PSC LIVE Singapore 2025: Procurement Leadership in Action

Procurement professionals must navigate complex relationships while balancing business objectives and risk. 

At Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Singapore, Sebastian Chia, Head of Procurement at the Health Promotion Board, Ministry of Health Singapore, highlights the importance of understanding stakeholders’ motivations. 

“Do we care for them? Do we know their motivation? And do we even speak their business language?” he asks.

For Sebastian, successful stakeholder management hinges on communication, credibility and collaboration.

Ramesh Krishnamoorthy, Global Head of Business and Regional Engagements at Philips, likens managing difficult stakeholders to personal relationships.

“The more we stick to our agenda, the more difficult these conversations become,” he notes, stressing the importance of aligning procurement’s value with stakeholders’ priorities. 

Some stakeholders prioritise growth and margin improvement over cost savings, while others focus on risk mitigation. Understanding these differences is key to engagement.

Kai Ling, Chief Procurement Officer at DBS Bank, underscore the need for procurement teams to ensure their processes aren’t overly cumbersome. 

Measuring procurement success

Defining success in procurement can be challenging. 

As Ramesh points out, organisations often fall into the "trap of productivity" by focusing solely on cost savings.

Instead, procurement should align its objectives with corporate goals. “There are companies out there who are really looking at sustainability as a big contributor from procurement towards the overall corporate success,” he says, encouraging procurement teams to assess their value beyond financial metrics.

Kai describes a three-pillar approach to measuring procurement effectiveness: creating value, enabling value, and preserving value. “How do we create value? How do we deliver savings? How do we consider cross-selling and enabling business growth?” she asks emphasising the importance of efficiency, risk management, and sustainability.

Embracing digital transformation

With rapid technological advancements, procurement leaders must integrate digital tools strategically.

“The digitalisation journey for a procurement organisation cannot be a standalone venture. It has to be highly embedded with the corporate roadmap of how they look at digitalisation. Otherwise we'd be sitting in one single, isolated place,” Ramesh explains.

At Philips, digitalisation efforts focus on three key areas: data analytics, supplier management and operational efficiency through automation.

Kai echoes this sentiment, warning against adopting technology for its own sake. 

Sebastian adds that intellectual curiosity and business acumen are critical in leveraging technology effectively.

Encouraging innovation in procurement

Driving innovation requires cultural change. 

Sebastian shares his "ABCD principle" for fostering an innovation mindset: ambition, boldness, collaboration and discipline. 

Kai highlights the importance of internal change champions. “We need to have change champions within our team, someone who are their colleagues and has been involved in adopting innovation so they can relate better,” she explains. 

Essential diary dates for 2025

Discover the essential diary dates for Procurement Magazine and Supply Chain Digital, as well as its sister publications – Manufacturing Digital and Sustainability Magazine.

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To enter for the Global Procurement & Supply Chain Awards, click here.

• Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability | 5-6 March 
• Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero | 5-6 March  
• Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai | 29 April 
• Sustainability LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
• Procurement LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
• Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
• Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London | 23-24 September 
• The Global Procurement & Supply Chain Awards | 24 September

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