Sam Achampong

Background

About Sam Achampong

Most companies fail to take procurement into account when they are defining their business strategy. Instead, it’s often an afterthought, and deemed a reactive, transactional function. But it's time to rethink that. As the Regional Director of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific region, my role is to ensure that ethics, responsibility, and education are standardised within the profession and that more organisations understand the value of procurement. I have extensive experience in senior executive roles across the UK, Middle East and Africa. Like many of my peers, I fell into procurement by chance. While collaborating on a project in a past role, I was introduced to the diverse responsibilities of procurement professionals. When I was given the chance to transition into the procurement department, my answer was an immediate yes. Procurement teams focus on the: • Need for the good or service; • Ethics attached to the goods or services provided; • Impact on the organisational success; • Effect on the (triple) bottom line (sustainability). What I have come to appreciate is that strategic procurement is one of the most important – yet commonly overlooked - functions of any organisation. I am a regular speaker at industry events, and I’m keen to speak with anyone wanting to learn more about procurement, professional standards and CIPS. The value and future of procurement is something that I am passionate about, so I hope you’ll join me in sharing your thoughts and opinions to ensure the profession gets the credit it deserves. Feel free to connect with me by email here: sam.achampong@cips.org To find out more about the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) visit