7 Procurious Influencers Who Are Smashing Modern Slavery

May 21 2018, 6:45 AM3 min read

Not all heroes wear capes! But surely there are few people more deserving of a superhero’s recognition than the procurement pros fighting against modern slavery day in, day out….?

Last week, a heavy-hitting list of 100 modern-day abolitionists was splashed across social media following the 2018 Annual UK Top 100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index Recognition Dinner in London – and the team at Procurious was delighted to see at least seven Procurious members featured in the Index.

Developed by BRE and Sustain Worldwide, the #Top100Index recognises individuals from all business sectors, media and academia who are influential leaders in raising awareness to end modern slavery and labour exploitation; those who advocate for robust ethical sourcing and human rights recognition and practices in UK direct business operations and global supply chains.

The Index was based on a combination of influence on social media (as measured by Klout scores) and advocacy – policy impact, speaking and media engagements – in public life, aggregated via a proprietary algorithm and verified by an independent panel.

Influence is the key word here. While only a few of the Top 100 would be physically involved in busting modern-day slavery at the coalface, this group is arguably making a greater impact through addressing the source of the problem by raising public awareness and getting cut-through with he decision-makers in government and business who can really make a difference.

Procurement and supply management is well-represented in the Top 100, even though the scope of the award went well beyond this profession. This proves, once again, that any efforts to eradicate modern slavery must involve – and often be spearheaded by – procurement and supply professionals.

Who are the Procurious members in the #Top100Index?

Congratulations to the following members of our online community. Connect with these highly influential professionals here on Procurious by following the links below.

Andrew Wallis OBE of UnSeenUK
Andy Davies of Greater London Authority (GLA) Group
Dax Lovegrove of Swarovski
Katie Jacobs of Supply Management
Professor Jacqueline Glass of Loughborough University
Rob Knott of Virtualstock
Olinga Ta’eed, Entrepreneur

More from Olinga Ta’eed on Procurious:

In other news this week:

Deadline Passes with no renegotiated NAFTA

Parties to the NAFTA renegotiations have failed to reach a deal before the Congressional deadline of May 17 passed last week.
The deadline was in place due to the upcoming Mexican presidential election, which may introduce a new set of variables depending on the winner’s stance on trade.
US House Speaker Paul Ryan has said Congress is willing to vote on a deal within a few weeks, but commentators predict the negotiations are likely to drag on into next year.

Gig economy in the spotlight

New research has revealed the explosive growth of the gig economy in the UK since 2010, with ‘non-employer businesses’ (businesses that only hire on a gig-by-gig basis) growing by 8,431% in the transportation and storage sector, and 1,464% in the accommodation and food service sector.
The number of self-employed people in the UK has risen by 41% since 2001, with 15% of the UK labour force classed as self-employed last year. The private sector has seen a 25% increase in non-employer businesses since 2010.
Recommendations from the Taylor Review of the gig economy include ensuring a balance between worker’s rights and those that are self-employed, sectoral strategies to ensure people do not face insecurity, and stronger incentives for firms to treat “dependent contractors” fairly.

US-China Trade War “On Hold”

China and the US have agreed to drop tariff threats while working on a wider trade agreement, according to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Washington has demanded that China narrows the $US335 billion annual US goods and services trade deficit and has proposed tariffs of $US50 billion on Chinese goods. China responded with its own measures targeting US agriculture.
The two economies have reportedly agreed to set up a framework for addressing trade imbalances in the future.