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
James “JT” Jones Joins NOVA Chemicals as Chief Supply Chain & Procurement Officer
CALGARY, AB — NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced the appointment of James “JT” Jones as its new chief supply chain & procurement officer.
The company stated that as chief supply chain and procurement officer, Jones will focus on advancing the company’s supply chain strategy, optimizing procurement processes, and enhancing collaboration with suppliers to ensure a resilient and efficient supply chain. He will also play a key role in advancing NOVA Chemicals’ leadership in circularity and first quartile business performance, driving forward the company’s strategic ambitions.
According to Roger Kearns, CEO of NOVA Chemicals, “We are excited to welcome JT to NOVA’s leadership team,” he said. “With his extensive experience and proven leadership, we are confident that JT will help elevate our supply chain operations, drive innovation, and position NOVA to lead in circularity, further enhancing our ability to meet the needs of our customers and partners.”
Jones joins NOVA Chemicals from The Lubrizol Corporation, where he successfully led transformative initiatives that improved supply chain efficiency and established a robust procurement strategy that supported significant business growth. His deep knowledge of global markets and operational best practices will be integral as NOVA Chemicals continues its commitment to being our customers’ first and best choice.
Read the full announcement here.
Apollo Tyres Appoints Parmeshwaran Iyer CSCO
GURUGRAM, India — Apollo Tyres has appointed Parmeshwaran Iyer as the chief supply chain officer to lead the global supply chain team. He would strategically develop and optimize the global supply chain operations, aligning demand forecasting, production planning, logistics management, and stakeholder coordination with overarching business objectives, thereby driving operational excellence, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering sustainable growth.
The company stated that Parmeshwaran joins Apollo Tyres from Beiersdorf AG, having worked across Germany, UAE, Russia, and India. In his last role he was the global vice president, digital supply chain, responsible for defining and implementing digitalization initiatives in supply chain across the group. Parmeshwaran will be based out of Apollo Tyres’ corporate headquarters in Gurugram, India, and report to Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman and managing director.
According to Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman and MD for Apollo Tyres Ltd, “Parmeshwaran is a global supply chain leader who comes with rich experience, having worked in diverse environments and is committed to promoting creativity, effective problem solving, and breakthrough results using exceptional communication and leadership skills to coach, manage and motivate diverse professionals across geographies and challenging environments. He joins us as a key member of the Global Executive Committee.”
Speaking about his appointment, Iyer said, “I am delighted to join this dynamic and growing organization, which is a leader in product technology and sustainability initiatives. In addition to the digitalization of supply chain, I would also be focusing on the increased usage of environmentally responsible practices within the overall supply chain network of the organization.”
Read the full announcement here.
Sergio Grimaldo Joins R.S. Hughes as CSCO
R.S. Hughes announced the appointment of Sergio Grimaldo as its new chief supply chain officer. As reported by Modern Distribution Management, Grimaldo’s expertise in lean operations, logistics strategy, and trade compliance will be key to growing R.S. Hughes’ supply chain capabilities.
Levi Strauss & Co. Creating a CSCO Role to Help Accelerate Best-in-Class Strategic Direction
In an effort to transform the company into a best-in-class omnichannel retailer, Levi Strauss & Co. has made several strategic leadership changes, including the creation of a new chief supply chain officer role who will be responsible for supply chain agility, service level improvements, cost structure optimization, and innovation implementation.
According to Michelle Gass, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., “Ove the past year, we’ve made bold moves to transform Levi Strauss & Co into a world-class denim lifestyle retailer, and we’re seeing the results,” she said.
“We believe success is built on clarity of purpose and the ability to adapt, and that’s exactly what we’re doing — aligning our structure with our strategy to drive sustainable, profitable growth. We have built a team that is agile, focused and ready to execute on our strategies while keeping our consumer at the heart of it all. By putting our fans at the center of every decision, we are shaping Levi’s® not just as the denim leaders but as an iconic lifestyle brand for generations to come.”
Read the full announcement here.
The Estée Lauder Companies Announces New Vision and Strategy with a Newly Created Chief Value Chain Officer Role to Help Lead the Way
NEW YORK — The Estée Lauder Companies announced a new organizational structure and executive team to lead its Beauty Reimagined vision and strategy. The goal, to become the best consumer-centric prestige beauty company in the world while restoring sales growth and stronger profitability, led to several organizational, brand, and functional updates.
Of note is the newly created position of executive vice president, chief value chain officer led by Roberto Canevari who will now assume leadership of the company’s Packaging and Engineering organizations, in addition to maintaining responsibility for the global supply chain, including global manufacturing, fulfillment, planning, supplier management, quality, environment, health and safety, and region and brand value chains.
Stéphane de La Faverie, president and CEO, remarked on the factors behind the company’s new vision, “To deliver our action plan priorities, I am pleased to announce my new Executive Team and structure, reflecting the need to create a flatter, leaner organization and simplified operations across the business to better serve our consumers.
“Through a combination of elevating top talent internally and recruiting externally, we will make decisions with greater speed and agility, breaking down silos and allowing us to develop a leadership bench for the future.”
Read the full announcement here.
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