Bob Gemmill
Chief Procurement Officer, Leidos
Bob Gemmill has led Leidos’ supply chain resiliency throughout the pandemic, securing personal protective equipment early on, collaborating with program managers and suppliers to develop creative solutions to minimize disruptions and delays, and ensuring volatile lead times were clearly communicated to those who needed to know.
His team also focused on building intelligent inventory and leveraging alternative sources of supply.
“The pandemic has C-suites and board rooms across the globe focused on what has been labeled the Great Supply Chain Disruption,” Gemmill said. “There has never been a more challenging or exciting time to be in supply chain, and it is up to us to deliver solutions. There will never be a better time than now to demonstrate value.”
Why Watch
In 2022, Gemmill’s team is focused on four key areas. First, supply chain cybersecurity is increasingly important as foreign advisories recognize supplier systems are a potential pathway to infiltrating hardened customer and prime contractor networks. Gemmill’s team partners closely with Leidos’ chief information officer, chief information security officer, legal and security teams, as well as its customers, key suppliers and industry associations to employ practices that greatly reduce risk.
Second, his team has established key performance indicators aligned to the financial objectives of the business. With a significant portion of revenue tied to its supply chain, it needs to have differentiated strategies in managing outsourcing.
Third, the team’s suppliers are accelerators of the innovation needed to meet the expectations of customers’ most challenging missions. Gemmill said it will continue to develop deep technology partnerships with market leaders as well as emerging technology companies.
Finally, Gemmill’s team is focused on environment, social and governance issues. The supply chain team is part of “Next Level Leidos,” where it has made public commitments to achieve specific goals for supplier diversity and sustainable sourcing.
“Bob’s focus on supply chain resiliency is driving innovation and competitive differentiation for the business,” said Vicki Schmanske, Leidos executive vice president of corporate operations. “He and his team cultivate strong, enduring technology partnerships with market leaders and emerging technology companies to address the critical mission challenges of our customers.”