Bol’s Toni Ehrnreich on data, baggy jeans and Thomas the Tank Engine

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Toni Ehrnreich BOL

Name: Toni Ehrnreich

Job title: Head of marketing

Company: Bol

What was your first job? Production assistant on Thomas the Tank Engine.

What’s been your worst job interview? Argh – cringe to think about it! An internship for a startup solar panel company when I was 17.

They invited me in for a “casual quick chat” which I took a bit too literally… rocked up in a pair of Converse and baggy jeans to find two men in suits waiting for me in a meeting room.

What was the first music single you bought? Billie Piper – Because We Want To.

How do you describe your job to your friends? Exciting, creative, full-on.

“Data is so vital to unpick what’s happening in your product markets, and for creating strong sell-in stories that show the value your brand delivers on shelf”

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Knowing that what we do has a genuinely positive impact on people’s lives. Few things are more important than our health, and I truly believe that that starts with what we eat.

It feels great to know that everything we do at Bol ultimately amounts to making it effortless for people to get the proper nutrition they need when life gets busy and we don’t have the time or energy to cook. And it’s a really fun challenge creating new, exciting recipes and concepts that hit the brief of super nutritious, naturally made, zero prep and – most importantly – ridiculously tasty.

What is the least rewarding part? Not always having as much time as I would like to dedicate to the creative and planning process.

What is your motto in life? One I’ve pinched from my previous boss Harriot who was the founder of Mallow & Marsh: “Everything is OK in the end. So if it’s not OK, it’s not the end.”

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? Catered lunch in the office every day, in our own dining room.

Bol Foods

Do you have any phobias? Trypophobia – those who know, know.

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? The high cost of data. Data is so vital to unpick what’s happening in your product markets, and for creating strong sell-in stories that show the value your brand delivers on shelf.

Unfortunately, it’s so expensive that smaller brands often face an impossible choice: invest in critical data or allocate budget to marketing to drive growth.

Lowering these barriers or creating pricing tiers affordable for SME brands would really help level the playing field and encourage better sales performance across the industry.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? Clean towels.

What animal most reflects your personality? Kangaroo. I’ve googled that they are playful, friendly and fun, and thrive on movement and variety.

What’s your favourite film and why? Mrs Doubtfire – have watched it at least 30 times and still makes me laugh every single time.

What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? A library of options to choose from, none of which are appropriate for The Grocer.

I will say my first week at Bol I had to give a presentation and realised halfway through I’d been speaking into the presentation clicker like it was a microphone.

Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Seth Godin, because he is one of the greatest marketing thinkers ever. Is that cheating?

What would your death row meal be? It would have to be a really delicious pasta with a fresh tomato sauce with a bit of chilli. And yes, I’ve been told many times that’s extremely boring.