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About Eleanor Red Louw
Procurement has taken me places. From picturesque Cape Town to chilly Christchurch, then north to moody Auckland. Further north to vibrant Sydney. Then on to sunny Gold Coast and now sizzling Dubai.
Along the way I’ve built procurement functions from scratch, separated thousands of contracts under regulatory deadlines, implemented procurement technology during crises, and led teams through the kind of uncertainty that tests everyone. My job was always to hold the team together and make sure we delivered great work through it all.
What I learned is that the hardest part of procurement is rarely the contract or the process. It’s the people, the dynamics and the culture. Every environment I’ve worked in, from South Africa to New Zealand, Australia and now the Middle East, has its own way of building trust, negotiating deals and influencing decisions. Learning to read those differences has shaped how I work, and how I develop others.
Today I help procurement and supply chain professionals, managers, and cross-cultural teams build the confidence and capability to lead well, through training, coaching and workshops. I’m a CIPS Trainer delivering Corporate Award and Skills training.
My coaching programmes are Read the Manual, a 1:1 DiSC coaching programme for managers, and No Fixed Address, for leaders relocating to a new market. Together they build capability and confidence from the inside out.
My team workshops, Leaders Without Borders and Read the Room, help teams understand the cultural and behavioural dynamics shaping how they communicate, build trust and make decisions together.
Outside of work you’ll find me out on the water with the Dubai Barracudas, a competitive dragon boat team, exploring the UAE with my husband, or caring for stray cats in my community.
BBA | PGDMP | MBA | Chartered MCIPS | Certified Everything DiSC Practitioner