Pictured above: Mike Mari

Ten years after joining the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, Mike Mari has left the organisation to start up his own company.

Mike, from Mickleover, Derby, has not severed his ties completely with CIPS - he has already signed a contract to be an outsourced agent for the Institute's sales team.

But he felt the time was right to set up Mike Mari Associates Ltd: "It's about achieving a work/life balance and having more control over my diary," says Mike who travelled across the world helping companies to improve their processes and governance.

"It will also enable me to carry out consultancy work locally," he added.

Mike rose to the position of head of certification at CIPS, the leading international body representing purchasing and supply management professionals.

He has delivered purchasing and supply management processes to organisations across Europe, North and South America, Australia and the Middle East as well as the UK.

He has worked with companies as diverse as the Olympic Delivery Authority, Metropolitan Police, Microsoft, Dubai TV, oil and gas company ZADCO in the United Arab Emirates, Xerox in North America and Ecopetrol in South America, and the United Nations in Jordan.

Mike who has trained others to deliver the CIPS Certification Programme also wrote the European Purchasing Standard for CIPS in conjunction with the Spanish, German and Italian Purchasing Institutes.

Before joining the CIPS Mike spent 25 years working for British Rail in Derby, latterly buying new trains, and finally as procurement policy manager.

Then he had three years as a senior consultant with First Procurement Associates on Vernon Gate.