Interview with Malcolm Harrison, CIPS New CEO (Part 2 — Growth, Change and the U.S.)

Spend Matters UK’s interview with new CIPS leader Malcolm Harrison continues with a focus on the professional organization’s short-term and long-term plans.

“We must remain relevant to the UK,” Harrison says, “but many organizations who employ our members are very interested in what CIPS can do outside the UK — we were invited into the U.S., for example.”

Harrison also digs into the institute’s strategy to serve its core membership in the UK while also making tough decisions about leadership that can help it expand in other countries. For example, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply recently decided to not appoint a new president when the previous term expired.

“As we get more international and diverse, it is hard to see that one person can fulfill all the needs,” Harrison says.

Procurement veteran Peter Smith, of Spend Matters UK, recently sat down with Harrison to catch up on his first 100 days or so in office.

In Part 1, the interview looked at CIPS’ commercial focus. This installment of the three-part series focuses on the future.

“You know the saying ‘a tree is either growing or dying’ — there is no steady state,” Harrison says. “I feel that way about CIPS, we have to move forward and change.”

Read all of Part 2 here. The series finale will post Monday.