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Joining IBM in 1978 , Chief Procurement Officer Bob Murphy has witnessed fundamental procurement transformations from the very beginning , dexterously adapting in tandem – and transforming both himself and IBM in the process .

Until the late 90s , he held various engineering and management positions at IBM Greenock ( Scotland ).

In the 2000s , Murphy developed his skills to hold various roles in procurement and moved from Scotland to North Carolina until 2014 , when he became IBM ’ s Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Procurement Officer .

Since taking up this role , Murphy ’ s focus has been on improving the way IBM approaches procurement , by enhancing processes and applying technologies to help IBM “ listen for need and act with speed ” in support of its stakeholders .

In both procurement and supply chain , Murphy is still focused on this goal of working smarter and faster ; in improving productivity ; in reducing costs ; in optimising cash and innovating – all aimed towards providing a better stakeholder experience .

At IBM , Murphy works with technologies and processes to handle crises such as natural disasters and pandemics . He also works with suppliers across the globe to source new products and services from new suppliers that , once upon a time , IBM couldn ' t have anticipated .

Murphy was instrumental in helping implement dedicated freight carrier lanes to maintain delivery routes throughout the