Edward Emu Mcips
Reading,United Kingdom
Summary
Accomplished professional specializing in strategic leadership and planning, driving procurement and source-to-pay initiatives that align financial outcomes with business objectives. Demonstrates strong financial acumen, optimizing working capital and enhancing EBITDA through expert budgeting and modelling. Proficient in category management and source-to-pay excellence, utilizing SAP S/4HANA and Ariba for data-driven decision-making. Proven ability to lead operational efficiency initiatives, negotiate with senior stakeholders, and build high-performing global teams that foster collaboration and resilience.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Lead -Sourcing & Procurement -EMEA
Orica Limited
Addlestone, Surrey
2025.01 - Current
- Provide end‑to‑end leadership of the Source‑to‑Pay (S2P) lifecycle for a global team of 16 professionals operating across 26 countries.
- Ensure consistent project execution, governance, and compliance across diverse markets, regulatory environments, and business units.
- Drive operational excellence through standardised processes, digital tools, and performance frameworks.
- Own the full contracting lifecycle for all categories within remit, ensuring commercial, legal, and operational alignment.
- Strengthen contract quality, enforce compliance, and embed risk‑mitigation measures across supplier portfolios.
- Partner with Legal, Finance, and Commercial teams to ensure contracts protect value and support long‑term business strategy.
- Develop advanced financial models to evaluate sourcing scenarios, supplier proposals, and commercial structures.
- Quantify the impact of sourcing decisions on trade working capital , Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) , and EBITDA .
- Influence senior stakeholders with data‑driven insights that shape investment decisions and commercial strategy.
- Oversee the regional spend control tower, providing visibility, governance, and intervention on spend outside category management.
- Identify leakage, maverick buying, and non‑compliant spend; implement corrective actions and bring spend under management where feasible.
- Drive adoption of preferred suppliers, catalogues, and compliant buying channels.
- Act as the primary liaison with Commercial VPs to ensure supplier contracts mirror customer commitments and commercial obligations.
- Strengthen cross‑functional alignment between supply chain, commercial, and finance to protect margin and service delivery.
- Resolve discrepancies between supply and customer terms to reduce risk exposure and improve contract profitability.
- Manage regional spend to deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, and value‑creation initiatives.
- Lead negotiations, supplier development, and competitive sourcing strategies that improve cost, quality, and service.
- Track and report savings impact on financial performance, ensuring alignment with corporate targets.
Procurement category Manager
WAA CONSTRUCTION LIMITED
2024.02 - 2026.05
- Manage end-to-end contract management, including supplier relations, contract implementation, and quality assurance.
- Establish and implement appropriate commercial strategies, governance systems, and procurement best practices.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to promote the benefits of procurement.
- Demonstrate to managers and heads of service how effective procurement can improve service provision.
- Draft project plans for each contract, outlining key milestones and deliverables.
- Liaise with budget holders to set realistic budgets for contracts and procurement activities.
- Utilize various systems to place contract notices and identify suitable organizations for the tender process.
Logistics/ Fulfillment Operations Specialist
IKEA
Reading
2021.07 - 2024.01
- Executing and overseeing our daily end-to-end goods flow, from supplier departure to retail market arrival, in collaboration with both internal and external IKEA supply chain partners.
- Ensuring high levels of automation and adherence to standardized business rules and workflows. Promptly addressing any deviations with immediate solutions and adjusting daily planning and delivery booking as necessary.
- Serving as the primary liaison for both internal and external IKEA stakeholders (such as suppliers, transport service providers, and retailers) regarding daily operations, maintaining active communication and securing written clarifications.
- Maintaining effective communication channels with stakeholders, offering clear and professional advice on issues related to the daily end-to-end goods flow.
- Taking proactive steps to coordinate with IKEA supply chain partners for efficient solutions to any constraints and deviations, swiftly responding based on a predefined rule set (like choosing alternate transport services or prioritizing deliveries correctly).
- Independently monitoring the end goods flow to evaluate supply operations' performance with supportive tools and proactively addressing any performance issues.
- Enhancing our end-to-end goods flow performance through factual analysis and recommendations for improvement to the Global Operations Forum and Market Operations Forum.
- Ensuring the accuracy of data in our systems for clear visibility and documenting any deviations in our daily planning and execution processes, notifying relevant parties about any data discrepancies or omissions.
- Pursuing continual improvements in our operational procedures through the digitalization and automation of tasks.
Capstone Project (Digital Procurement and Analytics)
Ferrero
2020.09 - 2021.06
- Built and Delivered before time a strategic procurement dashboard with centralized KPIs that ensured visibility and alignment with strategy.
- Deployed Double diamond methodology and Design Thinking approach in developing a strategic Procurement Dashboard for CPO.
- Considered Key Metrics for Each Focus Area. Developed the calculation methodology for each Key metric and built a Dashboard for CPO reporting based on these key metrics.
- Developed a dashboard to visualize the KPIs using Power Bi and Tableau.
Category Specialist -Corporate Spend
WAA CONSTRUCTION LIMITED
London
2015.06 - 2020.08
- Enhanced supplier relationships by establishing regular communication and feedback systems.
- Assessed vendor performance for quality assurance purposes.
- Developed robust risk management strategies to mitigate potential disruptions in supply chains.
- Managed complex negotiations, resulting in favourable contract terms.
- Identified cost-saving opportunities for increased company profitability.
- Drove cost reduction initiatives while maintaining high quality standards.
- Implemented best practises in category management, driving process improvements.
- Delivered value through innovative procurement strategies and techniques.
- Handled supplier issues promptly, minimising potential impact on business operations.
- Streamlined supply chain operations to enhance efficiency.
- Fostered supplier partnerships, enhancing overall service levels.
- Led cross-functional teams, ensuring smooth project execution.
- Conducted industry research for improved category understanding.
- Performed regular audits of purchasing activities, ensuring adherence to policy regulations.
- Developed strategic sourcing plans to achieve long-term category growth.
Ag: Supply Chain Logistics Manager
Perseus Mining Ghana Limited
2014.05 - 2015.05
- Preparation of monthly supply management report
- Preparation of statutory report on Local content policy to Mincom in Line with L.I 2431 (s.6)
- Prepared a Five- Five-year procurement plan for the operationalization of Edikan Mine to Mincom.
- Reporting on weekly supply management issues at senior management meetings
- Oversee logistics, shipment, procurement, and warehouse activities in the supply department
- Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that the purchasing and supply function operate effectively
- Develop and maintain contracts administration and monitoring system to ensure value for money
- Manage contracts in line with company procedure and best practices
- Establish and maintain an effective warehousing and stocks system in line with international standards and best practice in the mining industry
- Ensure availability of supplies of parts and materials to meet operational needs
- Attend all purchasing meetings including pre-bid, pre-award, and progress claim settlement
- Ensure that proposed purchasing strategies are acceptable to the end user
- Monitor and rectify supply discrepancies
- Manage up-to-date records of all transactions with suppliers
Senior Procurement Officer
Perseus Mining Ghana Limited
2010.10 - 2015.05
- Managing an annual procurement spend of USD 60 million, my leadership extended across the acquisition of goods, works, and services essential for mining operations, including critical components like Sag mill and gyratory Crushers parts, TSF spares, and MROs. My approach was to lead from the front, setting strategic priorities and ensuring our team effectively balanced cost, quality, and timeliness to support uninterrupted mining operations.
- A key achievement under my leadership was the development and implementation of a Local content Sourcing strategy. By focusing on building and developing SMEs within the catchment communities and beyond, we not only fostered local economic development but also ensured a stable and efficient supply chain that contributed to the mines' operational continuity. This initiative required a hands-on leadership approach, where I engaged directly with suppliers and community stakeholders, building relationships and trust that translated into tangible benefits for our operations.
- As the Senior Project Procurement Officer and a member of the EPA Compliance team, I spearheaded the installation and commissioning of a USD 1.8 million fire hydrant system at Perseus Mines, in collaboration with Group 5 Construction South Africa and Grundfos South Africa. This project, significant for its scale and impact, was completed with an impressive saving of USD 800,000, a testament to our team's dedication to rigorous value engineering throughout the project lifecycle. My role involved not just overseeing this project but leading and managing a team that strategically navigated through the complexities of procurement, delivering value and efficiency at every step.
Procurement Officer
AngloGold Ashanti
2006.10 - 2010.10
- Managing the processes of inquiry, adjudication, contracting, amendments, and contract administration for both local and international agreements related to the Mine and the TSF Project.
- Overseeing the procurement of all materials, collaborating closely with various departments to achieve objectives and meet deadlines.
- Upholding the procurement procedure and ensuring adherence to regulations.
- Addressing procurement challenges and aiding in the organization of internal and external audits together with the Materials Management team.
- Engaging in negotiations with vendors and service providers.
- Conducting audits of contract files, including digital and paper versions, to verify that all documents are properly archived and that the files are executed accurately.
Education
Master of Laws - Law
University of the West of England
Bristol 2021.08 - 2022.09
Msc - Logistics and Supplychain Management
University of Luxembourg
Kirchberg 2020.09 - 2021.06
MBA - Logistics Management
Coventry University
Coventry 2012.01 - 2013.01
Graduate Certificate - Logistics and Supplychain Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2020.09 - 2021.06
Graduate Diploma - Procurement and Supplychain Management
CIPS - The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply
BSc - Procurement Management
Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration
Ghana 2010.01 - 2012.11
Skills
- Strategic Leadership & Planning — Sets long‑term procurement and S2P direction, aligning spend, policy, and financial outcomes with business strategy
- Financial & Commercial Acumen — Strong budgeting, modelling, and commercial insight to drive savings, optimise working capital, and support EBITDA improvement
- Category & S2P Excellence — Expert in category management, end‑to‑end Source‑to‑Pay, and data‑driven decision‑making using SAP S/4HANA and Ariba
- Operational Efficiency & Continuous Improvement — Leads process optimisation, policy development, and spend governance to enhance compliance and performance
- Negotiation & Stakeholder Engagement — Influences senior stakeholders, leads complex negotiations, and builds strong supplier and commercial relationships
- People Leadership & Team Development — Builds high‑performing global teams, fostering capability, collaboration, and resilience under pressure
- Communication & Executive Presentation — Delivers clear, compelling insights and high‑level presentations to senior leadership
- Problem‑Solving & Resourcefulness — Calm, analytical, and solutions‑focused, with strong ability to navigate complexity and deliver results
- Inventory & Spend Management — Ensures supply assurance, optimised inventory, and disciplined spend control across regions
Websites
LANGUAGES
English
Fluent
REFERENCES
Will be provided upon Request
HOBBIES
Hiking and Watching Football
Accomplishments
- As a seasoned professional overseeing an extensive portfolio with an addressable spend of $60 million across 21,000 SKUs in both direct and indirect categories, my strategic approach to procurement played a pivotal role in fueling the organization's growth. By skillfully negotiating 80% of the budget into managed spend, I ensured purchasing excellence, effectively managed risk, and maintained high compliance standards to optimize our financial resources.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) highlight the impact of my efforts:
- Achieved a Year-To-Date (YTD) Procurement Return on Investment (ROI) on Full-Time Employees (FTE) of 7.45 times.
- Extended payment terms to 45 days for 80% of the managed spend, improving from NET 30 days, enhancing our cash flow management.
- Realized hard savings of $8 million on a $40 million spend within the managed categories, directly contributing to the bottom line.
- Enhanced Purchasing Excellence by automating 72% of purchasing activities, with a breakdown of 52% in contract spend and 20% in catalog spend, streamlining operations and increasing efficiency.
- Maintained a remarkable 82% accuracy in sourcing spend forecasts, ensuring predictability and strategic allocation of resources.
- My focus on leveraging data-driven strategies and innovative procurement practices has not only delivered substantial financial gains but also propelled our organization towards achieving operational excellence and strategic growth objectives.
LINKS
linkedin
Timeline
Lead -Sourcing & Procurement -EMEA
Orica Limited
2025.01 - Current
Procurement category Manager
WAA CONSTRUCTION LIMITED
2024.02 - 2026.05
Master of Laws - Law
University of the West of England
2021.08 - 2022.09
Logistics/ Fulfillment Operations Specialist
IKEA
2021.07 - 2024.01
Capstone Project (Digital Procurement and Analytics)
Ferrero
2020.09 - 2021.06
Msc - Logistics and Supplychain Management
University of Luxembourg
2020.09 - 2021.06
Graduate Certificate - Logistics and Supplychain Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2020.09 - 2021.06
Category Specialist -Corporate Spend
WAA CONSTRUCTION LIMITED
2015.06 - 2020.08
Ag: Supply Chain Logistics Manager
Perseus Mining Ghana Limited
2014.05 - 2015.05
MBA - Logistics Management
Coventry University
2012.01 - 2013.01
Senior Procurement Officer
Perseus Mining Ghana Limited
2010.10 - 2015.05
BSc - Procurement Management
Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration
2010.01 - 2012.11
Procurement Officer
AngloGold Ashanti
2006.10 - 2010.10
Graduate Diploma - Procurement and Supplychain Management
CIPS - The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply