Alex Winstanley
Group Head of Procurement @Brooks Macdonald
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WORK HISTORY
Group Head of Procurement @Brooks Macdonald
London, GB
Senior leader accountable for the group procurement strategy and operating model, driving commercial value, efficiency, governance, and capability uplift across the organisation. Responsible for positioning procurement as a strategic function aligned to enterprise objectives.Key Responsibilities- Ownership of Group-wide procurement strategy, policy, and governance - Leadership of end-to-end sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and supplier management activities with partnering into Legal and Operational Resilience functions- Centralisation and standardisation of procurement processes across the Group- Procurement input to M&A activity- Executive stakeholder engagement to align procurement priorities with business strategy - Implementation of procurement technology to enable scale, transparency, and control- Managing, developing, mentoring procurement managers and officersKey Achievements- Delivered 10.69%(£3.1m) reduction in supply base spend, materially strengthening long‑term commercial performance and financial discipline- Re‑engineered the procurement operating model, transitioning from fragmented, decentralised activity to a single, strategically aligned Group capability- Introduced structured category management, creating end‑to‑end visibility of spend, identifying supplier overlap, and enabling targeted supplier rationalisation and leverage- Modernised sourcing and contracting capability through the successful implementation of Workday Strategic Sourcing technology, enabling consistency, transparency, and scalable supplier lifecycle management- Strengthened governance and commercial assurance, improving compliance and control while accelerating sourcing cycle times and value realisation- Repositioned procurement as a strategic enabler, providing senior leadership with actionable insight to support confident decision‑making and sustainable value creation
EDUCATION
Sheffield Hallam University
2:1, International Business with German
The Berlin School of Economics and Law
International Business
University of Westminster
Italian
SKILLS
ABOUT ALEX WINSTANLEY
A commercially focused procurement leader with an extensive career spanning multiple industries and a wide variety of roles. Alex has a proven track record of delivering significant cost savings, strengthening supplier performance and driving enterprise‑wide value. Known for transforming procurement functions into strategic, insight‑led partners to the business, he combines deep operational understanding with a pragmatic approach to innovation, operational excellence, commercial efficiency and risk management. • Proven authority in procurement, programme, supplier and service management, business partnering, and third-party risk—renowned for building high-impact relationships, optimizing vendor ecosystems, and consistently delivering measurable cost savings and avoidance at scale. • Delivered multi million pounds worth of supply base savings across various roles including Group Head of Procurement, embedding stronger governance, efficiencies and a culture of commercial control. • Managed major programmes and functional budgets (£30m) at Marks & Spencer, spearheading initiatives that advanced sustainability, operational efficiency, and commercial growth. • Trusted leader in stakeholder and supplier engagement, with a strong track record managing complex relationships and negotiations across Technology, Cloud SaaS, Market Data, and Trading categories—frequently engaging and influencing C-level executives across global and national organisations. • Architect of transformational change, having shaped operating models, strategic roadmaps, and investment cases that have redefined internal operations, procurement and supplier management standards. • Authentic and collaborative leader known for turning vision into action, fostering high-performance cultures, and embedding a standard of excellence throughout organisations including Programme, Service, Business Partnering and Procurement teams Specialties-Procurement- Programme Management-People Leadership-Service Management -Business Partnering -Supplier Management and Outsourcing -Resource Management & Leading Functions -Budget Planning and Cost Management -Process Design and Improvement - Contract Management -Negotiation -Transformation -Communication -Supply Chain Optimization -Project Management -Solutions Management -RFI and RFP -Risk and Third Party Risk Management -Due Diligence -Delivery Methodologies, Waterfall, SAFE, Agile
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