The Faculty Awards of Excellence 2024: Future Leader in Procurement of the Year

The Faculty Awards of Excellence has awarded Charlotte Cottam as the Future Leader in Procurement of the Year 2024. The award was presented at The Faculty Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner, held on September 3rd 2024, at Melbourne’s iconic Plaza Ballroom.

This award recognises an outstanding current or emerging procurement leader. This individual will be an example of what it means to be driven, passionate, and devoted to their industry, going above and beyond to drive real-world change. 

Charlotte Cottam, Procurement Business Partner in Group Excellence at Mirvac, has been recognised for her remarkable contributions. Under her leadership, her diverse and skilled team has elevated Mirvac's procurement efforts, achieving nearly $40 million in savings over the past 12 months. Charlotte has also integrated key Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into procurement practices, promoting cross-departmental collaboration towards sustainability goals. Her leadership has been celebrated at the executive level, underscoring her substantial impact on the organisation.

The judges were particularly impressed by the breadth of Charlotte’s work, her exceptional leadership, innovation, and strategic influence. She has successfully introduced structure and order to the procurement department, driven cost-saving initiatives and strategic sourcing, and advanced both technical and operational excellence.

Charlotte’s achievements within the past year reflect her exceptional leadership, strategic vision and commitment to driving real-world change.

After winning the Future Leader in Procurement of the Year award, Charlotte shared:

“I’m beyond thrilled to be named this year’s Future Leader in Procurement. This is hands down the highlight of my career so far, and I’m overflowing with gratitude.”

About the Award

The Faculty recognises the importance of nurturing future leaders to tackle evolving business challenges. As part of The Faculty Roundtable Program, the Future Leaders in Procurement (FLiP) Program brings together the profession's rising stars for interactive learning, leadership development, and networking. This year, in partnership with Melbourne Business School, participants gained access to industry experts and invaluable growth opportunities. The award is presented to the FLiP participant who demonstrates exceptional leadership.

The program is available exclusively to Roundtable members. 

The Judging Process

Nominees are assessed against The Faculty’s X-Factor Procurement Leadership Framework which is based on a demonstration of strength and balance across four key areas - Functional Excellence, Leadership Attributes, Commercial Leadership and People Leadership.

The Judging Panel

• Div Pillay, CEO of MindTribes
• Graeme Hunt, Chairman of Akora Resources
• Kristal Kinsela, Owner and Founder of Kristal Kinsela Consulting
• Sarah Cook, Chief Commerical and Operations Officer at Samsara Eco
• Sami Makelainen, Senior Research Affiliate at Institute for the Future

The Awards of Excellence 2025 - Register Now

Registrations for The Faculty Awards of Excellence 2025 are now open! Join us on Tuesday 26th August at Melbourne’s iconic Plaza Ballroom for an opulent night of celebration. Find out more here.