FORMER P&G CPO RICK HUGHES JOINS GEP ADVISORY TEAM

Clark, NJ – February 18, 2015 – GEP, a leading provider of procurement and supply chain solutions, is pleased to announce that Rick Hughes is working with the firm to advise Fortune 500 and Global 2000 clients worldwide on procurement transformation, organizational development, supply innovation, global risk management and other strategic issues related to procurement and supply chain management.

Prior to joining GEP, Rick served as CPO (Chief Purchasing Officer) at Proctor & Gamble from May 2005 until February 2014. Earlier, Rick served in a variety of leadership roles in purchasing and customer business development, in a career with P&G stretching over more than 31 years. 

“The GEP team is well-known and well-respected for the strength and depth of its people, for its passionate commitment to clients, and for delivering results that always move the needle,” Hughes said. “This is a period of great change and possibility in the industry. I am delighted to be working with GEP, helping our friends and colleagues overcome new challenges and seize new opportunities.”

With Rick at the helm, the P&G purchasing team earned many honors and awards for professional excellence, leadership and innovation, including the Franz Edelman Finalist Award in 2005, the Purchasing Magazine Medal of Excellence in 2008, the Procurement Excellence Award from the Procurement Leaders Network in 2009, and PLN’s Best Procurement Team Award in 2013.

In 2014, Rick received the Clarion Leadership Award from the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the President’s Leadership Award from the Ohio Minority
Supplier Development Council. He was active with the Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS), the Purchasing & Supply Council (The Conference Board) and the Purchasing Roundtable.

“Rick Hughes is one of our industry’s true stand-outs and it’s terrific having him on the GEP team,” said Subhash Makhija, CEO and co-founder of GEP. “Rick’s expertise, insight and experience generates tremendous value for clients – and that is very exciting for everybody who cares about procurement.”

Rick is a graduate of The University of Notre Dame and also holds an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctorate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Rick served on the board of directors for the National Minority Supplier Development Council (vice chair), Procurement Leaders Network Advisory Board, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the board of directors for the Dan Beard Council (vice chair), Boy Scouts of America, and on the board of directors for the Greater Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity.

He is also the chairman of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an organization of 20 Fortune 100 companies who annually spend more than $1 billion on supplier diversity. 

Rick began his career in the US Army, attending Airborne School and Ranger School, and serving in the US and abroad. He was also certified as a federal procurement officer and attended the Officer’s Advanced Course in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. After six years of active duty, Rick remained with the US Army Reserves until 1991, attaining the rank of Major.

About GEP

GEP is a diverse, creative team of people passionate about procurement. We invest ourselves entirely in our client's success, creating strong collaborative relationships that deliver extraordinary value year after year. We deliver practical, effective procurement services and technology that enable procurement leaders to maximize their impact on business operations, strategy and financial performance.

Named a Star Performer in Everest Group's Peak Matrix of Procurement Services Providers, Winner in the HfS Blueprint Report on Procurement Outsourcing Providers and to the Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100 for nearly a decade, GEP was recently named Best Supplier at the EPIC Procurement Excellence Awards. Clark, NJ-based GEP has 11 offices and operations centers in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

To learn more about our comprehensive range of consulting and outsourcing services, please visit www.gep.com. For more about SMART by GEP, our unified sourcing and procurement software platform, please visit www.smartbygep.com.

Contact

Al Girardi
Global VP, Marketing & Analyst Relations
GEP Worldwide
Phone: 732-382-6565
Email: al.girardi@gep.com