Top 10: Women in Procurement in APAC

Procurement Magazine's highly anticipated Top 100 Women in Procurement 2024 supplement honours the trailblazing leaders and pioneers who are driving significant advancements within their field.

For a comprehensive view of the remarkable individuals honoured, explore the complete Supply Chain list here and the full Procurement list here.

In this special feature, we highlight the APAC-based executives leading the charge in innovation across operations, sourcing, logistics, sustainability, risk management and beyond.

10. Ranjitha Ganiga - Vice President Procurement
Company: Goldman Sachs
Revenue: $46bn
Employees: 45,000

Ranjitha Ganiga, Vice President of Procurement at Goldman Sachs, has more than a decade of loyal service with the company. Starting with Goldman Sachs in 2010, she climbed its procurement ladder. Holding titles including Procurement Specialist and Procurement Associate before becoming Vice President in January 2020. Currently, she operates from Bengaluru, India.

9. Catherine Nian - Chief Procurement Officer
Company: Prysmian Group
Revenue: $17bn
Employees: 28,000

Working as the Chief Procurement Officer for Prysmian for almost six years, Catherine Nian has dedicated all her time in procurement to the company. Having studied a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University, she returned to studying in 2010 at Fudan University where she undertook a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration, Management and Operations from 2010 to 2013 before getting the role at Prysmian in 2018.

8. Stephenie De Cruz - SVP Chief Procurement Officer
Company: ASEAN Pacific at Siemens
Revenue: $85bn
Employees: 320,000

Stephenie De Cruz has been part of Siemens brand since 2002, after graduating a year prior. She started with Siemens as a Supply Chain Manager, a role she held for just over nine years. From there, she climbed through the ranks, becoming the SVP, Cluster CPO Supply Chain Management & Cluster CEO Siemens Real Estate, ASEAN. Then taking the role as Cluster CPO, and Sector Cluster CPO Healthcare, ASEAN PACIFIC, and the, the SVP Cluster Chief Procurement Officer, ASEAN Pacific, a position she has held since October 2011. She is also the Senior Vice President and Head of Procurement, of the Asia Pacific for Siemens Healthineers, a role she has held since October 2015.

7. Pameela Pattabiraman - Chief Procurement Officer
Company: Unilever
Revenue: $65bn
Employees: 128,000

Holding significant industry and consulting experience with highly respected companies like Unilever and Kearney across global markets, Pameela Pattabiraman has developed deep expertise across consumer goods and retail industries in procurement and commodity risk management. As well as leading growth, turnaround, and large-scale transformation projects to deliver high-impact results. Working at Unilever for the past nine years has seen her rise to the role of Chief Procurement Officer for the company’s Home Care Business.

6. Melanie Werrett - Chief Procurement Officer
Company: Macquarie Group
Revenue: $4.4bn
Employees: 16,000

Melanie Werrett, Chief Procurement Officer at Macquarie Group, boasts more than 12 years of dedicated service with the company. Her journey within Macquarie Group includes roles as a Business Operational Risk Manager and Managing Director, where she led as Head of Operational Risk for the Corporate Operations Group. Before joining Macquarie, Melanie contributed her expertise to UBS Investment Bank. Currently, she operates from the Greater Sydney Area in Australia.

5. Andrea Chai - APAC Chief Procurement Officer
Company: ISS
Revenue: $3.26bn
Employees: 390,000

Over her two-decade journey in procurement, Andrea Chai has honed her skills as a versatile and dynamic leader, consistently delivering innovation and value to top-tier organisations. Currently serving as the Chief Procurement Officer at ISS, she plays a pivotal role in the Global Leadership Procurement team, spearheading thought leadership and aligning procurement outcomes with operational margins.

Her expertise spans strategic team development, global process enhancements and the successful execution of intricate outsourcing endeavours. With a knack for negotiating multi-million dollar contracts and championing process standardisation through playbooks, policies and digital platforms, Andrea has fostered efficiencies and compliance across diverse teams.

Beyond the boardroom, she is driven by a passion for sustainability and social responsibility, leveraging her network and expertise to enact positive change within the procurement landscape.

4. Thina Wallin - VP of Procurement and Supply Chain
Company: Schneider Electric
Revenue: $39bn
Employees: 135,000

Thina brings more than 12 years of senior leadership experience in procurement, specialising in P2P, process governance, strategic procurement and team development.

Her journey to sustainable energy leader Schneider Electric was preceded by more than a decade at Vestas, where she began as a Vestas Graduate/Project Manager and progressed to roles including Procurement Director - Shared Service Center and Head of Regional Procurement - ASP.

Thina holds a Master of Science in International Business/Trade/Commerce from the University of Gothenburg, complemented by another Master of Science in International studies and an International Management and Marketing degree from La Trobe University.

3. Vandita Pant - Chief Commercial Officer
Company: BHP
Revenue: $54bn
Employees: 42,000

Vandita Pant holds the esteemed position of Chief Commercial Officer at BHP, one of the world's leading mining companies.

Based in Singapore, Vandita boasts a remarkable career spanning 25 years, characterised by her expertise in commercial strategy, finance, and global operations within the resources, finance and banking sectors across Asia and Europe.

As a key member of BHP's Executive Leadership Team, Vandita shoulders the responsibility for global marketing and sales, procurement, maritime and logistics, while also shaping BHP's perspective on the global commodities markets.

Notably, Vandita stands as the highest-ranking Asian female executive within BHP, underscoring her significant influence and leadership within the organisation. Her outstanding contributions were recognised in 2017 when she received the prestigious UK Asian Women of Achievement Award. Vandita holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Lucknow, further enriching her credentials as a distinguished leader in the global business arena.

2. Caroline Tissot - Group Chief Procurement Officer
Company: Accor
Revenue: $6bn
Employees: 300,000

With more than 15 years of experience in procurement and sourcing, Caroline has excelled in leading cost reduction and transformation initiatives, even in challenging environments. In her role as Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), she has orchestrated a significant overhaul of the global procurement function, leveraging digital innovation to drive efficiency, implementing ESG practices, managing supplier risks effectively and enhancing supply chain security.

1. Sapna Alva Tariyal - Chief Procurement Officer (Asia Pacific)
Company: Capgemini
Revenue: $25bn
Employees: 340,000

Sapna brings an impressive 24 years of expertise in sourcing, vendor governance and supplier management to her current role as Chief Procurement Officer, Asia Pacific at Capgemini, a renowned consulting firm specialising in industries such as insurance, energy and automotive sectors. Prior to joining Capgemini, Sapna held various procurement positions, including SVP, Head of Sourcing at Societe Generale Global Solution Centre, Director Procurement at Fidelity Investments and Assistant Manager Purchase at Aricent.

At Fidelity Investments, she played a pivotal role in crafting procurement strategies for IT and travel categories in India, overseeing the governance of extensive vendor management programmes and managing end-to-end IT procurement processes. Sapna's educational background is equally impressive, with diplomas in Materials Management, Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management, along with a Bachelor of Law and a BA in Economics & Commerce.

A firm believer in cultivating the right attitude, Sapna's commitment to continuous learning has been instrumental in her professional journey, which has seen her transition from the military to corporate procurement.

Before embarking on her corporate career, Sapna spent more than six years as a Captain in the Indian Army, where she handled diverse responsibilities such as budget formulation for inventory procurement, building long-term supplier partnerships, and ensuring timely payments.

Reflecting on her time in the Army, Sapna emphasises: "I followed my dream."