Marks & Spencer’s Head of Sustainable Business meets North Wales Business Leaders

Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business at Marks and Spencer met with business leaders from North Wales on 18 June at a Business in the Community event to highlight the importance of integrating responsible business into the supply chain.

Providing an insight into the company’s groundbreaking Plan A, a 100 point five year plan to address a wide range of environmental and social issues, the event at the St David’s Park Hotel, Ewloe was chaired by Jim Davies, Packaging & Procurement B&I, Cadbury and Chair of Business in the Community’s North Wales Business Leadership Team.

Owen Evans, Director, Business in the Community Wales said: “A better integration of corporate responsibility into companies' sourcing policies and procurement processes can lead to significant advantages to business as a way to manage more effectively any risk that might arise in the supply chain. 

“It is a clear mechanism to drive the values of your business, or of your customers through your supply chain and can create new opportunities in terms of savings, innovation, and supplier relations management, amongst others.

Procurement, particularly public sector procurement, is increasingly demanding that suppliers can fulfil exacting community benefits as part of the supply of their goods and services. Whether firms are large or small, not having a CSR policy that involves your suppliers may well have a significant impact on your success in succeeding in future tenders.”