Katie Ferrier

Role at Achilles

As Regional Director, UK, Ireland, US and Canada, Katie is focussed on delivering against our commitments and driving value for customers.

Accountable for transforming the customer focus of the business and developing relationships across buyer and supplier networks, Katie and her team collaborate with customers and internal teams to ensure we deliver quality products and services for customers through detailed business and technical testing.

Lessons from the past

Katie has been working in major project delivery, transformation and procurement for over 15 years. Starting her career at BAE Systems then Network Rail, Katie held a number of roles including Head of Supplier Engagement, and Senior Programme Manager for Electrification, when she was accountable for over £500 million of capital projects.

This experience means Katie is well placed to put herself in the shoes of the customer. Time spent as a buyer, with suppliers means that she can empathise with the challenges and opportunities they face, and thus how Achilles can deliver value and efficiency. In 2011, Katie won Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply – Supply Management Awards – People Development Award 2011, and she has been a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply since 2006.

Katie regularly speaks at events on diversity and inclusion and supply chain collaboration. In terms of her philosophy of business she comments, “I think it’s important to promote a culture of collaborative working and embrace diversity of thought, because I believe this does enable innovation to thrive.”

Away from work

Katie has a busy life outside work, renovating her house in a village in Northamptonshire.  She is a primary school governor, with her project management skills coming in useful in a recent Ofsted inspection!  Since her time at Network Rail, Katie has been involved with the charity Railway Children, and in the past has been able to combine this with her passion for rugby, organising charity matches and dinners.  When she’s not ferrying children around, Katie is a keen tennis player and loves watching rugby – whether locally or at Twickenham.