Encounters: David Grégoire, ecosystem creator

[Link] Since the start of this year, the new SPIE Belgium purchasing manager, David Grégoire, has been leading a team of five category managers who cover the whole of Belgium. On a day-to-day basis, his role as "orchestra conductor" takes him far away from his office in Anderlecht, to all four corners of the country.

It is under his leadership that, at the end of November 2019, the Purchasing Department committed itself to the "Green Deal on Circular Procurement" programme promoted by the Walloon government, launching two big pilot projects: re-imagine office supplies procurement and renew the vehicle fleet. "Besides buying hybrid and electric vehicles, this will also mean educating people in order to encourage eco-driving habits", says David Grégoire.

Another major initiative from SPIE Belgium: the use of "MVO Sustatool", a self-assessment tool promoted by the Flemish government which allows companies to measure their performance in terms of CSR policy. "This tool is more suited to small companies as it is easier to implement than the standard Responsible Purchasing tool EcoVadis, which we are currently subscribed to", adds David Grégoire. "We are only in the early stages of using this tool. The idea is to push this test out to our partners to help them improve."

Purchasing is now an important lever in the SPIE Belgium CSR strategy. Responsible purchasing can actually help reduce a company's ecological and social footprint by ensuring that the list of suppliers used is based on criteria which are now essential to conserving resources and the planet itself. "We are only just starting down the road to the circular economy", says David, "but SPIE is committed to opening the way."

As part of the "Green Deal on Circular Procurement", SPIE Belgium will make its fleet of vehicles greener.