Procurement Professional is the official publication of CIPS Australasia

#123 - CEO's want Superman as their next CPO [... or Superwoman]

11 Mar 2010

Peter O’Brien, the debonair headhunter from Russell Reynolds Associates, www.russellreynolds.com was speaking recently about the typical brief he receives nowadays from anxious CEO’s who have decided to hire their first CPO or CSCO. Attributes of good candidates should apparently include most of the following;

• MBA and MCIPS 
• Extensive and relevant SCM experience working in at least three countries [one being a low-cost country source]
• Detailed procurement experience across direct and indirect categories including services and low-cost country sourcing
• Speaks two or three languages fluently [Mandarin is good]
• Practical knowledge of 3PL and 4PL logistics industry
• Experience working in other disciplines at senior levels – including sales or marketing
• Customer service perspective
• Green outlook
• Large blue-chip corporate company background with high level management training and has led large teams
• Strong business acumen, great relationship skills, tech savvy and a strategic thinker with a global perspective

That’s all then. So, form a queue at the RR posh offices in Sydney....

Seriously, it is nice to be flattered, but nobody could have such a CV. CEO’s are truly looking for Superman/Superwoman; just as Peter exclaims.

But maybe it is flattering that CEO’s recognise the challenge facing the profession, and their businesses nowadays?

And perhaps the real message is that we could usefully brush up our core capabilities ready for a complex, challenging and rewarding future maybe? 

The Buyer – posted 11th March 2010

The views of THE BUYER are personal and are not necessarily those of Procurement Professional magazine, BTTB Marketing nor CIPS.