Amey Fairbrother

Amey Fairbrother stands out in the procurement profession as someone who didn't simply "fall into" the field—a common refrain amongst many procurement executives. Instead, her path to becoming Head of Procurement at Parkdean Resorts was driven by a genuine passion discovered during her university years.

"After doing a work placement in my second year at University at Boots head office, I experienced procurement firsthand and I saw the variety this job can bring, with all the cross stakeholder engagement and the difference that procurement can bring to a business," Amey explains. This early exposure to procurement's potential impact shaped her career trajectory from the outset.

Building expertise across hospitality

Amey's career began in the pub industry, where she worked for two pub groups: first at Orchid Pubs and Dining, which operated 173 pubs at the time, and later at Mitchells and Butlers following Orchid's acquisition by Mitchells and Butlers. These roles provided her with comprehensive experience across both direct and indirect procurement categories within the hospitality sector.

A brief detour into global manufacturing at WestRock, where she served as European category manager covering indirect areas across the UK and Europe, broadened her perspective on international procurement challenges. However, her heart remained in hospitality.

"After a couple of years I knew that my enjoyment was in hospitality and where procurement makes a difference to the end consumer," she reflects. "I love the idea of making a difference to a customer where they've taken a week's holiday, I've impacted the holiday home that they've gone to stay in, the ice cream that they're eating and the enjoyment they're getting out of their experience."

The Parkdean challenge

For the past seven years, Amey has been with Parkdean Resorts, becoming the Head of Procurement three years ago. The company presents unique challenges compared with typical procurement environments—managing what Amey describes as "65 small towns" across the UK.

"We could be discussing a spec of a lodge in the morning, talking about new uniform opportunities  in the afternoon and menu opportunities  the following day," Amey notes.

The breadth of categories include food and drink, holiday homes and infrastructure—each requiring different approaches and expertise levels.

Strategic transformation

Under Amey's leadership, the procurement function has undergone significant transformation. One of her major achievements has been incorporating supply chain management into the overall procurement team structure, enhancing the organisation's capabilities. 

"It allowed us to cover in depth the full procurement cycle rather than just elements of it, and we managed the risk and those highly volatile market conditions that we've seen prominently in the last four years," she explains.

Amey has also focused on elevating the team's strategic impact through technology implementation, including a supplier onboarding system to manage due diligence across over 2,000 suppliers and a procurement help desk.

The seasonal nature of Parkdean's business creates distinctive procurement challenges that Amey and her team must navigate. "I've not worked in a business that shuts its doors for four months of the year and has a supply chain that equally has to then flex within that," she explains.

Limited supply chain opportunities and the sheer breadth of categories requires careful risk management and strategic planning. Amey addresses these challenges by devolving responsibility to category experts within her team whilst maintaining oversight through regular communication.

Customer-centric approach

A key principle that has guided Amey throughout her career is the importance of understanding internal customers. Drawing from her early experience as a food buyer, she advocates for hands-on engagement with stakeholders.

"I got hands-on, I put on chef whites, I spent time in the kitchen, I can't cook, but I spent time with my internal customer and listened and understood how their role is impacted by what I do," she recalls. This approach has become a cornerstone of how she develops her stakeholder relationships.

As Amey looks to the future, she acknowledges that "the only constant that I have is change, but the key to that change is having stability whilst moving forward." 

Her focus remains on building a platform that allows the procurement team to grow alongside the business strategy, particularly as Parkdean Resorts enters new phases of capital investment and product innovation.

To read the full story in the magazine, click HERE.