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
Sharla Roberts Named Chief Procurement Officer for City of Chicago
CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the appointment of Sharla Roberts to serve as the Commissioner of the Department of Procurement Services, where she will lead the city’s contracting, certification, and compliance operations.
The mayor’s office stated that Roberts previously served as the director of procurement diversity at the University of Illinois, where she successfully increased the university’s diversity spending from $50 million to $113 million over a five-year period.
According to Mayor Brandon Johnson, “I have been, and will always continue to be, a strong advocate for increasing diverse contracting. I am thrilled that Sharla will be joining me in this advocacy,” he said.
“Sharla has long been a champion for diverse economic empowerment and is bringing her expertise and dedication to diversity, transparency, and innovation to the Chicago Department of Procurement Services.”
Read the full announcement here.
GHSP Names Ludwing Vergara VP of Procurement and SCM
HOLLAND, Michigan — GHSP, a leading global supplier of advanced technology and innovative solutions for the automotive industry, announced the appointment of Ludwing Vergara as vice president of procurement and supply chain management. Vergara will focus on stabilizing the company’s supply chain and ensuring the seamless delivery of its products.
The company stated that Ludwing brings nearly 30 years of experience in procurement and purchasing within the automotive industry. His background includes an impressive track record in global sourcing, cross-division product launch management, supply chain management, supplier development, and procurement initiatives.
According to GHSP President and CEO Laurent Bresson, “Ludwig’s proven track record in global purchasing and supplier relations makes him a perfect fit for our executive team,” he said. “We’re honored to have him on board as we navigate future growth.”
Most recently, Vergara served as executive director of procurement at Marelli Holdings, managing procurement for six business lines across eight manufacturing sites in the U.S. and 10 in Mexico.
Read the full announcement here.
Dr. Naga Chandrasekaran Appointed to Lead Intel Foundry Manufacturing and Supply Chain Organization
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Intel Corporation announced the appointment of Dr. Naga Chandrasekaran as chief global operations officer, executive vice president and general manager of Intel Foundry Manufacturing and Supply Chain organization. Chandrasekaran joins Intel from Micron, where he served as senior vice president for technology development.
The company stated that Chandrasekaran succeeds Keyvan Esfarjani, who is retiring from Intel after nearly 30 years of dedicated service. Esfarjani’s distinguished career set a strong foundation for Intel Foundry, and his leadership in global supply chain resilience and manufacturing excellence has helped to position Intel’s business for long-term success.
Chandrasekaran joins Intel on August 12, and he will be responsible for Intel Foundry’s worldwide manufacturing operations, including Fab Sort Manufacturing, Assembly Test Manufacturing, strategic planning for Intel Foundry, corporate quality assurance and supply chain.
According to Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, “Naga is a highly accomplished executive whose deep semiconductor manufacturing and technology development expertise will be a tremendous addition to our team,” he said.
“As we continue to build a globally resilient semiconductor supply chain and create the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era, Naga’s leadership will help us to accelerate our progress and capitalize on the significant long-term growth opportunities ahead.”
Read the full announcement here.
Tiago Darocha Takes the Supply Chain Helm for Ardent Mills
DENVER — Ardent Mills, a premier flour-milling and ingredient company, announced the appointment of Tiago Darocha as its new chief operations officer. He brings over 20 years of extensive experience in operations, supply chain, and quality management within the food and beverage industry.
In this role, Darocha will oversee all of Ardent Mills’ operating functions, which include supply chain, continuous improvement, health and safety, quality, food safety, regulatory, technical services, operations and environmental.
According to Sheryl Wallace, chief executive officer at Ardent Mills, “As a people-first organization, we’re thrilled to welcome an experienced leader with a track record for serving customers and employees through operational excellence,” she said.
“I am confident that Tiago’s profound knowledge will help us to build on the strong foundation of our business and optimize our operating functions as we strive to nourish what’s next.”
Darocha joins Ardent Mills from United Malt, where he served as chief operating officer. With a focus on enterprise operations and supporting long-term growth, he oversaw the company’s commercial and production activities, including malt production and barley procurement.
Darocha shared his thoughts, “I am honored to step into this next chapter as Ardent Mills’ chief operations officer. The company’s dedication to its people, as well as safety, quality, innovation, and community resonates deeply with me,” he said.
“I look forward to working with the talented team at Ardent Mills to drive operational excellence and support our vision of nurturing customers, consumers and communities through innovative and nutritious grain-based solutions.”
Read the full announcement here.
Supply Management News
Manufacturing PMI® at 46.8%; July 2024 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®
In the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in July for the fourth consecutive month and the 20th time in the last 21 months, say the nation’s supply executives.
Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, issued the report, saying that U.S. manufacturing activity entered deeper into contraction, with several indexes showing contraction.
According to Fiore, “Demand remains subdued, as companies show an unwillingness to invest in capital and inventory due to current federal monetary policy and other conditions. Production execution was down compared to June, likely adding to revenue declines, putting additional pressure on profitability. Suppliers continue to have capacity, with lead times improving and shortages not as severe,” stated Fiore.
“Eighty-six percent of manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in July, up from 62 percent in June. More concerning: The share of sector GDP registering a composite PMI® calculation at or below 45 percent (a good barometer of overall manufacturing weakness) was 53 percent in July, 39 percentage points higher than the 14 percent reported in June. Notably, all six of the largest manufacturing industries — Machinery; Transportation Equipment; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; and Computer & Electronic Products — contracted in July,” Fiore added.
A Manufacturing PMI® reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.5 percent, over a period of time, indicates that the overall economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), is generally expanding; below 42.5 percent, it is generally declining.
Read the full announcement here.
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