With the ever shifting and interdependent global economy, procurement has changed from being a traditional support unit into a business transformation driver. There is perhaps no one better than Eugene Galdi to exemplify this change than by looking at his career and leadership philosophy, whose vision, integrity, and human-centered style have established new standards of procurement and supply chain excellence.
Early Career Foundations: Sales as a Springboard
Prior to rising through the ranks of procurement leadership, Eugene started his career in sales—a foundational experience that deeply influenced his procurement mindset. The early immersion in the customer’s voice gave him an unshakeable appreciation for what motivates decisions, where value exists, and positioning a company as a partner, not just a vendor.
The lessons learned in sales became the bedrock of Eugene’s procurement philosophy. He quickly realized that the true impact of procurement extended far beyond revenue generation. His curiosity led him to explore the intricate interplay between internal operations, supply chain choices, and the organization’s ability to deliver value while remaining competitive. He began to ask critical questions: How can costs be reduced without compromising quality? Where are processes optimized to increase agility? This inquiring mindset led Eugene into the field of procurement and supply chain strategy—a space where he could see an opportunity to impact cost as well as customer experience.
The Evolution of Procurement: From Support to Strategic Catalyst
Eugene’s perception of procurement has changed dramatically over his career. In its infancy, procurement was largely relegated to the back office and was concerned mainly with cost reduction, compliance, and transactional efficiency. Although these basics continue to be crucial, Eugene understood that the function of procurement had evolved well beyond its historical roots.
Today, Eugene views procurement as a strategic driver of business transformation. He recognizes that procurement is strategically positioned at the nexus of supply, demand, finance, and operations—a position of advantage that enables finding opportunities others are likely to miss. Whether by leveraging supplier innovation, risk management, or total cost of ownership programs, procurement, according to Eugene, is a potent value creation engine.
As the Chief Procurement Officer, Eugene has a passion to unlock growth-driving value, deepen partnership, and drive competitiveness. This change in perspective has deeply influenced his leadership philosophy, prompting him to create teams that are not only effective but also transformational in their influence.
Leading Digital Transformation in Procurement
One of the most characteristic features of Eugene’s leadership has been his focus on digitalization. Attuned to the limitations of intuition-driven decision-making, he has been a strong advocate for using advanced analytics and real-time visibility in procurement workflows. Using next-generation technologies, Eugene has helped his teams transition from reactive, cost-oriented mindsets to proactive, insight-driven strategies.
This digital evolution has enabled Eugene and his teams to forecast supply chain hazards, make sourcing decisions to maximize value, and make procurement choices that focus on what really adds value to customers—rather than what may be the lowest-cost on paper. The outcome has been a nimbler, more resilient, and customer-focused procurement function better able to handle the intricacies of the contemporary business world.
Embedding Sustainability and ESG Principles
For Eugene, procurement is more than mere operational effectiveness or cost reduction; it’s about driving purpose, responsibility, and sustainable growth. As Chief Procurement Officer, he has led the charge in aligning environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles with procurement practices.
Eugene’s sustainability strategy is more than just regulatory compliance. He has integrated ESG factors into supplier assessment so that Arxada works with partners who align with its values and promote long-term, responsible expansion. This involves assessing suppliers based on environmental footprint, labor practices, diversity, and alignment with key organizational values.
One of the most significant changes made during Eugene’s tenure has been the creation of multi-year engagement models with suppliers. These involve collaborative innovation initiatives, common carbon reduction targets, and capacity-building initiatives—especially for smaller or diverse suppliers that might require assistance in adapting to changing expectations. By transforming the way it thinks about supplier relationships, Eugene has contributed to more resilient, responsible, and future-proof supply chains.
Career Milestones: Building a Foundation of Excellence
Eugene’s professional career is characterized by a sequence of defining moments that have influenced how he leads procurement. Perhaps the most influential chapter was his time at AlliedSignal, which was later known as Honeywell. At the company, Eugene was fortunate enough to work among incredibly skilled professionals who were committed to developing world-class commercial and procurement plans. This setting further emphasized that procurement is not only about cost management but is in fact a strategic driver for value creation.
Subsequently, at GE Power, Eugene was guided by a leader who had a profound impact on his professional development. These exposures saturated him with multifaceted sourcing decisions, international supplier negotiations, and cross-functional projects requiring both technical acumen and commercial awareness. The excellent culture he experienced reflected collaboration, strategic vision, and enterprise-wide impact—something that would be at the center of his own leadership philosophy.
These early experiences instilled in Eugene a sense that procurement, when done with vision and integrity, has the power to transform business. They also shaped his leadership style as inclusive, commercially oriented, and dedicated to developing high-performing teams that are strategic-goal-oriented.
People-Centric Leadership: Empowering Teams for Success
Eugene’s leadership is distinguished by a strong people and culture commitment. He is convinced that the key drivers of procurement excellence are the people within the team and the culture in which they work. As such, Eugene has prioritized identifying, attracting, and mentoring top performers.
He always concentrates on recruiting teams with good analytical and commercial skills, along with a growth mindset. Eugene actively coaches up-and-coming leaders to learn how procurement can influence strategy, drive innovation, and deliver customer value. He looks for those who question the norm, challenge assumptions, and work across the business.
To underpin this attitude, Eugene has developed an organizational culture that aligns structure with flexibility—where compliance and process are important, yet so are creativity and cross-functional thinking. He promotes knowledge sharing, acknowledges successes, and provides team members with autonomy to drive strategic initiatives, not merely perform tasks.
Finally, Eugene is convinced that successful procurement teams are founded on individuals who comprehend the end result of their work and are genuinely invested in providing value. This focus on people has helped in constructing teams that are efficient but also innovative and responsive.
Strategic Partnerships and Supplier Collaboration
One of Eugene’s greatest contributions as a procurement leader is his reinterpretation of supplier relationships. Instead of seeing suppliers as transactional vendors, Eugene works with them as strategic partners in creating long-term impact. This starts with infusing sustainability and responsibility into sourcing criteria from the very beginning.
Eugene values transparent, consistent conversation on ESG objectives, shifting from command-and-control compliance to collaborative, long-term solutions. He has been at the forefront of multi-year engagement models that incorporate co-innovation initiatives, collective carbon reduction goals, and capacity-building initiatives. These are especially effective for smaller or diverse suppliers who might need assistance in fulfilling changing expectations.
Through the development of these strategic partnerships, Eugene has contributed to the creation of stronger, ethical, and future-proof supply chains. This strategy supports the overall message that procurement is not about savings alone but driving purpose, accountability, and sustainable growth throughout the overall business ecosystem.
Legacy of Integrity and Professionalism
Throughout his career, Eugene has been driven by an unstinting commitment to integrity. He holds that doing the right thing—legally, ethically, and professionally—must never be sacrificed, even in the most complicated or intense situations. This value has been his guiding light and has established enduring credibility with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders.
Eugene’s legacy is not only in the outcomes he has produced but also in the norms by which he has managed to achieve them. He would like to be remembered as a leader who always made the right decision, treated others with dignity, listened rather than talking much, and gave room for others to develop, to lead, and to flourish.
As a team player, Eugene is viewed as reliable and cooperative—someone who comes in, adds value, and assists in making the team stronger. As an individual, he is perceived as genuinely passionate about the work, the individuals involved, and the overall difference that can be made.
Driving Innovation and Sustainability at Arxada
As Arxada’s Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, Eugene is leading the company’s strategic procurement functions. His keen supply chain management skills and successful experience in streamlining procurement functions have been instrumental in supporting the company’s expansion and competitive position in specialty chemicals markets.
During Eugene’s leadership, Arxada streamlined its procurement functions through digitalization and data-informed decision-making. He has been the driving force behind introducing cutting-edge analytics and supplier collaboration platforms, which have made it possible to increase transparency, agility, and risk reduction. This innovative thinking allows Arxada not only to procure high-quality raw materials but also to develop long-term, mutually rewarding relationships with major suppliers.
Eugene’s focus on sustainability is shown in the way he incorporates environmental and social governance factors into procurement. By combining sustainability factors into supplier reviews and procurement policy, he makes certain that Arxada enables ethical behavior and minimizes its environmental impact. His leadership has driven projects that focus on the use of renewable materials, minimize waste, and encourage circular economy mindsets along the supply chain.
Talent Development and Future-Ready Teams
Eugene carries his conviction that people matter over into the way he develops talent. He is willing to invest in creating top-performing teams through developing a learning and inclusive culture. He motivates his team to adopt new technologies, acquire critical analytical skills, and think strategically about market trends and supplier relationships.
This talent development pledge means that Arxada’s procurement organization is always future-proof and agile. Eugene’s collaborative, empowering, and improvement-oriented leadership has built a culture of innovation and empowerment where people feel inspired to achieve their best.
Vision for the Future: Procurement as a Catalyst for Success
Looking forward, Eugene continues to be committed to driving digital transformation, sustainability mandates, and supplier collaboration in order to cement Arxada’s leadership in the specialty chemical space. With a sharp sense of emerging market trends and supply chain disruption, he is well-positioned to steer Arxada’s procurement organization through complexity with strength and strategic vision.
Eugene’s vision is clear: procurement is not merely a support function but a catalyst for business success, innovation, and sustainability. He is committed to building a legacy of character, excellence, and belief in the potential of others.
A Celebrated Career
Eugene’s career is a testament to the transformative power of visionary leadership in procurement. His path from sales to Chief Procurement Officer has been one of relentless pursuit of excellence, commitment to integrity, and strong faith in the power of people and partnerships. Through his strategic vision, digital disruption, and passion for sustainability, Eugene has reimagined what it takes to lead procurement—raising the bar for the profession and challenging the people around him to achieve greatness.
