It's always gratifying to see representatives of the procurement industry excelling in what they do. And it's even more gratifying to see the wider business community recognise that good work. 

So, congratulations to Colin Maund, chief executive of supplier marketplace The Achilles Group, who was recently handed the Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 for IT Services. Judges were impressed by the innovation shown by Achilles and the global approach it takes... 

Achilles has a great business model, pooling suppliers into global networks in order to offer qualification, vetting and monitoring services to its clients. Naturally, the rise of sustainability as a corporate issue has given it another successful niche to exploit.

It follows the recognition of ProcServe CEO Veera Johnson, who was named Asian Business Woman of the Year back in May.

Onwards and upwards for the procurement profession.