Chris Smith

Head of Supply Chain and Quality

Rugby, England, United Kingdom

About

I am an accomplished Supply Chain and Purchasing leader with 28 years of experience spanning automotive, EV, and hydrogen sectors. My career has taken me from Ford and Jaguar Land Rover to high-growth startups like Arrival, Hydrogen Vehicle Systems, and PoGo Charge, where I have consistently built teams, systems, and supplier networks from the ground up. With a unique blend of technical and commercial expertise, I thrive at the intersection of engineering and procurement—driving cost efficiencies, negotiating complex contracts, and creating global sourcing strategies that deliver results. From leading global commodity teams to managing cross-functional stakeholders at board level, I bring a proven ability to streamline processes, reduce costs, and deliver on ambitious growth plans. Highlights of my career include: • Establishing purchasing roadmaps and supply chains to support EV and hydrogen vehicle development. • Building and leading cross-functional teams across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. • Negotiating multimillion-dollar cost reductions and supplier agreements at Ford, JLR, and Valeo. • Delivering procurement infrastructure and strategies that enabled scale-up businesses to operate like OEMs. I am passionate about transforming supply chains to meet the challenges of electrification, sustainability, and globalisation—while fostering collaboration and innovation across organisations. 📍 Based in Rugby, UK | 🤝 Open to networking, collaborations, and industry conversations

Experience

  • RML Group (Wellingborough, England, United Kingdom · On-site)
    • Head of Supply Chain and Quality
      Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Head of Procurement
      Mar 2025 - Jan 2026 · 11 mos

  • Head of Purchasing and Supply Chain at OX Delivers
    Oct 2024 - Mar 2025 · 6 mos

  • Head of Supply Chain at PoGo Charge
    Jul 2024 - Oct 2024 · 4 mos

  • Head of Purchasing at HVS (Hydrogen Vehicle Systems)
    Oct 2022 - Jul 2024 · 1 yr 10 mos

  • ARRIVAL (Full-time · 2 yrs 2 mos)
    • Global Systems Manager
      Nov 2020 - Oct 2022 · 2 yrs

    • Global Commodity Lead
      Sep 2020 - Nov 2020 · 3 mos