James Whittle

Fiat Punto

1984 - George Orwell

The Wild Geese

Andalucia

Ian Harnett

First car:

Recommended book:

Favourite movie:

Go to holiday:

Best boss:

Engagement Model Offered

NED; Fractional; Advisory

Suited to Organisational Types

Scale-ups; SME; Corporate

James is a global procurement and supplier quality leader with 35 years of experience across automotive, transportation and corporate strategy, including Jaguar Land Rover. He specialises in procurement, commercial strategy, negotiation and cost reduction, helping organisations improve margins and identify new opportunities for growth.

He brings sales and procurement teams together to achieve better commercial outcomes, combining strategic thinking with strong negotiation expertise and inspirational leadership. His experience spans large global organisations and SMEs, from delivering significant cost savings to helping businesses diversify and grow revenue.

James’s Arena

  • Automotive, Transportation & Corporate Strategy.

  • Technical Focus: Global Procurement, Supplier Quality, Commercial Strategy, Cost Reduction, Negotiation.

  • Function Expertise: Procurement Leadership, Sales & Procurement Alignment, Supplier Management, Business Growth, Commercial Transformation.

Superpowers

  • Aligns sales and procurement teams to achieve stronger commercial outcomes.

  • Develops effective negotiation strategies that improve margins and deliver value.

  • Drives cost reduction across complex, global organisations.

  • Identifies opportunities for business growth through customer and industry diversification.

Impact in Action

  • Led a global, cross-functional cost reduction programme delivering £300m in annual savings over two years (2021–2023)

  • Supported a German premium automotive OEM with cost reduction through negotiation training and expert advice (2025)

  • Helped an SME achieve 50% revenue growth through customer and industry diversification (2024–2026)

Working Style

  • Honest, open and fun

  • Brings people together around shared goals.

  • Combines commercial rigour with an engaging leadership style.

  • Focuses on practical solutions that deliver measurable business results.

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