Under Cummings, NSPA became a €10 bn procurement platform, pairing multinational scale with a wider industrial mandate and stronger internal controls.
“Have a direction that you want to head, make deliberate decisions to get you there, but realise that your goal will shift, and that’s okay,” said Stacy Cummings, General Manager of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. The advice distils the leadership method she says guided her five-year mandate, which is to define the destination, then build enough organisational depth to adapt when circumstances change. It also offers a human entry point into a tenure otherwise measured in billions of euros, multinational programmes and a rapidly expanded institutional remit.
Cummings leaves NSPA on 31 August, days after Luxembourg awarded her the grade of Commander in the Order of the Oak Crown for her leadership, service and contribution to the partnerships built during her mandate. She leaves an agency whose remit now includes multinational acquisition alongside its longstanding logistics and support functions.
A five-year strategic shift
Cummings arrived in September 2021 as NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Covid-19 pandemic were testing the Agency’s people and purpose; Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a major earthquake response and the accession of Finland and Sweden followed. Before the largest of those demands materialised, she brought NSPA’s leadership together to develop a strategic framework covering resources, process optimisation, workforce support and priority technologies. “We had thought about what the future might look like and that helped us when those external forces took over,” said Cummings.
The numbers indicate how much that preparation was tested. NSPA’s 2025 annual report records approximately €10 bn in annual business turnover, which translates to 57% above forecast, while Cummings expects at least €11.5 bn in 2026, up from the €3.2 bn at the beginning of her mandate. With staffing unable to grow at the same rate, she pushed authority towards those colleagues holding the relevant information. “We never would have been able to accomplish this significant growth if we didn’t create more of a spirit of empowerment, trust and delegation,” said Cummings.
Procurement matters
NSPA’s role has changed substantially since its predecessor was established in 1958 and relocated to Luxembourg a decade later. The present agency emerged from NATO reforms in 2012, with “Procurement” added to its name in 2015. It now carries out procurement, logistics and lifecycle-support work commissioned by NATO members and partners.
What changed during Cummings’ mandate was the scope of the assignment. The organization now includes framework agreements with combined ceilings of roughly €70 bn, multi-year capacity, not annual expenditure, and created a Directorate of Acquisition Programmes to help nations move from common requirements through design, acquisition, support and eventual retirement. NATO’s new Strategy for Industry-NATO Cooperation now formally identifies NSPA as the Alliance’s lead organisation for multinational acquisition, support and sustainment. “It was our aspiration to be that, and now having that recognition in this document is fantastic for the team,” said Cummings.
Announcements from Ankara
The July 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara offered the clearest public display of that expanded role. Among the NSPA-linked announcements, Finland, France and Sweden joined NATO Flight Training Europe, bringing the initiative to 20 nations and a network of 16 campuses across eight countries; Finland also became the ninth participant in the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet. The Luxembourg and Estonia led IT Coalition is an example of NSPA converting a coalition’s shared commitment into coordinated delivery. “The Summit demonstrated the diversity of programmes that we’re working on and the value of multinational partnerships,” said Cummings.
The more experimental announcement was the NATO Engine, an NSPA managed pilot designed to connect non-traditional technology suppliers with manufacturers able to scale their products. NSPA reported more than 840 companies and over 100 active opportunities at launch, with the pilot scheduled to run until December 2027 before NATO’s armaments directors evaluate it in 2028. The proposition addresses the difficult passage between invention and repeatable production, what technology investors often call the “valley of death.” “It is certainly the first time I’ve seen a public-sector platform bring together innovation and manufacturing, and I’m really proud of the team for responding so quickly,” said Cummings.
Scale demands scrutiny
As NSPA’s responsibilities increased, the Agency strengthened the systems supporting accountability and responsible management. This included stronger internal control framework, expanded ethics and integrity training, greater investment in quality and compliance, and closer cooperation with national authorities.
These measures were designed to ensure that institutional safeguards developed alongside the Agency’s growing workload. They also reinforced the importance of transparency and careful stewardship of Allied resources. “Every nation should be able to trust that every euro it spends here is spent deliberately and to the maximum value,” said Cummings.
Turning the page
Luxembourg’s Oak Crown distinction placed that institutional record in a personal frame. Official accounts credit Cummings with strengthening NSPA’s logistical and procurement capabilities, while the Grand Ducal Court has previously highlighted cooperation between the Agency and Luxembourg in aviation, medical support, cyber and space, and a first Luxembourg event dedicated to autonomous and uncrewed systems is planned for 24 November. “This country has exceeded my expectations in every way, with the access to decision-makers, the generosity of Luxembourg as a host nation and the investment in our infrastructure and workforce,” said Cummings.
As the five-year mandate draws to a close, NSPA enters its next chapter after a period of organisational change and increased activity. The experience also offers a broader lesson about the value of building a career through varied roles and responsibilities. “If you take the time to move laterally, learn new skills, diversify your background and experience different things, you’ll be a more well-rounded candidate when your dream job comes up,” said Cummings.
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