Big winners from the 2011 5th CIPSA Procurement Professional Awards

Some of Australasia’s leading procurement professionals were acknowledged for their outstanding contribution to the fastest growing profession in business at the annual CIPS Australasia Procurement Professional Awards last night at Crown Palladium in Melbourne.

More than 500 guests were on hand to see the major award for the evening, the CIPS Leadership Award, presented to Chris Browne MCIPS, the Director of the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Economic Development.

The award was presented by CIPS President Mr Peter Rushton FCIPS who travelled from the United Kingdom to attend the ceremony.

Each year the prestigious CIPS Leadership Award is presented to the individual (or organisation) who has displayed conspicuous leadership of thought or action that has delivered real benefit to an organisation, or to others, and therefore offered exceptional leadership to the profession.

Awards were also presented across an additional eight categories including:
Young Procurement Professional of the Year
Most Improved Example of Socially Responsible Procurement
Best People Development Initiative
Most Improved Procurement Operation

CIPSA Managing Director Jonathan Dutton FCIPS said the 5th annual gala awards night was a highlight of the 7th two-day CIPSA Annual Conference held in Melbourne each October.

“In the current economic climate it is critically important that procurement professionals manage business ‘risk’ with a firm hand. The annual conference provides vital information to assist procurement specialists to address their tasks and the gala awards night acknowledges those in the profession who are leading by example,” Mr Dutton said.

Winners List 2011 CIPSA Procurement Professional Awards 

Award: Young Procurement Professional of the Year sponsored by ProcureNet
Winner: Tage Tveit procurement specialist from Bank of Queensland for “his commitment to his own professional development, leadership of successful and commercially significant projects, leadership of a cross-functional team to achieve an innovative solution to a commercial need, leadership of diverse teams and commitment to development of the profession through membership of the CIPSA Regional Committee in Queensland”.

Award: Most Improved Example of Socially Responsible Procurement sponsored by The Faculty
Winner: (Co-winner) Rio Tinto
Winner: (Co-winner) The Laminex Group
Rio Tinto for its work with indigenous people and the Laminex Group for improvement in product sourcing and manufacturing with broad success.

Award: Best Cross-functional Teamwork Project sponsored by QBT
Winner: Queensland Government Chief Procurement Office “for the sheer scale and complexity of the cross functional project, working with agencies to gain collaboration to develop and implement a new, whole-of-Government arrangement for salary packaging”.

Award: Best Supplier Partnership sponsored by Hudson RPO
Winner: Santos Limited (supplier Toll Energy)  
“Santos and Toll Energy’s collaboration to produce substantial supply-chain improvements following a review of Santos’ logistics category. This is a great example of high level collaboration to achieve business objectives, including working jointly to solve problems and achieve regulatory changes that were necessary to harvest the benefits sought”.

Award: Best People Development Initiative sponsored by Vertical Talent (Sydney)
Winner: George Weston Food for their People Development Programme (one of the ten core goals of Procurement for George Weston Foods); “an exemplary program in terms of offering multi-level people development.  An outstanding initiative strategically planned and implemented”.

Award: Best Process Improvement Initiative sponsored by Basware
Winner: Local Government Procurement for its ‘Vendor Panel’ web-based sourcing application. “An innovative and successful initiative to enhance the value of a pre-qualification scheme to both buyers and suppliers and to improve the way in which it is managed”.

Award: Most Improved Procurement Operation sponsored by OfficeMax
Winner: George Weston Foods for its Procurement Transformation Project. “A thorough approach, sustainable implementation, managing procurement influence at a level appropriate for the organisation”.

Award: Most Innovative and Effective Use of Technology sponsored by Fieldglass
Winner: Energex for its ePQS  “harnessing the power of automation” project that through the use of automated templates has achieved significant process improvements and savings through the use of technology.

Major Award: CIPS Leadership Award
Winner: Chris Browne MCIPS – see earlier information.