David Kendall

Background and Overview:

My specialism is procurement, with a focus on operating costs and overheads - essentially all expenses required to run a business, excluding resale product and raw materials.

I qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC before taking senior roles within a global manufacturer and distributor. Since moving into procurement consultancy in 2011, I have led more than 100 cost transformation and turnaround projects, working with organisations ranging from FTSE-listed groups to SMEs. In many cases, operating costs determine the difference between profit and loss, and ultimately between survival and failure.

I employ an in-house support team and have the capacity to scale projects at speed - from specific cost categories such as carriage and logistics, through to full P&L-wide operating costs. I do not position myself as an adviser but as a delivery specialist: my role is to identify opportunities, implement recommendations directly, and track the impact and results.

Much of my work is delivered under white-label arrangements. I support portfolio procurement for some of the largest private equity firms and am regularly engaged by leading transformation consultancies, from boutique specialists to the Big 4.

Whilst cost efficiency is always a priority, my approach looks at the full procurement cycle: working capital and payment terms, carbon footprint, supplier performance, and KPIs. Operating costs, particularly vendor-side, are fast-moving and influenced by global economic conditions. I maintain strong board-level relationships across supply chain and key sectors, giving me early visibility of capacity, challenges, and opportunities – insights and leverage that I bring directly to my client companies.