Sourcing Specialist at Arena Online Ltd (2021-01 – Present)
- Managed direct procurement of horticultural and home décor products from manufacturers across China, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam including ceramic and metal pots, fiber stone and fiber clay pots, baskets, wooden stands, gardening tools, glass vases, gift packaging, and seasonal decorations
- Developed and maintained supplier relationships with manufacturers and distributors across Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and Germany to source high quality products and negotiate competitive pricing
- Sourced and procured gifting products including beverages, chocolates, biscuits and premium seasonal gift items in line with customer demand and business objectives
- Managed sourcing and purchasing of packaging materials including plastic sleeves, carton boxes, ribbons and adhesive tapes, ensuring cost efficiency and supply continuity
- Led the development and launch of a new Garden Range in collaboration with a major online retail partner, supporting product selection, supplier coordination and range expansion
- Coordinated import operations from Far East and European suppliers, overseeing shipping schedules, delivery tracking, customs documentation and electronic record management to ensure compliance with legislative and audit requirements
- Monitored inventory levels and implemented effective stock replenishment processes to maintain optimal stock availability and support business operations
- Reconciled, verified and approved supplier invoices, resolving discrepancies and negotiating claims where necessary to ensure accurate financial processing and cost control
Senior Buyer at Jason Plastics Ltd (2018-08 – 2020-12)
Key Leader in product sourcing and all supply chain management. Responsible for all company buying and procurement for the trading division. From range planning, supplier sourcing, product costing, pricing, product development, logistics, stock and storage planning to customer deliveries. Working very closely with all suppliers to establish a tight and excellent relationship. Monitor supplier developments and manufacturing process, identify potential suppliers, up to date with the latest trends and technologies, continuously implementing improvements. Accountable for Profit Margin, on time deliveries and quality control. Ensure high level of accuracy to obtain the most cost effective products. Demonstrate the highest level of attention to detail in product specification.
Products range: plastic bags, duffle bags, industrial film, kraft paper bags, lux paper bags, PPNW bags, cotton bags, gift boxes and carton boxes
Managing Director at B&W Best of Asia Ltd (2015-06 – 2018-07)
Established an international trading company that imports decorative hand-made home-ware products including horticultural ceramic, basket, metal and material products that is supplied to wholesalers and sold to leading retailers NEXT and Tesco. Capitalising on expertise in design and new product development and involved in product inspections. Fully accountable for managing all aspects of the business including finances and marketing
Senior Buyer at Butters Group (2011-10 – 2015-04)
Core role to control the procurement and supply chain for a horticultural company with an annual spend of £5 million across containers and packaging.
- Fully accountable for managing the team tasked with overseeing packaging for all products including labelling; ensuring they complied with standards and regulations
- Cultivated strong working relationships with suppliers in the Far East and Europe which included managing trading terms and conditions
- Proactively identified and sourced new products; ensuring adherence with the strategic objectives of the business
- Took full control for leading negotiations, product engineering, order placement, product specifications, technical process and quality management for all products
- Maintained a lead role for ensuring the company strategy was upheld for the factory sourcing across all products
- Fully accountable for directing and supervising a team of five
- Instrumental in maintaining the supplier portfolio and ensuring suppliers complied with the technical, ETI and other ethical audit standards, in addition to serving as the Auditor for ethical standards with a responsibility to undertake ETI audits in factories
- Monitored all factories and ensured they adhered with SEDEX whilst also upholding the needs of the customer
- Partnered directly with the development team to decide on the direction of procurement and technical options in order to improve packaging efficiency and hardware quality
- Demonstrated expertise in controlling the critical path to ensure orders were placed in time for production and oversaw all stages of the project lifecycle from new business development through to purchasing
- Worked closely with the operations team who maintained overall accountability for stock; ensuring stringent stock management and control, and reported on residual stock levels and values
- Monitoring all packaging; ensuring all purchases complied with the company strategy which included undertaking tenders and facilitating rationalisation across all ranges
- Undertook a detailed review of quality and supply issues, and resolved any claims from suppliers
- Directed the inflow of materials; ensuring they met with sales forecasts and operational lead times
- Worked closely with the Purchasing Director to keep them updated with all issues that might affect the business
- Personally accountable for establishing and executing quality standards in which suppliers must adhere to
- Directly accountable for contributing £200,000 annually in profit as a result of developing strong business relationships with suppliers and negotiating a competitive price
Chief Executive at V-Flora (UK) Ltd (2010-03 – 2011-10)
Initially joined the company as a Financial and Administration Manager before being appointed as Chief Executive of the company once the owners had returned to Taiwan, and requested to manage operations on their behalf but continued to specialise in overseeing sales and the promotion of products
- Directed a number of key business functions which included marketing, human resource management, embedding daily processes to maximise staff efficiency, leading recruitment and selection initiatives and boosting staff morale and development; which further promoted a positive working environment
- Oversaw all purchasing to ensure efficient stock control and coordinated production with sales
Financial and Administration Manager at V-Flora (UK) Ltd (2008-09 – 2010-02)
- Took full ownership for the daily bookings, purchases and sales ledgers, prepared financial reports and cost analysis
- Cultivated and strengthened relationships with the production line and utilised fluency in English and Mandarin
