Kimberley Bernhardt started her professional career as a freelance production artist and designer serving various technology and educational companies as well as private clients in the Bay Area.
In 2004, her native fluency in English and German led to an accidental career change into the strategic procurement and supply chain management field when she joined what was then Siemens Transportation Systems in Sacramento–the US manufacturing facility for rolling stock engineered by Siemens AG. While at Siemens, she gained extensive experience in procurement and supply chain management during international technology transfers and localizations, managing suppliers, including internal suppliers, from cradle to grave, and managing the conversion from project-based buying to a need-based common stock approach, including standardization of components and warehouse optimization, in addition to other daily purchasing activities.
In order to maintain a creative outlet, she started a creative micro business in 2006 to run concurrently with her corporate career, which is still running. In 2013, after passage of the California Cottage Food Law, she started a second micro business focusing on artisanal foods.
Following the birth of her son, she left Siemens in 2014. She now divides her time more or less equally between running the two micro businesses, providing procurement and small business consulting services, and providing training.
Kimberley can be contacted at kimberley@kimberleybernhardt.com.