Chief Supply Chain Officer — Retail Bank

The mandate

A listed retail bank’s physical and technology supply network no longer matches demand. Branch equipment, cards, devices, cash services, infrastructure and specialist providers follow historical volumes and locations, while geopolitical risk has extended lead times and concentrated critical inputs. A cost-to-income reset requires resilience and working capital to improve together.

The Chief Supply Chain Officer will influence approximately US$61,200 million in loans and deposits and lead around 750 employees and material partners. Scope covers network design, sourcing, demand and inventory planning, fulfilment, logistics, supplier performance, third-party resilience, procurement technology and supply economics. Accountability rests with the Group Chief Executive or designated executive committee sponsor.

The first requirement is a multi-tier dependency map. Spend, lead time, origin, substitution, customer consequence and replacement time should be visible for critical goods and services. A small supplier can carry large operational risk; a major vendor may be readily replaceable. Prioritisation will follow consequence rather than contract value.

Network design will start with current demand. Customer channel use, branch formats, service volumes, deployment plans and recovery needs should determine facilities, inventory and delivery routes. Historical stock targets cannot persist after demand shifts. The CSCO will compare central, regional and partner options using complete service and cost.

Geopolitical scenarios need executable responses. Tariffs, sanctions, transport disruption, component scarcity and supplier failure should trigger named alternatives, buffers or design changes. Dual sourcing counts only when specifications, security, capacity and logistics are tested. Where substitution is not practical, residual exposure must be explicit.

Inventory will carry accountable economics. Location, ownership, compatibility, age, condition and demand should be known. Buffers need a risk rationale and expiry; obsolete or surplus stock should be returned, redeployed or impaired. Working capital cannot be improved by transferring inventory to a supplier while retaining liability.

Fulfilment will be measured through customer and service outcome. On-time delivery, completeness, quality, installation and first-use success matter more than dispatch. Forecasting should connect demand signals to orders and cash, exposing expediting and premium freight caused by weak planning.

Supplier performance will combine service, quality, resilience, cyber, conduct, cost and change. Contracts require data, audit, knowledge and exit rights. The bank should not accept nominal penalties as compensation for disruption that harms customers or regulatory obligations.

Cost-to-income action will remove structural waste. Specification proliferation, fragmented buying, duplicate logistics, emergency orders and unmanaged contracts should be targeted. Savings count when total cost falls without creating hidden inventory, service or risk exposure.

The organisation will integrate category expertise with operational ownership. Leaders need authority across demand, sourcing and fulfilment, while business teams remain accountable for forecasts. Succession will reduce dependency on specialists who hold undocumented supplier and product knowledge.

Why this seat is open

This planned new position belongs to the next operating model and is not an incumbent replacement. The four-to-six-month process precedes the next capital cycle while current leaders keep formal responsibilities until activation.

What you will own

• Redesign the multi-tier supply and fulfilment network around demand.
• Influence supply supporting US$61,200 million of loans and deposits.
• Reduce geopolitical, lead-time and supplier-concentration exposure.
• Improve inventory productivity without weakening operational resilience.
• Govern sourcing, logistics, service, cyber and supplier exit.
• Lead approximately 750 employees and partners with clear succession.
• Remove specification, buying and fulfilment waste sustainably.
• Give the board tested disruption scenarios and capital choices.

The first 12 months

The opening 90 days should reconcile demand, inventory and critical dependencies. Meet the 30 stakeholders most consequential to network design, including operations, branches, technology, finance, risk, logistics and suppliers. Stabilise severe exposures, assess leaders and agree resilience gates.

Months four to nine should qualify alternatives, simplify specifications and rebalance inventory and routes. Renegotiate material suppliers and retire duplicate activity. Initial value may appear through released working capital, lower expediting, improved fulfilment or a disruption avoided through tested substitution.

By year end, resilient supply, lower working capital and predictable fulfilment should improve together. Delivery must remain within 10% of approval and forecasts should reconcile demand, cash, customer and people for three quarters. Priority risks require independent closure proof; severe escalation cannot age beyond 30 days.

What the board will measure

• Critical dependencies covered by tested mitigation or accepted exposure.
• Forecast accuracy from demand through inventory, fulfilment and cash.
• Working capital released without worsening service or resilience.
• Supplier quality, lead-time, cyber and exit readiness.
• Retain more than 90% of pivotal talent and ready cover across 70% of direct roles.
• Total cost removed through network and specification redesign.

The person

You are a Chief Supply Chain Officer, EVP Procurement or Manufacturing Executive with 18–22 years in a regulated or service-critical enterprise. You have redesigned a multi-tier network and evidenced resilience, inventory and fulfilment outcomes.

Your accountable P&L, book, budget or portfolio has been at least US$35,500 million, and you have led 750 or more people. Results must have held over two reporting periods.

You understand physical and technology supply, geopolitical risk and working capital. You can distinguish resilience from excess stock and challenge specifications or forecasts that create avoidable cost.

Compensation and terms

Base compensation is US$430,000–575,000 plus annual incentive and equity. The permanent New York role is onsite, supports international relocation and accommodates notice up to six months.

Confidentiality

The bank, network and suppliers remain confidential until mutual relevance is established. Identifying information follows an undertaking; published facts are composite.