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
Sourceability Appoints Sam Stephens as CPO
AUSTIN, Texas — Sourceability, a data-driven hybrid global distributor of electronic components and supply chain service and technology provider, announced the appointment of Sam Stephens as chief procurement officer (CPO). In this role, Stephens will lead the company’s sourcing, purchasing, and supplier development efforts across global operations while contributing to the company’s strategy and technology and informational roadmaps.
The company stated that with nearly 20 years of experience in the independent distribution sector, Stephens is recognized for building resilient supply chains, strengthening data-driven analytics, negotiating value-driven supplier relationships, and implementing scalable procurement processes that balance cost, quality, and speed.
According to Ryan Jacob, CEO of Sourceability, “Sourcing and procurement are a critical element of our competitive advantage, as we seek to accelerate our customers’ innovation and support their price reduction efforts. This function impacts nearly every aspect of our business, and the advancements we make in this area will drive other strategic initiatives in infrastructural technology and customer development,” he said.
“I am confident that Sam’s fresh perspective and data-driven approach will accelerate our progress, instill greater confidence throughout the organization, and enable us to deliver more predictable, efficient, and responsible sourcing at scale for the marketplace.”
Read the full announcement here.
Neil Marsons Named SVP of Supply Chain for Lucid
NEWARK, Calif. — Lucid Group, Inc., a maker of some of the world’s most advanced electric vehicles, announced that Neil Marsons has joined the organization as the senior vice president of supply chain. Bringing more than 20 years of experience to the role, Marsons will be responsible for expanding and strengthening the company’s global supply chain, as well as closely partnering across the organization to support production at the company’s facilities in Arizona and Saudi Arabia.
The company stated that previously, Marsons served as the group chief procurement officer at Rolls Royce, where he was responsible for global procurement and supply chain across civil aerospace, defense, power systems, submarines, and small nuclear reactor businesses. Prior to his position at Rolls Royce, Marsons was group executive director for global procurement, supply chain and manufacturing at JCB.
According to interim CEO Marc Winterhoff, “As we prepare Lucid for its next phase of growth and focus on optimizing resources on a path toward profitability, Neil’s decades of leadership will help strengthen the reliability, performance, and cost efficiency of our supply chain,” said Winterhoff. “In today’s dynamic environment, supply chain excellence is critical to success, and in his short time at Lucid, Neil has already positively impacted our team, helping drive greater cost discipline and execution.”
Read the full announcement here.
Hormel Foods Names Will Bonifant Group VP and Chief Supply Chain Officer
AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods Corporation, a Fortune 500 global branded food company, announced the appointment of Will Bonifant as group vice president and chief supply chain officer. In this role, Bonifant will lead the company’s global supply chain, including procurement, manufacturing, planning, logistics, engineering, and supply chain innovation.
According to John Ghingo, president for Hormel Foods, “Will is a proven supply chain leader who has scaled complex operations and built modern capabilities across global networks,” he said.
“His forward‑looking leadership and ability to drive transformation across complex systems will be instrumental as we advance our long‑term strategy and strengthen our global supply chain.”
Bonifant joins Hormel Foods from The Hershey Company, where he most recently led supply chain strategy, manufacturing and engineering for a 20-plant network.
Read the full announcement here.
Michele Montero Takes Over as System Chief Procurement Officer for LSU
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana State University President Wade Rousse announced the appointment of Michele Montero as system chief procurement officer, directing her to establish clear, efficient, and accountable purchasing practices across the LSU system to improve efficiencies and economies of scale.
The school stated that Montero is a recognized leader in higher education procurement and property management with more than 20 years of experience in the field. She played a pivotal role in modernizing Louisiana’s Higher Education Procurement Code and is known for her operational excellence and elevated service.
According to Rousse, “Michele brings to the system a spirit of collaboration as well as support for streamlined purchasing of goods and services across all institutions,” he said.
“Throughout her career she has strengthened supplier and university engagement by organizing multiple large-scale procurement summits and supplier conferences that have expanded opportunities for everyone involved. She understands the kind of team we’re building and is anxious to join us.”
Read the full announcement here.
Basware Names Donna Wilczek New Chief Product and Technology Officer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Basware, a global leader in Invoice Lifecycle Management (ILM), announced Donna Wilczek as chief product and technology officer to lead its next era of AI-driven innovation and growth.
The company stated that the former Basware board member and Coupa executive will lead product strategy, technology vision, and the roadmap that will make Basware the defacto standard in intelligent finance. Wilczek will join Basware’s executive team and report directly to CEO Jason Kurtz.
According to Wilczek, “For too long, accounts payable has been viewed through the skewed procurement-centric lens of source-to-pay,” she said.
“That era is ending. When you build Invoice Lifecycle Management with true accounts payable expertise and AI at its core, you create a durable control plane for cash, global compliance, and intelligence – touching 100% of a company’s invoices, regardless of source, ERP, or backing document. Basware is leading this transformation, and I’m here to accelerate it.”
A veteran technology leader, Wilczek has more than two decades of experience driving product and innovation strategy for B2B companies. She most recently served as chief product officer at Oomnitza where she spearheaded innovation strategy for the enterprise IT asset management platform.
Read the full announcement here.
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