TOP 100 LEADERS

Bob Murphy

Chief Procurement Officer IBM

Bob Murphy , Chief Procurement Officer of IBM , is a true career veteran . Murphy joined IBM in 1978 and earned a Masters degree in manufacturing sciences and engineering in 1983 . Until the late 90s he held various engineering and management positions at IBM Greenock ( Scotland ). In the 2000s he further held various roles in Procurement and moved from Scotland to North Carolina until in 2014 , where 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 remains focused on working smarter and faster , in improving productivity , reducing cost , optimising cash , innovating and providing a better stakeholder experience . Murphy wants to ensure that IBM has strong employee engagement to keep

Consulting United States their procurement professionals happy and moving forward in their careers despite the challenges of working remotely . IBM is now visible and focuses on ESG . At IBM , 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 IBM couldn ' t have anticipated . Murphy helped implement dedicated freight carrier lanes to maintain delivery routes throughout the pandemic and also with pre-booking flight space to secure shipping capacity as part of his role . He helped execute urgent accounts payable supplier setups and expedited payments for business-critical requirements .

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