Duncan Kendal

Helping the management team to deliver excellent service as they scale.

Appointed to provide strategic supply chain and commercial expertise to the board of NHS Supply Chain, a £2 billion operation supplying 600,000 products to NHS trusts. - Serve as a lead member of the Performance Committee, ensuring that the organisation’s operational strategy aligns with its ambitious goal of achieving £1 billion in savings by 2030. -Mentor senior leaders, focusing on governance, operational excellence, and strategic challenge, to drive high standards in patient care while optimising cost-effectiveness.

Oversaw supply chain operations, including inventory management, distribution, transport, and property functions, across a £2.5 billion plumbing and heating merchanting business with a presence in the UK and Ireland. - Achieved a £15 million reduction in operating costs by redesigning the distribution network, while improving service levels and increasing colleague engagement, receiving recognition from CILT and ROSPA in 2023. - Played a key role in the executive team during the company’s sale to private equity, managing seamless integration of acquired businesses and bringing third-party logistics services in-house to improve control and cost efficiency. - Led the development and implementation of a new demand and supply planning system, boosting efficiency and accuracy in meeting customer demand.

Directed all supply chain functions for Wickes, a £1.7 billion home improvement retailer, managing a team of 1,000 and overseeing a £80 million budget to support 230 stores and national home delivery operations. - As part of the executive leadership team, contributed to a business turnaround, doubling trading profit within four years and positioning Wickes for market listing. - Achieved a £10 million cost reduction through network redesign and strategic process improvements, raising service levels from 90% to over 98% and enhancing customer fulfilment. - Led the multi-channel development of Wickes’ click-and-collect services and home delivery infrastructure, including award-winning innovations in customer communications and fulfilment that earned Retail Week Supply Chain and CILT Innovation awards in 2015.

Directed Amazon UK’s supply chain and transportation strategy, overseeing fulfilment and final-mile delivery for a rapidly growing e-commerce platform with annual UK revenues exceeding £10 billion. - Responsible for managing over £500 million in carrier spend and ensuring cost-effective, high-quality customer delivery experiences, especially during peak trading seasons. - Developed and implemented foundational elements of Amazon Logistics, including the Amazon Locker and Collect+ solutions, which are now standard across Amazon’s global network. - Coordinated Amazon’s operational response to the London Olympics, ensuring seamless logistics and timely fulfilment during an exceptionally high-demand period.

As Head of Multi-Channel Strategy, led a £100 million capital investment programme to unify Argos’s multi-channel retail approach, integrating online, in-store, and home delivery channels. - Awarded “Multichannel Retailer of the Year” at the 2011 Retail Week Awards for leadership in driving innovative solutions in e-commerce and fulfilment.

As Head of Supply Operations, developed and executed supply chain strategy for a £4.5 billion retail operation, ensuring best-in-class performance across metrics like product availability, inventory efficiency, and lead-time reduction. - Managed fulfilment for over 30,000 SKUs through a network of 15 distribution centres, consolidating store delivery and customer fulfilment functions into a single, high-performing team.

Responsible for the supply chain performance across the £1bn Argos Direct business, managing the trade-off between great service and low inventory levels. Also responsible for the development of a supplier development programme across the 'top 20' domestic suppliers.

Progressed from Graduate Trainee to Supply Chain Controller at Entertainment UK, a division of Woolworths, responsible for managing supply chain operations across multiple retail formats. - Delivered strategic improvements in supply chain efficiency and inventory management, providing operational insights that supported company-wide objectives across the group’s retail brands, including B&Q and Superdrug.