In this episode we talked to Alexander Graff, Head of Corporate Business at Schweitzer Fachinformationen, about where his roots are, how his journey has led to an amazing track record in the entire procurement and software development area and how e-procurement and business networks have been successfully implemented at Schweitzer Fachinformationen.

Alexander Graff

Head of Corporate Business – Schweitzer Fachinformationen

Alexanders background is both, Software development and Sales and he has been working in the E-Procurement-industry for more than 20 years now.

After creating his own Software company, he helped build one of the first companies to offer books and subscriptions to corporate customers over the internet and e-procurement systems. He joined Schweitzer in 2007 to develop the strategy for digital procurement processes. In 2012-2013 he was the Managing Director of Meplato, one of the first digital B2B marketplaces with a network approach. Since 2014 he is the Head of Corporate Business with Schweitzer Fachinformationen and defines the companies strategy towards the Corporate Market, including Digital Procurement Processes, Digital Content and Business Networks. The Schweitzer Business Information platform provides professionals in companies with the apps, processes and professional services to buy, manage and use all professional information products that they need in order to make the right decisions. Information products reach from professional literature such as (digital) books and subscriptions to research databases, documents, standards, reports, statistics, raw data fees and more.

Social Media:

• Follow Alexander on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergraff
• Learn more about Schweitzer: Schweitzer Business Information Platform – YouTube
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

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References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 08: E-Procurement and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this episode we talked with Dr. Michael Niessen, former Chief Procurement Officer at Deutsche Post DHL, about what has changed in the procurement profession in the last 10 years, why procurement is a cool profession to be in and what he would give as advice to young talents starting their journey “beyond sourcing” today.

Dr. Michael Niessen

Former Chief Procurement Officer – Deutsche Post DHL

Dr. Michael Niessen is a respected leader, strategic visionary, and trusted advisor in the entire field of procurement and supply chain management. For more than 30 years he led procurement and supply chain teams. He is one of the front runners when it comes to digital transformation of procurement and supply chain organizations. His strong focus on delivering value, assurance of supply chain resilience and innovation capabilities coming through procurement is a clear differentiator. His continued success in the area of change management within the Logistics industry is well known and highly appreciated. Since 2021 he is also a member of the advisory board of the Bonn-based amc Group and supports the company with his expertise in international supply chains and global procurement.

Social Media:

• Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-niessen-86951914/
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 07: Change and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this episode we talked with Jan Grothe, Chief Procurement Officer at Deutsche Bahn, about why working as a kid in his grandfather´s grocery store lay the foundations to work in procurement and how being a passionate mountaineer and father of 5 lovely children has made him a thriving advocate for sustainability. And of course we also talked with him about how Deutsche Bahn is taking sustainability seriously and how he and his team make DB a trailblazer for saving the environment.

Jan Grothe

Chief Procurement Officer – Deutsche Bahn

Jan Grothe was born in Berlin in 1973 and worked as a consultant after studying business administration. In 2001, he moved to Deutsche Bahn AG to set up the electronic procurement systems. He subsequently headed two regions as purchasing manager as well as supplier management and quality assurance. Since 2014, he has been responsible for principles, strategy and IT systems in procurement at Deutsche Bahn (DB). In 2019, he assumed the position of Head of Procurement Infrastructure. In March 2021, Jan took over the role of CPO, heading the procurement function at DB.

Social Media:

• Follow Jan on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-grothe-70a4731
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-c9FXKHxhg
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 06: Sustainability and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this Episode we talked with Anis Tabka, SVP Procurement & Contracts of Expo Dubai 2020, about his decision to move from a very successful career in the Telco Industry to the world of Event Entertainment which is definitely something completely different as he will explain. He will share the rollercoaster ride he and his team went through when the Global Pandemic brought the whole project to a sudden halt and how they worked hard on getting it started again to become the fantastic event it is. Check in to learn about how important sustainability was in the overall project and why Anis enjoys the Expo Dubai 2020 experience so much. And finally listen to one important advice Anis has to offer to every procurement professional.

Anis Tabka

SVP Procurement & Contracts – Expo Dubai 2020

Anis Tabka is responsible for all procurement of Expo Dubai 2020, the World´s biggest entertainment event.

He is an accomplished CPO & Commercial leader with over 25 years of Global experience in the Telecom industry, Mega Entertainment Events & Digital Transformation. In his professional life he has lead complex Commercial Sales projects and Supply Chain functions of Global conglomerates as well as Start-ups, in North America, Europe and MENA. He builds on a vast experience in structuring major Global Sales Agreements and Managed Services projects with large Telcos such as AT&T , Verizon and many more. In his private life he is supporting Kids with Cancer Charities, loves to go climbing high altitude mountains (Fun Fact: he climbed 6 out of the top 7 world summits) and finishing the Ironman Competition.

Social Media:

• Follow Anis on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anistabka/
• Watch some of his adventures on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWm137bPJiA
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 05: The World and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this Episode we talked with Hakan Akay, Global Head of SCM, Property Management Services in Luxembourg about the importance of role models in life, the similarities and differences of Trading, Finance, Supply Chain and Procurement and about seizing the opportunities when they arise. He also shares his views of the future of the traditional office as a place to work within the digital transformation, the role of retail stores as a commercial channel in a post-pandemic world and of course how to support sustainability by making conscious property decisions.

Hakan Akay

Global Head of SCM, Property Management Services

Hakan Akay is a supply chain and finance professional with over 19 years of experience in telecoms, FMCG and commodity markets. Throughout his career he held responsibility in various leadership positions overseeing large scale procurement and trading activities, at global and regional levels. Lately he has been the Global Head of Supply Chain for property management services in the Vodafone Procurement Company, Vodafone’s central procurement organization in Luxembourg. He values optimism, team work and collaborative behaviour, and takes pride in regularly getting out of his comfort zone and stepping into new areas for continuous learning and development. Hakan is a management engineer with a master in banking and finance, and he is a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA), a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS), and a Certified Internal Auditor.

Social Media:

• Follow Hakan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hakan-akay-57533414/
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 04: Brick and Mortar and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this Episode we talked with Christine Cheminay, Director Global Purchasing in Germany about the influence of parents on your career inspirations and decisions, how to combine work and family, why diversity is so important for any organization and why she thinks that e-Mobility is here to stay (unlike in the 1900s where Electric Cars had their first Boom – a Fun Fact if you did not know) and the sustainability challenges that need to be tackled in the light of a need to decrease the carbon footprint.

Christine Cheminay

Director Global Purchasing Battery Systems

Christine Cheminay covered several purchasing functions at Webasto since 2001. Today she is responsible for Purchasing of the business unit Battery Systems, located in Stockdorf near Munich.

Christine holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management, with stops in Japan and the US. She started her career in Sales, with Siemens Power Generation, Erlangen, and a few years later, she moved to Strategic Purchasing of INA Schaeffler, Herzogenaurach, where she worked in Project Purchasing for one of the TOP10 projects. At Webasto, she continued her career in Project Purchasing, supporting a global, multi-customer project. From there she took over Indirect Purchasing Germany and established in the years to come a Global Indirect Purchasing Organization covering all regions and business units.

Christine has a big passion for people and technologies. She supports students as a mentor (e.g. TUMentorIng) and encourages young professionals to combine work and family.

Social Media:

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

Hosted by Tamara Braun
Chief Customer Officer SAP Procurement Solutions, SAP

Social Media:

Follow Tamara on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-braun-89bb351a/

The post Episode 03: e-Mobility and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this Episode we talked with Angela Qu, Chief Procurement Officer in Germany about seeing everything that happens in your life as an opportunity to grow, change and innovate. Learn more about a procurement leader who has spent more than 25 years in procurement as she shares some fascinating stories with us about her professional career as well as her personal life and beliefs.

Angela Qu
Chief Procurement Officer

Angela Qu is an entrepreneurial executive with >25 years of expertise in the areas of Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing and Management Consulting. She has held senior leadership roles in large multi-national companies with global footprints, like Siemens, Bühler-Leybold, ABB and most recently Lufthansa Group, having resided in China, Switzerland and Germany.

As Chief Procurement Officer of Lufthansa Group, Angela is responsible for sourcing strategies of 10 Billion Euro externally, and the management of 40000 suppliers across 130 countries.  In addition, Angela serves as supervisory board member of Lufthansa Cargo, a leading air freight provider.

Angela is passionate about sustainability and the advancement of women in business.

Social Media:

• Follow Angela on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/quangela/
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Sam Achampong, FCIPS – General Manager, CIPS Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Social Media:

Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samachampong/

The post Episode 02: The Sky and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this Episode we talked with Nuha Luqman, Supply Chain Management Manager in the UAE about the importance of dreams, to follow them to achieve your ambitions and what excites her being in procurement.

Nuha Luqman
Supply Chain Management Manager

Nuha currently works as a Supply Chain Management Manager at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

She has over 21 years of work experience, 15 years of which were in procurement and supply chain. She is a holder of an MSc in Global Supply Chain Management (ISLI program) from the university of Bordeaux Ecole de Management (France) and MCIPS since 2015.

Her area of focus is around PSC process and information system configuration and optimization, Supplier Relationship Management, Market Intelligence, and Business Intelligence reporting.

In 2017, she was the procurement and logistical lead for the biggest event hosted by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Social Media:

• Follow Nuha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nuha-luqman-94010713/
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

References & Recommendations

• Get more insights into what drives procurement leaders with these Oxford Economics Procurement Insight reports: https://www.ariba.com/procurement-insights-research?campaigncode=CRM-XO21-AON-PRO_POD

Hosted by Sam Achampong, FCIPS – General Manager, CIPS Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Social Media:

Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samachampong/

The post Episode 01: Kilimanjaro and Beyond first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.

In this teaser, our Host Sam Achampong FCIPS and General Manager, CIPS Middle East & North Africa (MENA), explains the idea behind this new SAP podcast series for everybody in or interested in the procurement function and the people that drive procurement. Join us for interesting conversations with procurement leaders and their passions.

Sam Achampong, FCIPS
General Manager, CIPS Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Sam is a senior executive with extensive experience in Procurement and Supply Chain management across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. He has held Senior Procurement and Strategic Sourcing roles for organisations such as Land Securities in the UK, Abu Dhabi Municipality in the Middle East and MTN across Africa.

An active member of the procurement fraternity, Sam is currently General Manager of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) for the MENA Region.

He holds a Master’s Degree in International Procurement from the University of Glamorgan , MSc in Facilities Management from the University of Westminster and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

He is a regular speaker at industry events and an advocate for professional standards in procurement and supply management.

Social Media:

• Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samachampong/
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/beyond-sourcing/

Please like, share and subscribe!

The post Episode 00: Beyond Sourcing – An introduction first appeared on Beyond Sourcing.