Meet The Team

Andrew is a Principal Consultant specialising in packaging, labelling and artwork management. A thought leader and author with over thirty years' experience, Andrew has worked with teams of all sizes in a diverse range of global companies via a succession of strategic development and change roles within the pharmaceutical, chemical and FMCG industries.

Prior, Andrew spent ten years as Head of Global Packaging Design operations at GlaxoSmithKline, where he oversaw the transformation of their global artwork management activities into a world-class, award-winning capability.

During his time as a consultant, Andrew has assisted many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare companies with their packaging and labelling operations, developing products, improving their supply base and patient safety and driving additional value from their product range. Andrew frequently speaks on these topics at webinars and conferences worldwide.

Andrew has a Master's degree in Engineering and an MBA. He is a chartered engineer and member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and is co-author of Developing and Sustaining Excellent Packaging Labelling and Artwork Capabilities.

Andrew is based in the UK.

Andy is a highly experienced serialisation SME, programme and project manager and consultant with a wealth of experience delivering complex programmes to clients across the globe. Andy’s experience focuses on serialisation delivery, business process design, business restructuring, IT and manufacturing projects. He has a proven track record of successfully delivering integrated solutions to complex business objectives within FMCG and pharmaceutical environments.

Throughout his thirty-year career with companies such as Mars and GlaxoSmithKline, Andy has delivered global programmes and projects to a value in excess of $800M including a significant strategic restructuring project for a major global pharma company. Andy also led and delivered pharmaceutical serialisation programmes for a wide range of clients (from single site CMOs to large pharma).

Andy is an experienced Chartered Engineer and member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology with detailed knowledge of ERP, software implementation, process design, change management, equipment and automation engineering. Andy is based in the UK.

Charles is a highly experienced programme / project manager and business change consultant with over 20 years’ experience designing and implementing transformational change for global organisations. His core experience lies in pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, manufacturing and supply chain industries, working with organisations across Europe and North America.

In his early career, Charles was General Manager for a FTSE 250 manufacturing organisation. In various other roles he gained experience in operation management consultancy, performance management implementation, supply chain transformation and safety leadership programming in placements across the world including South Africa, West Indies, Sweden, Australia and USA. Charles spent 3 years as Associate Programme Manager at GSK, leading the implementation of their manufacturing change programme.

Charles now focuses on strategy implementation, programme management and building project and programme management capabilities. His clients engage him to design transformation programmes, develop and implement plans to mobilise employees and facilitate strategic planning sessions.

Charles has a Bachelor of Science (Eng.) degree in Engineering and an MBA. Based in the Spain.

Charles is a highly qualified supply chain consultant with over thirty years' experience working with some of the world’s largest life sciences and blue chip companies. He delivers strategic change by building reactivity and flexibility into the supply chain whilst improving service levels, removing costs and working capital.

Charles has an extensive and proven track record with high profile engagements in supply chain working across a broad spectrum of sectors including pharmaceuticals but also consumer goods, chemicals, paper, automotive, healthcare and mining.

Throughout, his career he held various executive positions at Kearney (Paris), Capgemini Invent (Paris then Vice President Supply Chain practice, Johannesburg) and PEA Consulting, a French leading high-end consultancy specialising in supply chain.

More recently Charles consults at the most senior level for blue chip clients such as Sanofi where he coordinated a large supply chain transformation project.

Charles has a MBA from Georgetown University. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish and is based between Paris and Madrid.

Clive is a highly experienced programme manager and global supply chain consultant, specialising in packaging, serialisation, artwork management and supply chain strategy for the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. His extensive international career spans over thirty-seven years and combines a unique blend of consulting (for both a major consulting firm and as an independent), business ownership, franchising and business management.

Whilst Clive’s focus has been in the life sciences industry, he also has experience in a broad range of other markets including agriculture, oil and gas, chemicals, financial services and retail.

Following senior positions with Unilever and CapGemini, Clive became the global consulting lead for two global manufacturing and supply strategy projects with GlaxoSmithKline. After this, he went on to manage multiple strategic manufacturing and supply transformation programmes.

As a consultant for the past twenty years, Clive is a renowned expert in the design and sustainable implementation of successful transformation for global organisations. He consistently delivers measurable operational improvements and multi-million pound benefits for his clients.

In his role as Managing Consultant at Be4ward, Clive has led a number of projects, including the development of a shared pack strategy, the implementation of a major SKU complexity reduction programme and the international roll-out of new packaging and labelling artwork systems.

Clive is also founder of The Independents' Consultant, an online business dedicated to helping independent consultants develop their business transformation, consulting and project delivery capabilities that are essential for success.

Clive has a BSc Chemistry degree from the University of Bristol and is based in the UK.

Fiona is an experienced project management consultant with a focus on packaging management and regulatory requirements within the pharmaceutical industry. Fiona has considerable experience in the area of pharmaceutical validation having managed and executed projects requiring the relocation and subsequent revalidation of blister, foil and bottle lines and the purchase of new blister packing lines, their installation and validation.

Fiona holds thirty-five years’ experience working in various project management roles with GlaxoSmithKline, leading a number of international and site wide projects. Fiona led the solid dose new product transfers project as part of the corporate global strategic network rationalisation project transferring both in and out of the site product to the value of £1.1 billion. Prior to this she was part of the new product introduction team at GSK’s solid dose new products site. Fiona has also held operational line management and packaging technology roles with a wealth of experience in tablets, sterile products, creams and ointments.

Fiona has a degree in Biochemistry and an MBA. She also is Green Belt certified in Lean and Six Sigma. Fiona is based in the UK.

Gilles is a highly qualified business improvement consultant with a proven track record helping clients to improve delivery of their products, services and projects through the application of collaborative and creative problem-solving techniques.  He delivers solutions that are both innovative and practical and significantly impact performances.

A bachelor in Automated Production Engineering and former lecturer, Gilles Bourque has over thirty years’ experience in strategy development, project delivery change and risk management across a diverse range of industries including IT, telecommunications, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automotive, entertainment, recycling and waste management. His focus lies in breakthrough innovations and creative problem solving, motivating teams to go beyond their usual frames of reference.

Gilles has worked with Be4ward on the implementation of artwork management systems and traceability in electronic assembly. Gilles is based in Canada and is bilingual in English and French.

Grant is an award-winning, leading healthcare industry consultant and industry-recognised expert advisor on digital brand protection and product packaging.

Through his twenty-four year career working for GlaxoSmithKline in manufacturing, supply chain and commercial positions, Grant held multiple global roles in strategy and advocacy management, working on a number of large strategic initiatives, including product coding, serialisation, traceability and pack management.

Grant has been a trusted advisor to EFPIA in defining the industry’s advocacy and strategic approach to anti-counterfeiting and product traceability in Europe. He was an elected member of the GS1 global healthcare leadership team for ten years, developing the organisation’s strategy for driving adoption of standards to increase patient safety and lower healthcare costs globally. He held the role of co-chair of the GS1 healthcare public policy group and currently co-chairs the GS1 digital link working group.

Grant has been recognised through several industry awards including the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Award for preventing the spread of counterfeits in Nigeria and the Best Pharmacy Initiative - Falsified Medicines Directive anti-counterfeiting model. He has a degree in Business Studies, a Lean Sigma Green Belt and is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Grant is based in the UK.

Guy is a highly experienced supply chain strategy and planning consultant. He has designed and managed multiple supply chain strategy, planning and process improvement assignments with a particular focus on assisting clients in the pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods sectors.

After an early career with Nestle in production and supply chain performance improvement, Guy went on to spend eight years with accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in supply chain strategy and planning in the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors. He then moved into expert consulting and over the last eighteen years has gained an impressive global client list covering multiple industries including pharmaceuticals, FMCG, medical aid, MoD and financial services.

Guy has a first-class honors degree in Biology and Environmental Science and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, he has written and delivered courses and tutored for the PwC Pharmaceutical University. Guy is based in the UK.

Ian is an expert global management consultant with a solid focus on pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, med-tech and public health. He has 25 years’ experience consulting at all levels from the boardroom to the shop floor covering supply chain, manufacturing and procurement. He has shaped supply chains, manufacturing networks and supplier processes for leading pharmaceutical and FMCG clients across the globe, covering all aspects of management, from resizing existing networks to radical redesigns to enable innovative B2B and B2C strategies.

Ian began his career working for Siemens and Toshiba in a semiconductor JV where he rose to be responsible for productivity, new product instructions and outsourcing to Asia of older technologies. He then moved to a major consultancy where he switched focus to pharmaceuticals. There he led many industry first implementations of concepts such as vendor managed inventory, strategic sourcing, virtual manufacturing networks and late stage customisation.

Ian has a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from London’s Cass Business School. He is fluent in both English and German and is based in Switzerland.

Kevin is a global artwork operations expert, with an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the quality expectation for global artwork operations. With a background in engineering and production management, Kevin has over thirty-five years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Programme / Deployment Director for the GSK global artwork project, Harmony.

At the creation of GSK in 2001, Kevin joined the newly formed global logistics organisation to help shape the conceptual development of a global artwork organisation. He held various positions within the artwork organisation as it evolved, initially acting as the IT stream lead for the global pack management project where he was responsible for identifying a suitable platform to host artwork change.

Kevin moved into a business change management, where he oversaw the closure processes of the local artwork studios and the subsequent establishment of a regional service centre network. He was responsible for establishing an offshore outsourced facility in Hyderabad.

Kevin’s other roles included running the global regional service centre operations, bringing the consumer business into the global operating model as well as leading roles in the design development and deployment of a new operating model for the management of artwork and packaging across GSK’s pharma; vaccines and consumer businesses, including the GSK / Norvartis integration and Pfizer & ViiV joint venture.

Kevin has a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Change Methods and a Master's degree in Business Change Management, he is based in the UK.

Paul is a specialist in the Tech Transfer of manufacturing operations, with over 30 years' experience in scale up and roll out of the world's biggest pharmaceutical products.  He was part of the core team manufacturing the Astra Zeneca Covid vaccine, producing 3 billion doses in the first year and saving over a million lives.  

Paul spent ten years with GlaxoSmithKline developing their new manufacturing technology to meet the specific needs of the new-product pipeline, including enteric tablet coatings, digital printing, containment of hazardous materials, and dry-powder inhalers.  

With Roche in Switzerland, he completed the Design Transfer and clinical manufacture of auto-injectors, pre-filled syringes, and needle safety devices for their monoclonal-antibody products.  He worked with Takeda in Germany, and GSK in France and Poland, for the Serialisation of packaging components.  He has the tenacity and resilience to deliver projects under harsh political and confidentiality constraints.  

Paul is a Chartered Engineer, a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology, and has an MBA from Cranfield UK and ESADE Spain.  He is based in UK and speaks English, Italian and German. 

Ruth is an expert project and programme management consultant with significant experience delivering global supply chain and IT projects within the pharmaceutical environment. Ruth works at all levels of the supply chain process, from shop floor to C level, introducing new technology and processes, organisational change and IT systems. 

Ruth has over thirty years’ experience beginning her career in the oil industry before spending seventeen years with AstraZeneca in various process engineering and change management roles, most recently as their global portfolio project and change manager. Ruth now focusses on her consulting capabilities with recent engagements including programme management for early-stage development in cell therapy oncology, delivering equipment serialisation solutions and upgrades for pharma companies and CMOs and process development support to the European Medicines Verification Organisation team.   

Ruth has a degree in Chemical Engineering and is an AMP certified Management of Portfolios Practitioner. Ruth is based in the UK.  

Scott is an expert serialisation and traceability solutions consultant with expertise rooted in the design, development and implementation of serialisation and traceability solutions.

Over his thirteen-year career, Scott has consulted with multiple global companies on solution strategy as well as full scale implementations. He has supported clients across multiple industries including pharmaceutical and biotech companies who were early adopters of serialisation and traceability in their response to global regulations as well as increasing product security demands. Scott’s engagement experience ranges from initial education and strategy through to capability deployment and ongoing operational support. In addition to associate consulting services, Scott serves as a trusted software solution provider to Be4ward through his company Jennason.

Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management Information Systems he is also a certified IT Architect and globally recognised expert in GS1 supply chain standards. He has been published in numerous pharmaceutical trade publications including Pharmaceutical Commerce, PharmaVoice, and Materials & Logistics Handling. Scott is based in Minneapolis, USA.

Stefan is a highly experienced engineer, independent contractor and consultant with expertise founded in supporting medical device and pharmaceutical companies with their packaging challenges. Stefan has a solid 23 years’ experience in packaging, with the last 13 years focussed specifically on Life Science.

Stefan’s experience has been acquired through a succession of Packaging Engineer and Programme Management positions throughout Europe, including 6 years with neuroscience biotech Biogen. The scope of Stefan’s experience encompasses the whole commercial packaging process, from creating early packaging concepts for new product developments all the way to the lifecycle management of legacy products including design and process, development and qualification, vendor selection, brand protection and shipping qualification. Stefan has a proven track record managing international packaging complexities by emphasising the importance of standardised approaches and the reduction of redundancy.

Stefan has an engineering degree (Diplom Ingenieur) in packaging technology from Stuttgart Media University and is fluent in English, German, Dutch and Spanish. He is based in Switzerland.

Stephen is President of Be4ward and Principal Consultant specialising in finished goods supply chain design and management, serialisation and traceability. His extensive experience is gained from over thirty years working with a diverse range of teams, in multiple global life science companies  This significant experience has also led to Stephen working with many global standards bodies such as GS1 and ICMRA to improve global standards in traceability.

Prior to joining Be4ward, Stephen’s early career was in control systems engineering, which rapidly moved into architecting and managing projects to build life sciences manufacturing facilities around the world . He gained broad experience leading several global supply chain transformation projects whilst working as a Principal in CapGemini’s supply chain practice. He went on to develop GlaxoSmithKline's product serialisation strategy, then established and led their global serialisation team.

During his time as a consultant with Be4ward, Stephen has been the practice lead for serialisation-related engagements for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical devices clients ranging from strategy development through to implementation and operations. He has also facilitated a broad range of supply chain design and related business process design and implementation projects with pharma and biotech clients of all sizes.

Stephen has a 1st class honours degree in Engineering, he is a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He is co-author of Developing and Sustaining Excellent Packaging Labelling and Artwork Capabilities.

Stephen is based in Canada.

Steve is an expert change management consultant primarily to the pharmaceutical, life science and consumer health industries, with a current focus on EU MDR/IVDR analysis and compliance and the delivery of sustainable change.

As R&D Director of a global technology company, Steve led a successful quality management change programme, he also boasts significant experience in business analysis, change programme design and management (PMO) of large, complex, multi-site and multi-functional programmes across a diverse range of sectors.

With over twenty-five years’ experience consulting to major corporations across the globe, Steve is people focused, recognising the value of the expertise within organisations and the power of collaborative client-consultant work to deliver outstanding results. Steve is adept at working with senior leadership teams and conversant with regulatory, quality, supply chain, R&D and commercial functions with a clear focus on product portfolio analysis and product rationalisation. Steve’s strongly held belief is that successful change is done ‘with people’ and not ‘to people’.

Steve has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Leeds and has authored numerous scientific and business papers and articles. He is based in the UK.