<node id="682908">
  <nid>682908</nid>
  <type>news</type>
  <uid>
    <user id="36461"><![CDATA[36461]]></user>
  </uid>
  <created>1750961449</created>
  <changed>1750967690</changed>
  <title><![CDATA[Leadership Transition in Procurement and Business Services]]></title>
  <body><![CDATA[<p>Ajay Patel, executive director of Procurement and Business Services, has announced he will be stepping down from his role on July 14.&nbsp;</p><p>Patel has served the Institute with distinction since joining in 2011, leading Procurement and Business Services with strategic vision, integrity, and a strong commitment to operational excellence.</p><p>Under his leadership, Georgia Tech’s procure-to-pay operations have undergone a remarkable transformation. He championed the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, including a wide range of robotic process automations, which have streamlined workflows, improved compliance, and significantly increased efficiency across the Institute. His efforts have not only modernized our systems but also fostered a culture of continuous improvement and service.</p><p>"Ajay’s leadership has left a lasting mark on our operations and team culture,"&nbsp;said Kim Toatley, vice president for Finance and Planning and chief financial officer.&nbsp;"We are grateful for his dedication and wish him all the best in his next chapter."</p><p>In the interim, Toatley will assume leadership of Procurement and Business Services while a search is conducted for Patel’s successor.</p>]]></body>
  <field_subtitle>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_subtitle>
  <field_dateline>
    <item>
      <value>2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00</value>
      <timezone><![CDATA[America/New_York]]></timezone>
    </item>
  </field_dateline>
  <field_summary_sentence>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[Ajay Patel will step down as Georgia Tech’s Procurement and Business Services executive director.]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_summary_sentence>
  <field_summary>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[<p>Leadership transition is underway in Procurement and Business Services as Ajay Patel prepares to step down from his role as executive director.</p>]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_summary>
  <field_media>
          <item>
        <nid>
          <node id="677293">
            <nid>677293</nid>
            <type>image</type>
            <title><![CDATA[Ajay-Patel-Headshot_web.png]]></title>
            <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
                          <field_image>
                <item>
                  <fid>261177</fid>
                  <filename><![CDATA[Ajay-Patel-Headshot_web.png]]></filename>
                  <filepath><![CDATA[/sites/default/files/2025/06/26/Ajay-Patel-Headshot_web.png]]></filepath>
                  <file_full_path><![CDATA[http://hg.gatech.edu//sites/default/files/2025/06/26/Ajay-Patel-Headshot_web.png]]></file_full_path>
                  <filemime>image/png</filemime>
                  <image_740><![CDATA[]]></image_740>
                  <image_alt><![CDATA[Ajay Patel headshot]]></image_alt>
                </item>
              </field_image>
            
                      </node>
        </nid>
      </item>
      </field_media>
  <field_contact_email>
    <item>
      <email><![CDATA[india.maul@gatech.edu]]></email>
    </item>
  </field_contact_email>
  <field_location>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_location>
  <field_contact>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[<p>India Maul<br>Communications Program Manager<br>Institute Communications&nbsp;<br>Georgia Institute of Technology&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_contact>
  <field_sidebar>
    <item>
      <value><![CDATA[]]></value>
    </item>
  </field_sidebar>
  <field_boilerplate>
    <item>
      <nid><![CDATA[]]></nid>
    </item>
  </field_boilerplate>
  <!--  TO DO: correct to not conflate categories and news room topics  -->
  <!--  Disquisition: it's funny how I write these TODOs and then never
         revisit them. It's as though the act of writing the thing down frees me
         from the responsibility to actually solve the problem. But what can I
         say? There are more problems than there's time to solve.  -->
  <links_related> </links_related>
  <files> </files>
  <og_groups>
          <item>64319</item>
          <item>220261</item>
          <item>660359</item>
      </og_groups>
  <og_groups_both>
      </og_groups_both>
  <field_categories>
      </field_categories>
  <core_research_areas>
      </core_research_areas>
  <field_news_room_topics>
      </field_news_room_topics>
  <links_related>
      </links_related>
  <files>
      </files>
  <og_groups>
          <item>64319</item>
          <item>220261</item>
          <item>660359</item>
      </og_groups>
  <og_groups_both>
          <item><![CDATA[Administration and Finance]]></item>
          <item><![CDATA[Finance and Planning]]></item>
          <item><![CDATA[Procurement and Business Services]]></item>
      </og_groups_both>
  <field_keywords>
          <item>
        <tid>190701</tid>
        <value><![CDATA[Ajay Patel]]></value>
      </item>
      </field_keywords>
  <field_userdata><![CDATA[]]></field_userdata>
</node>
