ArcBlue has appointed Mark Daniels as Head of Social and Sustainability, welcoming one of Australia’s leading experts in in the social procurement space to its ranks.
“Mark and I have shared a passion for social and sustainable procurement for over a decade through various roles, partnerships and collaborations. We can’t wait for Mark to join our team of social and sustainable procurement specialists at ArcBlue,” said Chris Newman, co-Managing Director of ArcBlue.
Daniels transfers from Social Traders, which he co-founded twelve years ago and has co-led since. Under his guidance, Social Traders grew into a leading marketplace for social procurement – it currently brings together some 70 business and government buyers in Australia with over 300 certified social enterprises, with the aim of promoting a more social and equitable mix in external buying.
One of the key pillars of Social Traders is to create jobs for disadvantaged Australians. By the end of this year, the non-profit anticipates to channel over $100 million in procurement spend to social domains, with the objective of generating 1,500 jobs for disadvantaged Australians.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of Social Traders and I am very proud of what we have achieved. I couldn’t imagine at the beginning where we’d be today – we’ve supported hundreds of social enterprises and impacted the lives of the thousands of people they support,” said Daniels on his legacy.
The firm he is joining, ArcBlue, is a procurement consulting firm well-known for its social procurement expertise. In fact, ArcBlue is a partner of Social Traders, and its director Newman co-founded Social Procurement Australasia with Daniels in 2013 together with a third co-founder, Ingrid Burkett, currently the Co-Director at The Yunus Centre at Griffith University.
“Through his work at Social Traders, Mark has played a critical leadership role in the development of social procurement across Australia and New Zealand. He brings his experience, expertise, and relationships to ArcBlue, joining a team committed to supporting our clients and partners across the Asia Pacific region to deliver real and sustainable social, environmental, and economic outcomes,” said Newman.
“We also look forward to continuing our close partnership with Social Traders in the coming years in this growing and vital field that is already making such a difference to our communities.”
Mike McKinstry, the CEO of Social Traders, took to LinkedIn to thank Daniels for his achievements for the non-profit, wishing him “every success as he continues his legacy within the sector.”
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