David Shields, Global Acquisition Transformation Leader, Joins ASI Government

ARLINGTON, Va., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ASI Government (ASI) has announced that David Shields, a global leader in category management, has joined the company as Managing Director of the firm's new Procurement Transformation and Category Management practice.

Dr. Timothy W. Cooke, President and CEO of ASI Government, said, "David brings ASI and our clients best-practice public- and private-sector expertise in managing procurement transformation and the implementation of category management." Dr. Cooke added, "He is already advising the government-wide category management initiative."

From 2005 to 2013, Mr. Shields played a central role in leading and managing the United Kingdom (UK) government's procurement transformation programs, whose scope included an annual procurement spend of approximately $317 billion across the public sector, encompassing more than 40,000 organizations and more than 550,000 suppliers. Under these programs, the UK:

• Implemented and institutionalized category management
• Established the world's largest spend analysis program in conjunction with a wider e-commerce strategy
• Improved the efficiency of acquisition and supplier management processes
• Nearly doubled the amount of procurement spending under management
• Delivered commercial vehicles to support U.K. digital government, the model for the U.S. government
• Saved $2.6 billion using demand management to reduce quantities purchased
• Cut $608 million through reductions in average prices paid on contracts between 2011 and 2012
• Delivered "the most coherent approach to reform to date," according to the U.K. National Audit Office, the equivalent of the Government Accountability Office

Previously, Mr. Shields served as Managing Director of the UK Government Procurement Service from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that, he held positions of increasing authority at the UK Office of Government Commerce, culminating as Program Director for Markets and Collaborative Procurement. He also spent seven years with the U.K. Customs and Excise Department.

Mr. Shields has extensive private sector purchasing and procurement experience with companies including AXA (U.K.), part of the AXA Group, an international insurance provider; and CGU, now Aviva, the fifth-largest insurance company globally and the largest in the U.K. In 2013, Mr. Shields founded Apsiz Services Ltd., a U.K. consultancy focused on improving business results through procurement transformation.

Mr. Shields said, "The U.S. government is to be commended for committing to transform acquisition to deliver more mission value through category management. I am privileged to be able to have the opportunity to put in service here the expertise I have gained though my experience in the U.K. and to play a part in building a truly world-leading U.S. program."

He added, "Using category management, the U.S. government can vastly increase the resources it devotes to serving citizens while also raising the skills and contributions of procurement professionals. This is the core of ASI Government's mission, and I am honored to join a company that upholds the values that drew me to public service."

About ASI Government

Since 1996, ASI has supported U.S. federal civilian, defense, homeland security and Intelligence Community program and procurement organizations in harnessing powerful, but often underutilized, acquisition levers to cut costs and improve performance. Coupling unique approaches with knowledge, productivity and learning tools – including the Virtual Acquisition Office™, Applied Learning Online™ and Tailored Acquisition Portal™, which collectively serve more than 40,000 eligible password holders across 130 federal organizations – ASI delivers experiences that drive results and reignite a passion for government service. Find ASI on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE ASI Government