Ruyman Gallardo Armas has over 20 years in procurement and 10 years in aviation under his belt. As a result, performance, safety, and accountability are paramount to everything he does. After several varied years with big organisations like Honeywell and Accenture, Gallardo moved into aviation in 2016. He took over procurement at International Airlines Group where he focused on procurement strategy, creating and maintaining operational excellence, and team development through leadership.
Gallardo later joined Qatar Airways for four years as Vice President of Procurement and Business Development, before becoming Vice President Supply Chain Management at Saudi Airlines. In this most recent role, Gallardo applied his broad expertise to establish strong vendor relationships across more than 500 global strategic suppliers, improve service levels by 25%, reduce lead times by 30%, and – vitally – develop contingency frameworks for mitigating supply chain volatility.
“Throughout this journey, I have maintained a very clear position: that supply chain is a core operational pillar,” Gallardo explains. This is particularly true for the aviation industry. “In aviation, you don’t manage supply chain for efficiency alone. Instead, you manage it to protect operations, safety, and ultimately, the airline’s credibility.”
A results-driven mindset
One of the vital ingredients of Gallardo’s approach to both supply chain and aviation is knowledge and wisdom gained from his previous consulting work. It shaped the way he approaches complexity and performance, and created a structured way of thinking. Most importantly, it reinforced a results-driven mindset.
“Aviation doesn’t reward theory – it rewards execution,” Gallardo explains. “It’s about the ability to break down complex problems, prioritise actions, and deliver measurable outcomes. That’s critical, particularly in high-pressure moments like supply disruptions.”
Continuous exposure to the industry has kept that curious, information-hungry part of Gallardo alert. It means he retains visibility on what peers and suppliers are doing globally. On the procurement side, this translates into building organisations that are driven by data, but not paralysed by it.
“Data must support decisions, not delay them,” says Gallardo. “The best organisations consistently deliver between 5% and 10% annual value improvement through disciplined category management and supplier strategy. At the same time, one of the key lessons is that processes create consistency, but people create performance. No matter what, without capable teams, even the best-designed systems will fail to deliver results.”
Aviation supply chain and its constraints
Supply chain in aviation is extremely specific and complex. Constraints within this industry are unique, and safety has to be at the foundation of every decision. There is no tolerance for error, because errors put people at risk. This means that visibility is a necessity, not just an option. Every component must be fully traceable, and every supplier has to meet strict certification requirements.
“This significantly limits flexibility and increases the importance of disciplined execution,” says Gallardo. “It’s also important to note that the cost of failure is exceptionally high. An ‘Aircraft on Ground’ situation can cost between $50,000 and $150,000 a day. That in itself can also create operational disruption, not to mention reputational risk. It’s why procurement in aviation has to be operational and strategic.”