Andy Neilson FCIPS FCILT – Procurement, Supply Chain & Commercial consultancy | Training and skills development | Mentor
A professionally qualified and award-winning procurement and supply chain executive who has delivered business transformational change programmes for globally reaching organisations. I have taken my many years of corporate experience into providing expertise to clients / businesses of any size with end-to-end commercial, sourcing, procurement, supply chain and logistics solutions.
Q1. Did you always want to become a consultant or did you fall into the role?
I always had something like this in the back of my mind but never had the guts or belief to do it until ironically, health issues ultimately saw me moving into this field.
Q2. What makes a good consultant?
Somebody that has been there and done it, you need to have the knowledge and understanding of the why and the how as well as the what. I personally feel that experience and insight is 100% necessary to provide any client with the sustainable solutions they are seeking to achieve and the value they are needing to realise.
Q3. Do you feel you manage yourself well or is it a case of ‘the cobbler’s shoes’?
For a bloke, I feel I am pretty well organised, my day and week are structured to suit both the clients and my own needs, I do think I am more or less in a good place.
Q4. Are there enough hours in your day?
80% of the time yes, whilst at times there is the necessity to work additional hours, it is still about balancing that against taken time out for myself.
Q5. If you could magically stop your clients from making one mistake – what would that be?
Assuming that every problem requires a complicated and convoluted solution, it doesn’t, in my field specifically its about common sense and relationships in addition to basic structure. Simple is 99% of times the best solution.
Q6. What do you find is the best way to market yourself?
I am not sure I have found it yet, I use LinkedIn extensively but thankfully the vast majority of my work is from my network and recommendations / word of mouth.
Q7. What do you do to unwind?
I always try to ensure that I build time in my week for my mindfulness activities so I play golf with my wife, I build plastic model kits, I have recently developed an interest in gardening and when Covid rules allow I will go back to my love of attending concerts, Green Day, The Skids, Offspring, James, SLF, Undertones, Therapy, Evanescence, Gary Numan and Foreigner are all planned over the next 12 months or so.
Q8. What advice would you give a starting consultant?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, its a lonely place at times and the imposter syndrome can makes frequent appearances sadly, stay humble and grateful.
Q9. What’s your guilty pleasure?
I have developed a parchment for European Crime drama on TV, no idea why but I am a big fan of “Walter Presents”.
Q10. What’s your goal for next year?
Work / business is currently very healthy, I am extremely grateful for all of the support and friendship I have received over the last 3 1/2 years, all I really want to do next year is more of the same.