Name: Jonathan Fish
Job title: Commercial director
Company: Ecotone
What was your first job? I worked in a boat shop when I was 16, manning the tills. Selling boat accessories, long shelf-life food and Calor gas, what’s not to enjoy?
What’s been your worst job interview? I once went for a junior role that required an eight-stage interview process, something I only discovered during stage one. I believe in rigour and cultural fit, but great businesses know how to balance thoroughness with decisiveness. Commercial pace matters.
What was the first music single you bought? I can’t remember the exact CD, but I grew up surrounded by vinyl – my dad used to DJ. Sunday afternoons were soundtracked by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Sugarhill Gang. Music in our house wasn’t background noise, it was an event.
“We need to be braver, move faster, and bring shoppers with us through education and accessibility”
How do you describe your job to your friends? “I sell tea & rice cakes.” I don’t think anyone outside fmcg understands how it works, so I tend to keep it simple. If you go into joint business plans or on shelf execution, you tend to lose them. Ultimately I sell the brands people love and that they can relate to.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Working with people and celebrating together as a team. Every little opportunity discussed and secured is hugely rewarding as a team. You can’t always win so making sure you enjoy the process is key to success.
What is the least rewarding part? When innovation doesn’t land or you lose a contract you’ve poured months into. It’s the nature of the industry but you put so much effort in to succeeding, it’s always hard to take when it hasn’t paid off.
What is your motto in life? Always find enjoyment in everything you do. Energy is contagious.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? A universal August shutdown, like Christmas, but in summer. Everyone switches off at the same time. True rest. No emails. No “quick one before you go”. Imagine the collective recharge.
Do you have any phobias? Not that I’m aware of.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? The pace of sustainability execution. The intent is there across retailers, suppliers and consumers, but alignment and speed are still lagging. We need to be braver, move faster, and bring shoppers with us through education and accessibility. Impact at scale is possible if we collaborate properly.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? It has to be a flat white. You can’t beat a good coffee to kick-start each day.
What animal most reflects your personality? A dog. High-energy, curious, loyal, collaborative but always thinking about food.
What’s your favourite film and why? ‘The Intouchables’ is an excellent film – if you are OK with the English subtitles on a French film. An incredible true story of friendship, perspective and resilience.
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What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? An early procurement meeting with a major strategic supplier: big room, big audience, big introduction and a very clumsy first five minutes. I can’t share the full details but you get the idea.
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? It has to be Roger Federer. Longevity at the top of any field is about discipline, humility and continuous evolution. His composure under pressure and reinvention in later years are qualities every leader can learn from.
What would your death row meal be? I always struggle with this question. I am inherently a foodie so always like to try new things. Right now I’m thinking a Sunday roast at home with the family, accompanied with a nice glass of wine.
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