PROCUREMENT ADVISER, KPMG, 31

While working in the procurement team at Carlsberg, Richard Berry picked up a qualification not held by many buyers. He became the first non-production member of staff to be awarded a certificate from the Institute of Guild and Brewing.

He says the knowledge of brewing and packaging he gained strengthened his relationships with both production staff and suppliers. The qualification has also helped in Berry’s current role at KPMG, where his contribution made a bid for work with a global brewer much more credible.

Berry began his career at the Department for Work and Pensions, before joining Land Rover in after-sales parts procurement. Following roles at Carlsberg, where he implemented a category management strategy, he joined Premier Foods, where he developed a standard process for managing compensation claims against suppliers that has been developed across the company.

Now an adviser at KPMG, Berry also co-leads on procurement knowledge management and has developed a searchable web tool identifying category and sector experience of the procurement team.