Etihad Airways' procurement and supply management department recently received three prestigious awards from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) at the Middle East Awards ceremony held in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.

The department was shortlisted in five different categories and successful in two categories, namely ‘Best People Development Initiative’ and ‘Best International Procurement’. The team also carried home the judges’ award for ‘The Overall Winner’.

James Rigney, chief financial officer at Etihad Airways, said: “A great deal of hard work has gone into winning these awards by our procurement and supply chain team. This achievement underlines the important role the team plays in our business.”

During the last two years, the airline’s procurement and supply management team has undergone a complete business transformation in its procurement model and processes, enabling the team to support Etihad Airways’ business growth and strategic objectives as well as the wider objectives of Abu Dhabi 2030 vision

By contributing to the UAE economy through supplier selection, the team has realised significant cost savings and strengthened its professional procurement practices.

Adil Al-Mulla, Etihad Airways’ vice president procurement and supply management, said: “We are delighted to receive this recognition from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

“The awards reflect the team’s innovative and collaborative procurement practices that deliver real financial benefits to the airline. It also sets the benchmark for our performance for the next year and provides international recognition for the department as procurement professionals,” he said

A panel of industry experts and senior procurement professionals judged the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply awards process which was chaired by Duncan Brock, Group customer relationships director of CIPS.

Brock said: “Delivering real benefits from leveraging scale across eight different airlines is challenging. Many collaborative sourcing projects fail due to lack of senior executive support and aligned goals.”

“Etihad Airways leads an excellent joint procurement programme with its equity alliance partners and has already delivered significant results with more to come,” he said.

CIPS is dedicated to promoting best practice within the profession, and is the largest provider of specialist courses across all aspects and levels of the supply chain, from the start of a career to senior management level. – TradeArabia News Service