BW LPG
“ That sounds very up in the clouds, but it’ s not,” says Ricardo.“ I’ ve seen over the years that BW LPG makes conscious decisions on cleaner energy.”
He emphasises that the business remains commercially viable while pursuing sustainability.
BW LPG has transformed significantly in recent years, converting 22 vessels to dual fuel solutions and becoming the first company in the world to implement LGIP technology. It is listed on the Oslo and New York Stock Exchange and has achieved SOX compliance.
Last year, BW LPG grew its fleet substantially by acquiring 12 vessels from a major competitor. In 2022, the company acquired the LPG trading operations of Vilma Oil to further grow its product services trading arm.
Ricardo reflects on the pace of change:“ This is not a company that sits still and just enjoys the view.”
From backroom to boardroom When Ricardo arrived at BW LPG, procurement was primarily focused on purchasing and operations. He saw an opportunity to expand its scope and strategic influence.“ Procurement consists of six process steps and the first three are the tactical and strategic parts,” Ricardo explains.“ So we’ re talking about the specifying phase( sourcing), the selection phase and the contracting phase. I added that to procurement.”
Having integrated these upstream activities into procurement’ s remit, the next challenge was internal communication.
“Procurement managers know how to position themselves towards suppliers, but internally it’ s a completely different story”
Ricardo Ackermann, Head of Procurement, BW LPG
Many stakeholders did not understand procurement’ s full potential beyond negotiating prices and ensuring timely delivery.
Ricardo calls this step“ inside selling”, adding:“ It’ s one of the reasons why, at a lot of companies, procurement is still in the backroom and not in the boardroom: we are not trained to sell.
“ Procurement managers know how to negotiate, how to position themselves towards suppliers, but internally it’ s a completely different story.”
By expanding responsibilities to include surfaces, dry docking and future new builds, Ricardo has ensured the procurement department at BW LPG touches every significant expenditure. Communication has been central to this transformation.
“ It’ s not just what you do – it’ s how you tell people,” Ricardo emphasises.“ Communication is key.”
54 January 2026