held several roles, including senior vice president, Hormel Foods and president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., in 2017, before assuming the role of group vice president, Jennie-O Turkey Store, in 2021.
As vice president of supply chain operations — Jennie-O Turkey Store, Schrupp will oversee the vertically integrated supply chain operations, live production team, and the supply chain and commodity sales function for Jennie-O Turkey Store.
According to Lykken, “The extensive operations knowledge and leadership that Matt brings to this role will continue to position Jennie-O Turkey Store as an operations leader in the industry,” he said. “His experience and strategic mindset will bring significant value to his expanded team and responsibilities.”
Read the full announcements for Lykken and Schrupp.
Brian Potvin Joins EG America as VP of Procurement
WESTBOROUGH, Massachusetts — EG America, a convenience store giant operating 10 retail brands, announced two additions to its leadership team, including Brian Potvin who joined the organization as vice president of procurement. Potvin will lead the centralization of the procurement process across EG America’s 10 retail banners and corporate support functions.
According to John Carey, president and CEO of EG America, “We are thrilled to have Brian Ferguson and Brian Potvin join the EG America team,” he said. “Their extensive experience and expertise in their respective areas will help drive our go-to-market strategy and strengthen vital areas of our business.
“We are entering an exciting chapter in our company’s history, and with their addition to our leadership team, we are poised to take EG America, and our banners, to the next level,” Carey added.
Prior to joining EG America, Potvin was vice president of procurement at Sevita Health.
Read the full announcement here.
Mohamed AbuSamra Appointed Group Chief Procurement Officer at Point Group
SANDTON, South Africa — Point Group, a global marketing services company, announced the appointment of Mohamed AbuSamra as its group chief procurement officer.
The company stated that AbuSamra is a talent with the experience to oversee Point Group’s global presence of 13 office locations in 26 countries, representing more than 2,000 clients. AbuSamra has 23 years of experience in supply chain management, procurement, strategic sourcing, global sourcing, logistics, and operations.
According to AbuSamra, “Point Group is an industry leader in the procurement, management, and delivery of end-to-end marketing solutions across Africa and the Middle East. It prides itself on offering procurement solutions driven by technology and delivering effectiveness and efficiency to provide the strongest ROI for its clients’ marketing investments. I’m excited to be a part of this dynamic business and team.”
Point Group CEO Dermot Latimer, added, “This appointment is a strategic move that signals our commitment to ensuring the right cultural, experiential, and expertise representation in the executive team. It also positions us to better understand and respond to the unique needs of our markets,” Latimer said.
“Mohamed possesses strong leadership and negotiation skills and is a driving force behind procurement transformation and digitalization. We look forward to the strategic leadership and operational excellence he promises to bring to the team.”
Read the full announcement here.
Supply Management News
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EU Passes Law to Bolster Clean Energy Supply Chains
GM, LG Chem Ink $19B Cathode Material Supply Deal
