Michael Perkins , Director of IDP Global Procurement at Volvo Car Group , discusses the evolution of the company ’ s holistic approach to strategic partnerships

S tarting his career in the procurement industry in the early 90s , Michael Perkins has roughly 30 years experience in the sector . Currently , Perkins is a Director at Volvo Cars in charge of the EMEA region , as well as setting the structure globally for the company ’ s digital and IT services , marketing and sales , and professional services in procurement . “ In 2016 , following a 26 year career in procurement I was looking for new opportunities . Whilst looking , I was contacted by a recruiter on behalf of Volvo Cars , who were looking to establish the company in South Carolina . I ’ d never worked in the automotive industry and saw this as an incredible opportunity - the thought of bringing a Swedish automaker owned by a Chinese holding company to the US intrigued me ,” says Perkins .