I'm Ross Matthews.

I'm an international supply leader with 30+ years' experience in international distribution and retail, spanning the entire value chain at both origin and destination.

  • 30+ years in wholesale and retail sourcing and supply.
  • 20 years on the ground managing sourcing and supply from Asia
  • Owner of a Shanghai company, with offices in Ningbo and Guangzhou
  • Supported in China by a local team of supply professionals who deliver on-the-ground insight and real-time visibility
Map of the Ningbo office location
Ningbo officeRoom 1503, 151 Guangfu Street, Baizhang Subdistrict, Yinzhou District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China 315040
Map of the Guangzhou office location
Guangzhou officeUnit C, 11th Floor, Yueyun Building, No. 3 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China 510080

The problem I solve

CEOs often lack sufficient visibility into what's happening upstream in their international supply chains. Are there further opportunities to cut costs and boost efficiency? Are they managing risk as effectively as they should? They sense there's room to improve, but without visibility they can't be certain. That uncertainty creates reluctance to commit resources without a reasonable expectation of ROI.

I provide the on-the-ground expertise, leadership, and insight that closes that gap, giving CEOs the certainty they need to unlock supply-led competitive advantage.

I help brands and retailers cut cost, increase service, and de-risk their Asia sourcing and supply.

  1. I reduce total supply cost, not just FOB cost

    I look at all the costs of getting a product to shelf.

  2. I speed up and improve service levels

    I unlock the enablers of breakthrough supply improvement.

  3. I mitigate supply risk at origin

    I drive upstream visibility and deliver supply options that achieve real risk reduction.

Common results

Cost and margin

  • Total cost reduction, including sea freight, land transport, and warehousing
  • FOB cost reductions
  • Shipping and consolidation optimisation
  • Improved payment terms
  • Supplier consolidation, reducing complexity and unlocking scale

Speed and availability

  • Faster speed to market
  • Improved delivery on time
  • Higher warehouse and store availability
  • Increased inventory stock turn
  • Reduced inventory tied up in the pipeline

Growth and differentiation

  • New product development brought to market faster
  • Greater innovation in product and range
  • Exclusive product secured at origin
  • A clear point of difference versus competitors
  • Supply-led competitive advantage

De-Risking Supply

  • Quality defects reduced
  • Ethical sourcing controls introduced
  • Modern Slavery risk mitigated
  • Sources of supply diversified
  • Risk of bribery and corruption reduced

Three pillars

1

Leadership

Fractional Head of Asia Supply

You can't manage what you can't see. I bring supply chains into focus, delivering the visibility, insight, and on-the-ground intelligence to make better decisions, faster.

Engaging a highly experienced Western supply chain leader as a Fractional Head of Asia Supply, based in China, offers international brands and retailers a distinctive blend of global perspective and regional expertise.

Key benefits

  • Cost-effective senior expertise
  • Global perspective plus local execution
  • Expertise in strategic sourcing, cost optimisation, and risk mitigation
  • Already established at origin, with my own resources, ready to go
2

Strategy

Consulting

Sometimes you don't need a permanent seat at the table. You need a seasoned operator to solve a specific problem, fast.

My consulting work is project-based and outcome-focused. I step in, get to the root of the issue, and deliver a clear path forward.

Typical engagements include

  • Supply chain health checksAn independent, on-the-ground review of your Asia sourcing and supply operation, with prioritised recommendations.
  • Cost-out programmesIdentifying and delivering total supply cost reductions, not just FOB savings.
  • Supplier and factory assessmentsCapability, capacity, quality, and compliance reviews at origin.
  • Sourcing strategy and NPD supportFinding, qualifying, and onboarding the right suppliers for new or existing ranges.
  • Risk and resilience reviewsMapping upstream risk and building practical mitigation plans.
  • Shipping, consolidation, and logistics optimisationFrom origin consolidation through to inbound and linehaul.

Every engagement is built around your priorities and delivers a clear, actionable outcome, not a report that sits on a shelf.

3

Execution

In Asia Advantage

Strategy is only as good as its execution. Through my company In Asia Advantage, I provide fully outsourced buying office services in China, giving brands and retailers the on-the-ground capability to turn a roadmap into reality.

Where my consulting work defines what to do and how, In Asia Advantage delivers who does it: an established, ready-to-go team embedded at origin.

Services include

  • Supplier sourcing and onboardingFinding, vetting, and qualifying the right factories.
  • Order managementPO placement, tracking, and follow-through to shipment.
  • Quality assuranceInspections, audits, and pre-shipment checks.
  • Social complianceFactory compliance monitoring and remediation.
  • New product development (NPD)Sampling, prototyping, and range development support.
  • Warehousing and consolidationOrigin consolidation and international shipping coordination.

The result: clients get a roadmap and the team to implement it, without the cost, risk, and lead time of building their own Asia operation from scratch.

Learn more: www.inasiaadvantage.com

The three pillars are designed to work as one, but you can engage them individually or together, depending on where you need support.

Think of it as a simple progression: leadership, strategy, execution.

  1. LeadershipFractional Head of Asia SupplySenior leadership and visibility. A seasoned head at the table.
  2. StrategyConsultingTargeted problem-solving. Cost, risk, strategy, and sourcing.
  3. ExecutionIn Asia AdvantageExecution at origin. An outsourced buying office that delivers the roadmap.

In practice, many clients start with one pillar and expand into others as the relationship grows. A Fractional Head engagement might reveal a cost-out opportunity, which becomes a consulting project, which then flows into In Asia Advantage to implement. Or a client might come straight to In Asia Advantage for buying office support, and later bring me in at a strategic level.

The value is that you do not have to assemble these capabilities from different providers. Leadership, strategy, and execution all come from one person and one established China footprint, which means less friction, faster decisions, and a single point of accountability.

Insights

Practical insights for brands and retailers who want to buy and supply better.

Open the library

Pinned

  1. Supplier Numbers: Balancing Risk and Efficiency Risk & Resilience · 27 October 2026
  2. The Hype Around China+1 Never Made Sense to MeRisk & Resilience · 27 October 2026
  3. The Competitive Advantage That's Hard to CopyGrowth & Differentiation · 27 October 2026

Categories

If you'd like to explore how I can help, here's how to get started.

  1. 1

    A no-obligation introductory call

    A 30-minute conversation to understand your situation, your priorities, and whether I'm the right fit.

  2. 2

    A scoping discussion

    If there's a potential fit, we'll define the problem, the desired outcome, and the shape of an engagement.

  3. 3

    A clear proposal

    You'll receive a straightforward proposal covering scope, deliverables, timeline, and cost, with no surprises.

Get in touch

Website
supplyinsight.net

Based in Shanghai, with offices in Ningbo and Guangzhou. Working across Asia and with clients worldwide.

Email me with a little about your business and what you'd like to improve.

Book an introductory call