> ... > About Us CIPS News Volunteer newsletter August 2025

Volunteer newsletter August 2025

Welcome to the August update, an opportunity to share and celebrate your volunteering activities and a look ahead to what is coming up.

Six people are gathered for a photo in a casual, brightly lit cafe or restaurant setting. One woman in the foreground is kneeling and smiling, holding up a peace sign. The other five people, two women and three men, are standing behind her, all smiling for the camera. The background includes decorative elements like a mounted deer head and greenery.

Give Gain Grow

Since our last update we celebrated UK Volunteer Week, awarding 30 long service recognitions, totalling almost 300 years of volunteering. Including the incredible 45 years for Robert Broad FCIPS, South Yorkshire Branch, 25 years for Ricky Wallis FCIPS, Surrey & Sussex Branch and 15 years for Malcolm Budd FCIPS, Derby & East Midlands Branch. You can see the full list of recipients on the meet our volunteers page. This year we also profiled one of the organisations that support employees to undertake volunteering activities, you can find the video case study from Coventry Building Society on the volunteer week page.

Mentoring Circles 2025

Another successful round of Mentoring Circles concluded in June. A huge thank you to all involved, we have received some amazing feedback from both Mentors and Mentees and there was a real buzz across social media, including the following posts from Lexia Laracy FCIPS Fiona Nissen FCIPS Oliver Jones FCIPS and Jafles Pacheco.

Education Discussion Group

Another outstanding few months of activity from our volunteers, bringing the academic year to a close. Thank you for all you are doing across schools, colleges and universities to inspire the next generation and position procurement & supply as a career of choice. Planning already underway and events booked for the start of the new academic year.

In other news

Welcome to our volunteers who have recently launched the CIPS Azerbaijan Branch.

It was our pleasure to invite four volunteers to the UK Futures Conference; we are also looking forward to hosting ten volunteers at the Excellence in Procurement Awards in September.

Finally, thank you to a number of our Branch Chairs for making the time to attend the recent CEO Dinners with Ben Farrell. Two fantastic evenings, connecting, sharing ideas and building networks.

Regional Spotlights

In June we kicked off the first official Caribbean Connect gatherings, under the leadership of Savita Mace FCIPS where over 80 senior procurement and supply chain leaders came together across Guyana and Trinidad to shape the future of the profession. Accompanied by more than 100 bright, enthusiastic students, these events weren't just meetings, they were milestones. Full story available in CIPS News.

Thank you to Daniel Bassey and the Nigeria Branch for coordinating an impressive itinerary and organising the recent events in Lagos and Abuja, to coincide with the regional visit by Ben Farrell and Sam Achampong.

Thank you to the India Branch Chair Suresh Keshavan FCIPS and the committee for organising the CIPS India Procurement and Supply Summit in New Delhi, and welcoming Jonathan Cheung FCIPS in his first official duty in India as General Manager, Asia. A fantastic and well received event.

It was an exciting time for the ANZ region in June as they welcomed Sam Achampong FCIPS (Regional Director – Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific) on his visit to the VIC, SA and WA committees.

The schedule was jam-packed, and we extend a huge thank you to the CIPS volunteers across these regions for their incredible efforts in organising and hosting the following events:
  • A group of business professionals, four men and two women, are seated around a large square wooden table during a CPO (Chief Procurement Officer) roundtable meeting. The table is set with professional documents and coffee. A large painting of a cityscape is on the wall.
  • A group of people networking at an evening event, standing around a bar area. A CIPS banner is visible on the left. The scene shows a professional networking event.
  • Five people—three women and two men—are standing and posing for a photo in a casual restaurant or cafe setting. A man in a blue suit is at the center, flanked by four colleagues.
  • A woman in a black jacket is smiling and holding a CIPS five-year volunteer award certificate and card. She is standing next to a man in a dark suit, also smiling. A CIPS banner is centred behind them, and another man in a white shirt and dark jacket is visible to the right.
A group of business professionals, four men and two women, are seated around a large square wooden table during a CPO (Chief Procurement Officer) roundtable meeting. The table is set with professional documents and coffee. A large painting of a cityscape is on the wall.

CPO Roundtable with CIPS Regional Director event

A group of people networking at an evening event, standing around a bar area. A CIPS banner is visible on the left. The scene shows a professional networking event.

VIC Branch – Conversations with a CIPS Regional Director event

Five people—three women and two men—are standing and posing for a photo in a casual restaurant or cafe setting. A man in a blue suit is at the center, flanked by four colleagues.

SA Branch – Coffee and Conversations with CIPS Regional Director event

A woman in a black jacket is smiling and holding a CIPS five-year volunteer award certificate and card. She is standing next to a man in a dark suit, also smiling. A CIPS banner is centred behind them, and another man in a white shirt and dark jacket is visible to the right.

5 year Award for volunteer

Our ANZ Volunteers didn’t slow down in June…

Gareth Williams (NSW Branch Chair) and Jane Wagner (CPSC and ACT Committee) featured in our CIPS Futures feature podcast mini-series "Professionalising procurement" - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. A huge thank you for sharing your expertise and passion for the profession, it truly makes a difference.

Gareth Williams (NSW Branch Chair) and Christian Bloomfield (NSW Committee) joined some CIPS ANZ team members in presenting to the University of Technology Sydney – Master of Strategic Supply Chain Management cohort. Your openness in sharing your experiences and offering guidance was genuinely impactful!

Thank you to all those who supported the CIPS ANZ Procurement Futures Conference & Awards in Brisbane at the end of July. ANZ Volunteers speaking at the Conference, on a diverse range of topics, included Kendall Richardson (SA Branch Chair), Amanda Branley (CPSC), Charlie Hollis (CPSC).

The QLD committee has also organised a CIPS ANZ Volunteer Breakfast. A big thank you to the committee members for creating an opportunity for our valued volunteers to come together and connect.

FCIPS Celebrations!

Congratulations to our ANZ volunteers who have recently achieved FCIPS! Your dedication and hard work are outstanding. Thank you for your invaluable contributions and for inspiring others with your commitment to excellence!

  • CPSC Chair and WA Branch: Amanda Branley FCIPS (CS)
  • CPSC and ACT Branch: Jane Wagner FCIPS (CS)
  • AKL Branch: Dane McIndoe FCIPS (CS)

CIPS updates and what’s coming up

  • We are so excited to launch our inaugural UK & Europe Volunteer Conference & Awards 2025. This will take place on the 16th of October in Birmingham. Bookings and Award entries are live now, take a look at the categories here. This event will become a blueprint for future volunteer events globally. Make sure you book your place today – it's free of charge! Find out more here.
  • Check out the relaunched CIPS Professional Register! In recent member communications I’m sure you’ve seen the news about the relaunched Professional Register. If you haven’t already done so, please take a look at your listing here and also the new functionality that allows you to personalise and enhance your profile by adding specialisms and areas of expertise.
  • Engagement opportunities
    • Volunteer Drop-In 16 Sept 16.00 to 17.00 BST and 21 Oct 13.00 to 14.00 BST
    • Branch Chair Drop-In 23 Sept 08.30 to 09.30 BST
    • Upcoming branch events can be found here


And don’t forget………

CIPS Connect community platform is the perfect place for you to share these, and other stories, first hand.

Finally, thank you for everything you do to support members, CIPS and the profession – we really appreciate you!

CIPS Membership Team
Please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions for our next newsletter, we are always happy to hear from you. Please email branchevents@cips.org.

Young professional man working on a laptop, decorative circles in background

Join us and become part of the world's largest professional body for procurement and supply professionals.

BECOME A MEMBER