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Riyaz Ahamed

Regional Corporate Travel & Expense Leader | APAC & Middle East & Africa (MEA) | Trusted Advisor to Senior Leadership | Governance, Risk & Spend Optimization | Indirect Procurement

Chennai

13+ years of work experience

adidas
Apr 20233 yrs 7 mosPresent

India

* Lead the Travel, Expense & Meetings category across Emerging Markets, managing approximately €20M annual T&E spend across APAC, Middle East & Africa. * Drive Non-Trade Procurement category strategy, supplier management, sourcing and commercial negotiations across airlines, hotels, TMC, ground transport and related travel services. * Own regional initiatives focused on cost optimization, demand management, compliance and supplier performance, leveraging spend and travel data to identify savings opportunities. * Lead T&E digital transformation and service-model optimization, including OBT/TMC solutions, automation and scalable regional processes. * Strengthen governance, travel risk and stakeholder management across diverse markets while partnering with Finance, HR, Procurement and senior business leadership.
Siemens
Jul 20211 yr 10 mosApr 2023

Chennai

• Managed corporate travel & events across India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, overseeing airlines, hotels, fleet, and meetings to enhance efficiency and cost control. • Led the implementation of JTB Travel Management System, achieving 100% adoption for meetings, ensuring seamless travel booking and policy compliance. • Developed and enforced travel policies, reducing non-compliance and policy violations through audits and training programs. • Identified cost-saving opportunities, achieving significant savings through vendor negotiations and process optimization. • Served as the Category Lead for integrating acquired companies (Varian Medical Systems & Mentor Graphics) into Siemens’ travel & procurement framework, ensuring smooth transition of TMC, payment solutions, and hotel contracts. • Led the Travel Transformation Program, implementing strategic initiatives that streamlined corporate travel operations. • Managed corporate credit card programs, ensuring policy compliance, maximizing rebates, and optimizing cost efficiencies. • Standardized procurement best practices, improving AOP budget alignment and establishing a governance framework for continuous process enhancements. • Championed sustainability initiatives, aligning business travel with Siemens’ ESG goals, promoting eco-friendly travel options and carbon footprint reduction strategies. • Developed comprehensive travel dashboards, enabling real-time spend analysis, data-driven decision-making, and budget forecasting. • Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders (Finance, HR, Security, Compliance, and BPA) to align corporate travel programs with business objectives. • Acted as the primary escalation point for travel-related concerns, ensuring quick resolution of issues and improved traveler experience.
Schneider Electric
Sep 20173 yrs 11 mosJul 2021

Greater Chennai Area

• Managed a EUR 15M+ annual travel spend, covering air, hotels, fleet (LTCR/STCR), and meetings & events across India. • Spearheaded travel policy optimization, aligning cost-control measures with business objectives. • Led travel risk and crisis management, ensuring employee safety through strategic partnerships with ISOS. • Automated T&E workflows, introducing digital expense solutions to improve compliance and efficiency. • Optimized corporate travel credit card programs, ensuring policy adherence and fraud risk mitigation. • Negotiated strategic deals for major corporate events, including summits, product launches, and dealer meetings. • Implemented spend analysis dashboards, providing data-driven insights for better cost control. • Led cross-functional collaboration with HR, Finance, and Security teams to refine travel governance policies.
Ford Motor Company
Jan 20134 yrs 9 mosSep 2017

Chennai Area, India

• Managed a USD 10M procurement budget, overseeing supplier contracts, cost negotiations, and spend optimization. • Negotiated multi-year contracts with vendors, securing significant cost reductions and improved service levels. • Led supplier performance evaluations via QBRs, benchmarking, and Ariba-based reverse auctions. • Designed and implemented procurement efficiency programs, improving order accuracy and cost savings. • Ensured compliance with global procurement policies, mitigating financial and ethical risks. • Coordinated with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with Ford’s sustainability and cost-efficiency goa

Riyaz’s AI Stack

gemini
gemini
grok
grok
perplexity
perplexity
ChatGPT
ChatGPT

Education

Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth

Postgraduate Degree, Diploma in Design Thinking – Strategy is Innovation

Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth

20222022
Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research

Bachelor of Technology - BTech, Mechanical Engineering

Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research

20153 yrs2018

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Headline

Regional Corporate Travel & Expense Leader | APAC & Middle East & Africa (MEA) | Trusted Advisor to Senior Leadership | Governance, Risk & Spend Optimization | Indirect Procurement

About

Indirect Procurement & Corporate Travel Expert| Cost Optimization | Digital Transformation With 13+ years of experience in procurement, corporate travel, and expense management, I specialize in strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations, cost efficiency, and digital transformation. I have successfully optimized multi-million-dollar procurement budgets, driven T&E decentralization, and implemented automation-led travel solutions across APAC & global markets. 💡 What I Deliver: ✔ Procurement & Vendor Strategy – Driving cost savings & operational efficiency through supplier negotiations. ✔ Corporate Travel & Expense Optimization – Managing global travel programs, OBT systems (Concur), and supplier relationships (FCM, Amex, BCD, CWT). ✔ Digital Transformation & Automation – Streamlining procurement processes with e-procurement tools, BTA & P-card solutions. ✔ Risk & Compliance Management – Ensuring business continuity & travel safety during crises (COVID-19, geopolitical risks). ✔ Stakeholder & Change Management – Collaborating with global teams to implement cost-effective procurement strategies. 🏆 Key Achievements: 🔹 Led T&E decentralization in APAC markets 🔹 15%+ cost savings in corporate travel by optimizing supplier contracts & digital workflows. 🔹 Recognized in Schneider Electric’s Champions Club for crisis management excellence. 🔹 Awarded Impact Award for achieving 100% travel policy compliance. 🔹 Spearheaded APAC-wide service hub implementation at Adidas, streamlining travel operations.

Location

Chennai

AI stack

gemini

grok

perplexity

ChatGPT

Work experience

Senior Manager, Travel, Expense & Meetings – Emerging Markets | Non-Trade Procurement at adidas, Apr 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 7 mos, India, * Lead the Travel, Expense & Meetings category across Emerging Markets, managing approximately €20M annual T&E spend across APAC, Middle East & Africa. * Drive Non-Trade Procurement category strategy, supplier management, sourcing and commercial negotiations across airlines, hotels, TMC, ground transport and related travel services. * Own regional initiatives focused on cost optimization, demand management, compliance and supplier performance, leveraging spend and travel data to identify savings opportunities. * Lead T&E digital transformation and service-model optimization, including OBT/TMC solutions, automation and scalable regional processes. * Strengthen governance, travel risk and stakeholder management across diverse markets while partnering with Finance, HR, Procurement and senior business leadership.

Commodity Manager Supply Chain Management - Mobility Services at Siemens, Jul 2021 - Apr 2023 · 1 yr 10 mos, Chennai, • Managed corporate travel & events across India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, overseeing airlines, hotels, fleet, and meetings to enhance efficiency and cost control. • Led the implementation of JTB Travel Management System, achieving 100% adoption for meetings, ensuring seamless travel booking and policy compliance. • Developed and enforced travel policies, reducing non-compliance and policy violations through audits and training programs. • Identified cost-saving opportunities, achieving significant savings through vendor negotiations and process optimization. • Served as the Category Lead for integrating acquired companies (Varian Medical Systems & Mentor Graphics) into Siemens’ travel & procurement framework, ensuring smooth transition of TMC, payment solutions, and hotel contracts. • Led the Travel Transformation Program, implementing strategic initiatives that streamlined corporate travel operations. • Managed corporate credit card programs, ensuring policy compliance, maximizing rebates, and optimizing cost efficiencies. • Standardized procurement best practices, improving AOP budget alignment and establishing a governance framework for continuous process enhancements. • Championed sustainability initiatives, aligning business travel with Siemens’ ESG goals, promoting eco-friendly travel options and carbon footprint reduction strategies. • Developed comprehensive travel dashboards, enabling real-time spend analysis, data-driven decision-making, and budget forecasting. • Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders (Finance, HR, Security, Compliance, and BPA) to align corporate travel programs with business objectives. • Acted as the primary escalation point for travel-related concerns, ensuring quick resolution of issues and improved traveler experience.

Indirect Procurement Manager (Travel, Fleet and Marcom) at Schneider Electric, Sep 2017 - Jul 2021 · 3 yrs 11 mos, Greater Chennai Area, • Managed a EUR 15M+ annual travel spend, covering air, hotels, fleet (LTCR/STCR), and meetings & events across India. • Spearheaded travel policy optimization, aligning cost-control measures with business objectives. • Led travel risk and crisis management, ensuring employee safety through strategic partnerships with ISOS. • Automated T&E workflows, introducing digital expense solutions to improve compliance and efficiency. • Optimized corporate travel credit card programs, ensuring policy adherence and fraud risk mitigation. • Negotiated strategic deals for major corporate events, including summits, product launches, and dealer meetings. • Implemented spend analysis dashboards, providing data-driven insights for better cost control. • Led cross-functional collaboration with HR, Finance, and Security teams to refine travel governance policies.

Buyer-Indirect Procurement at Ford Motor Company, Jan 2013 - Sep 2017 · 4 yrs 9 mos, Chennai Area, India, • Managed a USD 10M procurement budget, overseeing supplier contracts, cost negotiations, and spend optimization. • Negotiated multi-year contracts with vendors, securing significant cost reductions and improved service levels. • Led supplier performance evaluations via QBRs, benchmarking, and Ariba-based reverse auctions. • Designed and implemented procurement efficiency programs, improving order accuracy and cost savings. • Ensured compliance with global procurement policies, mitigating financial and ethical risks. • Coordinated with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with Ford’s sustainability and cost-efficiency goa

Education

Postgraduate Degree, Diploma in Design Thinking – Strategy is Innovation, Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth

Bachelor of Technology - BTech, Mechanical Engineering, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research