Ian Scott
Board Member
Ian Scott joined Mulberry five years ago as Supply Director for the highly successful Luxury Leather goods brand. He is responsible for the technical development, quality, external sourcing of raw materials and finished goods, and the production at Mulberry’s UK factory.
The company has a large factory in Somerset and sources items from a select number of partners overseas where they also have established Mulberry offices.
Three years ago Ian was instrumental in establishing a new and innovative Apprenticeship training partnership brokered between Bridgwater College and Mulberry by the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles, Skillfast-UK. This new Leather Goods Manufacturing Apprenticeship allows Mulberry to train its Apprentices in the workplace using the company's own expert employees, materials, equipment and techniques that employees utilize every day. Then half a day each week is spent with lecturers from Bridgwater College in an on-site classroom.
Ian is a regular on the SWMAS speaker circuit, his most recent talk in Exeter at the ‘Manufacturing: Managing the Future’ event discussed Mulberry’s innovative Apprenticeship scheme and the need to train more young people in the manufacturing sector.
He is passionate that businesses should be ethical and have a strong sense of corporate social responsibility. He was instrumental in producing Mulberry’s written code entitled 'Mulberry Global Sourcing Principles' that ensures that all of its partners and suppliers share its philosophy and operate in an ethical way.
The Mulberry UK factory has undergone a major change in the way it operates over the last three years, Ian implemented Lean manufacturing across the site and established a successful apprenticeship program to grow skills in the workforce to secure the long term skills required.
Prior to joining Mulberry, Ian worked for Marks and Spencer for 17 years where he started in commercial store management before working through the buying teams to become Head of Technology and procurement for the Womenswear business.
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