European Leaders in Procurement , the industry-leading title aimed at procurement and supply-chain professionals, has been renamed Procurement Leaders.

The change of name coincided with a radical overhaul to better reflect the importance and influence senior procurement executives have over their companies. Several new sections have also been introduced.

David Rae, editorial director of Sigaria, the publisher of Procurement Leaders, said that the relaunch reflected feedback he had received from readers, following extensive research and consultation with readers and the magazine’s editorial board.

“The last thing we wanted was change for change’s sake,” said Rae. “But I think we have successfully modernised European Leaders in Procurement in terms of design and editorial while keeping those things that worked. Geography also played a part. Our readers’ roles are not limited by country boundaries and we can provide a better service by removing those barriers and concentrating on global procurement.”

Hand in hand with the magazine relaunch was the rebranding of the European Leaders Network and Awards to the Procurement Leaders Network and Awards. “The publication, events and network will maintain their strong European focus while also connecting with the growing global remit of our audience. One thing won’t change – we are still determined to deliver the latest news, trends, innovations and strategies from around the world,” said Rae.

The first issue of Procurement Leaders will hit readers’ desks on 7 April 2008 .

Sigaria Ltd today announced the appointment of David Rae as Editorial Director.

Rae, will join Sigaria in January 2008 from Financial Director, a leading UK-based magazine, after two and a half years serving as Deputy Editor. His work for the magazine has been short-listed for a number of editorial awards, including the Press Gazette Magazine Journalism awards for columnist and ‘interviewer of the year’ in 2006 and also the prestigious PPA Magazine Awards 2007 where Rae was Highly Commended for his column writing.

As Editorial Director, Rae will have overall control of the industry-leading European Leaders In Procurement magazine. The publication, which was launched in May 2005, now reaches over 7,000 senior supply chain and procurement executives across some of Europe ’s largest companies. Rae’s role will also involve the management of editorial across the company’s full service lines, including events, websites, research and publications.

Mark Perera, CEO , Sigaria, commented: “We’re delighted that David will be joining us and we see his appointment as an important and valuable acquisition for the future of the magazine and our network. He has a proven track record of editorial success with some of the leading publications in the industry and we are confident that he will continue to develop the content and appeal of both our online and offline offerings. “

"I'm joining Sigaria at a hugely exciting time in its history and feel that I can further enhance a magazine that is already extremely successful both with its readers and advertisers," said Rae. "2008 is set to be a key year for Sigaria and European Leaders in Procurement magazine will play a crucial and central role in the development and growth of the wider ELP Network. I look forward to the challenge."

The ELP Forum in Nice has been hailed as the “best yet” by some of Europe’s most senior procurement figures.

The one-day event, which took place at the stunning Hotel Negresco, featured presentations from a number of leading experts on subjects such as risk management, corporate social responsibility and low cost country sourcing.

Among the highlights were addresses from Patrick Scholler, Procurement Director, Hewlett Packard; Dirk Karl, CPO , ING ; Stefan Zeisel, Global Sourcing Director, Deutsche Post WorldNet; and Yooshihiro Ohno, General Manager, CSR Promotion Trust-based Management Department, Seiko Epson Corporation.

“Today’s event has been the best yet,” Eduardo Ruibal, Corporate Director of Purchasing, Altadis, told Sigaria. “The presentations have been superb, I believe ELP has raised the bar again.”

David Taylor, European Procurement Director, Hertz, agreed. “The senior figures these events attract makes them invaluable,” he said.

The latest edition of the European Leaders in Procurement magazine will be published early next week.

Featuring some of Europe’s hottest procurement topics, the magazine includes a profile of Dirk Karl of ING, and an interview with the man who headed BAE System’s successful quest for the overall ELP Award at the inaugural ceremony back in May, Jim Robinson.

Karl’s views on outsourcing are bound to provoke discussion in boardrooms up and down the country. During this exclusive interview he outlines his vision for outsourcing and his idea of a “dialogue with the marketplace” is bound to strike a chord with some of procurement’s most innovative thinkers.

The 11^th edition of the magazine will also place risk management under the microscope, as well as including some lively debate on the impact of the ongoing ‘war for talent’.

Sigaria has announced the launch of the second ELP Awards - the largest pan-European event of its kind.

The event follows the success of the inaugural awards, which brought together some of procurement’s most innovative and creative individuals at London’s Vinopolis earlier this year.

The 2008 event will take place at one of UK ’s most historic venues. Lords has hosted cricket matches for over 200 years and is home to some of the sporting world’s most famous artefacts - now it will act as the backdrop for one of the most exciting events in the procurement calendar.

The event will feature six award categories, with the ELP Award for Best Cross-Function Project having been added to the ELP Awards for Procurement Excellence, Innovation, Corporate Responsibility, People Development, and the individual award for Future Leaders.

An independent panel of eight judges, made up of some of the industry’s leading figures, will be presiding over the nominations.

“The ELP Awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the achievements of those involved in the procurement profession,” said Alex Martinez , Marketing and Services Director, Sigaria.

“Last years event was a huge success and, with a new award and an expanded panel of judges, we expect the 2008 Awards to build on this and truly reflect procurement’s increasingly prominent place in the corporate agenda.”