How did you get to where you are today?
Research, research, research. But having balls of steel, the courage of a lion and understanding the customers' needs first have also helped.
What was the best decision you have made in your career and why?
My best decision has had to be getting my husband to join the company as commercial director.
Which companies/products do you most admire in the grocery industry?
Innocent Smoothies and Walkers Crisps.
Do you have a mentor and how have they helped you in your career?
Andrew Seth, former chief executive officer of Lever Bros. He is my mentor and multiple retailer expert who helps gauge the strategy behind our distribution.
What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told?
Perry Haydn-Taylor from the Big Fish Brand Consultancy once said to me: "Just focus on distribution and sampling." Another piece of important advice that someone else gave me was: "Woo all the supermarkets and build relationships with them."
If you could change one thing in the grocery industry, what would it be?
I think that there should be fairer negotiations between SME brands with multiple grocers, not benchmarking across the board, whether you are Premier Foods or Plum Baby.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Talking to the customers, or, in my case, seeing babies gobble up our food.
What is the one thing that you could not do your job without?
Decent coffee!
If you could start your career again, what would you do differently and why?
Not much, as we have evolved through making mistakes and have grown through having made some real crackers. I might have asked a few more direct questions and had more confidence in questioning retailers.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry today?
Carry out tons of market research, find out where your customers are and always raise more money than you think you will need, so that you never run yourself too thin.
What do you like doing when you are not working?
Running in the forest, going to the gym, reading historical and hysterical novels, handbags, great coffee, darkest chocolate.
Where do you hope to be in five years' time?
Still advancing the company, but maybe with a bit more time to come up for air!
Research, research, research. But having balls of steel, the courage of a lion and understanding the customers' needs first have also helped.
What was the best decision you have made in your career and why?
My best decision has had to be getting my husband to join the company as commercial director.
Which companies/products do you most admire in the grocery industry?
Innocent Smoothies and Walkers Crisps.
Do you have a mentor and how have they helped you in your career?
Andrew Seth, former chief executive officer of Lever Bros. He is my mentor and multiple retailer expert who helps gauge the strategy behind our distribution.
What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told?
Perry Haydn-Taylor from the Big Fish Brand Consultancy once said to me: "Just focus on distribution and sampling." Another piece of important advice that someone else gave me was: "Woo all the supermarkets and build relationships with them."
If you could change one thing in the grocery industry, what would it be?
I think that there should be fairer negotiations between SME brands with multiple grocers, not benchmarking across the board, whether you are Premier Foods or Plum Baby.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Talking to the customers, or, in my case, seeing babies gobble up our food.
What is the one thing that you could not do your job without?
Decent coffee!
If you could start your career again, what would you do differently and why?
Not much, as we have evolved through making mistakes and have grown through having made some real crackers. I might have asked a few more direct questions and had more confidence in questioning retailers.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry today?
Carry out tons of market research, find out where your customers are and always raise more money than you think you will need, so that you never run yourself too thin.
What do you like doing when you are not working?
Running in the forest, going to the gym, reading historical and hysterical novels, handbags, great coffee, darkest chocolate.
Where do you hope to be in five years' time?
Still advancing the company, but maybe with a bit more time to come up for air!
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