Strategic Procurement in a Disruptive World: Nishish Saxena on Driving Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainability at Maersk
With over a decade of experience in procurement and supply chain management, Nishish Saxena, Head of Procurement for Ports and Terminals at Maersk, is at the forefront of transforming procurement into a strategic enabler for business growth. Leading procurement efforts across the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa, Nishish is focused on strengthening supplier relationships, embedding sustainability into decision-making, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to navigate an ever-evolving global trade environment.
In this exclusive interview, Nishish shares insights on Maersk’s procurement strategy, the importance of trust-driven supplier partnerships, and how procurement is evolving beyond cost management to drive innovation, operational resilience, and long-term value creation. He also discusses Maersk’s ambitious sustainability goals and how procurement is playing a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions. From leveraging technology to enhancing team development and risk management, Nishish provides a deep dive into the evolving role of procurement in shaping the future of global supply chains.
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Professional Journey: Can you share your career path and what led you to your current role as Head of Ports and Terminals Procurement at Maersk?
I started my career as a Management Trainee in a small, family-owned company in West Africa, where I managed fish and poultry procurement. This hands-on experience gave me a deep understanding of supplier relationships and how procurement decisions directly impact the P&L. In 2012, I joined Maersk’s procurement team, working across different categories and geographies.
Over the past decade, I’ve had the opportunity to lead teams, with a strong focus on coaching and mentoring. Six years ago, I relocated to Dubai as the Head of Ports and Terminal Procurement for the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East, and my role has since expanded to include Africa. This position enables me to drive strategic initiatives and build strong supplier partnerships, contributing to Maersk’s broader vision for efficiency and innovation in procurement.
Procurement’s Role in Regional Operations: How does the procurement function support Maersk’s operations across the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, particularly in ports and terminals?
At Maersk, our core focus is being a reliable partner to our customers, which means our operations teams work around the clock to ensure that cargo moves seamlessly—whether it’s arriving at factories, warehouses, or ports on time.
To put things into perspective, some of our vessels span the length of four football fields and can displace around 55,000 tonnes when empty—that’s the equivalent weight of approximately 7,857 African elephants. Ensuring these massive ships can berth, unload, and depart efficiently requires meticulous coordination at ports and terminals. These facilities serve as key nodes where containers—often likened to giant Lego blocks—are either discharged for local distribution, connected to other ports, or loaded as exports to be delivered worldwide.
I firmly believe that a supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Our suppliers are an essential part of this chain, and for Maersk to fulfill its commitment to customers, procurement plays a crucial role in securing the right suppliers—balancing cost with quality to maintain operational excellence and reliability.
Sustainable Procurement Practices: What initiatives have you implemented to ensure that procurement processes align with Maersk’s commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions?
At Maersk, sustainability is not just an aspiration—it’s a fundamental part of our business strategy. In 2018, we set an ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which we have since accelerated to 2040. Reducing our carbon footprint, whether through direct emissions (Scope 1) or supply chain impact (Scope 3), is embedded in our daily decision-making and procurement processes.
In our region, we actively seek suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability. This ensures that environmental responsibility is not just a point of negotiation but a mutual priority. Our approach focuses on two key areas:
1. Encouraging Supplier Investment: Where sustainable solutions require financial commitment, we work closely with suppliers to provide business assurances that support long-term investment in greener technologies and processes.
2. Process Optimisation: Many sustainability gains can be achieved through efficiency improvements rather than financial investment. We integrate clear service-level agreements into contracts to drive the right behaviors, ensuring that sustainability remains a core focus in supplier performance.
By embedding sustainability into procurement, we are not only aligning with Maersk’s decarbonisation goals but also creating a more resilient and environmentally responsible supply chain.
Supplier Relationship Management: How do you cultivate and maintain strong relationships with suppliers to ensure quality, reliability, and alignment with Maersk’s values?
For me, supplier relationship management (SRM) is fundamentally about building trust. Strong partnerships require commitment and investment from both sides, and like any meaningful relationship, they take time to develop. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the same applies to SRM.
One of the most common challenges I’ve observed is that while supplier relationships often start with enthusiasm and high expectations, over time, engagement can diminish, leading to communication gaps and misalignment. The key to avoiding this is consistency—ensuring regular touchpoints, structured engagement, and open communication to maintain alignment.
Another crucial element is senior leadership buy-in. Procurement alone cannot drive the SRM agenda; it requires active sponsorship and involvement from executive leadership across both organisations. When the leadership teams are engaged, SRM initiatives are far more effective and deliver greater long-term impact.
At Maersk, we have deliberately focused on these aspects, and as a result, we’ve seen significant success in our supplier partnerships. Procurement serves as the advocate for suppliers within the organisation, ensuring their value is recognised and that both sides work together towards shared goals. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and one that ultimately contributes to Maersk’s operational excellence and strategic objectives.
Risk Management Strategies: What measures are in place to identify and mitigate risks associated with procurement activities, especially considering the unique challenges in the ports and terminals sector?
Risk management is becoming increasingly relevant in procurement, especially given the current geopolitical environment and the unpredictability it brings. However, for procurement to be truly effective in managing risk, it must invest time in understanding both the organisation’s business model and priorities, as well as the supplier’s business model and challenges.
This is why I encourage my team members to step away from their desktops and spend time engaging with business stakeholders and suppliers. At Maersk, we dedicate time to understanding the concerns of our suppliers in ports and terminals, whether related to shifting trade patterns, regulatory changes, or technological advancements. This direct engagement enables us to anticipate risks and prepare more effectively.
By maintaining close relationships and open communication with our suppliers, we ensure that we are not just reacting to risks but proactively mitigating them. This approach helps us navigate the complexities of the ports and terminals sector while maintaining operational efficiency and reliability.
Team Development and Training: What steps do you take to ensure your procurement team remains skilled and knowledgeable about the latest industry trends and best practices?
I am a strong believer in investing in talent and ensuring that team members continuously upskill to stay relevant in this ever-evolving business environment. The first step is helping them develop a structured career plan. Once they have a clear understanding of their aspirations, it becomes easier to identify skill gaps and tailor development initiatives accordingly.
I also believe that resources for learning and growth are available, but it is up to leaders to prioritise elevating the capabilities of their teams. Many procurement leaders acknowledge the importance of training and development, but often, they either lack the bandwidth or the intent to make it a strategic focus. Leaders must actively invest time in the development of their teams—it should not be an afterthought.
A key reflection for any leader is to assess how much time they are dedicating to their own growth. A leader with a growth mindset will naturally foster a culture of continuous learning within their team.
Beyond conventional training programs and job swaps, I encourage my team to attend industry conferences. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in procurement-focused conferences in the region, offering excellent networking and learning opportunities. Engaging with procurement professionals from various industries at these events allows for organic learning, exposure to new ideas, and best practices that can be applied within our organisation.
Supporting Maersk’s Strategic Goals: How does the procurement function align with and support Maersk’s strategic objectives in the region, particularly concerning expansion and customer service?
Our customer is at the heart of everything we do, which means ensuring a resilient and responsive operation at all times. Since we don’t own assets everywhere—nor do we intend to—our suppliers play an integral role in fulfilling our promise to customers. Procurement’s role is to work closely with these suppliers to uphold the highest service levels and drive operational excellence.
The approach in our region is no different. We engage proactively with our key suppliers, not only to maintain high service standards but also to enable the development of new products that align with our evolving business needs.
For procurement, the focus is on creating value for the business through collaboration—both with suppliers and internal stakeholders. This collaboration must be consistent and strategic, ensuring procurement is not just a support function but a driving force in Maersk’s growth and service excellence. Strengthening our collaborative capabilities is essential for procurement to continue adding value and advancing Maersk’s regional and global objectives.
Driving Cross-Departmental Collaboration at Maersk: How are you fostering collaboration across departments in the region?
Collaboration is like a muscle—it needs consistent practice and effort to strengthen. In today’s world of constant disruptions, the ability to work seamlessly across departments is essential for navigating challenges and driving business success. That’s why cross-functional collaboration is a key focus area for me.
To build the right culture, I always encourage my team to embrace the mindset of “confusion over conspiracy”—meaning, when something goes wrong, assume misunderstanding rather than malintent. This approach fosters trust and open communication, which are critical for effective teamwork.
On a practical level, we have taken steps to embed collaboration into daily operations. For example, we involve our finance business partners more actively in procurement discussions and bring our commercial colleagues into supplier meetings to explore growth opportunities together. It was also encouraging to see collaboration recognised as one of the essential skills for the future at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos—reinforcing its importance in an evolving global landscape.
Future Outlook for Procurement at Maersk: Looking ahead, what are your key objectives for advancing the procurement function at Maersk, particularly concerning innovation and sustainability?
I don’t see the fundamentals of procurement changing, but what must evolve is our level of engagement. Procurement can no longer just enable the business strategy—it must become an active contributor, if not a driver. To achieve this, procurement professionals must speak the language of the business every day and align closely with strategic priorities. I have seen this approach successfully driven by strong leaders, and it’s something we must continue to embed within our function.
Of course, none of this is possible without investing in our people. To drive innovation and sustainability, we need to ensure that our leaders are committed to fostering a growth mindset, building a psychologically safe work environment, and embracing diversity within our teams. If we get this right, I am confident that everything else—innovation, sustainability, and value creation—will naturally follow.
In Association with:
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), a subsidiary of the Adani Group, is India’s largest private port operator. Established in 1998 and headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, APSEZ manages a network of 13 ports and terminals across India, including the prominent Mundra Port in Gujarat. The company offers a range of services such as bulk and breakbulk cargo handling, container services, and liquid cargo operations. In addition to its Indian operations, APSEZ has expanded internationally, acquiring a 70% stake in Haifa Port in Israel and a 51% stake in a container terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, APSEZ handled a record 420 million metric tonnes of cargo, marking a 24% year-on-year growth.
Inchcape plc is a global automotive distribution, retail, and services company headquartered in London. Established in 1847, the company operates in over 40 countries, providing services such as product planning, logistics, brand marketing, retail, and aftermarket services. Inchcape maintains partnerships with more than 60 leading automotive brands, some dating back to the 1960s.
In 2024, the company reported revenues of £9.3 billion and employs around 18,000 people worldwide. In a strategic move to enhance its distribution focus, Inchcape sold its UK retail operations to Group 1 Automotive for £346 million in April 2024. The company also expanded its reach by acquiring Derco, Latin America’s largest independent automotive distributor, for £1.3 billion in 2022.
