Officials
Chief Executive - David Noble FCIPS
David has been a CIPS member since 1982 and a Fellow since 1994. He served for four years as a member of the CIPS Fellowship Selection Panel before being appointed to the Board in 2008. He was appointed CEO of CIPS in May 2009.
Alongside his role within CIPS’ governance, David has 30 years’ corporate experience including 10 years at Board level in P&SM, most recently as Group Supply Chain Director at IMI plc, a FTSE 250 company.
President - David Smith FCIPS
David Smith is a highly respected career civil servant with significant management and board level experience with a strong record for change, delivery and all levels of stakeholder management. He has also become a leading figure in procurement and commercial management over the last 25 years with a strong national and international profile. He is the current Vice President and member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Board of Management and Council and has advised and lectured extensively and regularly in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa and Australia.
David is currently, the Commercial Director of DWP responsible for all commercial and contract management activity and its procurement spend of £5 billion pa. He is a member of a number of the Department’s Executive Team Committees (including the Investment Committee, the Change Delivery Committee, the Information Assurance Committee and the Finance and Commercial Executive Team) and leads the Department’s Commercial Function of some 500 people. He is also Deputy Chief Procurement Officer for Government and a Crown representative for seven of the Government’s biggest suppliers and a member of the ERG’s Procurement Executive Board and Strategic Supplier Steering Group and HM Treasury’s Major Projects Review Group (MPRG).
He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2009 New Year Honours.
Apart from his family, David’s interests revolve around sport and music. He is an FA qualified Football Referee (now regularly officiating for the Surrey FA and in the Surrey Youth League), a season ticket holder at West Ham United and a member of Essex CCC. He is also a keen ‘listener’ and ‘performer’ of popular music.
Role of the Council
The primary role of the Council is to create and build a corporate strategy that drives us towards our objectives. In addition to defining the strategy itself, the Council oversees its implementation.
Council composition
The Council is composed entirely of the Institute’s members, including both accredited Members (MCIPS) and Fellows (FCIPS). The majority of the Council are directly elected by our membership. There are also representatives from The Board of Management and four Honorary Officers. The most senior of these, the President, chairs the Council meetings.
The members of the Council are collectively the trustees of CIPS the registered charity. They have specific responsibilities to ensure that we are being properly managed, and that our assets are protected and used for the proper purpose.
Council operation
The Council meets three times a year and elected members may serve for a maximum of two terms of three years each. The operational rules which set out how we should be managed are drawn up by The Council. These include identifying what sub-groups are required, who should be on them and what tasks they should perform.
The Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts are presented at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting. The Council also sets the reserves policy, approves the annual budget and determines membership subscription fees.
The Council has powers to create subsidiary bodies to which it delegates the management and detailed implementation of our strategy. The principal subsidiary body is the Board of Management.
Role of the Board of Management
The Board of Management has the responsibility to take our overall strategy, as developed by the Council, and fit this within our annual operational plan and budget. Once approved by the Council, the Board works closely with staff at our head office, Easton House, to take the agreed strategy forward.
An important aspect of the Board of Management’s role is to make sure that the right people and structures are in place to carry out the strategy most effectively. In particular, the Board oversees the activities of our working groups and makes sure that there are appropriate resources to support strategic decisions.
Board composition
Members of the Board of Management serve for a three year term and then step down, unless they are appointed to one of our four Honorary Officer posts. The members of the Board and the Honorary Officers are appointed by the Council on the recommendation of one of the Council’s sub-groups, the Appointments Board.
Board operation
The Board of Management meets four times a year. It helps develop the agenda for the Council meetings, drafts recommendations or options for discussion and implements council decisions.