Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Custom
Timeline
ProjectManager

Sally Pilling

Brough,East Riding Of Yorkshire

Summary

Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in supply chain management, procurement & vendor negotiation, and project & programme management. Proven track record in process optimisation & lean methodology, product lifecycle & new product introduction (NPI), and KPI reporting & performance metrics. Adept at financial management & budgeting, strategic planning & business continuity, and leadership & people management. Demonstrates thorough knowledge of regulatory compliance including GDP, GMP, ISO 13485, ISO 9001, HTA, MDR, and IVDR. Committed to driving operational excellence and achieving organisational goals through innovative strategies and effective team collaboration.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Procurement & Supply Chain Lead

Sapphiros
Cambridge UK, Hove UK, Boston US
09.2023 - Current
  • Company Overview: Sapphiros is a group of five non-revenue-generating, early stage IVD companies developing innovative diagnostics
  • Guided a team of 4, managing materials from 200 suppliers across seven projects, transitioning from development to clinical trial manufacturing at four sites in the UK/US.
  • Reduced material costs by 50% and enhanced manufacturability for three clinical trial products.
  • Formulated a sourcing strategy for development through clinical trials to launch, handling cost, capacity, and tooling, ensuring a strong foundation for our future operations.
  • Fostered data-driven decision-making and improved reporting clarity, securing an analyst role within the organisation
  • Spearheaded development of tools and processes, including S&OP, COGs, BOMs, spend control and design stability.

Director of UK Supply

Instil Bio
Manchester UK
05.2022 - 03.2023
  • Company Overview: Instil Bio is a non-revenue generating clinical-stage biopharma company specialising in ATMP (TIL) T-cell therapy
  • Directed a team of 7, with members responsible for a specific aspect of the supply chain strategy and execution across sites, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient approach.
  • Optimised inventory management, reducing on-hand inventory by 12%, identifying a further 27% reduction next year
  • Addressed SAP design gaps, enhancing material transfers between the UK and US, reducing overproduction and scrap by 30%
  • Improved compliance and decision-making across teams, implementing processes and upskilling to drive data-driven decisions for S&OP and financial controls
  • Instil Bio is a non-revenue generating clinical-stage biopharma company specialising in ATMP (TIL) T-cell therapy.

GSC Director PMO & Strategy

Smith & Nephew AWM
Hull, UK
01.2018 - 04.2022
  • Company Overview: A FTSE 100 medical device company
  • Led a $22M inventory build and deployment during Brexit to safeguard $120M in monthly sales
  • Within a tight deadline, I built a $7M global supply chain in 5 weeks for the UK government´s COVID-19 ventilator response, demonstrating my ability to quickly adapt and solve complex problems.
  • Directed international teams of up to 40 members in lean methodology process improvements, enhancing fleet utilisation by 7% and preventing £9M in capital expenditure.
  • Embracing a comprehensive approach, I collaborated with Commercial, Operations, Regulatory, and Finance disciplines to develop and maintain manufacturing strategies that balance total supply costs with supply continuity risk, showcasing the depth of our teamwork.
  • A FTSE 100 medical device company

Supply Operations Director

Smith & Nephew (AWM)
Hull, UK
07.2017 - 12.2017
  • Oversaw a 34-person global logistics, supply, and network planning team
  • Handled a $300M global supply chain budget, improving inventory levels and achieving 97% OTIF
  • Introduced a successful training programme that significantly enhanced supply efficiency, elevated team skill levels, and fostered cross-team engagement following restructuring
  • Delegated US and UK global distribution centre management to network planning leaders as part of team development

Planning Director

Smith & Nephew AWM
Hull, UK
04.2016 - 07.2017
  • Supervised a 17-person team in supply planning across 50+ manufacturing sites, retaining accountability for the GDC logistics team
  • Handled $90M inventory, ensuring on-time delivery for $1.2B in sales
  • Revitalized S&OP processes, significantly enhancing demand analysis, capacity planning, and lifecycle management
  • Administered 45-person departmental restructuring and consultation process, improving operational efficiencies while ensuring UK/US legal compliance

Director of Global Logistics & Projects

Smith & Nephew
Hull, UK
07.2015 - 04.2016
  • Established and monitored key performance indicators for logistics and project specialists, gauging organisational success in the Global and Regional Distribution Centres (GDCs & RDC) and project portfolio.
  • Managed distribution for $1.2B in sales, improving OTIF performance across multiple centres.
  • Renegotiated 3PL contracts, achieving 98% OTIF in GDCs and 88% in EMEA RDC
  • Completed SAP implementation for regional warehouse alongside AIDC and cold chain system enhancements, improving operational efficiency and compliance.

Operations NPI Programme Manager

S&N AWM
Hul, UK
01.2012 - 07.2015

Product Development Manager

Smith & Nephew, Wound Management
Hull, UK
01.2010 - 12.2012

Contract Project Manager

Self-Employed
01.2007 - 12.2009

New Product Development Project Management

Smith & Nephew, Wound Management
Hull, UK
01.1998 - 09.2006

Education

Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Microbiology

Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh
09.1994 - 07.1997

Skills

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Procurement & Vendor Negotiation
  • Project & Programme Management
  • Process Optimisation & Lean Methodology
  • Product Lifecycle & New Product Introduction (NPI)
  • KPI Reporting & Performance Metrics
  • Financial Management & Budgeting
  • Strategic Planning & Business Continuity
  • Leadership & People Management
  • Regulatory Compliance (GDP, GMP, ISO 13485, ISO 9001, HTA, MDR, IVDR)

Custom

Additional Accomplishments 

  • Launched 65 SKUs across five global brands, securing $14M capital and implementing 36 new assets, significantly contributing to the company's growth.
  • Developed and executed New Product Introduction strategies, which involved meticulous planning and coordination, increasing capacity by up to 200% and reducing COGs by 8% across key products, enhancing the company's profitability.
  • Secured C-suite approval for a $32M global manufacturing strategy for ALLEVYN, a project that involved extensive planning, coordination, and negotiation to enhance the company's manufacturing capabilities.
  • Lean Six Sigma - Green Belt, 2021, IOSH Managing Safely, 2014

Timeline

Procurement & Supply Chain Lead

Sapphiros
09.2023 - Current

Director of UK Supply

Instil Bio
05.2022 - 03.2023

GSC Director PMO & Strategy

Smith & Nephew AWM
01.2018 - 04.2022

Supply Operations Director

Smith & Nephew (AWM)
07.2017 - 12.2017

Planning Director

Smith & Nephew AWM
04.2016 - 07.2017

Director of Global Logistics & Projects

Smith & Nephew
07.2015 - 04.2016

Operations NPI Programme Manager

S&N AWM
01.2012 - 07.2015

Product Development Manager

Smith & Nephew, Wound Management
01.2010 - 12.2012

Contract Project Manager

Self-Employed
01.2007 - 12.2009

New Product Development Project Management

Smith & Nephew, Wound Management
01.1998 - 09.2006

Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Microbiology

Heriot-Watt University
09.1994 - 07.1997
Sally Pilling