The past 12 months has been nothing short of an economic storm. The past two weeks, that storm has heightened into nothing short of a full-blown hurricane, and there's no reason to expect that hurricane to die away quickly.

Obviously, procurement professionals have a big part to play; and in many ways we should see it as an opportunity as much as a threat. Afterall, there will have been few occasions in the past when senior management is as open to the benefits that procurement can bring to an organisation than now.

But how does it feel at the eye of the storm? Procurement Leaders  spoke to Stephen Wills, CPO of Axa UK, who said the situation can be an excellent opportunity for financial services sector procurement.

“I speak regularly to my colleagues in Paris and the feeling there is the same as here – they’re facing probably one of their most challenging times, but realise that the current climate offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for procurement to raise its profile within financial services and prove its worth beyond doubt,” said Wills. 

However, as Neil Deverill writes in the upcoming issue of the magazine, it's a time when the also-rans will be found out as well.