ArcBlue director Keith Gauntlett recognised for leadership in Hong Kong

Fresh off the firm’s win in the annual CPO Awards, ArcBlue director Keith Gauntlett has been recognised for his leadership of the procurement and supply chain consultancy in Hong Kong.

Gauntlett joined ArcBlue in 2017, with the firm’s Hong Kong office – one of eleven across the Asia Pacific – recently named by CEO Insights Asia magazine as one of the region’s top ten business consultancies.

The accolade coincides with ArcBlue claiming the ‘Best Procurement Consultancy’ title at this year’s CPO Awards for Asia, which follows the firm joining global powerhouse Bain & Company as an independent operation in 2022.

As common among ArcBlue’s more than 150 regional consultants, Gauntlett brings a diverse professional background to the firm, having spent more than two and a half decades in senior procurement and supply chain leadership roles across Asia and the US covering the consumer products, entertainment, industrial, retail & fashion, and consumer goods sectors among others.

“What sets ArcBlue apart is our hands-on approach, with most of our consultants boasting over 15 years of senior leadership experience.” Gauntlett said of the firm’s latest award. “This uniquely positions us to not only shape strategic development but also foster a culture of knowledge-sharing to empower clients on their journeys towards self-sufficiency, ensuring a lasting impact.”

Among his career highlights – which date back to 1980 – Gauntlett spent eight years as DHL’s regional procurement lead for the Asia Pacific out of Singapore, before then taking up a role as head of supply chain & administration for The Hong Kong Jockey Club prior to joining ArcBlue upon its expansion to the city in 2016 just three years after its initial founding in Australia.

Such a career has seen Gauntlett amass extensive expertise in strategic procurement initiatives, with a long history of leading large-sized teams in delivering savings across direct and indirect procurement, supply chain, and through low-cost country sourcing, backed by a Lean Six Sigma approach of continuous improvements, in which he has achieved green belt certification.

Speaking to CEO Insights on his ongoing motivation, Gauntlett said; “Procurement is one of very few jobs that gets to touch and add value to most parts of a business, and discovering and assimilating new insights fuels my passion. ArcBlue’s acquisition by Bain opened doors to a wealth of expertise and contemporary thinking, fostering a dynamic environment where learning is constant.”