Moves: Unilever’s supply chain focus

Posted on 02. Jul, 2009 by in Moves

Unilever
Pier Luigi Sigismondi has joined Unilever as its chief supply chain officer, joining from Nestlé where he was vice president of corporate industrial performance. Sigismondi joined the top management team in June this year. “I am extremely pleased that Pier Luigi is joining our top team,” said Unilever’s CEO Paul Polman. “He will bring considerable experience to our business and will play a major role in transforming our supply chain into a customer-focused operation. His appointment underlines the importance of the supply chain function to our business. Sigismondi is a former consultant at both Booz Allen & Hamilton and AT Kearney.

BP
Gavin Herman, until recently an executive director for European procurement at investment bank Morgan Stanley, has been appointed head of European procurement at oil giant BP. Herman, who is a previous contributor to Procurement Leaders, joined BP earlier this year. While at Morgan Stanley, Herman was responsible for establishing a global shared services centre in order to improve efficiencies, increase the adoption of best practice and compliance and to reduce costs. “As a concept, a shared services function within a procurement organisation works well,” he said at the time. “Activities which previously distracted buyers from buying can be handled by subject-matter experts and lower-cost resources” 

Rewe Group
The discount retail arm of German retailer Rewe Group has appointed Alfred Glander as buying director. Glander will join Penny on 1 October and will assume a position on the management board with responsibility for purchasing and category management. He will report directly to the head of the Penny chain, Armin Rehberg. “We are pleased that with Alfred Glander [we have gained] a proven expert and strengthened the leadership team of Penny,” said Rehberg. “He will positively develop our markets at home and abroad and is an important addition [to the team].”

Alibaba
A former senior vice president of Wal-Mart, who was also managing director of its global procurement operation, has joined Alibaba as a non-executive director. The appointment of Andrew Tsuei by Alibaba, the Chinese-based e-commerce and e-auction specialist, will allow it to tap into the 20 years of experience Tseui has built up in retail and the sourcing industry.

He joined Wal-Mart in 2001 where he built the global procurement division from the ground up until it was operating from 27 offices in 70 countries around the world. “Andrew is a leading figure in the global retail and sourcing industry and we are delighted that he’s joining our team,” said Jack Ma, group chief executive of Alibaba. “His broad experience and knowledge will help Alibaba.com and Taobao.com to better serve millions of Chinese and international customers and to play an ever-more important role in the world of global trade.”

News International
James Martin, the senior director of global sourcing at News International, left the company on 1 May following a reorganisation of procurement at the media giant. Martin, who was based at the organisation’s headquarters in New York, was responsible for the company’s supply chain sustainability drive as well as general procurement and supply chain issues. 

American Express
Derek Faulkner, the vice president of global procurement  for Europe, Middle East and Africa at American Express, has now left the financial services giant. He has yet to join another company. 

Barclays Commercial Bank
Barclays Commercial Bank has appointed Graeme Allinson as its head of manufacturing, transport and logistics. Allinson will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of corporate banking to UK manufacturing, transport and logistics companies in a newly-created position that will allow Allinson to focus on cross-over opportunities between the previously separate industry teams, according to the UK-based investment bank.

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