Supply Chain Procurement Operations

George Gegelia

Senior Procurement Officer

ad5cpk@r.postjobfree.com • +1-347-***-****

LinkedIn • Southampton, PA

Global Procurement Leader: Driving Excellence in Supply Chain Management!

Experienced senior procurement officer with over many years of global supply chain expertise. Seasoned leader with more than 12 years of managerial experience, overseeing multi-billion-dollar procurements. Proficient in managing large-scale operations across diverse geographic regions, coordinating procurement activities across numerous global offices. Skilled in logistics, food and goods & services sourcing, category management, and sustainable procurement practices. Committed to sustainability practices and implementing policies for sustainable procurement. IT background, knowledge of databases and data analytics/visualisation.

Areas of Expertise

Project Management

Emergency Response Coordination

ERP Systems Integration

Digital Transformation

Business Process Transformation

Data Analysis/Databases

Supplier Relationship Management

Risk Evaluation and Compliance

Global Procurement

Professional Experience

United Nations -World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

Senior Procurement Officer

May 2023 — Oct 2023

Provided support to WFP's Global Procurement Transformation, with particular focus on digitalization efforts such as procuring, adopting, and integrating ERP platforms.

Conducted analysis of Southern African food markets for WFP’s regional Bureau in Southern Africa. Devised strategy for sustainable procurement. Consulted Southern Africa Regional Bureau at WFP in development of strategy to help governments establish Strategic Food Reserves and sustainable procurement policies.

United Nations, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

Deputy Chief Procurement

Oct 2020 — May 2023

Coordinated and managed emergency procurement actions for crisis situations in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan. Managed Strategic and Operational Support unit, providing guidance on global and sustainable procurement, innovative business processes, and contracts. Strengthened staff capacity and selection processes globally. Provided strategic advice and support to field operations. Developed and implemented systems for more agile and efficient business processes. Conducted risk evaluation and ensured compliance with regulations. Generated various statistical reports and designed/implemented live statistical dashboards.

●Led and supervised procurement operations with estimated annual value of approximately 4.5B USD.

●Oversaw procurement activities conducted by 5 regional bureaus and 80 country offices worldwide.

●Implemented project for Business Process Review, transforming and harmonizing procurement division.

●Developed and implemented an organizational procurement strategy for period 2020-2025.

●Spearheaded digitization of processes and documents, introducing new E-Systems for enhanced transparency and efficiency.

United Nations, World Food Programme, Bangkok, Thailand

Regional Procurement Officer

Sep 2015 — Oct 2020

Managed procurement of food, goods, and services totalling 170-200 million USD. Assumed role of Supply Chain Unit Head for 16 months in absence of relevant officer. Served as Procurement Category Manager, overseeing market analysis and development of procurement strategies. Procured essential goods and services to meet needs of WFP in region. Coordinated procurement responses for regional emergencies in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Organized and supervised supplier management and evaluation. Provided and organised training for procurement staff in Southern Asia and Pacific.

●Developed data analyses dashboards for WFP management for reporting and situational analyses purposes.

●Supervised WFP procurement operations in 14 Asian countries, conducting oversight missions to ensure efficiency.

●Established strategic supplier relationships.

●Contributed to emergency preparedness activities in the region and served as a coordination focal point for regional UN procurement cooperation.

United Nations, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

Head Procurement Unit

Nov 2012 — Sep 2015

Oversaw team of category managers, coordinating international procurement of commodities, totalling over 1.1B USD. Managed diverse team of 24 professionals and general staff with exceptional leadership and team-building skills. Devised procurement strategy to enhance sourcing, implementing innovative solutions to increase flexibility and efficiency of WFP supply. Implemented cost avoidance and savings mechanism, ensuring optimal utilization of resources. Supervised strategic procurement processes and nurtured relationships with key suppliers.

●Established and monitored oversight and compliance procedures, conducting rigorous reviews and clearances of field and regional office submissions.

●Collaborated closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely procurement and delivery of goods and services meeting quality standards.

●Acted as global focal point for United Nations Global Marketplace and GAFTA.

●Implemented digital innovations, including e-filing, automated evaluations of supplier submissions, and e-tendering/reverse auctioning, developed supplier management database.

Additional Experience

Procurement Officer United Nations, World Food Programme, Rome Italy

Led development of digital systems for procurement division. Established connections with the Japanese and Russian governments to acquire commodities through special arrangements. Streamlined supplier relationship systems and procedures. Managed international procurement of commodities, with annual value of up to $220.5M.

Regional Procurement Officer, United Nations, World Food Programme, Johannesburg, South Africa

Procured and managed diverse goods and services for Southern Africa, including telecommunications and logistics equipment, travel, catering, and security services. Established long-term supply agreements and coordinated procurement across UN agencies.

●Spearheaded procurement of commodities, handling procurement worth of $75-80 million.

Procurement Officer, United Nations, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

Procured IT equipment and services, logistics & emergency response related items, developed procurement website and document management system, was Key Business user for SAP MM module.

Education

Master of Science in Mathematics Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

Certifications

CIPS Level 4 Diploma – 2019 CSCMP – 2023 GAFTA Distance Learning Programme - 2010-2011

Willing to obtain any other certification as needed.

Languages

English, Proficient Georgian, Proficient Russian, Proficient Italian, Elementary

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