IBM transfers procurement chief to China

BOSTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) International Business Machines Corp. said on Thursday that it has transferred its top procurement executive to China, making him IBM's first corporate-wide organization chief based outside of the United States.

Chief Procurement Officer John Paterson has been transferred to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen from Somers, New York, IBM said.

Paterson will continue to direct all of IBM's global procurement activities from his new offices in Shenzhen.

IBM has relationships with nearly 3,000 suppliers in Asia, which account for about 30 percent of the billion it spends each year on procurement.

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