This week in our ‘5 questions with…’ series, we put the spotlight on Ekaterina Brooks, Buyer purchasing in Supply chain.
Q.1 – What excites you most about Gill and your role here?
One of the things that excites me most about Gill is its inclusive and welcoming culture, along with the wonderful people who work here. I really value the balance between professionalism and the warm, family-oriented environment, which is something that truly appeals to me.
I also have a genuine interest in Gill’s products and their real-world applications. In fact, it feels quite close to home for me, as my dad works in the agricultural industry and uses similar sensor technology in his day-to-day work. Seeing how valuable these kinds of products are in practice makes my journey at Gill even more special.
As a Buyer at Gill, I contribute to keeping operations running smoothly – if the right parts aren’t in place, production simply can’t run.Purchasing is a vital business function at the heart of operations, and I’m very proud to be part of it. If I had to pick what I find most rewarding about my role, it would be building strong supplier relationships and analysing data to support better decision-making.
Q.2 – What interests you most about the industry?
Although I’ve been in the manufacturing industry for over five years, I’m still relatively new to supply chain. In my previous role, I worked closely with procurement specialists as their supplier, which gave me the opportunity to observe supply chain from the other side. I gained a strong understanding of the challenges buyers face and often helped resolve them. In many ways, that’s what first inspired me to become a manufacturing Buyer myself one day.
It may sound bold, but from day one I genuinely felt like I was in the right place. What continues to interest me most is that supply chain is fast-paced and constantly evolving. You can never quite reach that desired perfection – there’s always a better way of doing things. I’m also fascinated by how products move from a manufacturer based in Lymington to customers all over the world. I’ve already learnt a lot since I started, but I know it’s only the tip of the iceberg!
Q.3 –How do you see technology impacting your role over the next 5 years?
I feel that, with how quickly things are changing today, business transformation across all industries is inevitable. In supply chain specifically, I believe there will be an even stronger focus on data accuracy, transparency, traceability, as well as sustainability. Forecasting, planning, and analysis will become increasingly automated and precise, with decisions driven more by reliable data and insights rather than intuition alone.
No doubt AI will play a major role in reshaping the industry by enabling faster, more accurate, and more adaptive decision-making. However, despite these technological advances, I strongly believe people will continue to play a key role in supply chain. Even when the data is clear, there are often multiple ways to approach the same challenge, and human creativity, experience, and judgement are essential to achieving the best outcomes.
Q.4 -Who has inspired you the most in your career, and what did you learn from them?
I’ve been privileged to work with some truly amazing and knowledgeable professionals throughout my career, but the person who has inspired me the most is Richard Jarratt. I met Richard when I was a fresh graduate, and he opened the door to the manufacturing world for me – a path I’ve never looked back from since. One of the biggest things I learnt from Richard was the importance of staying inquisitive and never stopping learning, developing, and asking questions. He also taught me the value of approaching challenges with a solution-focused mindset rather than becoming stuck on the problem itself. Perhaps most importantly, through his attentive and supportive leadership, Richard showed me what a positive company culture looks like and why people should always be at the heart of any organisation.
Q.5 -Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.
Something that might surprise people about me is that I’m massively into alpine skiing and mountaineering. Having grown up with an adventurous lifestyle, I have been doing both since childhood. In 2015, I was awarded a II Category in Mountaineering for pioneering a 3,403m mountain with my family and naming it after my grandfather, who was a famous Russian alpinist and academic. What I love most about mountaineering is the mindset it builds – determination, perseverance and the ability to motivate yourself even when things get tough. Those are qualities that have shaped me both personally and professionally.
Apart from the snowy mountains, I’m also happiest at sea. One of my favourite activities is sailing and snorkelling in the open sea on a sunny day with my family, who I’m very close to.
Overall, I gain energy and inspiration from nature, and my personal sanctuary is somewhere in the woods or near the water. It’s one of the reasons my husband and I decided to move to the heart of the New Forest after a busy life in the city.
