Council announces new officers

Supply Management, Jul 17, 2008

CIPS COUNCIL

CIPS council has approved the new officer appointments for 2008-09.

The institute's new president will be BoIa Afolabi, general manager, SAP project at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Afolabi, who was elected to the board in 2006, is the first international member to become president.

Shirley Cooper, procurement director at Computacenter, becomes vice-president. The new chair is Silla Maizey, head of corporate social responsibility at BA, with Peter Rushton, managing director, trading, at Xchanging, taking the deputy post. New to the board are Eric Gates, commercial director at the Ministry of Defence, and David Noble, group supply chain director at engineering firm IMI. Completing the line-up of new board members for next year is David Kemp, head of commodity purchasing at Rolls-Royce, elected from council to serve a three-year term.

Council also received a progress report on the current business plan. Chair Cooper reported that, overall, performance was very satisfactory. Membership has reached a new high of nearly 46,000, the May exam series saw a record 23,000 entries, and the number and value of transactions with customer organisations has increased by 12 per cent since the start of the year. The second half of the year is likely to be challenging and the board will be taking a fresh look at corporate plan projections for next year.

Finance director Malcolm Croft reported revenues were up 13 per cent on last year. Net surplus is ahead of budget and reserves stand at £3.5 million, providing a buffer should economic conditions worsen.

The ethical code, last revised in 1999, was the subject of a workshop. Members debated its fitness for purpose in the changing business environment. Council concluded the principles remained valid but better guidance was needed on interpretation and application. This would be developed by the professional practice team and published later in the year.

New CEO Simon Sperryn presented his initial impressions of the institute and outlined his plans for change. He said CIPS had come a long way but now needed to build on its achievements, regain clarity of purpose and take the profession to the next level. It had to become more confident and agile and more focused on its aim to raise the standard and status of procurement. To begin that process five interconnected change projects, led by managers, are already under way.