NTT GLOBAL SOURCING INC .

Arvind Kumar , Global VP of Indirects at NTT Global Sourcing , on partner ecosystems and how a novel approach to indirect sourcing delivers true value

WRITTEN BY : RHYS THOMAS

PRODUCED BY : GLEN WHITE & CAITLYN COLE

Arvind Kumar

It is 4 am in Houston , Texas , when Arvind Kumar checks his emails and preps for the day ahead . The Global Vice President of Indirects at NTT Global Sourcing has an important call with a team in India , 11 hours ahead , and will be working right through to the early evening . It is a demanding role , but one that Kumar relishes . He is an executive energised by the prospect of big picture programmes and an emphatic champion of bringing businesses together to achieve through collaboration that which would be impossible alone .

Kumar ’ s values very much align with the shared philosophy of the NTT Global Sourcing team , a 60-strong global outfit that was assembled two and a half years ago by CEO Mark LeNeve to advance the role of sourcing within NTT and centralise the group ’ s buying power . Commanding upwards of $ 30bn in annual spend , it is a powerhouse of procurement .

From the outset , the startup identified three core areas that would need to be modernised and reformed to excel in the modern landscape , and to realise the vision of the group ’ s top executives . NTT GS ’ s primary directive is to leverage the group ’ s combined influence and unify the hundreds of companies and entities that operate under its banner . “ Our whole focus has been to

46 April 2021