---
title: "Riyaz Ahamed - Senior Manager, Travel, Expense & Meetings – Emerging Markets | Non-Trade Procurement in Chennai | Tal"
description: "Meet Riyaz Ahamed, Regional Corporate Travel & Expense Leader | APAC & Middle East & Africa (MEA) | Trusted Advisor to Senior Leadership | Governance, Risk & Spend Optimization | Indirect Procurement based in Chennai. AI stack includes gemini, grok, and perplexity."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/riyaz-ahamed/share-image"
---

# Riyaz Ahamed on Tal

## 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

[View the original profile](https://tal.club/meet/riyaz-ahamed)

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