Middlebank Consulting Group appoints Mark Hopkins as Associate

Middlebank Consulting Group has appointed Mark Hopkins as an Associate, adding senior supply chain planning experience to the consultancy.

Hopkins joins with more than 25 years of experience across retail, distribution and biotechnology supply chains. His work has focused on how organisations make planning decisions in day-to-day operations, and how those decisions are shaped by the systems and data used by frontline staff.

The appointment reflects Middlebank's focus on supply chain planning systems, inventory optimisation and operational visibility. Hopkins will work with clients on planning, inventory and visibility challenges, with an emphasis on changes that can be sustained in routine operations.

Before joining Middlebank, he was Vice President for Global Accounts at Netstock, a supplier of inventory management and demand planning software used by more than 2,400 organisations worldwide. There, he worked with companies on forecasting and planning processes, including parameter setting, system configuration and alignment across planning functions.

His recent work also involved ongoing client engagement on system use and adoption, and he led a webinar series on recurring supply chain problems across different operating cycles.

Operational focus

Over the course of his career, Hopkins has worked on forecasting in multi-location retail and distribution networks. That included tackling product-level imbalances such as broken size ranges, which can leave retailers short of some sizes and overstocked in others.

He also helped expand supply chain visibility for an international distributor from one country to 19. In biotechnology settings, he supported product planning in environments where supply constraints are a constant concern.

His background also includes business integration during system and ERP transitions, covering process mapping, order flow design and the alignment of planning approaches. The focus was on making data more useful in everyday decision-making.

These capabilities have become increasingly important for companies seeking tighter control over inventory and more reliable forecasting after years of disruption in global supply chains. Across sectors from retail to life sciences, businesses have been under pressure to improve planning discipline while making better use of software already installed across their operations.

Consultancies in this market have sought to differentiate themselves by combining technical systems knowledge with operational process experience. For many organisations, the challenge is not only buying software, but ensuring planning teams use it consistently and turn system outputs into workable decisions.

Hopkins addressed that point in his remarks on joining the consultancy.

"I am pleased to be joining Middlebank Consulting Group," said Mark Hopkins, Associate, Middlebank Consulting Group. "Much of my career has focused on how planning actually works in practice, and I look forward to continuing that work with clients, strengthening the link between data, planning decisions, and execution."

Consultancy growth

Over the past two and a half decades, Middlebank has worked with more than 150 client organisations across a range of sectors and countries. The company was founded in New Zealand and later expanded into Australia, Singapore, India, the United States and the Middle East.

Its work has included reducing operational costs by an average of 15% and implementing technology systems designed to improve supply chain efficiency and business performance. The team also represents more than 225 years of combined experience.

Hopkins' appointment indicates that the group sees continued demand for advisory work focused on planning systems and data use, rather than only large-scale technology replacement. Many companies are instead trying to extract more value from existing tools by improving planning rules, system settings and cross-functional coordination.

Founder Alan Win said that blend of technical planning knowledge and operational experience is important for clients.

"Mark brings strong technical planning expertise alongside practical operational experience," said Alan Win, Founder and CEO, Middlebank Consulting Group. "That balance is increasingly important as organisations look to get more value from the planning systems and data they already have in place."