News
Hays Purchasing and Hays Logistics join forces to bring a complete supply
chain recruitment service
From 16 March 2006, two of Hays' most successful specialist divisions will combine to become Hays Purchasing and Supply, the major player in this niche recruitment marketplace. As a result of market demands, these two businesses have pooled resources to provide the most comprehensive staffing solution serving the entire supply chain:
• Purchasing / Procurement
• Logistics
• Distribution
• Warehousing
Lynne Hardman, managing director of Hays Purchasing & Supply said that "this gives our clients immediate access to the full range of recruitment tools previously available to both operations. The resulting database of high volume, high quality temporary, interim and permanent jobseekers is phenomenal, whilst the full range of innovative on and off-line advertising and search solutions is always available. Jobseekers will have access to more consultants and opportunities than ever before and the combined organisation will be delivering business as usual from 15 UK locations."
The hiring community and jobseekers alike will continue to enjoy the security of working with the UK's leading specialist recruitment consultancy operating at the forefront of purchasing and supply chain recruitment. “Our people are all highly trained recruitment consultants and many of them have operational backgrounds within the supply chain, ensuring they truly understand their marketplace. The changes reinforce our continued commitment to delivering the highest quality recruitment solutions to all our customers" Lynne Hardman announced.
Eight UN Staff suspended in procurement probe
20 Jan 2006
The United Nations (UN) investigation into its procurement department has led to the suspension of eight officials.
The staff have been suspended with pay as part of the probe into contracts in the UN peacekeeping department, prompted by scandals in the oil-for-food department in Iraq.
"There is an audit being done of peacekeeping department management," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, as reported by Reuters.
"As a result of that audit, which also took a look at the procurement department ... we have put eight staff members on special leave with pay."
The review was called after a top UN procurement official, Alexander Yakovlev, was arrested in August before pleading guilty to conspiracy and money laundering, with $1 million in bribes discovered in a secret bank account.
UN Procurement Services oversaw $1.37 billion in contracts for 2004, relating to the purchase of goods and services for the UN's peacekeeping procedures. Christopher Burnham, the UN undersecretary-general for management, said the arrests were "an indication that we have a vigorous ongoing and expanding investigation".
Broadbean and People in Procurement align Technology
People In Procurement is dedicated to purchasing and procurement professionals. Agencies and employers alike can utilize an industry specific, intelligent search facility that allows for rapid searching, sorting and matching of high-calibre candidates. The site connects the most progressive companies with applicants quickly and helps source the best qualified candidates before anyone else. Because of this many Broadbean clients are taking advantage of their services already.
Ricky Wheeler, Account Director at Broadbean commented: “We are always keen to expand our European job board network especially with those who are clearly leaders in their field. We expect to see a sharp increase in the volume posted to this sector and are very pleased to be working with a company that delivers results”.
Nuno Cruz, Client Services Manager at Sigaria commented: "We are delighted to integrate with Broadbean, one of the premier multi-posting facilitation services. We look forward to utilising this relationship to build successful partnerships with Europe’s leading recruitment services providers."
All Broadbean Clients can instantly start posting to People in Procurement once an account is set up. Whether you are interested in Job Advertising, CV Searching, Banner Advertising or Onsite Agency Branding call: +44 (0) 870 405 6605 today to open an account.
www.peopleinprocurement.net
Proposed acquisition of International Resources Group Limited, trading as Odgers, Ray & Berndtson
PSD Group plc is pleased to announce that it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Odgers, Ray & Berndtson, one of the leading executive search firms in the UK. The acquisition will position PSD as one of the leading providers of executive search and selection services within the UK recruitment industry.
Subject to shareholders' approval PSD will acquire up to 100 percent of the issued share capital of Odgers, such shares to be acquired in four tranches. Initially PSD will acquire up to 70 percent of the issued share capital for an initial aggregate consideration of £23.1 million (based on the acquisition of the full 70 percent) to be satisfied by a payment of £19.8 million in cash and by the issue to certain of the vendors of 1,431,670 ordinary PSD shares in aggregate at a price of 230.5 pence per share (being the average share price on the ten business days immediately following the release of PSD's interim results on 6 September 2005). At the time of this announcement Odgers shareholders holding, or having options granted over, approximately 75 percent of the issued voting share capital of Odgers have agreed to sell their shares to PSD. Completion of the acquisition is conditional, among other things, on shareholders holding not less than 95 percent of each class of share capital of Odgers agreeing to sell their shares on the terms set out in the acquisition agreement.
The balance of the issued share capital held by the vendors will be acquired in equal tranches for loan notes issued by PSD on the basis of the earnings in each of the three financial years ending 31 December 2008. The principal amount of the loan notes will be determined by a formula based on the financial performance of Odgers in each of these years.
Odgers is a leading executive search firm with approximately 230 employees, predominantly active in the UK. It operates from 7 offices in the UK and a recently opened office in Dubai.
The Directors expect that the acquisition will enhance the Group's earnings per share in the first full financial year following completion (such statement should not be interpreted to mean that earnings per share will necessarily be greater than those for the relevant proceeding financial period).
Following completion of the acquisition it is intended that Richard Boggis-Rolfe and Baroness Virginia Bottomley will join the PSD Board as executive directors.
Recognising that PSD is the brand name for one of the Group's operating companies, the Board proposes, subject to shareholder approval, to change the name of the Group holding company to OPD Group plc with effect from the completion of the acquisition.
A circular containing further details regarding Odgers and the acquisition will be sent to shareholders in the near future and will contain resolutions to be put to shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting which is expected to be held at the beginning of December.
Francesca Robinson, Chief Executive of PSD, said: "We are delighted to have come to agreement with Odgers, which we have identified as a unique acquisition opportunity among UK executive search and selection firms. Odgers greatly expands and enhances our platform for future organic growth, and, with its inclusion within the Group, will create significant value through revenue enhancement and expansion of the product offering. We are delighted to welcome Richard Boggis-Rolfe and Baroness Virginia Bottomley to the Board; they bring significant expertise and experience to the Board and will help to ensure the successful integration of Odgers."
Richard Boggis-Rolfe, Chief Executive of Odgers, said: "This agreement is very good news for Odgers, our magnificent people, and the many clients and candidates we deal with. We are very confident that in the OPD Group we will retain the culture and identity which is such an important part of our success.
We are confident that the two businesses are uniquely well matched and that each will make a very significant contribution to the other."
Top managers want staff to take initiative
Procurement professionals should take the initiative in identifying skills gaps and coming up with solutions,
according to a survey of chief executives and other boardlevel managers.
The study, conducted by the consultancy firm Fulcrium, said most interviewees felt that there were opportunities to make big savings in marketing, financial services, management consultancy and legal services. But procurement departments at many companies, including some of the largest, lacked the skills to make this happen.
The survey – based on faceto-face interviews with boardlevel managers at 30 Fortune 500 companies in the UK, mainland Europe and the United States – calls into question the popular notion that procurement professionals need the support of top management before they can make big changes.
Other factors, including good preparation, following corporate planning and financial procedures and avoiding turf wars with other internal departments were all considered more important.
Raju Patel, Fulcrium chief executive and author of the report, Professional Services Procurement:The View from the Boardroom, said the findings showed that top managers wanted their procurement departments to take the initiative.
‘Board-level managers are frustrated that their purchasing departments lack the skills to operate strategically and want them to come up with solutions,’ he said. ‘This is a wake-up call that confirming that top managers are prepared to back those purchasing professionals who take the lead in driving change in their organisations.
Procurement Savings to Provide Improved Social Housing
Procurement Savings to Provide Improved Social Housing. The UK Government is pushing ahead with its ambitious efficiency plans with the appointment of Davis Langdon with Trowers and Hamlins as National Change Agent. Keith Hill, Housing Minister, announced that they had been awarded the contract to administer the £33m ODPM Efficiency Challenge Fund for the procurement of capital works by social landlords. This appointment comes as part of the ODPM’s response to the Gershon review in which money saved on procurement can be used to provide more social housing and ensure higher standards.
Psa Peugeot-Citroën Expands Use Of Auction Activities Via The Ariba Sourcing Solution
Psa Peugeot-Citroën Expands Use Of Auction Activities Via The Ariba Sourcing Solution. Ariba®, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA), the leading spend management solutions provider, today announced that PSA Peugeot-Citroën, Europe's second-largest passenger car and light vehicle manufacturer, has migrated its auction activities to the latest version of the Ariba Sourcing™ solution platform in order to further increase savings across the company.
Oracle Advanced Procurement is first and only integrated procurement suite certified by EU as eSender
Oracle Advanced Procurement is first and only integrated procurement suite certified by EU as eSender. Oracle is the first enterprise software provider to be certified by the European Union Publications Office to send electronic notices as part of the EU tendering process. The latest release of Oracle Sourcing, part of Oracle Advanced Procurement suite, is the first and only software to enable organisations to meet requirements fully for the EU tendering process according to EU Directives 92/50, 93/36, 93/37 and 97/52. Fittingly, Oracle Advanced Procurement carries the eSender identification number ID001.
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