Where Market Data Meets Commercial Judgement
Independent procurement expertise combining real market data with experienced commercial judgement
For much of our careers, we have operated inside FTSE-listed and private-equity-backed organisations where procurement outcomes have a direct and measurable impact on EBITDA, cash flow and risk.
Our approach is built on real commercial decisions, not theoretical frameworks. We understand how supplier leverage is gained and lost, how contracts drift over time and where value and risk accumulate within major technology agreements.
We combine market benchmarking with experienced commercial judgement to provide organisations with a clear, independent view of their true commercial position with major technology supplier renewals.
Our experience covers many of the world’s largest enterprise technology suppliers, including SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, Workday, Salesforce and AWS. We focus specifically on the suppliers that represent the largest and least transparent cost lines in enterprise technology budgets.
​
Our Story
​​
Swan Procurement was founded to address a consistent imbalance between major technology suppliers and the organisations buying from them. While working as a Chief Procurement Officer, Michael Burt saw this dynamic play out repeatedly across large, complex technology agreements.
The suppliers held the advantage. They operate with highly sophisticated sales teams, opaque pricing models and a deep understanding of how deals are structured across the market. They negotiate these agreements every day, whereas most organisations do not.
Over time, this imbalance often leads to agreements that are more expensive than they should be, with commitments that are higher than necessary and terms that no longer reflect the market. It is not a capability issue. It is a market knowledge issue.
Swan Procurement was established to address that. The firm combines independent market intelligence with experienced commercial judgement and deep supplier insight, enabling organisations to understand their true position and approach negotiations with clarity and confidence.
Many organisations feel they have limited room to negotiate with their most important technology suppliers. In reality, that is rarely the case. When the market is understood and leverage is clear, far stronger outcomes can be achieved.​
​​​​​​​​
Meet The Team
Michael Burt
Founder I Managing Director
Michael Burt is the Founder and Managing Director of Swan Procurement. A former Chief Procurement Officer working across technology enabled businesses in private equity and listed business. He specialises in strategic technology sourcing, supplier negotiations in complex supplier environments.
Grahame Ball
Partner
Grahame Ball is a partner at Swan Procurement. He has served as Chief Procurement Officer across multiple global organisations and sectors, with extensive experience in commercial strategy and supplier negotiations. He holds an MSc in Supply Chain Management from Cranfield University.
Cath Davies
Business Development Director
Cath Davies is Business Development Director at Swan Procurement, responsible for developing client relationships and supporting the firm’s growth across new and existing markets. She brings extensive experience in business development and stakeholder engagement across professional services environments.
Gary Jago
Director
Gary is a senior procurement professional with extensive international experience across financial services, retail, FMCG, public sector, and aerospace & defence. A full member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS) and a First-Class Honours Technology and Business graduate, he combines strong technical grounding with proven commercial judgement.
Our Clients
We are proud to work with an impressive list of clients
BENEFACT GROUP
Our Values
Our values are our DNA. They are the foundation of how we support our clients to succeed
Integrity
We act honestly, transparently and ethically in everything we do. We are supplier agnostic.
We will tell you immediately if we can’t help. We only put your interests first.
Determination
We never give up however difficult the challenge becomes.
​
Your goals are our goals and we will not stop until they are achieved.
​
Excellence
We consistently deliver the highest quality of work possible.
“Good” is not good enough, only excellence will do.
Teamwork
We believe in only one team.
We integrate seamlessly with you adding the required skills and experience to achieve success.