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
General Mills Names Jonathan Ness CSCO
MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills announced Jonathan Ness has been named chief supply chain officer, reporting to chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Harmening, and joining the company’s senior leadership team.
According to Harmening, “Jon has been a driving force in shaping our supply chain organization, leading critical strategy and transformation initiatives throughout his tenure at General Mills,” he said.
“He is a people-first leader and well-positioned to continue our important work driving end-to-end supply chain performance, resilience and operational excellence.”
Ness has served as interim chief supply chain officer since late January and, in his nearly 20 years at General Mills, has held leadership roles across Supply Chain Strategy, Global Finance, Manufacturing, Procurement and Transformation.
Read the full announcement here.
nVENT Appoints Mellinda Devese as EVP, CSCO
LONDON — nVent Electric plc, a global leader in electrical connection and protection solutions, announced that Mellinda Devese was appointed executive vice president and chief supply chain officer. Devese will report directly to nVent chair and CEO Beth Wozniak and lead nVent’s global, end-to-end integrated supply chain, including manufacturing operations, procurement, inventory management and distribution, global planning and logistics, lean, and safety.
According to Wozniak, “Mellinda is an experienced supply chain leader with a demonstrated track record of driving results, ensuring operational efficiencies and cost effectiveness while improving customer experience,” she said.
“She will help us advance our growth strategy and continue our transformation to a higher-growth global electrical company.”
The company stated that Devese will focus on best-in-class end-to-end operational performance across the company’s global supply chain. Her experience and commitment to safety and people will drive improved employee, customer, and supplier experiences.
Devese shared her excitement of joining the company at a pivotal moment in its growth journey. “nVent’s solutions are at the center of electrification and the global demand for data centers and critical infrastructure. I look forward to helping nVent accelerate growth, drive efficiencies and strengthen operational excellence across the company, she said.”
Read the full announcement here.
Şişecam Names Enis Kökeş CPO
Şişecam, a global player in the glass and chemicals industries, named Enis Kökeş chief procurement officer, providing an integrated approach to strategy, performance, and risk management.
Kökeş held several roles as purchasing manager over 10 years for Arçelik Global in several material categories. Including metal parts, plastic parts, electromechanical parts, head of metals-raw material. He concluded his time at the company serving as purchasing director for processed parts.
Read the full announcement here.
Alicia Ruckteschler Joins Vantage Data Centers as CPO
DENVER — Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, announced that Alicia Ruckteschler has joined the company as chief procurement officer. In this role, Ruckteschler will lead Vantage’s global procurement function, overseeing end-to-end sourcing strategy, supplier partnerships, and operations as the company continues its rapid expansion.
The company stated that as chief procurement officer, Ruckteschler will play a critical role in shaping how Vantage delivers data center campuses globally, leading procurement as a strategic, execution-driven function embedded across the full project lifecycle. She will partner closely with internal technical teams and external vendors to align sourcing decisions with design, construction and long-term operational priorities, supporting the delivery of complex infrastructure at speed and scale.
According to Jeff Tench, global executive vice president, “Alicia brings an exceptional combination of strategic vision, operational rigor and deep hyperscale infrastructure experience to the Vantage leadership team,” he said.
“Her ability to optimize global procurement organizations, strengthen supplier ecosystems, optimize costs and execute rapid growth will be critical as Vantage continues expanding our platform to meet unprecedented AI and hyperscale demand.”
Read the full announcement here.
Thimens Named UNCW Chief Procurement Officer
The University of North Carolina Wilmington Division of Business Affairs announced the appointment of Robert “Skylar” Thimens as the university’s chief procurement officer. He brings more than 16 years in higher education procurement leadership.
The school stated that in his new role, Thimens will lead purchasing services and support the continued advancement of procurement as a strategic campus partner. His priorities will include value creation, financial stewardship, system optimization and strengthening customer support for academic, research and administrative units.
Prior to joining UNCW, Thimens served as senior director of strategic sourcing, procurement, and payment services at the University of Wyoming.
Read the full announcement here.
Supply Management News
Iran Conflict Strains Global Supply Chains, With Secondary Impacts Emerging
Iran Blows Hole in US Aluminum Supply Chain with Smelter Strikes
Tariff Refunds: Court Expands Scope to Include Finally Liquidated Entries
China Opens Probes into US Trading Practices
