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
Michelle Shi-Verdaasdonk Appointed Chief Procurement Officer at Electrolux Group
STOCKHOLM — Electrolux Group announced that Michelle Shi-Verdaasdonk has been appointed to the role of chief procurement officer, responsible for the procurement strategy of direct and indirect materials, logistic services, and product sourcing. She will report to Electrolux Group’s CEO and be part of Group management.
The company stated that Shi-Verdaasdonk comes from Dyson, where her most recent position was chief supply chain officer, where she led the end-to-end supply chain of the Dyson global network. Prior to her time at Dyson, Shi-Verdaasdonk worked for Electrolux Group between 2010 and 2015 in a variety of global director roles within manufacturing and quality.
According to Shi-Verdaasdonk, “It’s great to be back. I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience to drive impactful results, while contributing to the success and growth of the Group, especially at a time when cost competitiveness and supply resilience have been greatly impacting our industry. I approach this dynamic environment with determination and innovative thinking.”
Trained as an aerospace engineer originally, Shi-Verdaasdonk’s work is well known and she is a recognized global supply chain leader as well as a passionate advocate of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Electrolux Group CEO Jonas Samuelson shared, “Michelle’s expertise, experience and vision will be invaluable to the Group as we continue to grow and innovate,” he says.
“Her appointment was a collaborative effort with Yannick Fierling, our incoming CEO, and together we are confident in Michelle’s abilities to balance cost, quality, and efficiency. She has a proven track record of navigating complex supply chains and building strong partnerships, and we wish her a warm welcome to Electrolux Group.”
Read the full announcement here.
Michael Moebius Named President and Chief Procurement & Supply Chain Officer for Daimler India Commercial Vehicles
CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu, India — Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, announced the appointment of Michael Moebius as the president and chief procurement & supply chain officer.
The company stated that Moebius was the head of quality management at Daimler Truck Asia (DTA) in Japan, where he led quality initiatives for Mitsubishi Fuso, DICV, PABCO, and key CKD assembly locations globally. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in enhancing product quality, reducing warranty costs and driving innovative initiatives such as ‘Proactive Sensing’, an advanced big data solution for early failure detection.
Having started his career with Daimler in 1990, Moebius has held various roles across Mercedes-Benz Cars and Daimler Buses, gaining valuable international experience in Brazil, Vietnam, Iran, India, and Japan. From 2010 to 2016, he was a key player at DICV, establishing global quality standards and driving product and process excellence.
According to Satyakam Arya, managing director & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, “We are delighted to welcome Michael back to DICV at such a transformative time for our company. His profound understanding of our operations, coupled with his vast international experience, makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead our Procurement & Supply Chain Management,” he said.
“Michael’s proven expertise in driving quality, innovation and operational excellence aligns seamlessly with our strategic vision. I am confident that under his leadership, we will build a more agile, efficient and competitive supply chain positioning DICV to meet the evolving demands of the market with greater resilience and agility,” Arya added.
Read the full announcement here.
Owner Of The Range Hires Amazon Exec As New Chief Supply Chain Officer
PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom — CDS Superstores, the owner of The Range, Wilko, and Homebase, has appointed Sam Davies as its chief supply chain officer.
Davies has spent the last 10 years in Amazon’s supply chain department and was promoted to director of operations in 2021.
CDS stated that the new position follows recent external leadership appointments in store operations, property, and digital to “drive transformational plans and the business’s next phase of growth.”
According to Alex Simpkin, the group’s CEO, “Sam has a strong background in supply chain innovation, and we look forward to deploying these skills as CDS continues to grow by developing our brands and customer proposition.”
Davies added: “CDS is one of the most exciting retailers operating at present with great plans for the future. I’m looking forward to helping the business to achieve its full potential.”
Read the full announcement here.
Supply Management News
TJX: Tariffs Provide Buying Opportunities
Despite the potential tariffs on China-produced goods, TJX cites its “value gap” as the reason higher prices are unlikely to reach its inventory. In a recent Supply Chain Dive article, TJX CEO and President, Ernie Herrman, explains that not buying inventory well-in advance provides the company with flexibility in its inventory strategy. Also, the retailer has been shifting sourcing away from China for several years, making future tariffs less impactful on the business and customers.
“So, while we won’t speculate on exactly what will happen with certain items or certain categories, if it does happen, we are set up to ensure that we maintain our value gap between us and the out the door at no matter what those categories are that could get hit with tariffs,” Herrman told analysts.
Manufacturing ‘Neared Stabilization’ in November: PMI
Two monthly purchasing indexes for November revealed that manufacturers are showing renewed confidence in the industry amid talks of potential tariffs.
An article in Supply Chain Dive reported that the S&P Global’s U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 49.7 last month, “buoyed by a slowing in new order decline, with manufacturers pointing to improved demand conditions following Donald Trump’s presidential win, while the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI registered slightly lower at 48.4%, though still 1.9 percentage points higher compared to October. ISM’s reading was also driven by improved demand, with new orders reaching 50.4%, the first time the index has hit growth mode since March.”
