Zakaria Gassib

• Orchestrated a €150+ million global procurement portfolio, focusing on IT, Professional Services, and HR, aligning strategies with organizational goals.

• Collaborated with the CIO and IT leadership, participating in management meetings to support informed decision-making and reinforce trust between IT and Procurement.

• Member of the AI Council, contributing to the identification and prioritization of AI-driven initiatives across the organization.

• Successfully negotiated and executed major contracts with industry leaders, including Microsoft, SAP, SalesForce, and Lenovo, resulting in substantial cost savings and securing favorable contract terms.

• Managed sourcing models including T&M, Fixed Price, and Managed Services, improving cost structure and performance.

• Overachieved EBITDA savings, surpassing the set target by 16%, demonstrating exceptional financial management and exceeding performance expectations.

• Achieved an 8% improvement in payment terms in Y1, enhancing financial efficiency and liquidity for the organization.

• Reduced recruitment agency rates by an impressive 27%, optimizing workforce management costs and contributing significantly to overall financial efficiency.

• Spearheaded innovative initiatives in the IT domain, overseeing projects such as the SAP S/4HANA project, the cloud and cybersecurity programs, and the Global Laptop strategy.

• Demonstrated resilient leadership by steering global procurement operations during the challenging economic crisis, implementing agile strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions and ensure seamless operations.

• Collaborated strategically with packaging suppliers, actively tracking indexes, assessing cost impacts, and proactively reducing potential cost impacts. This involved fostering proactive measures and communicating findings to internal stakeholders, enabling preemptive actions.

• Developed and executed a structured methodology for identifying, prioritizing, and implementing innovation projects for wooden drums, aiming to enhance product quality and achieve substantial cost reductions.

• Led a comprehensive assessment of logistics CO2 emissions and played a pivotal role in developing a cutting-edge digital monitoring tool, contributing significantly to Nexans' commitment to environmental sustainability initiatives.

• Worked closely with regional and global teams to harmonize procurement processes and ensure transparency of cost drivers.

• Led the MEA region's Indirect Procurement and Sourcing operations, directing a diverse team of 13 across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, and Turkey, to streamline procurement processes and enhance efficiency.

• Hired to set up the regional Indirect and equipment procurement team.

• Delivered over $10M in cost savings within a $100M spend portfolio through strategic sourcing and effective negotiation, significantly impacting the bottom line.

• Developed the sourcing strategy focusing on Logistics and Manufacturing.

• Increased contractual coverage by 45%, enhancing risk management and ensuring compliance across all procurement activities.

• Standardized procurement operations by developing contract templates and streamlining the RFP process, improving efficiency and consistency across the region.

• Improved procurement database, categorized & cleansed 3000 suppliers.

• Recognized with the prestigious Global Supply Chain Award for outstanding contributions to Supply Chain and Procurement Excellence, ranked in the top 1% globally.