The International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary & Higher Education (QAHE), in collaboration with the American University of Business and Social Sciences (AUBSS), is pleased to announce that Nicolas Piccolo-Leeser has been awarded the Doctor of Management (Honoris Causa) in Global Procurement and Strategic Sourcing.
Nicolas Piccolo-Leeser is a senior global procurement and strategic sourcing leader based in Zurich, Switzerland, with more than 16 years of experience managing high-impact IT, telecommunications, and indirect spend categories across healthcare, manufacturing, and service industries. He currently serves as Senior Global Commodity Manager ICT at Mediclinic Group – Hirslanden AG, where he leads source-to-contract activities for IT software, hardware, and telecommunications agreements valued at up to USD 21 million.
In this capacity, he has negotiated with major global vendors including SAP, Microsoft, Cisco, Huawei, Dell, and Honeywell, directed cross-functional teams across IT, Legal, Finance, and Clinical Operations, and managed a deal pipeline exceeding USD 50 million. His leadership has delivered measurable cost savings of more than 15 percent through data-driven negotiation, category management, spend analytics, and supplier collaboration.
His earlier roles include Strategic Lead Buyer and Strategic Projects Manager at Vetropack Holding AG, Procurement and Fleet Manager at Compass Group Schweiz AG, Global IT Manager and Strategic Projects Manager at gategroup, and Procurement Consultant at Sulzer Management AG. Across these positions, he has led group-wide IT category strategies, S/4HANA implementation, supplier consolidation, ESG integration into procurement, global tendering, and the development of contract management systems.
In addition to his industry leadership, Mr. Piccolo-Leeser has completed executive programmes at Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, the University of Oxford, and Rice University. He is also recognised for his work in corporate sustainability and people-centred leadership, and is the author of Your Guide to Mindful Living.
This honorary distinction recognises his sustained contributions to global procurement excellence, strategic sourcing, operational transformation, and sustainable management practice. QAHE congratulates Nicolas Piccolo-Leeser on this well-deserved recognition and commends his continued commitment to professional excellence.
