John Yates

John Yates is a seasoned procurement professional with extensive experience in the defense, telecommunications, and aerospace sectors. Currently serving as Group Category Manager at MBDA since November 2020, John Yates specializes in devising global procurement strategies for the Information Management function. Previously, John Yates held the position of Sub Contract Manager at Leonardo, overseeing procurement of software and hardware, managing contracts, and ensuring export compliance. John Yates also worked as Procurement Manager for Sky, managing the procurement cycle across various business units, and as Senior Procurement Officer at Astrium Services, where responsibilities included managing a £100 million annual purchasing spend. Earlier roles include Commodity Specialist positions at Thomson Airways and Thomsonfly, and experience as an inbound services assistant buyer at IDT Telecom. John Yates began a career in procurement at PRG-Schultz, focusing on supplier negotiations and recovery of overpayments. John Yates holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Engineering/Industrial Management from the University of Hertfordshire.